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  • The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

  • The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 2
  • By: C. S. Lewis
  • Narrated by: Michael York
  • Length: 4 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (508 ratings)

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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

By: C. S. Lewis
Narrated by: Michael York
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Publisher's Summary

The Narnia Chronicles, first published in 1950, have been and remain some of the most enduringly popular children’s books ever published. The best known, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, has been translated into 29 languages!

“It’s a magic wardrobe. There’s a wood inside it, and it’s snowing! Come and see,” begged Lucy.

Lucy has stumbled upon a marvellous land of fauns and centaurs, nymphs and talking animals. But soon she discovers that it is ruled by the cruel White Witch, and can only be freed by Aslan, the great Lion, and four children…

This is the second adventure in the exciting Chronicles of Narnia.

©1950 C. S. Lewis (P)1950 HarperCollins UK

Critic Reviews

“Forget Simba. There’s a new lion in the Magic Kingdom… Long before J.K. Rowling dreamed up Harry Potter, Lewis was busy with his seven book series.” E! Online

“Like the ‘Rings’ cycle… the seven Narnia books have a long and loyal following.” The Herald (U.K.)

“Narnia offers huge scope for a profitable film franchise… fantasy is currently the toast of Hollywood.” The Guardian (U.K.)

What listeners say about The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Average Customer Ratings
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

timeless

volume is erratic and makes listening a chore, but the story is it's own reward.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very nostalgic story

Although the shift between chapters sometimes has like a minute of music, sort of annoying but a very good performance

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

PEPPA PIG

It was okay 🥺🥺 I GOT MY DRIVERS LICSE SE LAST WEEK JUST LIKE WE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

great book, terrible audio

As others have said the sound is very odd on this book. the narrator suddenly gets very loud, then super quiet. I wish audible would read these reviews and remix the audio tracks

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book. Great narration.

I felt like I was really there. It’s the best book I’ve read.

I listened to this with my sister and my mum. We all loved it.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic

A great classic. I didn't find any technical issues with the recording that others have had.

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great series, just couldnt stand the voice actor

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

Avid fans of Michael York

What didn’t you like about Michael York’s performance?

Constant pauses for dramatic effect... just everything. Barely made 10 minutes

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

I was excited after listening to the Magician's Nephew to start the series, then very disappointed with Michael York's attempt

Any additional comments?

Should have gotten Stephen Fry

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

volume issues

to quiet then too loud. so you couldn't hear half the story and the other half woke you up when you were falling asleep

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  • KT
  • 20-11-2023

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

This was the very first Narnia book I ever read as a child. It’s just as I remember and listening to the narrator read the story was wonderful. C.S. Lewis what a master writer . I recommend listening to the whole series on Audible if you haven’t already.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing

I love how they do different voices and it’s really good I LOOOVEEEE ITT. I love fantasy stories and this one suits me perfectly! You should do more like this like Harry Potter, Nevermore, and this!! Thanks ❤️

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  • Placeholder
  • 06-01-2018

Amazing Experience

Amazing narration.. I was able to imagine all the things very clearly. Loved the Book

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Donn Edwards
  • 30-10-2005

Excellent Story

The story is well read, and well told. I just wish the narrator wouldn't adopt the tone of voice that sounds like he's reading it to a naughty five-year-old. Apart from that it is brilliant, with good voices, excellent pace, clear voice, and everything else that does this great story justice.

Add this to your Christmas stocking, or better, buy it for someone young and then listen to the story with them.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Priya
  • 30-10-2017

Adventurous!

The narrator was amazing in narrating this fantastic book. It was really a very good book and I enjoyed it a lot.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Anonymous User
  • 15-01-2021

The Lion

Phenomenal.. CS Lewis never fisappointa. This reading is done with enthusiasm and great care. Loved each chapter.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Stef
  • 25-10-2020

overtly religious

C.S. Lewis's novel is well written and undoubtedly enjoyable, but the overtly Christian aspect detracts from the appeal.

