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The Horse and His Boy Audiobook
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(3.00) - 101,993 listener ratings
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Plot Summary
Shasta is an all-around unhappy child. The man who he calls his father is of no relation to him, and treats him worse than most people would treat a stranger. Shasta is frequently beaten and never hugged, always punished and never praised. He is overworked, underfed, and has no idea what to do about it until a stranger comes riding up to his home on a magnificent horse. The stranger stays the night with Shasta's father, and Shasta overhears the two of them striking up a bargain- a bargain to sell Shasta to the stranger as a slave.
Unsure of what to do, Shasta begins talking to the horse, and much to his surprise, the horse talks back! It turns out that this horse, whose name is Bree, is one of the talking horses of Narnia, although he has been careful not to make that fact public up until now. The two of them talk at length, and after a time they decide that an escape is in order. And so, while their masters are asleep, The Horse and His Boy pack up what little belongings they have, and set out to test their fate on the open road, with Narnia as their final destination.
They have not been on the road for very long, however, when trouble comes in the form of several hungry lions. Forced to run for their lives from what sounds like an entire pack of lions on the hunt, Shasta and Bree are galloping through the night when they discover that they are not the only pair attempting to escape under the cover of darkness. They happen upon another horse and rider pair, and as luck would have it, this is also a talking horse. Aravis and Hwin join Shasta and Bree, and the four set out in search of new lives, not knowing what fortune awaits them along the road.
Clive Staples Lewis, Born in England, was an author, professor, theologian, and Christian apologist. As a professor, Lewis regularly interacted with fellow authors J.R.R. Tolkien and Louis Carroll. Along with his many theological works, Lewis wrote ten children's books - the seven novels which comprise the Chronicles of Narnia, and his Space trilogy.
"I've been reading Narnia in chronological order and this has been the best one so far! Even though some of the twists were easy to figure out before they were named, I found myself laughing, smiling and full of excitement as the story went on."
— Bryson (5 out of 5 stars)
Publisher Summary
The unabridged audio edition of The Horse and His Boy, book three in the classic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia, narrated by renowned actor Alex Jennings.
On a desperate journey, two runaways meet and join forces. Though they are only looking to escape their harsh and narrow lives, they soon find themselves at the center of a terrible battle. It is a battle that will decide their fate and the fate of Narnia itself.
The Horse and His Boy is the third book in C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia a series that has become part of the canon of classic literature, drawing readers of all ages into a magical land with unforgettable characters for over fifty years. This is a novel that stands on its own, but if you would like to return to Narnia, read Prince Caspian, the fourth book in The Chronicles of Narnia.
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Quotes
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“A beautifully written tale to read aloud as well, in which C.S. Lewis' talents seem to flower more than ever.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“Alex Jennings heightens drama and illuminates humor in perfect measure. He brings sprightly characters to life with obvious affection. Like other books in the Narnia series, this one can be enjoyed as a simple fantasy adventure; for others, Lewis’ allegorical Christian message will be of interest.”
— AudioFile
The Horse and His Boy Listener Reviews
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Kathleen, 9/2/2022
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" Cool plot but...just honestly a waste of my time. "
— Zain, 12/3/2017 -
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Bennette Ajisefinni, 9/16/2017
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" It took me awhile to get into it, and I've never been a fan of C.S. Lewis's prose style, but I did enjoy the story once it got started-- maybe after 4 or 5 chapters. "
— Rochelle, 2/9/2014 -
" Wonderful...It keeps you inside it's pages until you finished it. "
— Anicka, 1/25/2014 -
" Pretty exciting but everything wraps up so fast and too nice. "
— Kristina, 1/16/2014 -
" This is the best book of the series!! If you're going to read one, read this one. "
— Rachael, 1/14/2014 -
" AMAZINGLY AWESOME. My third favorite fantasy book. The Hobbit beats it and Harry Potter JUST beats the Hobbit. But this book is amazing. Bree is a very good character. So is Shasta, or Cor, as we must now call him. "
