Boxen

Childhood Chronicles Before Narnia
Authors: C. S. Lewis and W. H. Lewis
Genre: fiction
Publication info: HarperCollins, 2008
Pages: 240

Do you remember what kinds of stories you wrote when you were eight years old? I remember one about staying overnight in a haunted house, and I thought it was pretty clever. Well, this book has put me in my place.

Boxen is a collection of stories that C. S. Lewis, better known as Jack, wrote with his older brother, Warnie. They began when Jack was eight and continued to develop their fictional world over the next several years. These are no ordinary childhood stories. They don't talk about a frog who is trying to get across the road. They tell of a frog who is prime minister of a joint kingdom who struggles with political factions in the country and deals with enemies outside the country. I still can't imagine how two children came up with all this.

As I said, Boxen (the kingdom) is actually made up of two separate kingdoms joined by an alliance. Animal Land is Jack's creation, and India (a fictional version, obviously) is Warnie's. Together the brothers developed a complex political history for this place, complete with opposing parties, significant monarchs, and warfare. I guess that's what happens when all you have for entertainment is listening to your dad talk politics with the neighbors.

The stories in this book come in several forms. There are histories, written in the style of a history textbook. There are actual stories, both short and long. There are even some plays, which I think might even be the most entertaining. Throughout this book also are illustrations produced by the Lewis brothers, including Warnie's very detailed cross-section of a ship. It just blows me away how creative and intelligent these guys were.

Of course, the stories are not without their flaws. They are preserved exactly how the boys wrote them, including all the misspellings. Some of the plots are very odd, and some never get resolved. But it's important to remember that the Lewis boys had no intention to publish this work. They did it for themselves only. And honestly, I find all the mistakes charming.

So if you're a fan of C. S. Lewis and want to know more about what kind of an imagination he and his brother had, definitely check out this book. Aside from the content, it is a beautiful printing, complete with a ribbon bookmark!