This has always been my favorite book in the whole set. I love the quest nature of it, and the mysterious different things they find in each location. The subtle themes make it richer without taking anything away from the story itself. ( )

In the third story of the Chronicles of Narnia (third in publication order, that is), Lucy and Edmund get back to Narnia through a painting on the wall of their Aunt Alberta's house. But this time they accidentally bring along their cousin Eustace, who is a "record stinker." Focus on the Family Radio Theatre's adaptation starts with the classic line of the book: "There was once a boy named Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it."

I think this is my favorite of the radio adaptations so far. The worst part of the first two — David Suchet's badly overplayed Aslan — is hardly present in this story. And actually Suchet is starting to grow on me a bit. To be sure, his loud, stronger lines are rather awful. But when he is more subdued, his purring growliness is actually quite good. He didn't have any really loud lines in this story, so there were no wincing moments for me.

I like the actor that they chose to play Eustace. His voice is higher than Edmund's, and he was quite convincing in his peevishness. His journal entries are some of my favorite parts in the book, and I'm glad they were kept in this adaptation. Reepicheep is back, and I'm really starting to like their choice for his voice. It definitely sounds different from the humans.

The sound effects and music are again excellent, and the faithfulness to the original story is wonderful. I don't think they put a foot wrong in this adaptation, and it has already become a favorite of mine. Highly recommended! ( )