I just read the article you linked Sev .. I dont agree with all Pullmans criticisms .. perhaps the reason he is so critical of the chrons .. is that he read it as an adult ::shrug:: ..
I think the chrons of Narnia are a magical read .. I read them as a child and to my children .. who wouldnt allow me to stop reading till it was finished .. took us all day .. but what a day!!!
they were rapt .. and to me that is some guide as to the genius of Lewis as a children's fantasy author
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
If you look deeply into his writings .. sure you find bigoted and outdated notions .. and you are right .. so what Lewis was what we .. today .. call 'sexist'
.. Lewis was a product of his time .. thats part of the magic of Narnia .. it is a step back in time as well as an exploration of the unknown .. when you read the language of this work .. it is set in the 1930's .. when gender-identity/sex-roles were differently defined ..
And his work is steeped in philology (sp?) .. but so was the work of many authors at that time ..
personally I can live without the negative inferences regarding race and religion .. but not focussing on those underlying messages .. and enjoying the chrons for what they are .. children's fantasy .. they are magical ..
I also love Rowlings Harry Potter books .. brilliantly magical and as Pullman says .. fun ..