The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, one of my top 3 of the Chronicles of Narnia, is an amazing adventure to the very end of the world! Narnian world, that is.
We are reunited with Edmund and Lucy Pevensie and introduced their cousin Eustace, who is not very pleasant and does not like his cousins at all. Eustace is an allegory for the modern world, he doesn’t believe in God, is more interested in himself than anything else, and if fascinated with knowledge learned, rather than experienced. And he does not believe in Alsan or Narnia…until he winds up there and meets the Great Lion.
Once in Narnia the 3 cousins join a quest with an old friend, King Caspian X. They are joined on this quest by the great mouse, Reepicheep. Everyone has their own reasons for this voyage: Caspian is seeking the 7 great lords who went in search of the lands to the East and were never heard from. Repicheep is on a quest to fulfil his destiny, laid out in a prophecy by a wood woman. And the cousins are…well, we don’t find out why they are along, until you read the story.
One of the reasons I love this book so much, is that Aslan (the Jesus allegory), shows more characteristics of Christ and translates the love of God so clearly, it’s overwhelming. Aslan heals Eustace of a horrible malady. Aslan also reprimands Caspian and Reepicheep in the most Godly ways, and Aslan reminds us that OUR stories belong to us, and our futures are destined for greatness, as long as we stay under the Lion’s watchful eyes.
For those of you who are not believers, it’s STILL a great book and would be a tremendous story for your kids, and for you as well. I highly recommend it, and one day, will be reading it again!
Other C. S. Lewis Recommendations
