This is the first of seven adventures which make up the Narnia chronicles.
When Digory’s father has to go to India to work and his mother becomes
gravely ill, Digory and his mother must leave their home in the country
and stay with an old aunt and uncle in London. Uncle Andrew is
very strange; he considers himself a magician and no one is quite sure
what he does in his locked study in the attic. Digory is lonely
and very frightened that his mother will die.
When Digory meets Polly, the girl next door, the two decide to explore
the attics which run across the top of the rowhouses in which they
live. They are trying to get into the empty house, but instead
find themselves in Uncle Andrew’s study.
Uncle Andrew shows the children a tray of very attractive green and
yellow rings. Before Digory can stop her, Uncle Andrew tricks
Polly into trying on one of the yellow rings. She immediately
vanishes from sight into another world. Digory must follow with a
green ring to bring her home.
Digory and Polly find themselves in the wood between the worlds, and
decide to explore some of those other places. They end up in a
cold and dying world called Charn, where Digory awakes the evil Queen
Jadis, who is a witch with magical powers.
Queen Jadis manages to
hang onto Polly and Digory to get back into our world, where she wreaks
havoc. In trying to get Jadis out of our world, Digory and Polly
inadvertently drag her and several others into Narnia at the moment
when Aslan, the Great Lion, is singing it into being.
This is the story of how Aslan brings Narnia to life and how evil
enters into Narnia with the witch. It also tells how humans –
sons of Adam and daughters of Eve – come to be kings and queens in
Narnia.
The adventure of the Magician’s Nephew recalls the creation of our
world. The author makes some very perceptive remarks regarding
good and evil, particularly how evil comes from the misuse of things
which, used correctly, would result in good.
The story stands nicely on its own. However, most who read The
Magician’s Nephew will be eager to read the next adventure in the
chronicles of Narnia. Although classed as children's literature,
this is a book which everyone can enjoy at any age.