C. S. Lewis’
Space Trilogy was always one of those things that I meant to read. Right after
I had reread The Chronicles of Narnia. I must confess that I was a bit intimidated
by it and didn’t want to read it in case I didn’t like it as much as Narnia.
Well, I
needn’t have worried.
I’ve finished
the first book and as I started it, I wasn’t sure what I was getting, and at
the back of my mind was the idea that Aslan would be strolling onto the scene.
And in some ways Aslan isn’t far away in this book. Don’t get me wrong – this is
a very different kind of story, but there are important scenes. I couldn’t help
thinking about what Aslan says in one of the books about how he is not just in our
world as well as in Narnia, but he has a different name there.
But before
I explain about that. The story is about a guy called Ransom who, at the start
of the book, is on a walking tour for the summer. He bumps into two unfriendly
types, Weston and Devine, who subsequently kidnap Ransom and set off for the planet
of Malacandra. As much as I felt sorry for Ransom, it just goes to show that
you shouldn’t tell a relative stranger that you are set to be alone for some
time and that no one would miss you for a few weeks.
It’s on
Malacandra that Ransom has some similar Narnia experiences. There are different
types of creatures and there is an Aslan character, by a different name, just
out of sight. But the concept this time centres on a world where sin has not
corrupted, and what that would be like. It provides a different take on the
Biblical story of what has happened on Earth, the Silent Planet, and gives it a
wider context, albeit a fictional one.
I’m certainly
interested in reading more in this series. There’s a lot to unpack in this
first one. I felt that it was a mix of excellent writing at the beginning as I
explored an intriguing world through Ransom’s eyes. But for me the pace really
picked up towards the end. It’s not so much that there was more action, just
much to ponder and think about.
No comments:
Post a Comment