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This is probably my favourite of the Narnia books, because nearly everything goes wrong. It starts with Jill crying in the shrubbery because she's being bullied; then Jill and Eustace go on the run from said bullies; even when they get to Narnia, the situation doesn't improve. Unlike "Voyage of the Dawntreader", where Lucy, Edmund and Eustace were given a royal welcome and found themselves in a safe environment, "Silver Chair" harks back to "Prince Caspian". Just as the Pevensie children found themselves legends and unsupported in a land torn apart by civil war, Jill and Eustace are alone, with only Aslan's clues to guide them. Again, in contrast to "Voyage", there is barely any human interaction before they begin their quest - it is the animals and the creatures of Narnia who aid them. Puddleglum has got to be one of Lewis's best characters, because we all know someone like him - and the best bit is that he's considered 'cheerful' by the standards of his kind! The three of them have to journey out of Narnia, through giant country to find Rillian, meanwhile contending with the weather, the inhabitants and their own failings. I personally found the Green Lady far mroe unnerving than the White Witch ever was...
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