The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader!

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S Lewis was published in 1952 and is the third volume of The Chronicles of Narnia. In this one, two of our original child heroes age out of the Narnian experience leaving only Edmund and Lucy to travel to the famous fantasy land. They are joined this time by Eustace Scrubb, their cousin. He's been raised without the benefit of a traditional rearing by his parents whom he refers to by their first names. He's a spoiled bully who is dragged into Narnia and joins Edmund and Lucy aboard the ship which gives the book its title. Pauline Baynes once again illustrates the book with great aplomb. 

King Caspian is aboard with a hearty crew, and he is on an epic quest to voyage to the far ends of Narnia in search of seven lost lords of the land. Our trio of modern Earth kids are piped aboard, and the quest begins. Back for more too is Reepicheep the dashingly heroic sword-wielding mouse. Reepicheep immediately has trouble with Eustace who doesn't understand that in Narnia a sour attitude and a few pranks can get sword put where you'd rather not have it. 

Our band of explorers do indeed find the seven lords they search for, but those unfortunate (mostly) fellows have found all manner of dangers on islands along the way to the end of the Earth. Some are still alive and some are not. Eustace undergoes a strange transformation, both in body and character on the voyage. In truth the children are somewhat secondary in this story, with Lucy and Eustace getting the most attention. Lucy's constant trust in Aslan is an absolute boon to the voyage time and again. The surprise star of this adventures is Reepicheep, who is always seeking danger and adventure. The image of such a small creature being so brash is heartening in many ways, though of course his choices are often irresponsible. 

This remains my favorite story in the series. It's filled with all manner of oddities, and every few chapters a new aspect of the world of Narnia is revealed to the reader. The revelation at the end of the sea is a triumph for Lewis. And no reader will never forget the Dufflepuds -- enough said.

Next time The Silver Chair. 

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