Customer Reviews
The Narnia series is starting to go downhill with this - but still worth reading - By: D. R. Cantrell, 14 Oct 2008 
Another thoroughly enjoyable tale in Lewis's Narnia series, this sees the protagonists from "The Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe" returning to help a prince overthrow his usurping evil uncle. Predictably, good triumphs over evil. And again I wasnlt offended by overt god-squadding - although there's quite a bit of Classical mythology thrown in. I can't recommend this as highly as the previous three books, partly because it's just a little too formulaic (even for a childrens' book) & because it wouldn't stand well on its own - reading The Lion the Witch & the wardrobe first is pretty much essential. Even so, worth having.
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.
Back into Narnia - By: E. A Solinas, 28 Jun 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.
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.
