Book Review: The Horse and His Boy

The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis



This is one of my very favorite books. I love the story and especially the lessons that come from the book, they are so personal to me.

We are first introduced to Shasta, the boy, as he lives with his poor father, a fisherman. One night a visitor passes by their cottage and demands hospitality for the night. He is a Tarkaan, or great lord from Calormen. Shasta is told to go out and sleep in the stable but isn't tired and listens in on the adult conversation. He learns that the Tarkaan wants to buy him as a slave and that his father isn't really his father. He learns that as a babe he washed up on the beach in a boat and his step-father took him because he knew he could raise a boy to work. Shasta is actually relieved at the discovery because he knows that he has never loved his father. He goes into the stable to sleep and there finds the horse of the Tarkaan. Bree (the horse) can talk because he is a Narnian horse and tells Shasta that he too is a slave to his owner. Together they make a plan to escape to freedom and leave within the hour. The adventure begins as the two make their way towards Narnia, and is filled with danger and affliction. Near the end of the journey Shasta is climbing a mountain all alone in the dark of night when he feels a presence walking along beside him. He is so afraid that he can't speak for a very long time, but finally he can bear it no longer and asks in a whisper.
"Who are you?"
"One who has waited long for you to speak", replies the unwelcome traveler, "Tell me your sorrows".
So Shasta, somehow feeling comfortable with the unknown companion tells how he has never known his real father, had been brought up by a stern fisherman, he tells the story of his escape, how they were chased by lions and forced to swim for their lives, the dangers of Tashbaan, the night among the tombs, more lions and the hunger, thirst and fatigue they endured.
"I do not call you unfortunate", replies the Voice.
"Don't you think it was bad luck to meet so many lions?"
"I was the lion", says the Voice, "I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the Horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you."

Isn't that just like us. We think our lives are hard, we are so unlucky or so unfortunate and yet what we don't know or realize is that we each have a story we are writing and we are carefully watched over and guided, pushed and protected by Christ. From the Doctrine and Covenants, "...there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in our hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

As they are walking, Shasta begins to realize there is light and he is glad the long, dark night is over. He turns and sees walking beside him a Lion. It was from the Lion that the light came and there was nothing more terrible or beautiful. "after one glance at the Lion's face he slipped out of the saddle and fell at its feet. He couldn't say anything but then he didn't want to say anything, and he knew he needn't say anything."

This entire scene is summed up in 2 Nephi 2:4, "Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark."

Isn't the Lord waiting for us to ask as well, and if we don't we cannot come into the light.

Another one of my favorite images is when the lion, Aslan comes to the horses and one named Hwin says, "Please, you're so beautiful. You may eat me if you like. I'd sooner be eaten by you than fed by anyone else." Isn't that a great image for being swallowed up in Christ? Aslan responds with a kiss and says, "Dearest daughter, I knew you would not be long in coming to me. Joy shall be yours."

Don't you want to be that humble and submissive?

What a great story, what great lessons.

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