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  • Miguel Julio Rodo
  • 22-06-2020

Great story but annoying narrator

The story is obviously as good as ever, but the narrator has what we found to be a highly annoying voice for Aslan.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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  • Amazon Customer
  • 09-02-2020

Narration and character voices

The character voices are inconsistent. The witch is loud and piercing - so loud, that one needs to turn down the volume every time she shrieks ... and then must turn up again to hear any further narration.
It makes listening impossible

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Amazon Customer
  • 27-04-2019

Keelia has listened to this and loved it .

A great entertainment while traveling for Keelia and Oskar from school. Good
to discuss the hidden meaning.

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  • mohammed imam ahamed
  • 27-07-2018

Loved it

Ive read this chronicles long ago. Almost forgotten, but the story had left a lasting impression I couldn’t remember story but I knew it was something magical, enchanting and it gave me few hours delightful delicious moments. But listening it Given me feeling of far greater satisfaction. I relived the long forgotten story. The narrator, I must say becoming one of my favourite like Jim Dale or Stephen fry.

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  • Julie
  • 10-04-2016

Great Story.

I really enjoyed both the story and the narration. Great for the kids too! Clean language and not to violent.

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  • FictionFan
  • 29-06-2015

Always winter, but never Christmas...

Any additional comments?

I loved the Narnia books as a child and read them many times, especially this first one. As a child, I was completely oblivious to any religious symbolism in the book, so for me it was simply a great adventure story with a fantastic hero in Aslan. I think I was around eighteen when I last read them and, as with many childhood books, have always been a bit worried to revisit them in case my older, more cynical self has turned me into a Susan – unable to remember the magic and find my way back to Narnia. But when I came across this series on Audible, with some great narrators, I decided to take the risk.

And it was worth it. The book didn't have quite the same effect on me as when I was seven, but it's still a great story very well told. This time around I was obviously more aware of the parallels to the Christ story but I was intrigued to note that there are a lot of other references too – Bacchus puts in an appearance, as does Silenus, and of course all the stuff about fauns and centaurs and other creatures from folk legends and mythology. It's all a bit of a mish-mash really but it works, and stops it from becoming overly preachy. Occasionally the messages are a little heavy-handed – about the evils of lying and so on – but this was fairly standard for children's literature of the time from what I recall, and isn't nearly as blatant as in some of them.

I was also much more aware of how terribly middle-class the children are, and how indoctrinated we were through the books we were reading to accept the subordinate, nurturing role of women and the heroic warrior status of boys. It's amazing that the generation of women who grew up reading books like these, and Blyton and most of the other books I remember, managed to both love the books and rebel against the message. I did wonder if young mothers of young girls today would be quite so happy to have them reading books where girls help lay the table while boys go off in a manly way to catch fish for dinner, not to mention the girls ending up on the diplomatic marriage market when they were older. Daughters of Eve, Sons of Adam...hmm! Correct me if my knowledge of biology is a bit shaky, but my understanding is that the procreation process requires both genders to participate (or a test-tube or turkey baster at the very least). But I'd encourage young mothers not to let it put them off – my generation seemed to survive the onslaught of not-so-subliminal messages. (I also found myself thinking how little had changed in the role of women in the thousands of years between the Old Testament and this book and yet how much has changed, for those of us in the West at least, in the sixty or so years since. It rather made me proud...)

But apart from all this adult over-analysis, I enjoyed the story a lot. The descriptions of the frozen world are great and the Queen is just as scary and horrible as I remember. Edmund is still a revolting little oick, Susan and Peter still badly need brought down a peg or two from their superior teenage smugness and I still identify with Lucy – youngest of four siblings, you see – even if she is a bit too sweet to be true. I loved the thaw – the way he matches the returning of life to the landscape with the returning of joy to the characters. Mr and Mrs Beaver are lovely, and poor Mr Tumnus! The bit with Aslan and the Stone Table is as moving and beautiful as ever it was and I still want to run and play with him, and put my hands in his golden mane! But why, oh why, must it end with them all having turned into stuffy, pompous adults complete with mock medieval language? I hated that bit when I was young and I hate it now – in fact, it was surprising how in tune young FF and old FF turned out to be. Perhaps my inner child isn't so deeply buried after all...

