Customer Reviews
An exciting tale with some lovely magical moments - By: Secret Spi, 05 Aug 2008 
I have been reading the Narnia books to my son, now aged eight, & "Prince Caspian" was a book we both enjoyed very much. For my son, the return of the four children, the exciting story & the humour of some of the new characters, particularly Reepicheep, the courageous mouse, were the high points. I do have to say, however, that there were some aspects of the storyline (particularly those related or explained by one of the characters) that he didn't quite comprehend on first reading, so we had to go through those again! It was also disappointing for him that Peter & Susan would not be returning to Narnia as they were too "grown up".
As usual, I found the writing splendid, with some beautifully evocative passages where you can sense the magic of Narnia, such as the description of the woodland spirits emerging in Lucy's presence, or the description of the long-forgotten Cair Paravel.
My one criticism is that some passages seemed slightly contrived, as if to "tie up loose ends" - such as Aslan's explanation of how the Telmarines came to be in Narnia. And, nothing to do with the book, but I think it's a shame that the film is violent enough to warrant a 12 certificate - so we won't be going to see it just yet.
Prince Caspian - By: David Brookes, 07 Apr 2008 Second book printed, fourth book chronologicallly.
I began re-reading the Narnia series after coming across a beautiful boxed set of alll seven novels. Mainly this was out of nostalgia, as these were favourites when I was young, & I was interested to see how they held up as adults. I found them alll to be written very clearly with provocative descriptive prose, & narrative that often draws the reader immediately into the story.
As the first real sequel to "The Lion, The Witch, & the Wardrobe", this manages to draw out the story & history of Narnia so that Lewis' creation reaches its full potential. The character of Caspian is readable although a little stiff at times, & the dialogue does falter occasionallly where elsewhere in the books it is very smooth. The description of the voyage & the encounters of the crew are imaginative & still feel very original, & the transformation of Eustace still brings a bit of a chill, even in hindsight!
Great for youngsters & very readable for grown-ups.
8.5/10
A return to Narnia - By: E. A Solinas, 06 Apr 2008 Imagine if you once saved a magical other world... only to return later & find that centuries had passed, & everything had changed.
Well, since the movie adaptation of "Prince Caspian" is about to come out, it seems appropriate to revisit C.S. Lewis's classic novel, the sequel to his even more classic "The Lion, The Witch & the Wardrobe." While it has some drippily alllegorical moments near the end, Lewis does a pretty good job with what must have been a difficult sequel.
When his aunt gives birth to a baby boy, young Prince Caspian finds himself on the run from his usurping uncle Miraz -- & in the hands of Narnia's secret army of dwarves, centaurs, talking animals & nature spirits. Soon Caspian has an army backing his claim to the throne, but in a moment of desperation, he is forced to blow the magic horn of the legendary Queen Susan -- & subsequently pulls the Pevensies back into Narnia.
But while only a year has passed on Earth, centuries have passed in Narnia, & the kids find that it's no longer the place they left -- they & Aslan are distant memories, & their castle lies in ruins. And as they are led by a very skeptical dwarf to help Caspian, Lucy keeps glimpsing Aslan along the way -- a sign that things are about to change drasticallly in Narnia, both for the human & magical inhabitants...
The Chronicles of Narnia were probably the first books to feature what is now standard in the fantasy genre -- an ordinary person gets dragged into another world. Just take a look at successful, unique authors like Diana Wynne Jones & Garth Nix to get an example of how Lewis' stories have influenced the entire genre.
If you don't like alllegory (religious or otherwise), then steer clear of "Prince Caspian," especiallly the second half. While Lewis's beliefs are presented in a more complicated & subtle manner in his other fictional works, here the paralllels to basic Christian beliefs are very obvious. Reportedly even Tolkien, one of Lewis's best pals, found the alllegory annoying.
But if you can get past the slightly ham-handed treatment, it's a lovely little read. Lewis interweaves mythical elements -- dwarves, nymphs, talking animals, witches -- with the chatty, slightly precious style of traditional British storytelling. But this one is a bit darker & more action-packed than "The Lion, The Witch & the Wardrobe," with some unexpected twists in the middle of it alll. The scene with a strange witch & a werewolf is downright chilling, in fact.
