Thanks to the movies, Narnia means more than it ever did.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis have been a children’s classic for decades and have sold more than 120 million copies, but it wasn’t until they hit the big screen that the word Narnia began cropping up in everyday speech and status updates. But the word doesn’t mean the same to everyone.

It’s freaking Narnia out there!

The most common use of Narnia, especially during winter, refers to a snowy landscape. Whether it’s gently falling flakes, a blizzard, or huge drifts, people seem to assume that Narnia=snow. They have the “always winter, never Christmas” down pat, but the majority of the books have much warmer temperatures.

It must be in Narnia!

Saying lost items are in other dimensions is a frequent response to the hopelessness of not finding what you’re looking for, and Narnia is just the latest in the line of the blamed. Since Narnia is reached through portals in the books, it’s not much of a stretch to imagine that items, not just people, get pulled through.

You might not be aware, however, of Narnia’s long history of lost items – and people. In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Susan loses her horn and all four Pevensies leave their fur coats in Narnia. In Prince Caspian, Edmund loses his torch (flashlight). The Voyage of the Dawn Treader centers across the seven missing lords, and The Silver Chair is about a missing prince.

So go ahead, use the word Narnia in your normal conversations. You might get a few raised eyebrows and questioning looks, but you also might find some friends who love Narnia as much as you do. That’s something you’ll not want to lose, no matter what the weather.

Someone on Yahoo Answers asked the following question:

“If you died in Narnia, what would happen to you in the real world?”

The person stated that of course Narnia was not real, but within the world created by the books (and C.S. Lewis’ mind), what would happen?

I gave this answer:

“Jill and Eustace have a discussion about this in The Last Battle and come to no conclusion. But in Prince Caspian, during the short timeout in the duel with Miraz, Peter says to Edmund, “Give my love to–to everyone at home, Ed, if he gets me.” So according to the high king, you aren’t alive in our world. If you die in Narnia you do really die. Why would there be so much anguish over the possibility of Edmund being killed by the White Witch if he would just be sent back to our world? As far as the bodies, I believe they would remain in Narnia. When King Frank and Queen Helen died in Narnia, did two corpses appear in England? I highly doubt it.”

Into the Wardrobe by David C. Downing offers some unique insights into the Chronicles of Narnia while keeping its scholarly views readable.

Downing begins his book rather unimaginatively with a brief biography of C. S. Lewis, but soon turns to explore the conception of each of the Chronicles in the order Lewis wrote them. The next chapter discusses the books’ spiritual vision, focusing on the various aspects of Aslan: creator, redeemer, judge, etc. In “Moral Psychology,” Downing points out how Lewis portrayed qualities both positive and negative, with Edmund and Eustace as examples. In “Classical and Medieval Elements”, the author demonstrates how Lewis used include hierarchy and chivalry within his series.

The heart of Downing’s book delves into the names Lewis gave to characters and places, and researches possible origins. Lucy and Jill were young girls Lewis knew, Aslan means “lion” in Turkish, and an Italian village was once called Narnia. The book ends with a chapter on Lewis’s literary abilities, an appendix of terms and allusions used in the Chronicles, extensive notes, bibliography, and index.

While Into the Wardrobe proves Downing’s claim of C. S. Lewis expert, one mistake jarred throughout the book. He seemed not to realize Jadis from The Magician’s Nephew and the White Witch of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe are the same person. He entertains the possibility due to a letter Lewis wrote, but completely ignores the White Witch being called Jadis in the report of Tumnus’ arrest.

Apart from this minor point, this book is an excellent resource for all Narnia fans. It offers insight for everyone who loves Narnia – from curious children to literary scholars – although its aim lies more toward the latter.

In A Field Guide to Narnia, Colin Duriez digs into the worldviews, myths, and people who played important roles in C. S. Lewis’ creation of Narnia. This scholarly work is written for adults, but the explanations don’t remove the magic of the Chronicles of Narnia.

Beginning with a short biography of Lewis’ life, Duriez continues with the books from various periods that influenced Narnia’s unique attributes. He points out the parallels between the Chronicles and Christianity, followed by concepts borrowed from other worldviews. The chapter titled “Literary Features of the Chronicles” discusses genre, perception, and the books’ sometimes visible but never intruding narrator. The first section of the book ends by further expounding on the themes, concepts, and images found in Lewis’ books.

Part Two is an encyclopedia for the Chronicles, giving a brief overview of each book, a history of Narnia (complete with a timeline), and a chapter on its geography. Then Duriez shows Lewis’ other writings in the context of Narnia, and the people who influenced Lewis’ life and works. Part Three, a dictionary, covers Narnia from Adam to Zardeenah. Extensive notes, a chronology of Lewis, and a detailed bibliography end the book.

Though repetitive in places, A Field Guide to Narnia adds depth to the Chronicles without reducing them to theological tomes or classics merely to be analyzed. Without a hint of overt suggestion, Duriez makes you long to read the Chronicles once more.