Customer Reviews
A great adventure book 
2008-11-03
The book I read was The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by: C.S. Lewis. This book is fantasy because it probably won't happen because there are talking animals.
This book was about Lucy, Edmund, and Eustace falling into a picture to get into Narnia. They fell into the ocean and got in a ship with Prince Caspian. They went to the 7 islands to save the Lords that Caspians dad sent away. When they got to the last island there were 3 Lords there frozen and they had to go to the Worlds End to free them.
This book The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was a good book, but got boring at places. It was a good book because it took you to a made-up world. This book would be good for 5th-7th graders.
Narnia at its most enchanting yet 2008-10-28
The episodic format of "Dawn Treader" and the variety of adventures that come in tow of its great quest at sea are a better format for C.S. Lewis' appealingly simple, wide-eyed prose than the first two novels. Indeed, it's difficult to argue for there being a greater quest for Lewis' young protagonists than the by turns metaphysical, Homeric/Dantean, and of course, religious journey that explicitly connects the fantastical outer islands of greater Narnia.
Lewis skillfully navigates the character's understanding of an endpoint--The Very End of the World, Aslan's Country, after the last sea of silent, sustaining lilies--and the process, the continuance, that also affords their adventures (save that of Reepicheep). The individual chapters read well as serials, each with their unique moral or ethical considerations, perfect for the bedtime stories Lewis undoubtedly hoped to inspire. In context of the whole, however, not all of the material's connections will be satisfying to an adult reader: why so little about Eustace after his transformative experience? What of Caspian's petulance at the end of the journey? Lewis is admittedly mindful of the whole and never bothers to explain events or motives tangential to his project, even when they'd deliver a better yarn to spin.
Psychological insight and dynamic relationships aren't in the purview of what these books seek to accomplish for young readers, and taken as they are, one's left with indelible images. The kindly sage Coriakin, the still and stilling Deathwater, the ever-growing rising sun, the eternally renewing King's Feast, and yes, the desk of the feeble and avaricious bureaucratic governor being overturned in all its obvious biblical allusion. The horizons here are brighter (no pun intended) than the battles and their preparations in the prior novels. "Voyage" remains an entertaining, brisk read that gets at the heart of the series' worth to readers of all ages.
Astounding performance by Derek Jacobi. 
2008-09-27
This is not particularly a review of The Voyage of The Dawn Treader plot or story line. Plot synopsis of this book can be found in many other places. My purpose here is to review this audio version.
I am in the process of reading The Chronicles Of Narnia to my children, we are immensely enjoying the experience.
Recently I started to read this to my kids at bedtime. We were enjoying it, but it seemed to be taking a long time to finish. A fairly lengthy car journey was coming up so I decided to get the audio version read by Derek Jacobi. I thought I had been doing a pretty good job of reading this book aloud, until that is I heard Mr Jacobi's version. His narration is absolutely perfect. The changes in voice, tenor, pitch and accent were so seamless and convincing that it really was hard to believe that only one person was reading. My son's comment that "even the boring bits are exciting, with this reader" is very true. This was a wonderful and memorable way to experience this classic " must read" book. When our car trip was over there was still a little bit left of the book, but no one wanted to go back to me reading it..., not even me.
Highly Recomended.
Great voyage 2008-07-23
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the story of the two youngest Pevensie children and their very obnoxious cousin on their return to Narnia. Caspian, now King, had sailed to find the seven lords that his father sent on an adventure but had never come back. The children joined him and the Knight Reepicheep, who is a talking mouse, on the ship The Dawn Treader to new adventures. From the discovery of new lands and their perils, slavery, new species and the truth of what happened to the lords... this book will keep you entranced and open your imagination to the outer most places. Great for anyone who enjoys traveling through CS Lewis' imagination.
Anna del C.
Author of "The Elf and the Princess"
The Elf and The Princess: The Silent Warrior Trilogy - Book One (The Silent Warrior Trilogy)
Very imaginative and quite funny! 2008-07-16
"The Voyage of the Dawn treader" may be my favorite book in the "Chronicles of Narnia". Many of the other reviewers have made comparisons, however I see it a little differently. I am reminded of Swift's "Gulliver's travels" and its imagination and satire. Obviously, the Lewis has updated the satire and changed aspects of the story - but both have the same sense of adventure.
