The Horse and His Boy
I have two books left. The last book may stretch into more than one entry.





The Horse and His Boy is a story about a Boy and a Horse. There is also a Girl and a Horse, and another Boy, but they don’t seem to matter as much to the author in the end. The Girl wanders out of the story before the climax, and the Other Boy just pops in a couple of times to say two lines and run away.

It has the distinction of, until two days ago, being the only Narnia book I never finished. I struggled to explain the plot of this one to my sister, who has also never finished it. I do not think I was terribly successful. When I read it the first time around, I was so *bored* and it seemed to take so *long* to get anywhere. Now that I’m older it certainly doesn’t feel that way, I don’t know how I ever got the impression it was too slow. It’s too fast! There is so much going on, and half of it isn’t discussed in much detail, there are people popping in and out who I wish we’d had a better chance to get to know. All the subplots begin in media res, and we readers have to run to catch up.

It’s all much funnier than I remember. Maybe I was ill when I tried to read it before.

I didn’t enjoy the bit about Corin and Shasta being separated at birth. For a plot point like that to be interesting, we have to know where and when and how, this happened and what significance it has to the bigger picture, don’t we? And I wasn’t sure what the overriding theme was here. It’s just a bunch of fun stories that end up colliding.

Who is Peridan? I can gather that he’s some type of trusted courtier? Does he have a back story? Or is he just Edmund’s discrete gay lover? Do not ask me why I’m getting that vibe off them, I don’t know. Maybe it comes from his vague, unexplained function, and how he and Edmund each took hold of Shasta’s hands as if they were his dads or something. It’s such a *coupley* thing to do. A shame, because if he was a more fleshed out character we might get some good slash fic out of this.

A few-well- a lot, of readers say that the Calormen are a little offensive towards Middle Eastern people. I can definitely see where you’d get that impression. It’s very much satire on certain stereotypes, and I don’t know whether I find that funny or offensive. A little of both, probably. It veers in the direction of offensive occasionally.

I read a review that claims the book is all about religious tolerance, so… *shrugs*. Well, their gods never fight, and Aslan even curses Rabadash to remain in Tash’s temple as long as he lives and I suppose that wouldn’t be possible without Tash’s cooperation. Aslan is protective of the Calormene children, but is that because he needs them to get to Archenland to warn the king and thereby protect the Northerners? I suppose the message would be that God is for everyone even people who have funny colored skin and believe in someone else, but honestly I’m not sure *what* the theme was this time.

Lucy was great, even if she only had a small part. Queen Lucy the Valiant indeed. Lucy Warrior Princess.