Dumb.

Hey, I'm fine with it being a religious allegory. But it's a dumb one at that. Maybe it's an interesting tool for Christian parents to open dialogues with their children, but what a lazy plot -- "Deep Magic," "Deeper Magic," and other such unexplained nonsense (none of which appears in The Magician's Nephew, so what's the freaking point of that book?). At least the Bible writers bothered to setup prophecies that came into play later.

I won't pretend to understand what might entertain a kid, and this book was certainly written in a time when cultural standards were different, but it feels pretty insulting to children, and girls in particular. Movie adaptations I remember nostalgically were wise to snip out the slight sexism, soapbox-y elements, and also smooth over narrative leaps. It's actually a miracle the adaptations were/are as good as they are -- this story feels like a flimsy outline to a much better one.

I wouldn't recommend reading this if you are fond of an adaption of the story. It's a quick read, but it highlights what a lazy allegory Lewis wrote. I would be constantly rolling my eyes if I was a parent reading this as a bedtime story.