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Alan Garner’s Elidor: The “Anti-Narnian fantasy”?

British fantasy writer Alan Garner has referred to his novel Elidor as "THE anti-Narnian fantasy," though he says this was done unconsciously. In this article, I explore why Garner positioned his work as the antithesis to C.S. Lewis's fantasy novels, and argue that in many ways it in fact complement...

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Published in:Mythlore Vol. 43; no. 2; pp. 201 - 216
Main Author: VAN DYKE, LAURA N.
Format: Literary Criticism
Published: Mythopoeic Society Spring/Summer2025
Subjects:
Elidor (Book)
Garner, Alan
Chronicles of Narnia book series
Lewis, C. S., 1898-1963
Fantasy fiction
Literary criticism
20th century (Literary period)
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Summary:British fantasy writer Alan Garner has referred to his novel Elidor as "THE anti-Narnian fantasy," though he says this was done unconsciously. In this article, I explore why Garner positioned his work as the antithesis to C.S. Lewis's fantasy novels, and argue that in many ways it in fact complements rather than contradicts the vision Lewis conveys.