Connection between Wicked and C.S. Lewis´s Narnia stories?

[Democrats_win]

Part of C.S. Lewis´ Narnia story will soon be in theatres. The Christian Right will be attending much as they did with Mel Gibson´s "Passion of the Christ." Last Sunday´s New York Times magazine reported an intersting point that made me think of Wicked. Do you think they are related or not?

The rough scene in the Philosophy club resembles a scene in another book that is the "anti-Narnia." Sunday´s New York Times Magazine wrote about this scene (rough language ahead):

"Neil Gaiman (published) a kind of payback scenario, in which Susan (a character in Narnia) has grown up to be a distinguished professor, not unlike Lewis, and in which for good measure Aslan (the lion) performs earth-shaking oral sex on the witch."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/13/movies/13narnia.html?pagewanted=print
(free, but may require registration)

I wonder if Gregory Maguire, the author of "Wicked," was influenced by Neil Gaiman´s book since the scenes are similar and unique(and ugly!).

A little background on the character, Susan, from the Narnia stories:

"Susan, the second-oldest of the Pevensies, who near the end of the last volume is denied salvation merely because of her fondness for nylons and lipstick - because she has reached puberty, in other words, and has become sexualized."

[Der Blaue Engel]

1. Interesting

I'd never heard about this story (The Problem of Susan). I need to read that. I've always found Susan problematic as well, and couldn't quite articulate it, but that last paragraph is dead on.

I've been surfing, but I can't find reference to when TPOS was written (I know it was only published recently, but that Gaiman read it in public frequently before that). Wicked was published in '95, so I'm not sure which came first.

[Democrats_win]

2. Great info!! Thanks.

I didn´t even know the title of Gaiman´s story, "The Problem with Susan." Your logic in looking at the publication dates answers the question.

From your help, I found that it was included in an anthology:

"Flights: Extreme Visions of Fantasy" edited by Al Sarrantonio published June 2004.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BOB2XO/103-1647376-7177461?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance

One of the comments at the Amazon site says the book includes:

"The Problem of Susan" by Neil Gaiman - Related to C.S. Lewis's The Last Battle

So that answers the question. Thanks again.

[Der Blaue Engel]

3. Flights: Extreme Visions of Fantasy

LOL! I've had that book sitting on my coffee table for months and didn't even know the story was there.

Thanks for that information! :)

[Democrats_win]

4. LOL! Awesome!

[Sequoia]

5. Why do the Christian right like these and not Harry Potter

since they're both about wizards and magic. Pot calling Kettle?

[Democrats_win]

6. I wish I knew. It would be interesting to compare the two.

I read Narnia´s ¨The Wardrobe, The Witch and the Lion¨ in third grade years ago and loved it. I wanted more.

Frankly, I´m impressed that today´s kids are such avid readers of Harry Potter which I haven´t read.

I bet kids will enjoy Narnia.

The company that made this movie, Walden, is owned by Philip Anschutz who the newspaper calls an evangelical Presbyterian. Many people in Colorado who worked for Qwest Communications think that he robbed them of their pensions.

The controversy over this film will get much publicity, but here we see yet another false christian who needs to make things right with his fellow man before he worships at any alters. That is unless we´re talking about the alter of greed where he really worships.

[auburngrad82]

7. I thought Wicked was a take off of the Wizard of Oz

In which he describes how the wicked witch grew up to be so wicked. Am I thinking of the wrong book?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060987103/qid=1140796360/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-5258092-7674537?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

It was a pretty good book, by the way. I have always been a fan of the Wizard of Oz and remember the flying monkeys scaring the crap out of me when I was a little kid. But I watched it every chance I got and it's still one of my favorite movies.



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