The Silver Chair facts for kids
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First edition dust jacket
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| Author | C. S. Lewis |
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| Illustrator | Pauline Baynes |
| Cover artist | Pauline Baynes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Chronicles of Narnia |
| Genre | Children's fantasy novel, Christian literature |
| Publisher | Geoffrey Bles |
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Publication date
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7 September 1953 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 217 (first edition) 51,022 words (US) |
| ISBN | 978-0-00-671681-5 (Collins, 1998; full colour) |
| OCLC | 1304139 |
| LC Class | PZ8.L48 Si |
| Preceded by | The Voyage of the Dawn Treader |
| Followed by | The Horse and His Boy |
The Silver Chair is an exciting children's fantasy novel written by C. S. Lewis. It was first published in 1953. This book is part of a famous series called The Chronicles of Narnia. It was the fourth book published in the series. However, in newer collections, it is often listed as the sixth book. This is because the books are now ordered by the story's timeline in Narnia. Just like the other Narnia books, The Silver Chair has wonderful drawings by Pauline Baynes.
The story mostly takes place in the magical world of Narnia. In Narnia, many years have passed since the last book, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. But in England, only a short time has gone by. In this book, the old King Caspian X is very old. His son, Prince Rilian, has gone missing. Aslan the lion sends two children from England to Narnia. Their mission is to find the lost prince. These children are Eustace Scrubb, who was in the last book, and his friend Jill Pole. In England, Eustace and Jill go to a very strict school called Experiment House.
C. S. Lewis dedicated The Silver Chair to Nicholas Hardie. Nicholas was the son of Colin Hardie, who was a friend of Lewis. They were both part of a group called the Inklings.
Contents
Story Summary
Escape to Narnia
Eustace Scrubb is now a much nicer person after his adventures in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. He meets his friend Jill Pole at their school, Experiment House. Jill is upset because bullies are bothering her. Eustace tells Jill about his time in Narnia. He explains how it changed him. Jill warns him that the bullies might pick on him too.
As the bullies get closer, Eustace suggests they ask Aslan for help. They try to escape through a gate. Suddenly, they find themselves in Aslan's Country. They see a high cliff. Jill gets too close to the edge to show off. Eustace tries to pull her back, but he falls over the cliff instead. Aslan appears and saves Eustace. He uses a magical wind to blow Eustace safely to Narnia.
The Quest Begins
Aslan then gives Jill a very important task. She must help Eustace find Prince Rilian of Narnia. Prince Rilian is the son of King Caspian X. He disappeared many years ago. Aslan gives Jill four special Signs to guide them on their quest. Then, Aslan sends Jill to Narnia too. Eustace is already waiting for her near a large castle.
They watch an old, weak man sail away on a ship. To Eustace's surprise, they learn this old man is King Caspian! By not greeting him, they have missed the first Sign. They also learn that 70 Narnian years have passed since Eustace was last there. But in their world, less than a year has gone by. Caspian has sailed off to visit lands he saw when he was young. Many Narnians believe he went to ask Aslan who should be the next king. Caspian is very old, and his people worry he won't live much longer.
Help from the Owls
Trumpkin, King Caspian's old dwarf helper, gives Jill and Eustace rooms in Cair Paravel. Trumpkin is very old and cannot hear well. An owl named Glimfeather advises them not to talk about their quest. Glimfeather calls them to a meeting of talking owls. The owls explain that Prince Rilian vanished ten years ago. He was looking for a large green snake that had killed his mother.
Jill and Eustace are flown to the northern marshes of Narnia. There, they meet their guide, Puddleglum. He is a Marsh-wiggle, a creature who is often gloomy but very loyal. They start their journey towards the giant lands north of Narnia.
Giants and Underland
The weather is harsh, and they are hungry and cold. They meet the Lady of the Green Kirtle. She is with a quiet knight in black armor. She tells them to go to Harfang, a castle of "Gentle Giants." She says the giants would be happy to have them at their Autumn Feast. Jill and Eustace are excited about warmth and comfort. Only Puddleglum warns them not to go to Harfang. After a long, difficult journey through a snowstorm, they arrive at Harfang. They are welcomed inside.
