Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia (Radio Theatre)

Rating:
Summary: The least desirable entry
Review: "Prince Caspian" is either the second or fourth book of CS Lewis' classic Narnia series, depending on whether one reads the books in published order or chronological order. The story picks up where "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" leaves off, with Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy back in England after having spent many years in Narnia as kings and queens. What follows is in many ways almost a straight rehash of "Wardrobe" and is possibly the most forgettable of the Narnia books. Were it not for the introduction of Caspian, one of the major characters in the series, it would almost certainly be the least memorable of the seven books.

The children find themselves pulled into a strange world, this time by a magical force rather than by wandering through a wardrobe. Quickly (and predictably) enough the world is revealed to be Narnia. Why did they not know this right away? Because the single year they spent in the real world was many hundreds of years in Narnian time. Narnia has aged while they have not.

The four children, who in Narnia are revered as legendary kings and queens of old, find that they have been pulled into Narnia to aid King Caspian, a prince from a kingdom of rather oppressive humans who have taken over Narnia and are attempting to squash all memory and knowledge of the land's talking animals and mythical creatures. Naturally, this means those people have to be stopped.

If it sounds exciting, it's not. If it sounds boring, it is.

Travelogues and adventures that are little more than episodic journeys can be great fun and often tap into the glory of exploring the forest as a child, but this journey simply has little or nothing to engage the reader or capture one's interest. The glimpses of how Narnia has changed in the years since the four kids were there are interesting, but the interest is minimal at best. The travels just lack punch or adventure.

Lewis takes a few ill-advised detours that seem only to pad the story while hammering home the idea that people who do not believe in the mystical creatures of Narnia are inherently bad. The heavy-handed messaging in other Narnia volumes generally feel like the moral messages of any other classic fairy tale, but here they somehow feel wrong.

All in all, "Prince Caspian" adds very little to the lore (and lure) of Narnia despite being a part of the central plot, with core Narnia characters throughout. Its greatest contribution to the series is introducing the off-kilter time concept, an old cliché of alternate world stories, and bringing the character of Caspian (as well as the delightful and brave mouse Reepicheep) to the series. And that's about this book's whole worth. It introduces you to characters you will grow to like later and to concepts essential to the series.

Take note, because "Prince Caspian" is part of the core Narnia books (those involving the four original children and the characters linked directly to them) it's hard to recommend skipping this one - but it really fails to live up to the fantastic spectacle of the others. Children may enjoy the return romp to Narnia, but more likely even they will find that this one disappoints.

Rating:
Summary: "This is Magic at Work!"
Review: "Prince Caspian" is the direct sequel to "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"; the novel that was published second, but technically comes chronologically fourth in the Narnia series. In "The Lion," the four Pevensie children become kings and queen of the magical Narnian realm and reign for many years, but when they return home they find themselves back in their child bodies, on the exact same day that they stepped into the wardrobe many years ago. A year later, the children are waiting at the station for their train to take them back to boarding school when they feel a strange pulling at them - and all of a sudden they are back in Narnia!

But something is different - their beautiful castle of Cair Paravel is in ruins, and the land seems ominous and empty. Realising that the time-difference between the two worlds means that a thousand years have passed in Narnia whilst only one has gone by in their own world, the children feel quite lonely and displaced: strangers in a familiar land that has gone on without them. When a mysterious boat carrying a dwarf prisoner pulls up on the nearby river, the children rescue the dwarf and learn the story of what has come to pass since they last ruled the land. After their disappearance life went on, but in recent years the Telmarine (ie human) Miraz the conqueror invaded Narnia and drove the "Old Narnians" into hiding. The Talking Beasts and the dwarfs have scurried underground, the nymphs and trees have gone into a deep slumber, and Aslan has seemingly abandoned them. But the Narnians have one hope: the Prince Caspian, who was raised on stories of their kind and now leads a revolt against his uncle Miraz for the country's independence. The dwarf's tale links up his story with the children's', realising that the moment of their departure coincided with Caspian blowing Queen Susan's horn - which would summon aid to whoever winded it. Now the group head off for Aslan's How, in order to join with Caspian and defeat Narnia's foes.

