The Chronicles of Narnia Set: The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, The Magician’s Nephew, The Last Battle. by Lewis, C.S.; Illustrated by Pauline Baynes - 1950-1956

London: Geofrey Bles, 1950-1956. First British editions of each of the seven volumes in the author's acclaimed Narnia Series. Octavo, 7 volumes. Each is finely bound in full red morocco, raised bands, gilt titles to the spine, gilt ruled to the front and rear panels, all edges gilt. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Illustrations throughout by Pauline Baynes. Octavo, seven volumes. An exceptional set. The Chronicles of Narnia is "unforgettable not only for the excitement and suspense of the adventures but also for the strong emotions they describe so well [and they are] further enriched by Lewis' skillful use of language" (Silvey, 406). "Each book has something new and different to offer and there is no weakening of either inspiration or interest" (Eyre, 132). It is interesting that Lewis' inspiration came from a dream: "At first I had very little idea how the story would go. But then suddenly Aslan came bounding into it. I think I had been having a good many dreams of lions about that time[O]nce he was there, he pulled the whole story together, and soon he pulled the six other Narnian stories in after him (On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature, 1980). Lewis was "concerned to do for children what he had done for an adult readership in his science fiction to re-imagine thestory in an exciting narrative context [The Narnia books are] intoxicating to all but the most relentlessly unimaginative of readers, and must be judged the most sustained achievement in fantasy for children by a 20th-century author" (Carpenter & Pritchard, 370).