The Chronicles of Narnia CD Gift Set [AUDIOBOOK]

click here for more details, find new or used items	C.S. Lewis Our price £54.99 (£55.00) New from £31.55 Used from £30.00 Pages: (Audio CD) ISBN: 0007166508 Pub: Collins Audio Pub date: 2003-09-15 Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 93864

Reader Reviews:

Just buy it! (0/0 people found this helpful)

Like other reviewers, I have listened to these stories since I was a child, when my parents bought them on cassette for long car journeys. They had to buy them all again, since we wore out the tapes listening to them so much! Now they are available on CD I have bought them again. The stories are beautifully read by Sir Micheal Horden, and the music is a wonderful accompanyment to his voice. The music includes Bach and Beethoven, as well as originail music composed by Marisa Robles for the series.

If you are a Narnia purist you may not like these versions, but for me they remain some of the best spoken word productions I have ever heard. Buy them for young children, and they will not be disappointed.

A wonderful gift! (4/4 people found this helpful)

This box set is a truly wonderful gift for Narnia fans of all ages. And, dare I say it, I actually prefer it to the unabridged books which I've read. I never thought I'd say that! Although as these books are so short, there's not a grate deal missed out. Perhaps some of the really young lines where the author addresses the reader or compares life in Narnia to life in England, so nothing really major left out.
What makes this box set so special is the musical score that was written for it. The books are read by Michael Hordan, who is sadly no longer with us. He has a wonderfully distinctive voice which really transports the reader in to Narnia in a way that no other reader has ever managed. His narration is accompanied by some beautiful music played on harp and flute.
I first got these books from the library when I was quite little, and my life-long love of Narnia was born. They remain some of my favourite books and I was delighted when they came out on CD years later and I was able to by them. I well remember lying on my bed, listening to The scene in The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe when Aslan is killed, sobbing my heart out. His death was accompanied by Moon Light Sonata, which made it all the more powerful, and is consequently my favourite piece of classical music.
I can hear people saying, "music and narration together? Oh please no!" but I assure you, it really does work, and it's not the whole way through. There are certain theme tunes you come to recognize, like those for Aslan or the white which. I remember trying to listen to the books without music and it just wasn't the same. It just helps to add an extra bit of wonder and magic to Lewes's timeless imagination.

magical (14/14 people found this helpful)

This is a wonderful & magical version of the chronicles of Narnia. Michael Hordern has an amazing voice that is very easy to listen to and his reading brings the books to life.The harp & flute music adds atmosphere to the stories. We had cassette tapes of this version back in the 80's and loved listening to them so much that my now adult daughter who lives in central america wanted them on disc so she can listen to them on her computer. Definately the one to get.

Fantastic, if you like the music!! (8/8 people found this helpful)

First of all this is an abridged version so anyone who has read the books is probably not going to like them. Secondly, this is not just Sir Michael Hordern's spoken word, but also a bespoke harp and flute track performed by Marisa Robles and Christopher Hyde-Smith and recorded at ASV (sorry for the extraneous info - my uncle used to work there!). So if you don't like scenesetting lyrical classical music then avoid. My opinion? It's brilliant! I was given the 7 one by one each Christmas and birthday for 3.5 years when these were first published in 1980/1981. They are sitting beside me now. I am only considering buying them on CD because the original tapes are completely worn out from repeated play and I want my kids to hear them. I am very happy to see that they have been reissued. Do your kids a favour and buy them! I reckon the best age to hear them is about 5-6 years old.

Life inspiring music (8/9 people found this helpful)

I would just like to reply to the hideous criticism of the harp music that some people have put forward. As a child i listened to the tapes until they literally wore out and were unplayable.....I was completely spell bound and in love; with the story, with his voice, but most of all by the mesmerising music. Upon listening to the tapes I vowed that one day I would play the harp and as soon as i was able I did. Now I play the harp at concert level in orchestras around the world and the magic has never worn off. To this day whenever I tire of touring and practicsing I listen to the score of the Chronicles of Narnia and am instantly taken back to the awe of my childhood and reinspired.

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