The story of Caspian is a somewhat patchy one as the viewpoints are continually switching and changing - first from the Pevensies', then from the narration of Trumpkin as he tells Caspian's story, and at one stage even from the point of view of two Telmarine generals. However, Lewis juggles all these narratives delicately, though possibly does a better job in the first half than the second. The trek of the four children to Aslan's How can get a little tedious, even with tantalising glances of Aslan on the way, and the one-on-one duel between Peter and Miraz is a little anti-climactic after some of the other vivid battle sequences that Lewis has described in other books.

However, almost as compensation, Lewis gives us several moments of startling beauty and goodness - most prominently the sequence when Aslan returns and leads any willing soul - either Telmarine or Narnian - in a joyous revel through the countryside. There are other little touches like this, such as when Doctor Cornelius describes Caspian's mother as "the only Telmarine who was ever kind to me," or Trufflehunter the badger quietly declares: "We don't forget. We hold on." Most of all is Caspian's reunion with his old nurse that was sent away from the castle when he was only a young boy - I was ten years old when I first read this book, and I still recall how immensely touched I was at their reunion.

More so than any other of the books, with the exception of "The Last Battle", "Prince Caspian" is tinged with heavy doses of melancholy and loss. For the children to return so long after their reign in the Golden Age, to a world that regards them as little more than a fairytale brings home C. S. Lewis's themes of loss and the inexorable passage of time. Even though Cair Paravel is restored to its former glory by the end of the story, to find it overgrown and in ruins is as devastating to us as it is to the children. Likewise, the children's eventual departure is also touched with sadness - their reign has past and must be relinquished to Caspian; furthermore Peter and Susan are told that they are now too old to ever return to Narnia.

But of course, Aslan is always the same and this is in fact the Christian theme that Lewis injects into this book. Each one deals with a particular Christian allegory or way of life, and "Prince Caspian" is predominantly concerned with faith. Whether it is the afore mentioned Trufflehunter who holds fast to Aslan and the old stories, or Caspian who would desperately like to believe in the stories, or the sceptical Trumpkin, Lewis deals with the matter of faith from several different levels. Even the children themselves are "tested", with Aslan only appearing to those that are willing to believe that they are in fact following him - again this alludes to the children gradually growing up. It is easier to believe in something when we are younger than when we get older, and Peter voices the question: "why does he hide from us? He never did that last time." The fact of the matter is that he isn't a tame lion, and sometimes all we can do is simply have faith that he is there, even if we cannot see him.



Rating:
Summary: Narnia's Battle for a New King
Review: "The Return to Narnia!" Those who have read "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (Book 1 in the original ordering) know that those four words can invoke a rousing and passionate symphony that only those who believe in Narnia can hear. It is somewhat disconcerting, therefore, when the story opens with a rather clumsy squeak. The four Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, find themselves unceremoniously _yanked_ back to Narnia after one Earth year and many Narnian centuries of being away. There is no party to welcome them, only apples growing wild to feed them, and only the ruins of a castle to shelter them.

As the children have been gone for so long, some backtracking is necessary before their heroic adventures can begin. As he did in all the books in "The Chronicles of Narnia", C.S. Lewis gives us a bit of Narnian history that puts the present events in perspective and is genuinely fun to read. This History lesson begins with the Telmarine invasion after the Golden Age of Narnia and ends with the battle between Prince Caspian and his evil uncle Miraz. It's a lesson so absorbing and believable that it makes Narnia seem more real than, say, Bavaria. The political intrigue sprinkled throughout the book is a fine bonus.

What I liked most about "Prince Caspian" was the chance to see the two Kings and two Queens of Cair Paravel in action. Their adventures and their characters were given very little space or elaboration at the end of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"; so I was glad to be able to really see them as their royal Narnian selves. (Now that I've read further, I can say that "The Horse and His Boy" is even better for this purpose. After reading "Prince Caspian", I discovered why King Peter was dubbed Magnificent; and after reading "The Horse and His Boy", I learned why Queen Susan was called Gentle; King Edmund, Just; and Queen Lucy, Valiant.)

