In search of Narnia

Yes, I admit it. I'm still on Narnia fever. Ever since my wife's friend found The Horse and His Boy last weekend, my free time has been converted to visits to Narnia [free time = (total time - work + blogging)]. And I do so wish my wife can keep up with me. However, she got stuck with Book1 because we do not have The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe readily available.

Last Tuesday's visit in National Bookstore Glorietta revealed that Book2 is out of stock, while the rest of the volumes are in adequate supply. Yesterday after work, I once again set for a journey to search for a copy of the elusive Book2. Goodwill Bookstore in Glorietta did not have any, which made me wonder why books, which should be shared, have become private enterprises, granting exclusivity to select establishments only. Bibliarch in front of Tower Records had this huge book containing all the volumes for around 820pesos. But I'm already in Book4; it will be foolhardy to buy this one now. Off I rushed to Greenbelt while monitoring the time. National Bookstore had two of the big books I found at Bibliarch, and an abundance of the other volumes. But not Book2! I left for home empty-handed while the stores began closing up for the night.

Aaargh. So if anyone has caught a glimpse of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, I'd be glad to hear from you.

At any rate, I finished Prince Caspian last night. Once again I got to go on an adventure with Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. They were taken back to Narnia in response to an urgent plea for help by Prince Caspian (although they did not know that in the beginning). The Narnia they grew up in and ruled has changed. The magical creatures no longer roam freely, and humans inhabit the kingdom. Stories about the Narnia of old is even forbidden.

Prince Caspian, also a Telmarine, was fortunate to have a Nanny that knew the old Narnia and told stories about the Kings and Queens, of Aslan, and of the Talking Animals and Trees to Caspian before bedtime. But when Miraz (the alleged King of Narnia) learned of this, he terminated the service contract of the Nanny and assigned a Tutor, who unbeknownst to him, as half-Dwarf. And so begins Prince Caspian's story in righting the wrongs and bringing Narnia to its majestic self.

I read the book in the course of three days. I wished it did not end so fast. For the story reveals that some of the characters will no longer be in the storyline in the succeeding books. At any rate, I'll be off with the Dawn Treader, the 5th Book, soon enough.