— Jem, 1/2/2014 -
" The weakest out of all the Chronicle of Narnia books didn't really see how it affected the rest of the series. "
— Liam, 12/18/2013 -
" I don't know C.S. Lewis wrote this book. I really don't. He just put some random book in the middle of the series. He tells the story and then it never really comes up again in the series. In all the other books they surface again at some point in the series. But this one never does. "
— Bob, 12/12/2013 -
" A good story despite some latent racism. That's a good argument for continuing to read aloud to/with your children even after they can read chapter books on their own. "
— Nikki, 12/12/2013 -
" Entretenidisimo "
— Camila, 12/2/2013 -
" Phenomenal yet again. I can't recommend this series enough. "
— Jules, 9/21/2013 -
" Cumbersome "
— Kimberly, 9/5/2013 -
" This book is the third in the Chronicles of Narnia and I loved it. It's about a young boy called Shasta and a Talking Horse from Narnia, Bree. Together they travel to Narnia picking up a few things and having a few adventures along the way. "
— Maddie, 7/9/2013 -
" The breadth of Lewis's imagination is impressive. It carries what is an otherwise pedestrian narrative. This third installment is the weakest so far, but still rather fun to read out loud to a starry-eyed six-year-old. "
— Michael, 6/26/2013 -
" This is my least favorite of the Narnia series, but still very good. "
— Simone, 3/15/2013 -
" My favorite of the Narnia series. "
— Nicholas, 2/16/2013 -
" Do not dare not to dare. "
— Zeke, 12/21/2012 -
" i thought that it was okay but not great i like rating 5 level stars books sorry but this book not in my lead its behind my lead. "
— Madeline, 11/24/2012 -
" Liked this book. Great characters and interesting story. This series definitely improves as you go on! "
— Amber, 10/8/2012 -
" Really good. One of my favorite Narnia Books "
— Emma, 8/23/2012 -
" I rather enjoyed this book, as it conveyed a sense of longing and adventure that I can relate to! "
— Greg, 3/4/2012 -
" My absolute favourite of 'The Chronicles of Narnia!!!!!!!' "
— Owlette, 1/6/2012 -
" This is just a so-so entry in the "Chronicles of Narnia". It's interesting to hear a story from the Golden Age of Narnia when the Pevensie siblings ruled. On the other hand, the Christian tones are a little more distracting here than in other "Narnia" books. "
— Carol, 11/13/2011 -
" Not my favorite of the Narnicles. "
— Rebekah, 6/30/2011 -
" My favorite of the series so far! "
— Hollybea, 6/27/2011 -
" Didn't really enjoy this one. Too many stereotypes, I think. "
— Yulande, 6/26/2011 -
" Liked this one better than I remember. And, it's book 5, not 3. "
— Marisa, 6/20/2011 -
" Quite a lovely book to read. Pleasent to the mind while exciting and mysterious as well. What do you expect from books in this series? "
— Arman, 6/19/2011 -
" This one is a great book, even if it does not focus on the Pevensies that much, it really got me reading it up to the last page "
— kenneth, 6/17/2011 -
" This is the section I'm up to at the moment in the full set. "
— Diane, 6/16/2011 -
" Finished the whole book over lunch. I just had to finish it before going back to work. "
— Mina, 6/14/2011 -
" Loved it. My favorite, so far. "
— Michael, 6/14/2011 -
" Perhaps my favourite of all the Narnia books, the absence of the Pevenseys and the presence of Bree the horse adding a completely new perspective. "
— Colin, 6/12/2011 -
" Probably among the lower tiers of the Chronicles, but the Calormen's language is great (especially if you've taken Hebrew or Aramaic classes). The moral to this one hits home as well. "
— Steven, 6/10/2011 -
" This is one of the best Narnia books of them all. It adds some good texture to the story and lots of humor! It had a very good story line! This book has a lot of character attachment. I recommend this book for a lot of people! "
— Brenna, 6/9/2011
About C. S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis (1898–1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably the most influential Christian writer of his day. He was a fellow and tutor in English literature at Oxford University until 1954, when he was unanimously elected to the chair of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. His major contributions to literary criticism, children’s literature, fantasy literature, and popular theology brought him international renown and acclaim. Lewis wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include the Chronicles of Narnia, Out of the Silent Planet, The Four Loves, The Screwtape Letters, and Mere Christianity.
About Alex Jennings
Alex Jennings is an award-winning narrator and actor of stage and screen. He has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre. He is also known for his role as Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor, in the Netflix series The Crown, along with his roles in The Queen, Lady in the Van, and The Wings of the Dove. He is a three-time Olivier Award winner and has been nominated for a BAFTA.