And what would Narnia be without Aslan? (I LOVE THIS LION!) In "Prince Caspian", the major lesson that he imparts is that we must have faith and follow him, even when we may appear foolish to others. If we keep insisting that we can find the way by ourselves, then we only get lost. There are other morals throughout the book, most of them woven into the story, such as King Peter's courage in challenging Miraz to a "clean wager of battle" (read: one-on-one combat), "to prevent the effusion of blood" (read: the blood of his innocent subjects). Lewis can moralize better than any other children's writer I know.

"Prince Caspian" is not to blame for being the second book in the series--therefore, the sequel that can't help but be slightly disappointing. Though I gave it four stars for the bumpy linkages in the plot, child readers will, if asked, say it deserves five.

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Summary: Prince Caspian, one of the best books around!!!!!
Review: Continuing through the Chronicles of Narnia, "Prince Caspian" is the fourth novel chronologically, and the second published. Because of the order in which the books were written, this book takes up where "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" left off, with the four Pevensies being called back to Narnia by magic, one year later in their time, but eons later in Narnian time.

In the blink of an eye, the children are transported from a train platform, (not Platform 9 ¾), into the forests of Narnia, soon discovering the ruins of Cair Paravel, where they once ruled as Kings and Queens. After eating enough apples to keep the doctor away for a very long time, they rescue a Dwarf from certain peril, and begin another fascinating adventure together.

The present King Miraz is doing his best to stifle the stories of old Narnia, where animals talk, and Naiads and Dryads and Dwarfs and Fauns were a part of daily life, and becomes highly upset when he discovers that his nephew Caspian has been drinking up the folklore, thanks to his devoted nurse, who of course gets the boot shortly after that. Unbeknownst to Miraz, the new tutor is also a closet Narnia believer, who begins his "Introduction to Narnia 101" and helps Caspian to escape impending doom.

Learning that his usurping Uncle Miraz is up to no good, Caspian flees for his life, where by good fortune he is saved by some of the same Narnian creatures he has been dying to encounter. Having established his right to the throne of Narnia, King Caspian begins his first great adventure by getting acquainted with talking animals, dwarfs and other Narnians. Inspired by the great Centaur Glenstorm, a council of war is quickly organized, to make plans for an overthrow of the present government.

Unfortunately, before he can warm up to the job, his runaway horse inadvertently gives the game away, and rather too soon, war breaks out. With the magical mound known as Aslan's How as their command center, in the midst of the mysterious woods, the battle does not go well, due to inexperience.

Playing his last hole card, King Caspian blows the magical horn, and sure enough, without a moment to spare, help arrives via the Pevensies, former Kings and Queens of Narnia, "located" by Trumpkin, the rescued dwarf. Getting there however, was almost another adventure altogether, with boys who don't ask for directions, and don't listen to good advice. With the appearance of Aslan, and their faith duly restored, they reach their destination late but safely.

The boys are tasked with straightening things out, and issue a challenge to Miraz, to duel for the right to rule. Circumstances then lead to a great and glorious battle, while the girls team up with Aslan to do some back-up work, right some wrongs, and perform a miracle or two. (This part happens very quickly, as if the author was trying to push in as much magic as possible in the closing pages.)

Another exciting episode in the Chronicles of Narnia, but there's more to come.

Amanda Richards, September 2, 2004


Rating:
Summary: Great Return to Narnia
Review: Prince Caspian, the second Narnian Chronicle to be written and the fourth chronologically, is a slightly longer, more subtle book than its prequel "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", but a book I enjoyed just as much.

Waiting at a station for a train to school Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are whisked back to Narnia, hundreds, maybe thousands of years after they had originally been the kings and queens. Their castle Cair Paravel is in ruins, the animals are mute and the land is filled with Telmarines, a cynical people who don't believe in the great lion Aslan or any of the great happenings of Narnia's past. Narnia is ruled by Miraz, a usurper to the throne. The real king, Prince Caspian, has fled. With the help of the old Narnians in hiding, Caspian musters an army to fight Miraz and take the throne that's rightfully his. Can he succeed? Will the children be able to help. Will Aslan return?

