Reading a BBC News story on Phillip Pullman’s (author of the His Dark Materials series) critique of the coming C. S. Lewis movie and the subject matter of the books in general. I loved the Narnia series as a kid, but they don’t hold up entirely from a discerning adult point of view, for exactly the reasons Pullman notes; they are misogynist, and somewhat racist, and pretty damn low on the Christian virtue meter.
Further into the article, though, people begin commenting on Pullman’s critique, and there are quite a few boneheaded remarks from adults who clearly aren’t as discerning as I am, including this one:
“The day Philip Pullman writes a classic as compelling as The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe then he can criticise.” — Mark Jobson, Edinburgh
DUDE. You know not what you are saying, dude. Seriously. Pullman’s books can beat the crap out of Narnia, go back to bed, get up an hour later, and do it again. I love Narnia, and all, and I was thrilled when I heard they were making a movie, but I’m still realistic. I wish I knew the guy’s address; I’d send him copies.