Movie v. Book: Prince Caspian

Prince Caspian is the fourth book, chronologically but second in publication date, in C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. This book continues the story of the four Pevensie siblings, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. A year has passed since the children first ventured into Narnia, became Queens and Kings of that country, and return to England through the Wardrobe. The children are now on their way back to school but are drawn into Narnia while in the train station. And yet, this Narnia is very different from the land they remember.

Centuries have passed in Narnia and the Pevensie children have turned into legends and then myths as has Aslan. Few animals are able to speak and those that can hide in the forests with other magical creatures. Many new characters appear in the tale such as Trumpkin, the dwarf and Caspian, the true king of Narnia. Caspian’s throne has been stolen by his Uncle Miraz. The Pevensie children realize they have returned to Narnia to restore the country to its former glory with Caspian as king.

This book kept all of the magic from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (LWW). My new favorite character was Reepicheep, the little mouse full of chivalrous honor. His tail was cut off during battle but Aslan later restored it. I can imagine children laughing at the wonderful pictures of the tiny mouse and his minuscule sword poking the enemies on their ankles! The blurbs I’ve read promise Reepicheep’s return in The Voyager of the Dawn Treader (VDT) and I can’t wait to read more of his adventures.

I did not read these stories as a child and was only made aware of their existence when the first movie was popular. I’ve read many adult works by Lewis but I find that I enjoy his children’s series just as much. The story slows in the middle but picks up again. I found that I became angry when the Pevensie children didn’t believe Lucy when she saw Aslan. How many times will they doubt Lucy? They doubted her in the LWW as well. Overall, the story is well-written and the world Lewis created is a charming escape. The religious metaphors aren’t as apparent in this novel but the moral lessons are perfect for children.

A film version of Prince Caspian was released in 2008. The film was beautifully made and I especially appreciated the scenery. It broke my heart to see the ruined castle, Cair Paravel—this is how I knew the setting was a success. It looked like the imagines I’d created in my mind while reading the text. How can a reader ask for better?

All actors from the first film reprised their roles and they looked and sounded just as they should. Although, I’m not sure Caspian was meant to be so old. The movie contained a lengthy battle scene that was not in the novel. I don’t think the scene added anything to plot except to make Peter look foolish. However, the battle scene was suspenseful and was probably mean to satisfy modern audiences. I take issue with one other scene, the scene where the White Witch was summoned back to life. In the novel, she did not actually return. She did in the movie and the creature that summoned her was hokey, not scary. It definitely took away from the seriousness of the situation. The Witch’s presence did give Edmund a chance to truly redeem his actions from the LWW. He is the one who destroyed the White Witch utterly in the film.

Fans of Harry Potter films will enjoy this movie. It translated well from book to film and stayed true to the story. The next book, VDT, will also be turned into a movie but not by Disney. Disney passed on the film rights and Walden Media picked up the project to be released in 2010. I plan to read VDT before the movie comes out!

Lewis, C.S. (1951). Prince Caspian. New York: HarperTrophy.

Johnson, M. & Adamson, A. (Producer & Director). (2008). Prince Caspian. [Motion Picture]. United Kingdom & United States: Walt Disney Pictures.