How To Read All 7 Chronicles Of Narnia Books In Order

C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia" is best known for "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." That story was the first book published in the series and the first movie adapted by Walt Disney Studios in 2005. But it isn't the beginning of the story. That honor goes to "The Magician's Nephew," which was published fully half a decade later. That chronological reality is why Greta Gerwig's reboot of the franchise has opted to skip "Wardrobe" and adapt "The Magician's Nephew" first.

And that book? It's just the first of seven Narnia books in total. The number of books, movies, and starting points, not to mention the revolving cast of lead kid characters, can make Narnia feel a bit overwhelming. If the publication order isn't the same as its chronological order, where should you start? Where does the story end? Complicating matters further is the fact that the book "The Horse and His Boy" takes place inside of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."

If you're trying to read the Narnia books in order, there are two main options. The first is reading them in publication order. That would be as follows:

1. "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" (1950)

2. "Prince Caspian" (1951)

3. "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" (1952)

4. "The Silver Chair" (1953)

5. "The Horse and His Boy" (1954)

6. "The Magician's Nephew" (1955)

7. "The Last Battle" (1956)

While this is a fun way to reproduce the experience of reading along as the books came out, it doesn't present the story in the order it unfolds.

The second way to read the "Chronicles of Narnia" books is in chronological order. Here's the closest way to do that:

1. "The Magician's Nephew" (Digory and Polly witness the creation of Narnia)

2. "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (The four Pevensie children go to Narnia for the first time after its creation)

3. "The Horse and His Boy" (The adventures of the boy Shasta and the horse Bree during the reign of the Pevensie siblings)

4. "Prince Caspian" (The Pevensie children return to Narnia to help Prince Caspian gain the throne)

5. "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" (Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace join now-King Caspian in Narnia)

6. "The Silver Chair" (Eustace and his friend Jill help rescue the elderly Caspian's son, Prince Rilian)

7. "The Last Battle" (Eustace and Jill witness the Revelation-like end of Narnia)

Reading the books in chronological order gives you a better feel for the flow of the story, but even then, there are a couple of red flags.

The first issue with reading the Narnia books in chronological order is the fact that "The Horse and His Boy" is a story that takes place entirely inside of Narnia during the reign of the Pevensie siblings. That means it starts and ends within the narrative of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." However, it is on the edge of the story enough to make the chronological blip a minor one. In reality, that entire story takes place within the last couple of pages of "Wardrobe," which is less disruptive.

The bigger issue with reading Narnia in chronological order is with "The Magician's Nephew" as the first book. While it works, it isn't an introduction as much as it's a prequel. There are certain things that are worth knowing going into the story — and which readers would have already known when it first came out toward the end of the publication cycle.

The White Witch, the wardrobe, "Professor" Kirke (i.e., Digory), and of course, Aslan himself, are all present. There are some explanations of these characters, but a lot is assumed on the part of the audience, too. Overall, the read is much better when approached through the lens of an informed Narnia reader who has already experienced most of the rest of the series.

The takeaway here isn't to read the Narnia series in a specific order. The best path really is an ongoing debate, and there isn't a single obvious top option. The good news for those prepping for Greta Gerwig to bring the fantasy classic to Netflix, starting with "The Magician's Nephew," is that it's okay to jump to the prequel. Someone new to the Narnia-verse might be a little out of their element at first, but as with all of C.S. Lewis' Narnia books, the story is light-hearted and accessible, whether you're a deeply devoted fan or merely indulging a passing interest.