夢に溢れる冒険航海記
★★★★★
EdmondとLucyそしていとこのEustaceが壁に掛かっていた航海中の船の絵に取り込まれるところから冒険は始まる。その船はナルシア国の王となっていたCaspianが前王の時代に追い出されて東の海へ旅立った父の家臣達を探しに行くDawn Treader号だった。彼らは航海の途中で次々と不思議な場面に出会わす。奴隷商人に捕まったり、夢が現実になる島、その水に触れると金になってしまう島、Eustaceがドラゴンになってしまった島など。それぞれの話が夢に溢れていてとても楽しめます。この世界の終わりの終わりを目指した最後の航海で目的の地についたところで子羊があらわれますが、それはアスランでした。彼の言葉は非常に含意に満ちており、物語の今後の進展を示唆しているようです。
Fairytale meets Jonathan Swift
★★★★★
Edmund and Lucy, the two younger Pevensies from the Lion, Witch and Wardrobe fame, are forced to spend their summer with an unpleasantly "perfect" child of a cousin. What else could he be with a name like Eustace? (Do not worry, though, he gets his comeuppance in the land of the dragons.) Fortunately, they discover a marvelous painting of a Narnian ship in Lucy`s room, and all three are sucked in to a voyage to the ends of the earth. As an adult, I found the theological stuff at the end rather heavy-handed, but most children will be more into the story.
They will help Caspian, now King, to search for his loyal followers whom his Uncle had banished during his reign. The journey takes them to amazing places, including one reminiscent of Gulliver`s Travels, as well as the island where dreams come true. Like a fairytale, but with protagonists more like you and me.