by C.S. Lewis, 1938
Marvelous Book! Fantastic Story!
Ransom is kidnapped by Weston and Devine – taken in their spaceship to Malacandra where they were going to turn him over to the Sorns for a human sacrifice, they thought. Ransom escapes and meets up with the Hross – a friendly, large, fur-covered people. He lives with the Hross for awhile – learns their language and ways. Then they go on a hunt to kill a hrnakra – a shark-like creature and Ransom kills the Hrnakra but his friend, Hyoi, is murdered by Weston and Devine.
Ransom is supposed to go to Oyarsa, an eldil had spoken to Hyoi before the hunt, but Ransom insisted on the hunt so after Hyoi is killed, he starts the trek to Oyarsa. He climbs to a Sorn, Augray, who carries him the rest of the way to Meldilorn. There, Ransom speaks to Oyarsa. And then the bent ones, Weston and Devine, are brought to Oyarsa. He interviews Weston – finds out his plan – kill everyone on Malacandra so humans can take over. Banishes he and Weston. Ransom decides to go to Earth with them rather than live on Malacandra. They barely make it home – first thing he asks for when he leaves the space-ship, “A pint of bitter.”
The earth is the silent planet because it is ruled by the evil one. Malacandra has 3 peoples – hnau – the Hrossa – who fish and farm – the Sorns – who are the thinkers – and the pfifltrigs – who mine gold (sun’s blood – what Devine was after) and make beautiful objects. They all live in peace – no crime, murder, hate, envy. They have eldils among them – strong spirit beings they can see, but Ransom could only sense by changes in the light – Oyarsa was the head eldil.
Space travel – beautiful descriptions of a heavenly, healing light which Ransom drank up while on the spaceship – not cold and dark like we think of space. One side of ship was light – the other was night.
“There was an endless night on one side of the ship and an endless day on the other: each was marvellous and he moved from the one to the other at his will, delighted.”
On the light side: “…through depth after depth of tranquillity far above the reach of night, he felt his body and mind daily rubbed and scoured and filled with new vitality.”
Also, beautiful descriptions of Malacandra – bright blue waters that were warm. Purple trees, rose pink clouds that were solid actually and greenish spires/mountains of ice.
Mostly what Ransom realized was that there was nothing to fear on Malacandra. Weston and Devine never could get to that point. Their minds/hearts were darkened by our bent earth.
Fantastic Tale!