[lbo-talk] Marketing the Chronicles of Narnia

[Andy F]

> Definitely propaganda for a fairly reactionary,
> anti-worker,
> anti-woman brand of Christiantity  - arguably
> racist/anti-semitic as
> well though this is not quite as clear.  Also a
> marvelously written
> work, some of the greatest fantasy ever written. If
> I confined my
> reading to works that have a compatible world view
> with mine this
> would reduce literature available to me by 99% - so
> I never let stuff
> like that stop me. What you want to give to a kid is
> another question,
> so I leave that to you as a parent. Great
> characters, marvelous world
> building, poetic language, pathos, humor - and
> indisputably
> reactionary.

It certainly has a taste of the "mislead savage brute"
brand of racism, infatuation with aristocracy and so
on, like Tolkein and the Barbar books.  And I wouldn't
hestitate to recommend them either.  The settings are
very imaginative-- the Wood between the Worlds, weird
Uncle whosit's crawlspace, the wormhole wardrobe, all
stick with me today.

Eight years of Catholic sunday school and I sort of
got the Aslan/Jesus thing, but not much else.  I
identify with that Richard Rorty quote in somebody's
sig, so I guess I didn't turn out too bad.

For adult fantasy check out Jack Vance's _Lyonesse_
and _Dying Earth_ novels, and Michael Shea's _Nifft
the Lean_.  Google "cheap truth" for other good
suggestions.

Andy

		
__________________________________ 
Do you Yahoo!? 
Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site!
http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/