The Horse and His Boy - The Chronicles of Narnia III

source : Amazon.com
author : C.S. Lewis

The tale begins with a poor slave boy named Shasta escaping from his adopted fisherman father who plans to sell him to a brutish stranger. A dignified talking war horse named Bree helps Shasta flee. Jennings plays Shasta with refreshing gentleness-listeners get a sense of the boy's sensitivity and fear as he embarks on the adventure of his life. The talented narrator plays Bree with the right
amount of dignity and haughtiness. This horse amuses with his witty observations about human behavior, and sense of equine superiority. The horse and his boy hope to travel north to Narnia, and encounter numerous adventures and strange characters, all beautifully portrayed by Jennings.

The most memorable supporting characters are another escaped child, a tough girl named Aravis, and her talking mare called Hwin. Jennings brings these two adventure seekers to life with his crystal clear narration. Thanks to his skills as a storyteller, the action moves rapidly from one exciting episode to the next. Evocative music plays at the beginning and end of each side of the tape. This presentation will enchant young listeners and encourage them to read the other titles in the series. It is helpful for students to have read The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe before enjoying this, but The Horse and the Boy stands alone as enthralling, self-contained entertainment. -- Brian E. Wilson, Evanston Public Library, IL

This is an all-cast dramatization of the third book in Lewis's "Narnia" series. Those who have read all seven books will be better able to put this performance in context, but the uninitiated will enjoy this adventure tale in which, once again, intrepid children outwit nefarious grown-ups. Shasta is a young boy living in Calormene with a cruel man who claims to be his father. One night he overhears his "father" offering to sell him as a slave, so Shasta makes a break and sets out for the North. He meets Bree, a talking horse who becomes his companion. On their way they encounter Aravis, a high-born girl escaping an arranged marriage, and her talking horse. Despite their differences the children and horses learn to work together to reach the freedom they long for. In the meantime, they uncover a Calormene plot to conquer Narnia. The performances are energetic, and the characters easily distinguishable.-- Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Reader's review:
Of C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, "The Horse And His Boy" is probably my favorite. Venturing into exotic locations, with a likeable cast and a good thriller format, this is a pretty cool fantasy that gives some insights into what the cast of "Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" were doing during that time before they returned home.

Shasta is the son of a poor fisherman, and his life is pretty ordinary until a mighty Calormene (sort of a generic Mideastern civilization) Tarkaan comes to stay at his home. He overhears his father admit that he found the infant Shasta on a raft with a dead man, and the Tarkaan offers to buy him. That night, Shasta escapes with the Tarkaan's talking Narnian horse Bree, and by chance bumps into a runaway Calormene girl called Aravis, who also has a Narnia horse (Hwin).

The four plan to run away to the free land of Narnia. But they run into problems when they enter the city of Tashbaan -- the rotten son of the Tisroc (emperor) is planning to kidnap Queen Susan of Narnia and marry her whether she likes it or not. What's more, Shasta is caught up by the kings of Narnia, who think he's the prince of Archenland -- what's more, the prince looks exactly like Shasta. With the guidance of the mysterious Aslan, Shasta and Aravis must keep the Calormenes from attacking Narnia.

The later books in Lewis's series are probably a bit better than the first ones, literaturewise. This book introduces new and very interesting characters, as well as bringing back old ones like the kings and queens of Narnia, Tumnus, and Aslan, of course. The Christian subtext is probably faintest in this volume, and it's probably the least connected to the main storyline that runs through the series. But it's also a good exploration of stuff that Lewis had introduced, such as the Middle-Eastern Calormen kingdom, and the talking animals. And the writing is superb, especially the scene with Shasta near the tombs.

Aravis may be my favorite character in the Chronicles -- she's tough, decisive, independant, and smart. She's a bit reminiscent of J.R.R. Tolkien's Eowyn, or one of Lloyd Alexander's more serious heroines. Shasta is a nice twist on the boy-with-mysterious past, a likeable kid who is a bit in over his head but keeps working at it. Bree and Hwin are also likeable, with different personalities (Bree is more sarcastic, Hwin is meeker) and after awhile you may forget that they're horses.

Even taken outside the Chronicles (one of the early fantasy series, and one that helped spawn many of the staples of fantasy literature), this is an entertaining story for anybody who enjoys a good story.  -- E.A. Solinas

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