C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe first appeared in 1950. Geoffrey Bles published the novel in London, making it the first-published book in The Chronicles of Narnia.
The story follows Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie, who discover a magical land inside a wardrobe. Narnia is trapped in winter under the rule of the White Witch, and the return of Aslan signals the beginning of its liberation. The novel became one of the most influential works of twentieth-century children’s fantasy.
Lewis wrote the books over several years, and the publication order does not match the fictional chronology. The Magician’s Nephew, published in 1955, explains Narnia’s creation and is chronologically earlier. That difference leads readers and publishers to debate which order is best for a first reading.
The novel has been adapted for radio, television, stage, and film. The best-known modern film adaptation was released by Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media in 2005.