“But one of the worst results of being a slave and being forced to do things is that when there is no one to force you any more you find you have almost lost the power of forcing yourself.”
The Horse and His Boy is the third book in chronological order and the fifth in publishing in the series Narnia. This book tells the story of a young boy who flees his homeland to avoid being sold into slavery, and he takes with him a fantastical talking horse who has also been stolen from his homeland.
When I was younger this was easily my least favorite book in the series. I thought it dull and couldn’t comprehend some of the more mature themes within it. More importantly, I anxiously awaited the return of the Pevensie siblings, and was quite disappointed when they were never shown. Rereading it though, I have a better appreciation for the story. One of my favorite parts of Lewis’s books is the morals he hides within them, and before I simply couldn’t find one within this book. Now I can and am therefore able to appreciate the story more. Had I been less focused on the absence of the Pevensie siblings I might have paid more attention to the extraordinary story of forging one’s own way towards freedom. Four out of five stars, a wonderful story, but doesn’t quite fit with the rest of the series.