HarperCollins The Magician's Nephew

Purchased as my son has gotten into audio books and loves The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, it seemed quite natural to start at the beginning with the creation of Narnia and the introduction of the great Aslan.Being only 4, while my son was able to follow the unabridged audio book he did complain that the story didn't move quite quickly enough so this being a radio dramatisation seemed an obvious answer, and it is.The 'show' is a little over 2 hours, with different people voicing each part this is just right and can be completed in (at least in our case) 2 journeys so for younger listeners it is ewasier for them to grasp.It is quickly becoming a regular request whenever we are out and even at home while we eat dinner.From a grown up perspective this dramatisation has been very well done, yes it's a childrens story but done in this way it is enjoyable (there are some in our collection that simply drive me nuts) and there are times when I catch myself putting one of these childhood tales on simply to relax and feel comforted.I would though recommend listening to the series in chronilogical order rather than in original publication order if you arte wanting to listen to the full series or the whole thing doesn't make much sense but if you are just buying as a stand alone this is a good choice.

This CD is an unabridged reading of The Magicians Nephew by C.S. Lewis. It is an excellent production, and listening it is as good as reading the book. We hear how the two late Victorian children, Digory and Polly, make friends and explore the attics of their houses - how they meet Digory's nasty uncle Andrew, and how he tricks them into travelling to another universe that leads, in turn, to the dead world of Charn. We hear how the evil queen of that world is awakened and how the children bring her to late Victorian London. We hear about the mayhem she causes and what happens to Uncle Andrew! We hear how the children, Uncle Andrew, the evil queen, and a Cabby end up in the magical world of Narnia, that is being created by the great lion Aslan. We hear of the children going on a quest - a quest that will have big consequences. And we hear what happens as a result. There are serious parts and funny parts but above all it is a very meaningful story. This is a really excellent 4 CD set.

From the front cover right the way through to the back this was a fantastic read and it helped to fill in the foundations of 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. ' The concept of different worlds in different pools is wonderfully original and the introduction of evil into a perfect world setting well contrived. The illustrations are excellent. C.S. Lewis was a gifted man who knew how to present his case. I won't spoil it for you by recanting the plot, suffice to say, it has everything, magic, excitement,good and evil,and a very interesting ending. An Aslan story worthy of the name.

I loved this book as a child and found it just as enchanting threading it as an adult. The Wood Between the Worlds is a brilliant idea to explain imagination.

Excellently read by Kenneth Branagh, he brings this wonderful story alive and does all the voices wonderfully. My husband and I enjoyed recapturing our childhoods while listening to this.