Last weekend I bought The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis book on tape at a garage sale for 50 cents. I listened to the first tape, but found that the background music made listening seriously difficult. It has been a long time since I last read the book. It is a book better read, than listened to. It is a very simply told story with some obvious, but not very intrusive Christian allegory. If you ignore the allegory it is a very nice book, and there is no danger of a child reading it and running off to a Christian right cult.
I have the BBC dramatization on tape that is actually a much better production.
I first read the Narnia books when I borrowed them from my friend Jack Shepherd back when I was about 12. He had the whole set in hardcover. He lived at the Missionary College in Upper Nyack; now called Nyack College. I loved all the books. My favorite, though, without a doubt is Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Back when I was 12, my favorite book of the series was A Horse and His Boy, but I haven't read it in so long that I forget the plot.
The reason that there has been some interest in the Narnia books is that Disney is doing TLTWATW as a movie. The trailer looks very interesting:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/thechroniclesofnarnia/
The actress that plays the white witch looks to be the same one that played the borg queen.
I will probably not see the movie, but since it is a simpler story and more dramatic than the Harry Potter books, it will probably be a classic.
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2 Comments
Hi, I was looking for a picture, or online mention of Jack Shepherd Sr. My father, and Jack Sr. were roommates at Nyack in the 1940s. My father was the pastor of Simpson Memorial Church (S. Broadway & Voorhis) from 1961 to 1968.
Jack Jr, or “Jackie” as I knew him, was about 10 years older than me, and he and my sister Susan dated some. I remember seeing his Aurora Model Motoring layout in the basement of their place at the college. I believe he built it with a friend named Torey (sp?) Smith. WOW. As a five or six-year-old, it was a stunning layout. I finally got my own set (a Lionel :-() for Christmas 1966.
About 12 years ago, I found myself back in the hobby. I’ve often wondered what became of Jackie and Torey’s stuff, so keep an eye out at yard sales for me!
I think I could put you in touch with Jack. My Mom still talks to his Mom occasionally, though I’m not sure exactly where he lives these days. I know until a couple of years ago, he was teaching English at an International School in Morocco.
It’s a small internet!
Geoff Drake
Conyers, GA
My friends from the college went all over the world and rarely hear from them. Tory was at one of our Nyack High reunions and he lived in NYC at the time. I knew Tory, but we didn’t hang out so I don’t know where he lived or his parents. I am guessing his parents, if they are still around, live in Nyack and have a box of trains in the cellar.
I just checked, Tory is not on facebook, at least he didn’t list himself in the Nyack class of 69. I bet he googles himself and he’ll find this comment.