From the castle, the three friends see something important. The snowstorm had made them miss the ruins of a giant city below. This means they missed Aslan's second Sign. They also see the words "Under Me" carved on the road. This is the third Sign. They then find a cookbook in the kitchen. It shows that they are the main course for the Autumn Feast! They quickly escape from Harfang. Following the Sign, they hide in a cave under the ruined city. They fall down a long, dark slope into Underland.
The Silver Chair
Underground, they are found by earthmen. These creatures live deep below the surface. The earthmen take them by boat across a dark, underground sea. They arrive at a city ruled by the Lady of the Green Kirtle. She is away, but a young man greets them kindly. He explains that he has strange fits every night. During these fits, he must be tied to a silver chair. The Lady ordered this. If he is set free, he will turn into a deadly green snake and harm everyone.
The three travelers decide to watch the young man during his fit. They feel it might be important for their quest. When he is tied to the chair, his "ravings" sound like he desperately wants to escape. He finally begs them to free him in Aslan's name. They realize this is the fourth Sign. They are nervous, but they free him. He immediately smashes the silver chair. Now free from the spell, he thanks them. He tells them he is indeed the lost Prince Rilian. The Lady of the Green Kirtle had kept him underground. She planned to use him to conquer Narnia.
Return to Narnia
The Green Lady returns. She tries to use magic to make them forget who they are. But Puddleglum bravely stamps out her magical fire. This breaks her spell. The angry Lady turns into a green snake. Rilian kills her with help from Eustace and Puddleglum. He realizes the Green Lady was the same snake that killed his mother.
Rilian leads the travelers out of Underland. The gnomes, who were also under the Lady's spell, are now free. They happily return to their home even deeper in the earth, a place called Bism. One gnome shows Rilian's group a way to the surface. Rilian returns to Cair Paravel just as King Caspian is coming home. Caspian is reunited with his son, but he dies moments later. Rilian is then declared King of Narnia.
Aslan appears and praises Eustace and Jill. He takes them back to the stream in his country where Jill first met him. King Caspian's body appears in the stream. Aslan tells Eustace to push a thorn into his paw. Eustace obeys. Aslan's blood flows over the dead King, and Caspian comes back to life, young again. Aslan promises Eustace and Jill that they will return to his country one day for good. He then lets Caspian go with Eustace and Jill back to their world for a short time. There, they scare away the bullies. Caspian then returns to Aslan's Country. Experiment House becomes a better school. Eustace and Jill remain good friends.
Back in Narnia, King Rilian buries his father. The kingdom enjoys many happy years. But Puddleglum often reminds everyone that good times don't last forever.
Main Characters
- Jill Pole – A student at Experiment House. She is crying when Eustace finds her after bullies bother her.
- Eustace Scrubb – He was in the previous book, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. He is a cousin to the Pevensie children. He became much kinder after briefly turning into a dragon in the last story.
- Puddleglum – A Marsh-wiggle who often sees the bad side of things. But he is very brave and helps Jill and Eustace on their journey. He often uses common sense to guide them.
- The Lady of the Green Kirtle – She rules Underland. She plans to take over Narnia by keeping its rightful prince under her spell.
- Prince Rilian – The prince who should be king of Narnia. He was captured by the Lady of the Green Kirtle and held in her Underworld.
- Aslan – The powerful Lion who created Narnia. He is the only character who appears in every Narnia book.
- King Caspian – The old King of Narnia. He was a boy in Prince Caspian and a young man in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. In this book, he is sad because his only son disappeared ten years ago. This happened after his wife died from a snake attack.
- Glimfeather – A large talking Owl. He sees Eustace and Jill arrive from Aslan's country. He helps them by taking them to a meeting of owls. There, they learn about Prince Rilian. Glimfeather then helps carry them to meet Puddleglum. His speech often sounds like an owl's hoot.
Movie and TV Shows
The BBC made a TV series based on the book. It was shown in late 1990. This was the fourth and last Narnia book that the BBC made into a TV show.
On October 1, 2013, The C.S. Lewis Company announced plans for a new movie. It would be called The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair. This movie would follow the order of the books' publication. Mark Gordon and Douglas Gresham (C.S. Lewis's step-grandson) worked on developing the script. In December 2013, David Magee was announced as the writer. In 2016, Gordon said the film would be a "reboot" for the movie series. Sony Pictures and Entertainment One helped pay for the film. In April 2017, Joe Johnston was announced as the director.