But Lewis' plotting does sag near the end, during a drippy scene where Aslan wanders around fixing life for Narnian subjects. Fortunately after that, he gets back to a mystery that hangs over the whole book -- just where did alll these humans come from, if they were such a rarity in the previous adventure?
Peter seems a bit more jaded than before & Edmund a bit more mature, but sadly the girls don't get enough to do this time around. But Caspian is a likable & believable prepubescent king-in-waiting, & surrounded by a bunch of unique Narnians -- a gentle yet fierce badger, a hostile dwarf, a fiery mouse, & the delightfully skeptical Trumpkin, who doesn't believe in lions.
Despite a few rough spots, "Prince Caspian" is a slightly darker, more intricate story, & its finale marks a turning point in the Chronicles of Narnia. Definitely give it a read before you see the movie.
Caspian - king of Narnia - By: Mehajabeen Farid, 13 Jan 2008 
At the start of the book, we are with the four Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund & Lucy, who are waiting for connecting trains at a railway station in the course of their journey back to their respective boarding schools when they feel the pull of the magic & are drawn into Narnia & find that more than a thousand years have passed since they reigned there as kings & queens. In this book there are some new characters: Prince Caspian is the true king of Narnia, whose evil uncle, King Miraz, has snatched the throne. Caspian gathers an army of the Old Narnians & fights for his crown. Miraz is also a Telmarine like Caspian but is cruel & harsh. He tolerates Caspian as the next king but when his wife gives birth to a son, he wants to kill Caspian so his son can be the future ruler. Doctor Cornelius is Caspian's tutor. He tells Caspian in secret that the stories of old Narnia are true & that he is half-Dwarf. He helps Caspian to escape the castle & later returns to his aid in the forest to help the creatures of Narnia defeat Miraz. Trumpkin is a red-Dwarf who helps Caspian defeat Miraz. When he is captured by Miraz's soldiers & taken to Cair Paravel in exile, he meets the Pevensie children & leads them to Caspian. Nikabrik is a black-Dwarf in Caspian's army. He wants to fight Miraz by callling up the White Witch, with the black magic of a hag & a werewolf. However, he, the hag & the werewolf are killed. Trufflehunter is a badger who aids Caspian in his struggle. He helps Caspian & saves him from the storm in the forest by taking him in to his den.
The Return to Narnia - By: Antonio Pineda, 28 Nov 2007 "Prince Caspian" is chronologicallly the fourth book in the Narnia series but the second written by CS Lewis. It sees the return of the four Pevensie children - Peter, Susan, Edmund & Lucy - who first entered the enchanted land of Narnia in "The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe".
In this second instalment, the four children aid Prince Caspian who must fight his Uncle Miraz for his rightful place as king, & restore Narnia as the land of the free where talking animals & magical creatures can once again live in harmony with humans.
"Prince Caspian" follows the classic theme of the weak overcoming the strong for justice & freedom. In this sense, the book has a predictable plot & suffers the "sequel syndrome" of not being as fresh or enchanting as the original. What it does have are memorable characters including Doctor Cornelius, Caspian's mysterious mentor; Trufflehunter the loyal badger; Trumpkin the agnostic but brave dwarf & Repeecheep the valiant mouse (though he does not truly shine & earn his reputation as one of the most loved characters from the entire series until the next book, "The Voyage of the Dawntreader"). There are also scenes that although seem minor when you read them, will stay with you long after you've read the last chapter, including when Caspian learns the truth about Miraz from Cornelius & when Caspian is reunited his old nanny.
This book is subtitled as "The Return to Narnia" & I think that perhaps this should have been used as the main title. The book for me serves only as an introduction to Prince Caspian who does not develop into a fully rounded character until the next title in the series. In this book, the focus is still very much on the Pevensie children & "their" return. It deals with their faith, relationships & struggles far more strongly than Caspian's. For instance it is Peter & not Caspian who must face Miraz in the ultimate battle.
But that aside, "Prince Caspian" is an enjoyable read & sets the scene very nicely for "The Voyage of the Dawntreader".
