It's the end of Narnia as we know it
Jan. 16th, 2006 04:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vovatMy goal of re-reading the Chronicles of Narnia has now come to fruition, now that I've completed The Last Battle. This might be my least favorite book in the series, because it's kind of a downer. Yes, I know all the good guys get to live in Paradise at the end, but there's still the sense that they couldn't win their own way, and the protagonists being frustrated in their goals often makes for a less pleasant read. And really, is Narnia's end particularly grand? The land had survived and recovered from the White Witch's enchantment and the Telmarine occupation, yet an ape con-man who dresses a donkey in a lion skin in an attempt to get a bunch of fruit and nuts marks the end of the world. The Narnian world seems to be very short-lived anyway. C.S. Lewis' own timeline says that it was only around for 2555 years. Even the most fervent Young-Earth Creationists say that our own world has already lasted longer, and Jadis in The Magician's Nephew speaks of Charn's final stage (with the red, cold sun) as having lasted "hundreds of thousands of years." I did like the appearance of Tash, though.
The single-volume edition of the Chronicles also includes an essay by Lewis, entitled "On Three Ways of Writing for Children." These three ways are writing what you think children want, writing with particular children in mind, and writing a children's story because it's the best way of saying what you want to say. He refers to the first one as "generally a bad way," and I think I would have to agree. That's the kind of thinking where people use half-assed marketing research and pop psychology to come out with something that's supposedly what some narrow audience wants, and it probably results in crap more often than not. Lewis goes on to defend children's fantasy, writing, "I am almost inclined to set it up as a canon that a children's story which is enjoyed only by children is a bad children's story." He also makes a good point when he says, "They accuse of arrested development because we have not lost a taste we had in childhood. But surely arrested development consists not in refusing to lose old things but in failing to add new things?" That's part of why I tend to get annoyed when people insist they've "outgrown" some book or band or something. Perhaps the word is appropriate in certain cases, but it carries the connotation that this something must be childish and immature. I remember an argument on the alt.music.tmbg newsgroup about whether it was possible to "outgrow" They Might Be Giants. My thought on the matter was that, yes, some people stop liking them as their tastes change, and that's perfectly fine. But to use the word "outgrow" implies that people who still like TMBG as they grow older are somehow immature.
This also ties into something I was thinking of not too long ago, regarding how I see the terms "adult" and "grown-up." To me, the former is mostly a matter of responsibility, and the latter a matter of dignity. "Grown-up" seems to me to carry a sense of snootiness and imagined superiority than "adult" doesn't. Does anyone else see it that way, or am I alone?
That's pretty cool. I get the feeling that I'd enjoy living in New England, if it didn't get so friggin' cold and snowy in the winter.
This was![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
zimbra1006's quiz, which I might have actually taken before, but I can't remember.
A Nerd!
Your quest for knowledge makes you blissfully
unaware of things like fashion and pop culture.
You are the smartest person in every room you
walk into. You have a hard time approaching
members of the opposite sex, but that's okay,
because you'll most likely become a millionaire
some day and finally get that cheerleader or
sexy chess team captain to go out with you.
What Kind of Social Outcast Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
Last night,bethje gave me my final Christmas present, which was a DVD set of the two Ghostbusters movies. I'd been wanting to watch them again, so it was a good gift. I actually knew about it beforehand, so it wasn't a surprise or anything, but still.
The single-volume edition of the Chronicles also includes an essay by Lewis, entitled "On Three Ways of Writing for Children." These three ways are writing what you think children want, writing with particular children in mind, and writing a children's story because it's the best way of saying what you want to say. He refers to the first one as "generally a bad way," and I think I would have to agree. That's the kind of thinking where people use half-assed marketing research and pop psychology to come out with something that's supposedly what some narrow audience wants, and it probably results in crap more often than not. Lewis goes on to defend children's fantasy, writing, "I am almost inclined to set it up as a canon that a children's story which is enjoyed only by children is a bad children's story." He also makes a good point when he says, "They accuse of arrested development because we have not lost a taste we had in childhood. But surely arrested development consists not in refusing to lose old things but in failing to add new things?" That's part of why I tend to get annoyed when people insist they've "outgrown" some book or band or something. Perhaps the word is appropriate in certain cases, but it carries the connotation that this something must be childish and immature. I remember an argument on the alt.music.tmbg newsgroup about whether it was possible to "outgrow" They Might Be Giants. My thought on the matter was that, yes, some people stop liking them as their tastes change, and that's perfectly fine. But to use the word "outgrow" implies that people who still like TMBG as they grow older are somehow immature.
This also ties into something I was thinking of not too long ago, regarding how I see the terms "adult" and "grown-up." To me, the former is mostly a matter of responsibility, and the latter a matter of dignity. "Grown-up" seems to me to carry a sense of snootiness and imagined superiority than "adult" doesn't. Does anyone else see it that way, or am I alone?
 | You scored as Jean Grey. Jean Grey is likely the most powerful X-Man. She loves Cyclops very much but she has a soft spot for Wolverine. She's psychic so she can sense how others are feeling and tries to help them. She also has to control her amazing powers or the malevolent Phoenix entity could take control of her and wreak havok. Powers: Telekinetic, Telepathic
Most Comprehensive X-Men Personality Quiz 2.0 created with QuizFarm.com |
| HARTFORD! You scored 48% Style, 36% Climate, and 45% Culture! |
| You are Hartford, Connecticut. Hartford, located at the end of the navigable portion of the Connecticut River, was settled in 1623 as a Dutch trading post. In 1636, a group of English settlers left Massachusetts and formed a colony here. The settlers made peace with the local Algonquin Indians, who called the town Saukiog, and renamed it after Hertford, England. Shaped by the social and economic forces which gave rise to industrial growth in America, Hartford grew and prospered as successive waves of immigrants came to work, build and settle in the community. This ethnic and cultural diversity continues to be a prominent part of Hartford's heritage and one of the city's greatest assets. Hartford also became an important cultural and communications center. The nations oldest public art museum, the Wadsworth Athenaeum, was founded in 1844. Supported by prominent benefactors like J.P. Morgan, the museum grew to become one of the top ten art museums in the country. Authors like Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe were drawn to the area, because, as Twain said "of all the beautiful towns it has been my fortune to see, this is the chief." You have landed yourself in a more laid back city because you are not fond of typical city crowds and city folk, but would probably be happier in a smaller town. You also don't mind the change in seasons, even though you prefer more sunshine and warm weather to the opposite. You probably enjoy a good film or art show every now and then, but more often than not, you just like to kick back and enjoy the outdoors and nature. You could stand to be a bit more open-minded because it would make you all the more well-rounded. Hartford fits you alright, although you'd probably do well in the countryside, too, far from the hustle, bustle, and stress of the city. |
 |
My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
|
| Link: The Which Major U.S. City Are You? Test written by weeredII on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test |
That's pretty cool. I get the feeling that I'd enjoy living in New England, if it didn't get so friggin' cold and snowy in the winter.
This was
zimbra1006's quiz, which I might have actually taken before, but I can't remember.A Nerd!
Your quest for knowledge makes you blissfully
unaware of things like fashion and pop culture.
You are the smartest person in every room you
walk into. You have a hard time approaching
members of the opposite sex, but that's okay,
because you'll most likely become a millionaire
some day and finally get that cheerleader or
sexy chess team captain to go out with you.
What Kind of Social Outcast Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
Last night,
bethje gave me my final Christmas present, which was a DVD set of the two Ghostbusters movies. I'd been wanting to watch them again, so it was a good gift. I actually knew about it beforehand, so it wasn't a surprise or anything, but still.
