Lewis very much enjoyed writing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and embarked on the sequel Prince Caspian soon after finishing the first novel. He completed the sequel by the end of 1949, less than a year after finishing the initial book. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe had few readers during 1949 and was not published until late 1950, so his initial enthusiasm did not stem from favourable reception by the public.[23]
While Lewis is known today on the strength of the Narnia stories as a highly successful children's writer, the initial critical response was muted. At the time, children's stories being realistic was fashionable; fantasy and fairy tales were seen as indulgent, appropriate only for very young readers and potentially harmful to older children, even hindering their ability to relate to everyday life. Some reviewers considered the tale overtly moralistic or the Christian elements overstated attempts to indoctrinate children. Others were concerned that the many violent incidents might frighten children.[24]
Lewis's publisher, Geoffrey Bles, feared that the Narnia tales would not sell, and might damage Lewis's reputation and affect sales of his other books. Nevertheless, the novel and its successors were highly popular with young readers, and Lewis's publisher was soon eager to release further Narnia stories.[25]
A 2004 U.S. study found that The Lion was a common read-aloud book for seventh graders in schools in San Diego County, California.[26] In 2005, it was included on Time's unranked list of the 100 best English-language novels published since 1923.[27] Based on a 2007 online poll, the U.S. National Education Association listed it as one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children".[28] In 2012, it was ranked number five among all-time children's novels in a survey published by School Library Journal, a monthly with a primarily U.S. audience.[29]
A 2012 survey by the University of Worcester determined that it was the second-most common book that UK adults had read as children, after Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. (Adults, perhaps limited to parents, ranked Alice and The Lion fifth and sixth as books the next generation should read, or their children should read during their lifetimes.)[30]
TIME included the novel in its "All-TIME 100 Novels" (best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005).[27] In 2003, the novel was listed at number 9 on the BBC's survey The Big Read.[31] It has also been published in 47 foreign languages.[32]
