Ever since word began circulating about the upcoming Netflix production of something resembling The Magician’s Nephew, I have been trying to ignore it. In fact, this week, I was just hoping to post a little something about the lovely experience of seeing the theatrical re-release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (yes, they fixed the title!) with our adult child who was not born for the first time. I’ll get to that soon, I hope. Recent announcements about the Netflix show have created a storm of responses on social media, so I should probably wade into the fray. It should come as no surprise that I am less than enthusiastic about this latest exhibition of Hollywood nonsense. However, as some others have pointed out, it is important to heed the admonition of King Tirian, who tells Eustace not to “scold like a kitchen girl.” In that spirit, I am avoiding mere complaints about Hollywood being Hollywood and offering a few of my thoughts about Lewis’s work, my own complete lack of enthusiasm for this newest, predictable business, and some suggestions for us all to maintain our joy and mental well-being in this fallen world.

Of course it won’t be faithful to the text. What did we expect?

Certainly plenty of devoted readers of Lewis’s beloved series are upset about  numerous issues. I’m including a short list, rather than a link, photos, or encouraging readers to search for information about the show in order to prevent the algorithms from boosting its popularity: Greta Gerwig, the director, is the movie world darling behind the critically acclaimed Ladybird, a bizarre version of Little Women, and the big pink blockbuster Barbie; she has apparently moved the story’s setting to the 1950s, using a glam-rock-opera look that may explain why Jadis’s sparkly ensemble looks like she is the reason there was a panic in that disco; Aslan’s appearance is apparently based primarily upon David Bowie; and Meryl Streep is doing the voice of Aslan. These obvious concerns are valid, but they imply an expectation that Hollywood would have done anything differently. Of course, the setting doesn’t match the book, causing obvious problems with central plot elements like Strawberry the cab horse who becomes Fledge and the lamppost Jadis inadvertently plants after wrenching the arm off the London post. In the book, Jadis resorts to mere physical violence on her London rampage since her terrible magic does not work in our world. The much-touted recent photos imply she actually does have magical powers in London (or that she has a really scary yell power). Of course, the casting is shocking. When does Hollywood these days ever respect sources or do anything other than attempt to get interest by creating shock value? It would be more surprising if this film was actually shaping up to be a thoughtful treatment of a beloved work of literature.

The media world doesn’t really get it, and never does.

The Magician’s Nephew was published sixth in the Chronicles of Narnia. That’s where it belongs, although Lewis did tinker with some of its concepts earlier. The absolute best way to enter Narnia for the first time is through the wardrobe, holding Lucy’s hand, seeing the lamppost, feeling the snow, and getting to know the magical world Lewis created just as his protagonist does. Yet, the publishing industry always underestimates readers, especially young ones(these are the folks who created “sorcerer’s stone” because they thought American readers were too stupid to buy a book with the word “philosopher” in the title). That’s why there was the ridiculous re-ordering of the Chronicles years ago. Citing a letter from Lewis in which he encouraged a young reader who had inadvertently read Magician’s Nephew first, the publishers presumptively scooted the order around. Of course, Lewis was just being supportive of the many ways a reader, especially a child, can experience texts, but now countless young readers have had the exact opposite experience because they now think the RIGHT order is this new one because publishers put the whole set in collections with this new order. In fact, I have a lovely pop-up book I very much admire, but I have always been annoyed that it has the Chronicles in the new order, an order that Lewis scholars strongly deplore.  I frequently talk to parents or young readers getting ready to start the series, and I find that they almost always think the badly-considered re-ordering is the “proper” order, and I have to write out the original order, the order that preserves the wonder of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and which reflects the structure of Paradise Lost, a text Lewis knew well and studied extensively. Media companies don’t consider these kinds of literary or experiential elements. Why should we expect the movie people to be true to a text? The media seeks to draw attention to itself (which again is why I am not including links to the any of the “news” about the film. I don’t care to get any more clicks for the attention-mongers).

But we don’t have to watch this silly thing.

Thankfully, there are many other lovely books and films we can enjoy instead of giving more money to the people who are trying to force their own values, preferences, and ideas onto a story that doesn’t naturally fit them. The glam-rock fantasy with David Bowie elements has already been done; Labyrinth is actually a wonderful, original film (not a book adaptation), with the creative genius of Jim Henson’s creature shop, whimsy and charm galore, and fantastic music courtesy of Bowie himself, who makes a fabulous Goblin King, a brilliant representation of all that has made the Fae both alluring and dangerous features of myth and folklore for centuries. For a great take on medieval elements and literature, using actually quite appropriate 1970s music of Bowie and others, A Knight’s Tale is fun (and the more one knows Chaucer, the funnier it is!).

Lewis’s work has had some quite nice adaptations. I’m actually grateful that some of his writing, like the phenomenal Space Trilogy, has resisted film versions (for obvious reasons) and hope it continues to do so. Till We Have Faces might make a fantastic stage production, and several of Lewis’s other works have been beautifully adapted for the stage. Both The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian, by the Logos theater, are touring to sold-out audiences across the country, delighting families with amazing stage magic and faithful treatment of the source material. Max McLean’s wonderful one-man show about Lewis is worth the trip to any theater. I was privileged to see a performance and meet Mr. McLean, who is delightful. He also has a version of Screwtape that is very popular. But if you can’t get to one of his shows, I cannot highly enough recommend his The Most Reluctant Convert, which is streaming on numerous platforms. There are also lovely audiobooks of many Lewis works, including the Narniad, the sweet BBC television series done in the 80s if you can find it, and even The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe film from      2005. It is far and away the best of any big studio, big screen treatment of a Narnia book, a title I am certain it will retain. There are also some wonderful artists who draw upon Lewis’s work to create in a wide array of media. I can highly recommend hanging out with the brilliant folks of the Rabbit Room (their “chinwag” group on facebook is a haven of sanity and decency in the social media swamp). I suggest checking out wonderful musicians like Sarah Sparks (check out her brilliant Into the Lantern Waste on Spotify. Put it on repeat.) and the Oh Hellos (Dear Wormwood is one of their albums, and they have “The Lament of Eustace Clarence Scrubb,” just for starters). Their fantastic music based on Lewis’s writing is a balm for the soul and feast for the senses.

Rather than raging about whatever it is Netflix is doing and giving it more attention, I’m planning to focus instead on Lewis’s books themselves (and this blog is a lovely place to find recommendations for excellent books about Lewis and his work as well) and on creators like these I’ve mentioned who treat these books and their author with respect.  Please feel free to share your own Lewis-inspired favorite creatives in the comments (let’s not waste any more time on making the same comments about what we know is a mess. Instead, let’s treasure and support goodness and beauty).I will probably just do what I usually do when the world is typically uglyC.S.: spend more time in Lewis’s words, thankful for their beauty and inspiration. I hope that, like Puddleglum, that most Appalachian of Narnians, I can live like a Narnian no matter what alluring songs are played by any Underland enchantress bent on denying the truth that is always stronger than lies, even if it doesn’t shout or make a scene.