It's an exciting book, taking you far and wide among Narnia and its creatures. We hear a lot about the dwarves in this book, and of the community of talking animals. We also hear of Narnia's surrounding lands, and of it's constellations. Reepicheep, the feisty talking mouse, appears for the first time in the series. Other characters who appear that are worth a mention include the Greek god Bacchus (I love Lewis' description of him), the bumbling Bulgy Bears, the wise and faithful badger Trufflehunter, a frightening werewolf and many a talking tree. This book also sets things up nicely for "Voyage of the Dawn Treader", the next and one of the most exciting books in the series.

Author C.S Lewis was a sincere christian, and his beliefs shine through in all his work. Prince Caspian is no exception. Here, Lewis seems to deal with the issue of faith and belief. In the age Prince Caspian is set in, Aslan isn't visible, just as God isn't visible to us. There are a lot of people who won't believe in what they can't see (like the Telmarines) but even among them there are some who hear about the truth and are excited by what they hear (like Caspian). You can see the same thing when Aslan appears to Lucy and asks her to follow him, yet no one else can see him until they believe what she has to say. Another theme I noticed is that of how people respond to hearing about their savior. The Narnians respond in many ways, just as people respond in many ways on hearing of God's word. Some are cynical (like the Telmarines), some are faithful (like Trufflehunter), some are doubting and need to see some evidence (like Trumpkin), and some refuse to believe until the bitter end (like the mean dwarf Nikabrik).

All of the Chronicles of Narnia are written for children, but I think some children might struggle through this, particularly during the war chapters. Peter dictates a letter in chapter 13 which is a bit verbose for kids, I thought. There's a bit of intrigue that might goover their head too. When I was a kid and I read this, I brushed over those bits, but I appreciate them a lot more now.

Prince Caspian is fourth in the "reading order", but the only book you really need to read before this one is "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe". If you enjoyed that book, you'll probably enjoy this too.


Rating:
Summary: The Mighty Reepicheep!
Review: Returning to Narnia for their second time, the children Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are surprised to find that things have drastically changed in their absence. A wild overgrown forest and castle ruins greet them where they formerly reigned, and men have conquered Narnia, overthrowing the animals. As Lewis continues their adventure he introduces a few new characters that will be key figures in the following books. Among these is the most lovable and humorous character in the Chronicles of Narnia series...Reepicheep the mouse! Brave with his rapier, the mighty mouse brings a smile to your face everytime he enters the scene. The young Prince Caspian is also introduced and to be seen more later in the series, although his role is rather limited in the bulk of this book. Lewis continues with the underlying Christian themes, in this book the main one being the following of Aslan by faith (just as we are called to follow Christ by faith). While not the best of the Narnia books, "Prince Caspian" is important for its plot building and has some good fun and action.

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Summary: Jenner's Review
Review: The book Prince Caspian is the second in a series of books by C.S. Lewis. The characters and conflicts are the same as the book The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The main characters are Peter and Susan. One of the conflicts they face is person vs. self as Peter must face his fear of being killed in war. The horn Susan left behind in the first episode allowed the as they return to Narnia. However when time they return Narnia is a thousand years later. In the be ok Prince Caspian is a year later after the first. All the people they know from then are died but Aslan he can never die because he is one of the magical creature leafed in Narnia. I didn't like the book Prince Caspian because it had all the Same conflicts just like the other books by C.S Lewis. One of the same conflicts is at the battle they had they lose at first but in the end they won. I also didn't like it cuz it was boring tail like cater 12 that's when they had the battle . But there was some very cool parts of the book for example the high king Peter killed the evil king Miraz in the battle and it was back to old Narnia . The book is boring but its still a good book to read I think you better have a lot of time on your hands because it takes a lot time to read but its still good.