Another added bonus to "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" is the humor. Several of the chapters are very, very funny. The land "of the invisible people" comes to mind as an especially funny section.
In truth, Lewis has included all of the ingredients for a fine novel, humor, high adventure, coming of age, and moral decisions. The plot is nicely woven together and doesn't seem to jump as much as "Prince Caspian" and some of the others, so in my opinion "Voyage" may also be the best written of the books in the series.
Final tally
- Humor "A"
Adventure "A"
Writing style "B+"
Overall - "A" - a very solid read and sure to be one of your child's favorites!
A Wealth Of Imagination and Adventure 2008-07-04
Lucy and Edmund, accompanied by their peevish cousin Eustace, sail to the land of Narnia where Eustace is temporarily transformed into a green dragon because of his selfish behavior and skepticism.
Delightful mini adventures! 
2008-06-10
As always, I somehow manage to get wrapped up in the Narnia stories. I don't know how or why, but I'm always curious as to what the next chapter will be.
This felt to me more like a collection of short stories than anything else. Each few chapters starts a new adventure, and there are very, very few plots lines that hold over. And the few that do have little weight to the current "adventure."
Nonetheless, the adventures that are embarked on are beautiful and intriguing, and the various islands are described with incredible detail and each one is unique from the other.
Again, I felt (as I do with the other Narnia books I've read) that there is so much more that could be expanded on, that the worlds and the characters have so much more to offer than what is told. But, in a way I suppose that is a compliment as well, because I'd want to know more.
And, as always, certain characters (most characters) are very delightful, each with his or her own personalities. And, of course, there is always something most beautiful and touching about Aslan.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader 2008-04-07
Third book printed, fifth book chronologically.
I began re-reading the Narnia series after coming across a beautiful boxed set of all seven novels. Mainly this was out of nostalgia, as these were favourites when I was young, and I was interested to see how they held up as adults. I found them all to be written very clearly with provocative descriptive prose, and narrative that often draws the reader immediately into the story.
This one's a fine companion to "Prince Caspian" and feels more like the second half of that novel rather than a novel in its own right, but this doesn't stop the enjoyment of the tail despite the feeling of implausibility that the reader gets at times. The growth of the characters following previous instalments is tangible and feels authentic however, and the whole thing is as entertaining as the books set before it.
7.5/10
My Favorite 2008-03-18
Besides being such a great addition to the series, the book itself contains so much depth and plot that I believe the book is good enough to stand on its own. The voyages of Caspian, the Pevensie kids and Eustace created such a page-turning book that no one who reads their stories will leave without great joy.
Lewis' brilliance and careful construction of the story builds up the final conclusion (which is epic in itself) in such a beautiful way that I cannot help but claim that this book of The Chronicles of Narnia is by far my favorite.
Great Bedtime Story for Children, Ages 6-100 2008-01-02
THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER, the 5th book in C.S. Lewis' THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA series and the 3rd one published, follows Edmund and Lucy and their cousin Eustace Clarence Scrubb (whose name fits his character as well as possible) as they reenter Narnia. Upon being sucked into a painting at Eustace's house, the three of them join King Caspian and his crew aboard the Dawn Treader. The men are voyaging to find out what ever happened to the 7 great Lords of Narnia that left in hopes of discovering the Far East and Aslan's Country. Their adventures take them to several islands and get them into frequent trouble - slavery, dragons, mysterious sea creatures, Deathwater, invisible enemies, fearsome magicians, dark islands, magical banquets, and whatever awaits them at the world's end.
As quality goes, this installment of the series lies between PRINCE CASPIAN and THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE. C.S. Lewis manages to illustrate quite a few powerful biblical themes through the adventures of the Pevensies and Eustace. Eustace's encounters with the great lion, Aslan, show him what it feels like to be changed into a new person, to have the old vainglorious self peeled away and rejuvenated. Lucy's encounters with Aslan teach her what it feels like to make choices and realize their effects on people's lives. The 7 Lords discover the danger that comes with greed and power. The many island expeditions lend themselves to various adventures and moments of epiphany for Reepicheep, Caspian, Edmund, and others of the crew. The story, as usual, does not exist solely for the message in the subtext. The journey is the just as important. Entertaining, thought-provoking, and fresh, this fantasy ride is broken up into manageable chunks that make a great bedtime story for children from ages 6-100.
--- Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens
