EPT
"Let's start at the very beginning / A very good place to start."
Many stories told through books, film, or television have long, overarching stories. When introducing a friend to a long running series, the question is where is the best place to start? I am most concerned about the first reading- when re-reading or re-watching a series, this question does not matter so much. But the first reading. . .there is only one first reading, ever. (This is why people can be so obsessed with + Show Spoiler +
SPOILERS
The immediate answer to where is the best place to start: Why they should start with the first book/ film.
But what do we mean by the first book? The first published/ released? But once prequels are created are they now the first because they (chronologically) occur first? Certainly, once a prequel is written or filmed, the creator often says they intend that future readers or viewers experience the prequels first. Or at the very least, the prequels are intended to work in a chronological order without experiencing the older works first.
On first thought, we might say that the story earliest on the time line is the first book- the Chronological recommendation, if you will. Certainly that was my default though growing up- the story takes place chronologically before the others, therefore it comes first.
There is undoubtedly good reason for this- some series' narrative arc is too tight that reading it out of order would make the story confusing at best. While I have read certain books in the Wheel of Time out of order (usually due to availability in the public library) it would be much harder to understand without reading Eye of the World first.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/IWgFB9s.png)
However, if we thought harder, I think that often (and quite naturally) we do not necessarily recommend the story from a Chronological view. The Wheel of Time actually has a prequel, but I highly doubt anyone that has recommended the series to you has suggested you start with that book.
Using the Narnia series as an example, I would like to explore what makes a good Entry Point into a series- the story, the characters, and the world and by extension, why the Chronological view may be inferior. I had hoped to use another example, but the story grew in the telling, so I'm breaking the blog into two parts. This one will only explore the Narnia sereis.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/10z4Kgo.jpg)
Entry Point: Narnia
Narnia is an interesting example because there are two 'official' reading orders.
One is Chronological:
1) Magician's Nephew
2) The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
3) The Horse and His Boy
4) Prince Caspian
5) The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
6) The Silver Chair
7) The Last Battle
The second one is based on the date of publication:
1) The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
2) Prince Caspian
3) The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
4) The Silver Chair
5) The Horse and His Boy
6) Magician's Nephew
7) The Last Battle
Although the first book I read was The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, I was a staunch defender of the Chronological order. That is, I thought the proper order was to read Magician's, then Wardrobe, etc.
HarperCollins even claims that Chronological order is
“the order in which Professor Lewis preferred.”
Whatever Lewis' preferred order was, he is not here to defend them, but I now take a contrary view. I am not so concerned with the later books, but I will focus on Magician's Nephew vs Wardrobe to explore what makes a good starting point in the series. The main characters of both books are both new to Narnia, and so in both cases we, the readers, discover the world as the characters discover the world. This is often the most significant point determining a story entry point to a series. A character without much knowledge of the wider world is a powerful vehicle for introducing the reader to the wider world: whether it is Bilbo exiting The Shire and slowly entering the Wild or whether it is Neo learning about the real world outside the Matrix, we discover with the character.
However, as the characters of Magician's (Digory and Polly) and Wardrobe (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy) are all new to Narnia, this first point is moot. In considering book order, I contend that Wardrobe constitutes the best entry point in 1) introducing us to the world and 2) instilling wonder and questions of origins. That is Wardrobe reveals Narnia to the reader and then gives us questions about Narnia. Magician's answers those questions. Whereas reading Magician's first answers questions we never asked or at least never would have thought to ask.
The Lantern in the Woods
A minor point perhaps, but Lucy walking through the Wardrobe into a snow-covered forest and finding a Lantern on a post is an iconic scene. This first moment into Narnia parallels medieval stories of entering into Faerie- it's hard to pinpoint the exact moment you step into Faerie, but upon entering all is not as it seems. A lamp-post in a snow-covered forest, a faun carrying parcels and an umbrella- all of these things feel otherworldly, showing to the reader and to Lucy “we're not in Kansas anymore.” (Or England in this case.) We might wonder why the Lamp-post is there (indeed, some of the characters wonder the same thing.) We might wonder where the parcels came from and who manufactured the umbrella, but the story is less interested in revealing these logistical question and more interested in evoking a sense of wonder, of otherness, perhaps even of Faerie.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/kf8OO6P.jpg)
Nonetheless, the image is so evocative that after we've forgotten about umbrellas and parcels, the Lantern sticks out. A question is raised within the story, but not the bad sort- an unintentional anachronism, a failure in art. The Lantern is very clearly strangely placed, but intentionally placed and somehow still feels like it belongs (at least to me.) But I think every good story that creates a secondary world raises questions. A fully realized secondary world should not feel like it springs into existence on the first page of the book and ceases to exist after the last page. Rather it should feel like it has existed long before the book began and will continue to exist long after the book has stopped (unless the scope of the series is from First Cause to Final End.) For that reason, an Entry Point story will cause us to ask question of What Happened Before and What Will Happen After- even with one off books. (Just because a book raises questions does not mean a story must be written on it.) Reading the Wardrobe first, raises the question What Happened Before regarding the Lantern. When we read Magician's after Wardrobe, we are reminded of the original story and think “oh, so that's why there is a Lantern in the middle of nowhere.”
In Magician's the Lantern origins is explained. A sorceress-queen is accidently brought from another world into England, but finds her magic does not work there. In London, she breaks off a piece a lamp-post to assault the police. She is forcibly brought to Narnia as it is being created and because of the magic in the land that grows everything from the ground, when she hurls the piece of iron into the ground, a full lamp-post grows up.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/lhL7VJI.jpg)
If we have read Wardrobe first, this scene has significant meaning. We fondly remember that first entrance into Narnia with Lucy and Tumnus. We have a moment of “oh, so that's why there was a Lantern in the middle of the forest.” Maybe we think it is a great explanation, or perhaps only a serviceable explanation. But if it works, it works because we read Wardrobe first and in reading it first, the origins scene in Magician's has meaning.
Whereas, in reading Magician's first the origin of the Lantern has little to no meaning at all. It is a rather random event in a story about travelling to different worlds. For all we care, it could have been a button planted in the ground that grew a shirt on a clothes rack and it would be similarly strange, but of no more special significance. It is significant that it was a bar from a lamp post and it is significant that a Lantern grew up because we have read that scene with Tumnus and Lucy. The Magician's scene depends on the strength of the Wardrobe scene. If we liked Lucy's first entrance into Narnia, then the Magician's scene reminds us about that scene we liked. We might feel elation because we got an explanation for the Lantern, or perhaps disappointment that the origins did not measure up.
But if we read Magician's first we are answered a question we never thought to ask of the origin of an object that has no real significance within the story of Magician's. The plot of Magician's hardly requires a Lantern to grow up- the scene is only required to give explanation to a scene contained in the Lion the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
So much for a 'minor' point. Now on to a more significant point: Aslan's introduction.
Aslan
Again, Wardrobe creates far more wonder and mystery as to who is Aslan. Furthermore, I would argue that the character and nature of Aslan is best revealed in Wardrobe and all other books depend on the reader understanding Aslan based on their knowledge from the Wardrobe. (If nothing else, I think it's likely Aslan gets the most 'screen' that is page time in Wardrobe.)
Compare the introductions of Aslan
Wardrobe:
"Here the Beaver's voice sank into silence and it gave one or two very mysterious nods.
Then signalling to the children to stand as close around it as they possibly could, so that their faces were actually tickled by its whiskers, it added in a low whisper -
'They say Aslan is on the move - perhaps has already landed.'"
Then signalling to the children to stand as close around it as they possibly could, so that their faces were actually tickled by its whiskers, it added in a low whisper -
'They say Aslan is on the move - perhaps has already landed.'"
Compared to Magician's:
"It was a Lion."
Now I am being slightly unfair by not giving the full context in Magician's. However, the Beaver introduces Aslan as a mystery. The children (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy) have no idea who or what Aslan is and neither does the reader. We share the children's intrigue in what or who this Aslan could be. Even without Lewis explicating the childrens' individuals reactions to the word 'Aslan' it is mysterious because Beaver is whispering it in conspiracy. Whereas Magician's flat out reveals the character of Aslan, in Wardrobe, the information is withheld, teasing us.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/cKRUetQ.gif)
The effect the word Aslan has on the children further heightens the mystery:
"Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous..."
etc.Even the phrase "on the move" is an enticing idea.
