The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Interesting book. Better than The Magician's Nephew, which precedes it chronologically though was written later. Some very obvious Christian symbolism. While I enjoyed it, my main complaint is about how little detail there is. I guess I've been spoiled by Robert Jordan; I like lots of detail. I don't like "and there was a battle and the witch was killed." I like page upon page of description of fighting and tactics. Admittedly this is a children't book, but I still feel this could have been done better. (Incidentally, I feel the same way about battles in LoTR)

Speaking of Robert Jordan, I can now see some parts in The Eye of the World clearly inspired by LWW. Most notably, the part where Rand and company hide in the prepared shelter by the river while the Draghkar and Myrdraal search for them, and the way the Aes Sedai washes away everyone's fatigue; in LWW it was a healing draught. Also (to a lesser extent) in the way the Nym acted after they found the Eye of the World, addressing Rand as "Child of the Dragon."

I guess I have one more complaint, but it's a universal complaint against many, many books. It's the portrayal of absolute good and evil. Robert Jordan manages to use this element in a way that I find believable. Most authors don't. I'm not sure what the difference is... I have a guess. In LWW, it's made clear that evil is an aberration (especially if you read The Magician's Nephew first) in the world. In the Wheel of Time, it is not, precisely. "Good and evil are the woof and weave of the Pattern." People can try to be good yet wind up serving the purposes of evil, and vice versa. I don't like simplifications of good v. evil. They make no logical sense, especially if either side is allowed to "win."