Rating:  -
The Horse and His Boy is an adventurous book about a young boy named Shasta, who was raised by a poor fisherman named Arsheesh. I really enjoyed this book because it's not obvious. For example, Shasta went his whole life thinking Arsheesh was his father, but when a great lord shows up, Shasta finds that he was found at sea and is going to be traded. So seeking a chance to escape, Shasta runs away with the lord's amazing talking horse, Bree. I could have never guessed that was going to happen. I also liked how the book had several main characters. On their way to Narnia they meet up with a young girl named Aravis and her talking horse, Hwin. On their way Shasta gets mistaken for a prince and the others are in danger of getting caught. I also enjoyed the suspense of the story... will they escape and reach Narnia in time to warn the king of the danger that lies ahead?
This is a wonderful book of friendship and loyalty and shows you the true meaning of love. I would recommend this book to children of any age. If you are into action packed books this is your kind of book.
Rating:  -
C.S. Lewis was born in Belfast in 1898. He was Professor of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge, where he counted J.R.R. Tolkien among his friends. "The Horse and his Boy", the third book of the Chronicles of Narnia, was first published in 1954.
Although the series is known as the "Chronicles of Narnia", much of the action takes place in the neighbouring countries of Calormen and Archenland. Shasta, the boy mentioned in the book's title, is introduced first - he's been brought up in Calormen by a fisherman called Arsheesh. One evening, a local prince stops with the pair and demands hospitality. Later, when Shasta overhears the prince and his father bartering for Shasta himself, he decides to run away. Luckily for Shasta, the prince's horse is a captured Narnian horse called Bree - and, as a Narnian, Bree can talk. Bree has also set his heart on escaping and returning home and agrees to take Shasta with him - recognising the boy as either a fellow Narnian or an Archenlander, rather than being native to Calormen. The pair make off together that night and, before long, they are joined on the road by another fleeing pair : Aravis and Hwin. Aravis is a Calormen princess being forced to marry against her will while Hwin, like Bree, is a captured Narnian horse. The four escapees must make their way through Calormen's capital, Tashbaan, and then across the northern desert to safety.
It's possible I'm seeing more in this book than was intended, and I know it's supposed to be a kid's book - but I'd have to describe the portrayal of Calormen's people as not only the book's big flaw but also very questionable. Physically, they're described as having dark faces and wear turbans, while their favoured weapon is the scimitar. As individuals, only Aravis is portrayed in anything vaguely resembling a positive light. Arsheesh, Shasta's foster-father, had no qualms about selling him into slavery, while Aravis' father was apparently happy to arrange her man to the Grand Vizier - someone old enough to be her grandfather. Meanwhile, the Tisroc - Calormen's ruler - is the sort of cheap and easy villain others have tried to fabricate again more recently : he actually sneers at the concept of freedom. Narnia's King Edmund and Queen Susan also appear briefly - Queen Lucy's appearance is barely even fleeting. Edmund, who didn't exactly cover himself in glory in "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe", maintains his low standards when his refers to Prince Rabadash as Susan's "dark faced lover". He isn't long in adding that Rabadash is "proud, bloody, luxurious, cruel and a self-pleasing tyrant". (From only a slightly different perspective, of course, the very same thing could be said about Peter - Narnia's High King and Edmund's brother). All of which is a great pity, as the bones of this story are much stronger than those of "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe".
Rating:  -
Shasta has always been a hardworker, partly because he has known no other existence. So when he finds out - upon overhearing his "father" speaking to a rich stranger - that he was actually adopted, and his parents are unknown, Shasta decides that he must leave the life he has forged as a slave boy, and make his way to a new existence. That is how he, along with Bree - the rich strangers talking horse - become friends, and decide to make their way to Narnia. A magical land that is ruled by Kings Edmund and Peter and Queens Susan and Lucy, along with Aslan - a kind lion. The two friends make their way to the city of Calormen, and soon meet up with Aravis, a tough girl who is actually royalty, escaping from her father and evil stepmother who are trying to wed her to a nasty, aging man; along with her talking horse Hwin. The four friends set out on their travels to Narnia, but are quickly separated, and must find a way back together, or they will never make it to Narnia.
It's hard to find a series that can enchant readers young and old, but that is exactly what I view C.S. Lewis' THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, as doing. Blending the magic of ALICE IN WONDERLAND and HARRY POTTER together, and placing a few LORD OF THE RINGS-esque battles throughout creates a fail-proof, enchanting series that is hard to resist. THE HORSE AND HIS BOY is no exception. Shasta is a brave character, whose constant bickering with Aravis can be, at times, exhausting, but, all in all, lays the groundwork for an inseparable pair; while Bree and Hwin's varying personalities bring the two horses together like yin and yang - their personalities playing off one another in a luminescent manner. Together, these four characters come together to create one enjoyable novel that will enchant fans of C.S. Lewis' previous NARNIA novels, as well as fans who are just dipping their minds into the world of Lewis now. Another can't-put down must-read novel that will leave readers scrambling for the next installment, and have them itching for a sword of their own...
Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper
Rating: -
Shasta, a young boy raised by a fisherman that was not his farther one day had saw a Nobleman and his horse come to his house. During the night when the Nobleman and the fisherman was sleeping, Shasta had took the Nobleman's talking horse named Bree to go to Narnia. Bree had been born in Narnia but was taken to Caloremen when he was small. A few days ride, they had met up with Aravis, a Caloremen Princess, and her horse Hwin who was also from Narnia. There they had to pass through the great city of Tashbaan. Aravis had overheard some of the leaders of the Carlormen saying that they were going to try to take Archland and Narnia. The two horses and children went quickly to Archland to warn them about the attacks. Shasta had told Narnia about it and he and the Narnians went to help Archland in their battle with the Calormens. The Narnians and Archland had won and they had found out that Shasta had really been a son of the king of Archland.
I think that this book was the third best book out of all the Narnia books I have read. The best book i like or the Narnia series is the Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe because in that book, there was exciting adventure and battle scenes. This book had both but it was not as detailed and exciting as the Lion, The witch, and the Wardrobe. One of the best parts in The Horse and His boy was on page 159 and it said, " And now a gallop. The ground between the two armies grew less every moment. Faster, faster. ALl the swords out now, all shields up to the nose, all prayers said, all teeth clenched." I think that was the most descriptive part in the book and it was amazing.
The part I did not like in this book is that it did not go up to my expectations. Since it was the continuation of The Lion,The Witch, And the Wardrobe, i thought it would be as good as it. I was wrong because the style seemed less exciting as if it were another author writing it. One of the parts that was not discriptive was on page 39 that said, " Shasta thought they should go up the river above Tashbaan and cross it where it was narrower." In the book before this, it would have been something more detailed and better.
My favorite part of this book would have to be the battle scenes because every single part of it was described in it and i thought it was amazing. A whole story just went into my head as I heard the clanging of swords and shields and the picture of people fighting. I liked almost all the battle scenes in the Narnia series and I was glad this one had one also.
Rating:  -
A charming fantasy story. Provides some good life lessons without being preachy. I liked best the part where Lewis gently encourages us to push ourselves beyond what we think we can do.
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