Michael York's reading is excellent. He gives all the characters distinct voices, and uses different British regional accents for the creatures. Mr Tumnus is Irish, the Beavers are some kind of rural English – Somerset-ish perhaps? - and I laughed a lot at Maugrim the wolf's vurry, vurry Scottish accent. The children's voices grated a bit on me – awfully posh standard English – but I did think they were right for the characters. And crucially he does Aslan's voice (and roar) brilliantly – just the right deep tones filled with power and menace, but with a warmth beneath.

So overall a happy visit to my childhood and I can now look forward to enjoying the rest. Since I'm sticking with the original publication order, next up will be Prince Caspian, narrated by Lynn Redgrave. Doesn't that sound good?

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  • Aaa
  • 05-11-2016

Wonderful story, badly read

I love this series, but Michael York reads this story as if he's trying to keep a badly-behaved class of 4-year-olds entertained on a rainy day. Lots of rather dated "Now children, isn't this fun!" intonations, which don't really work for either adults or children these days.

A bit disappointing, I found the narrator got in the way of the narrative.

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  • Ms. J. Menzies
  • 14-12-2013

Excellence

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe is a classic, well known story read brilliantly - what's not to love?

What did you like best about this story?

At first I wasn't sure about the narrator but Michael York was full of expression and read with real joy - his voices for the characters are spot on and bring each one to life.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

I think I enjoyed the trip from the Beavers' house to the Stone Table the most, where the Pevencies meet Father Christmas and go on to witness the magic of accelerated Spring!

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Magic, warmth and good conquering evil - a classic much-loved story at it's best.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Ms. Emma
  • 09-07-2016

Michael York's emphasis & intonation is infuriating!

I love the story, and have read it several times. I got the audiobook to listen to as I fall asleep. However, York's performance ruins the story! He has a patronising tone, with really strange emphasis and intonation. For example, his voice goes up at the end of a sentence, and there is not continuity, it's like he's reading a bunch of random sentences rather than a paragraph. Such a shame as Kenneth Branagh's performance in The Magician's Nephew was absolutely superb - a truly gifted voice actor. York just doesn't compare.

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    1 out of 5 stars
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  • Anne
  • 01-03-2012

Most Unmagical

I was really looking forward to listening to this as it's one of my favourite books but I was very disappointed. Michael York was terrible! Apart from being extremely bad at doing different voices someone should have told him that the Lion's name is pronounced Azlan and not Asslan!! I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who doesn't know the story as it will put them off for life!

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  • H
  • 03-12-2013

Captivating classic adventure story

Where does The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 2 rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The Narnia series as a whole are the top stories we have listened to as a family. My 5 year old son loves them and listens repeatedly in the car and in bed.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 2?

The end with Aslan at the Stone Table was very dramatic and we were all silently listening to find out what happened.

What about Michael York’s performance did you like?

Just enough drama not to detract from the actual text of the story.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made us hold our breath sometimes with anticipation and suspense.

Any additional comments?

We are really looking forward to listening to the rest of the series.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Karen
  • 06-05-2013

classic

I love love love this CS Lewis classic. The narration was good and added to the enjoyment of the story.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Anthony
  • 28-12-2010

A Must Buy.

I have not read these books since I was a child, I was pleased to see all 7 books on this site. A good quality reading.

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • AmazonCustomer
  • 26-03-2015

Cool

It was a very good book and I will look forward to listening to the others.
I recommend this book.

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4 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • F E Hamilton
  • 15-05-2021

Difficult review

I find this hard to write as I love the book, and like the reader as an actor, but I was really sad and disappointed. But I am 72, so maybe hard to please!
I got this as I can no longer read as easily as I used to, and this was one of my favourite books when little. My grandchildren love it too! 7 and 4.
So I don’t know where it missed the mark....
Not produced with an older person in mind? Probably.
I found it a bit squirm-inducing. Not the text which is still amazing, but the interpretation of the characters. Just not right. I’m sure the actor, excellent man, was guided, but the producer got it all wrong, for me at least.
The book has a bigger story to tell, and the subtlety was lost. Dumbed down for 8 year olds. Good attempt though. Won’t buy the rest.

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