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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

by C.S. Lewis

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • Signed
  • first
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About This Item

LEWIS, C[live] S[taples]. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Illustrated by Michael Hague. NY: Macmillan [1983]. 8vo, viii 184pp. Red cloth stamped in gold foil. Orange endpapers; one double-page and 12 full-page color illustrations. Slightly rubbed at top and bottom edge, else a fine copy in original color pictorial dust jacket (some light rubbing as always with this jacket whose finish rubs off at the lightest touch). Signed by the artist, Michael Hague, with a 5" drawing of Aslan on the half-title.

First Hague-illustrated edition. C.S. Lewis' first adventure into the world of Narnia is brought to wonderful new life in this splendid, richly imagined illustrated edition. Hague's lush watercolor illustrations capture the magic, power, and tension of this beloved classic.

Synopsis

First published in 1950 by Geoffrey Bles in the UK, T he Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is the first published and best known of the C.S. Lewis' popular Narnia series. The American edition was published later in 1950 by Macmillan. Due to labor union laws the type had to be reset so Lewis took the opportunity to make a few changes to the American edition: Edmund and Susan are interested in snakes and foxes instead of foxes and rabbits in chapter 1, the White Witch's chief of police is Fenris Ulf instead of Maugrim in Chapter 6, and the “fire-stones of the Secret Hill” is “the trunk of the World Ash Tree” in chapter 13 of the American Edition. MacMillan first edition, first printing states “First Printing”. In 1994 when HarperCollins took over publication they reverted to the original British printing. The original edition was illustrated by Pauline Baynes, and the British edition had 43 illustrations, while the American lesser. Subsequent American editions had significantly fewer; the most popular edition which was published between 1970 and 1994 by HarperCollins had only 17 severely cropped illustrations. The story came together from a few pieces of inspiration. From the age of 16 onwards Lewis had in his mind an image “a Faun carrying an umbrella and parcels in a snowy wood.” Then in 1939, shortly before WWII, three school girls, Margaret, Mary and Katherine, were evacuated to Lewis' country home to escape the bombing in London, inspiring the characters of Susan, Peter, and Edmund, who go to live with the old professor. He began writing the story that year, and finished in 1949, multiple personal dreams about lions bringing the story together through the character of Aslan. Through his mixture of mythology and talking animals Lewis created the magical world of Narnia that appears to the children as they step through the wardrobe. While writing the first novel Lewis was in a writing group called the Inklings with J.R.R. Tolkien who was working on The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien and Lewis were both professors at Oxford during the 1920s, and Lewis, who was an atheist at the time, was heavily influenced by Tolkien, who was Roman Catholic, so much so he eventually not only converted to Christianity but became known for his devout faith and Apologetic writing – using logic to defend his faith - in such works as Mere Christianity, and The Screwtape Letters. Tolkien was rumored to not have approved of Lewis' Narnia series, reportedly 'horrified' that he mixed so many difference mythologies together and that his world was not a cohesive and consistent imaginary world. Tolkien wasn't alone in his disapproval of Lewis' works. Lewis' publisher, Geoffrey Bles, was concerned the Narnia novels wouldn't sell, and that they would damage Lewis' reputation. Others felt that the stories with their Christian themes were trying to indoctrinate children, and were too fantastical for older children. Today The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is one of the most popular children's books in print, and is included in many top 100 book lists. The Narnia Series is comprised of seven books: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, The Magician's Nephew, and The Last Battle. Chronologically The Magician's Nephew is the first book in the series, although The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe was written first. The series wasn't in chronological order until 1956 when a young reader named Laurence suggested it be read that way.   -

Read More: Identifying first editions of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

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Details

Bookseller
Books of Wonder US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
1049291
Title
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Author
C.S. Lewis
Illustrator
Michael Hague
Format/Binding
Red cloth stamped in gold foil
Book Condition
Used
Edition
First Hague-illustrated edition
Binding
Hardcover
Publisher
Macmillan
Place of Publication
NY
Date Published
1983
Weight
0.00 lbs
Size
8vo

Terms of Sale

Books of Wonder

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About the Seller

Books of Wonder

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2020
New York, New York

About Books of Wonder

Books of Wonder is NYC's oldest and largest independent children's bookstore, specializing in both new and old books. Established in 1980, Books of Wonder has a store in the Flatiron/Chelsea area of Manhattan.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Fine
A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
New
A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
Jacket
Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
Rubbing
Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.
Cloth
"Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...

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