It isn't until the next chapter that Aslan is revealed to be first the King, then that he has not been seen for a long time, that he can settle the White Queen (Witch), then a prophecy on Aslan and finally that Aslan is a lion.
The character of Aslan is further built up without him being on screen when Edmund betrays the other children, bringing news of Aslan to the White Witch. The White Witch's reaction is to jump to action and this further cements Beaver's opinion that Aslan is someone to reckon with- we've already seen the danger of the Queen from the destruction of Tumnus' home, the Hundred Year Winter, the compulsion on Edmund. If she thinks Aslan is a force to reckon with, then so should the reader.
The next chapters further build up Aslan's power as the Hundred Year Winter breaks into a thaw, Father Christmas arrives- all effects of "Aslan is on the move."
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/sE0FHlm.jpg)
In fact, from his introduction "They say Aslan is on the move," there are six chapters building up to our first meeting of the character of Aslan. (I said Aslan is the most present in Wardrobe, but in reality he doesn't make that many appearances- however his presence is felt everywhere in the book. The story is dominated by what Aslan will do and what he does do, whether he is on the page or not.) This massive build up does not make as much sense if we have already met him in Magician's. Rather than a slow building of expectation, I suspect it would feel drawn out.
Whereas the meeting of Aslan in Magician's Nephew works better after we have read Wardrobe. A mystery is introduced- a dark and empty land and a Singer causes stars to form and trees to grow. We don't know the identity of the Singer until:
"They made you feel excited; until you saw the Singer himself, and then you forgot everything else.
It was a Lion. Huge, shaggy, and bright, it stood facing the risen sun. Its mouth
was wide open in song and it was about three hundred yards away."
It was a Lion. Huge, shaggy, and bright, it stood facing the risen sun. Its mouth
was wide open in song and it was about three hundred yards away."
And if we have already read Wardrobe, this is the reveal, "It was a Lion" the text says and the reader fills in "It was Aslan." The moment doesn't work near so well without knowing everything about Aslan. In fact, all interactions with Aslan the other books, works best with having the foundation Aslan's self-sacrifice on behalf of Edmund, his death, return to life, and defeat of the White Witch.
White Witch, Wardrobe, and Professor
Similar to the Lantern, I think we would care more about how they came into being after we already knew of their existence and then wondered about their origins.
It is enough to know that the Professor's house is
"a very strange house"
and that even he "know(s) little about it."
This fits right in with secrets in old houses owned by mysterious people like in George Macdonald's The Princess and the Goblin. Knowing ahead of time that the wood of the Wardrobe came from Narnia rather spoils the mystery of where Lucy and the other children are going when they enter the Wardrobe.![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/eW9HJyR.jpg)
Once establishing The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe as the Entry Point story, a natural order arises: Prince Caspian is a true sequel in every sense of the word, bringing back the four children only to find that everything has changed. From there, the Voyage of the Dawn Treader keeps the youngest two children (Edmund and Lucy) and introduces a new character (Eustace) and in The Silver Chair Eustace is our familiar character and Jill is introduced. Furthermore, all three cover the rise, reign, and fall of King Caspian. The remaining three books could be read in any order saving the Last Battle for last.
Conclusion
I wanted to include some other examples, but similar to all my blog posts, this one has run long, so I will conclude my thoughts with a second part. But to summarize my points so far: In determining which book or movie to recommend a friend experience for the very first time, it is not sufficient to choose the book earliest on the story's chronological timeline. It is important to consider which story best reveals the world and characters, setting up problems and questions that pull the reader deeper and deeper into the world. The proper Entry Point story hooks and intrigues the reader to want to know to know the origins questions rather than giving answers before they thought of, much less desired.
Part II still forthcoming- I will use another series as a case-study to draw out more points on what makes a good entry point. But for yourselves- is there anything you consider when recommending a series or is this just my hyper analytical mind on weird subjects... well that's already a given. I did just write this 2500 word blog.
