All that said, I am not sure that these stories work as well for adult readers. After you have tasted the rich psychological novels, the fruits of James and Dostoevsky and others, it is hard to assume the mind-set that would allow one to enter fully into the universe of Narnia. The Harry Potter books, for example, are much better suited to appeal to both children and adults. I did not read C.S. Lewis as a child, and only came to his stories as a grown-up and a parent. I fear that this limited my ability to give myself over completely to the magic of this alternative universe.
But for the fresh, unimpeded mind of a nine year old—the mind that knows even better than us jaded grown-ups that the universe is a magical place—The Chronicles of Narnia have an almost inexhaustible richness. Moreover, the stories are built on such enduring themes of youthful wish-fulfillment, that they are likely to hold their charm for later generations. It’s almost impossible to predict literary trends these day — who knows if we will even have books and book retailers in a few decades time? — but I have confidence that the youngsters enjoying these stories today will be sharing them with their own children and grandchildren.
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