Rating:  -
The Horse and his Boy is about a young boy named Shasta. Shasta doesn't feel like he belongs in his fisherman world of cruelty. For when he encounters a talking horse from Narnia, he rides away from his master and into a daring adventure.
I really liked this book because it had a fairly good story plot. Everything in the book happened like it was supposed to. What I didn't like about this book is that it board me in some places.
I liked the book, but out of the series of the Chronicles of Narnia, it was my least favorite.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about kings and queens and pheasants. It is kind of like the middle ages, only twisted. Anywhy, it was still a fairly good read.
Rating:  -
First of all, this is an excellent story, one of the best of the Narnia series. And rather than add my two cents to the dozens of excellent reviews alrerady posted here, I'd just like to make thie following observation:
When they make the film version of this particular book (which they undoubtedly will, following the overwhelming success of "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe") they will have to bend over backwards not to offend the Moslem world in doing so, as Calormen is clearly C.S. Lewis's model of a large, aggressive Moslem Empire south of Narnia, much like the Ottoman Empire was to Europe 800-years ago. The Calormenians dress like Moslems, talk like Moslems, and even have a religion similar to Islam.
No, you may not want to acknowledge this regarding a children's book, but it's still true nonetheless. And I suspect Hollywood will tread very lightly so as not to trigger violent and bloody rioting in the Islamic world upon the release of the film version of this particular book. Watch and see if I'm not right.
Rating:  -
THE HORSE AND HIS BOY is the 5th book in "The Chronicles of Narnia." Out of the whole series, this book comes off as being the weakest because there is very little connecting it to the other books.
THE HORSE AND HIS BOY tells the story of Shasta and a horse called Bree. Shasta is a poor boy raised by a cruel fisherman. He longs to explore the world around him, but is forbidden. One day a great lord of Calormene chances upon Shasta's abode. Shasta overhears his adoptive father and the lord barter over the price that Shasta will be sold as a slave. Shasta doesn't want to be a slave and longingly speaks to the horse, wishing that it could talk. Surprisingly, the horse can talk. Shasta learns that the horse is named Bree and is a talking horse from Narnia that was captured and enslaved many years ago as a youth. The horse is planning to escape to Narnia and asks Shasta to join him. Together, they begin the long journey to the "free" land of Narnia.
Along the way, they have encounters with lions, are joined by Aravis Tarkheena and her talking horse Hwin (who are fleeing from Aravis' forced marriage), meet King Edmund and Queen Susan of Narnia, and transverse the wide desert that separates Calormene from the other "free" countries of the world.
As in all the Chronicles, Lewis has a lot to say about Christianity, faith, and God. His observations that are made here are just as deep as some of the ones made in THE SILVER CHAIR.
However, THE HORSE AND HIS BOY really is the odd-book in "The Chronicles." Other than a brief mention of this story in THE SILVER CHAIR, and the appearances of Aslan, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy, there is very little continuity with this book and the rest of the Chronicles. That's not a bad thing, but it does make THE HORSE AND HIS BOY the odd book of the series. Had Lewis written a few more stories like THE HORSE AND HIS BOY, then it wouldn't seem quite as odd.
I enjoyed reading THE HORSE AND HIS BOY and it has a lot to offer. Most of it takes place in Calormene, so the whole flavor of the story has a different feel. Nevertheless, it's still a good story that has a lot of great moral truths to relay. It's just my least favorite of all "The Chronicles of Narnia."
Rating: -
This book is set in the time when the children - Peter, Susan, Edmund and LUcy - are still in Narnia as Kings and Queens. It is about a boy, Shasta, who learns that he is going to be sold by the man he has always thought of as his father. Listening in at the door he finds out that the man who has treated him like a slave all his life is not his father and in fact he is not even Calormene - he is likely from the North.
Shasta sets about running away but finds a talking horse on the way. The horse was kidnapped from the mountains as a young colt straying where he shouldn't be. Bree is his name and he never talks as he would just be put in a circus and watched more closely by the Calormenes. Instead he has been silent and watchful for years waiting for his chance to run back to Narnia and this is it.
This is the story of Shasta and Bree's escape. On the way they need to face their fears, and meet up with a young Calormene noble girl, and her talking horse, Hwin, who are also trying to escape.
There is a bit which is very like the Prince and the Pauper - where Shasta is mistaken for Prince Corin briefly by Edmund, and Susan who are visiting Calormene to see if a young prince is a suitable husband for Susan. However they realise they are in danger from the prince and the Calormenes.
The amazing thing about this book, I thought, was the role Aslan played, from helping the two children find one another to spurring them on, to letting them approach their fears and Pride. In one instance the horses are flagging Aslan scares them, while Bree - the war horse runs, and later must approach his pride, Shasta faces the lion and wins.
I loved this book for its moral discussions - and its lovely story.
Rating: -
The Horse And His Boy
I am a sixth grader. I read the book The Horse And His Boy written by C.S. Lewis. This book is part of a 7-book series. I have read and seen the book and movie The Chronicles Of Narnia The lion the witch and the wardrobe. This book takes place in Calormen which is very far away from Narnia,in the time in golden age when Peter was the high king and his brother and sisters were kings and queens under him of Narnia.This book is about a boy named Shasta who lives with a fisherman named Arsheesh he calls father.
One day when a tarkaan(warrior) comes up to Arsheesh and Shasta the tarkaan takes Arsheesh aside and offers him 70 cresents for him, Shasta then tiptoes away. Then Arsheesh told the tarkaan the story of how he found Shasta, on a cold night he heard yelling. It turned out to be the cries of his parents suffering from famine of food so Shasta(a baby at the time)was the only one left in the raft Arsheesh rushed to see if he was okay then took care of him because he could be a son of a tarkaan ,or the son of the Tisroc(may he live forever),then named the baby Shasta. When Shasta left he saw a horse, he got on the horse and said"Iwish you could talk" then the horse talked and told where he came from(Narnia) and how he had to pretend to not be a talking horse, he got lost when he was trotting with his family, so Shasta and (Brae),he named the horse then they were trying to get to narnia so they slept in the day and went at night. On their way there they meet Aravis and Hwin (Travis's horse) and get chased by lions. Will Shasta ever get to the magical land of Narnia. My favorite part was when the lions chase Shasta and Bree. I liked this book because it was filled with magical creatures just like in the lion the witch and the wardrobe.
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