B A U M A N R A R E B O O K S A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 "THE MOST SUSTAINED ACHIEVEMENT IN FANTASY FOR CHILDREN BY A 20TH-CENTURY AUTHOR": COMPLETE SET OF FIRST EDITIONS OF C.S. LEWIS' CHRONICLES OF NARNIA SERIES, VERY HANDSOMELY BOUND 24. LEWIS, C.S. The Chronicles of Narnia. London: Geoffrey Bles / The Bodley Head, 1950-56. Together seven volumes. Octavo, modern full green morocco gilt, raised bands, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. $23,000 First editions of all seven books in Lewis' cherished Chronicles of Narnia, handsomely bound in full morocco-gilt. An Oxford professor who also wrote literary criticism, fiction for adults and numerous volumes of Christian apologetics, C.S. Lewis is likely best remembered for his beloved fantasy series, the Chronicles of Narnia. "All my seven Narnia books," Lewis once wrote, "began with seeing pictures in my head… The Lion began with a picture of a faun carrying an umbrella and parcels in a snowy wood. This picture had been in my mind since I was 16. Then one day, when I was about 40, I said to myself, 'Let's try and make a story about it" (Brown, 19). Lewis was also "concerned to do for children what he had done for an adult readership in his science fiction… to re-imagine the Christian story in an exciting narrative context… [The Narnia books are] intoxicating to all but the most relentlessly unimaginative of readers, and must be judged the most sustained achievement in fantasy for children by a 20thcentury author" (Carpenter & Pritchard, 370). "The stories are unforgettable not only for the excitement and suspense of the adventures but also for the strong emotions they describe so well… [and they are] further enriched by Lewis' skillful use of language" (Silvey, 406). Unlike most fantasy series, "each book has something new and different to offer and there is no weakening of either inspiration or interest" (Eyre, 132). "Adored by children and academics alike, these books are extremely collectible, sought-after and scarce" (Connolly, 186). Fantasy and Horror 5-176. With the original map endpapers, published in the second through fifth volumes, bound into their respective volumes. With faint soiling to a few leaves in the first volume only. A beautiful set. 24
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