The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Sent away from London during the Blitz to a rambling country house owned by an old professor, the four Pevensie children stumble through a wardrobe full of fur coats and find themselves in a snow-buried world held under perpetual winter by the White Witch, who calls herself Queen of Narnia. There they meet talking beavers, a dignified faun, and at last the great lion Aslan, who has returned to break the witch's hundred-year spell. C. S. Lewis's first published Narnia novel weaves Christian allegory, Norse and Celtic mythology, and the homely details of wartime childhood into a story about loyalty, betrayal, and the cost of redemption. First published in 1950, it remains one of the most beloved children's books of the twentieth century and the doorway through which generations of readers have entered Narnia.
Where The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe keeps showing up
Three of our editors' lists feature this novel.
Books in conversation with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
A few of the closest reads from our full list.
What you might want to know about The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
The four Pevensie siblings are sent from Blitz-era London to an old country professor's house. Hiding in an upstairs wardrobe, the youngest, Lucy, steps out into the snowbound country of Narnia, where it has been winter for a hundred years under the rule of the White Witch.
C.S. Lewis approved both. Publication order starts with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; chronological order starts with The Magician's Nephew. Many readers prefer publication order for first reads to discover Narnia as the original audience did.
Yes. Notable adaptations include the 2005 Disney film starring Tilda Swinton and the 1979 BBC TV miniseries. A new Greta Gerwig adaptation has been announced for Netflix.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was written by C.S. Lewis, published in 1950 by HarperTrophy.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is 83 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe takes most readers 1 to 2 hours to finish.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a standalone novel by C.S. Lewis, not part of a series.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
