Which C.S. Lewis book is subtitled A Fairy Story?

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the C.S. Lewis book subtitled “A Fairy Story.”

The novel was published in 1950 and tells how Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie enter Narnia through a wardrobe. They find a land trapped in winter by the White Witch and become involved in a conflict connected with Aslan, the great lion.

The subtitle appeared with the original book and signals Lewis’s interest in the traditions of fairy tales and wonder literature. It does not mean the story is aimed only at very young children. The novel combines fantasy adventure with themes of betrayal, sacrifice, restoration, and courage.

The book is first in publication order among the Narnia novels, although Lewis later wrote The Magician’s Nephew as a prequel within the internal chronology. That distinction explains why different editions and reading guides sometimes assign different numbers to it.