Sonderbooks Book Review of Prince Caspian

Reviewed October 2, 2003.
Scholastic, New York, 1995. First published in 1951. 223 pages.
Available at Sembach Library (JF LEW).
A Sonderbooks’ Stand-out of 2003: #4, Young Adult and Children's Fantasy Old Favorites

I’m reading The Chronicles of Narnia to my 9-year-old son, so these are going to fill most of my Old Favorite slots for awhile. Prince Caspian is the second book in the series in the order they were written, and the fourth if you go by the order they happened in Narnia.

This is not one of my favorites in the series, although it is still wonderful. By keeping with the viewpoint of Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, the author has to use a flashback to tell us all that has happened to Prince Caspian before they arrived in Narnia. It would probably be a little more interesting for kids if he had instead started with Prince Caspian’s perspective. After all, we know they’re going to be in Narnia, since this is The Chronicles of Narnia.

Still, this is a great fantasy book. It turns out that hundreds of years of Narnian time has passed since the four children ruled as kings and queens in Narnia. Now men are ruling Narnia, and Prince Caspian is told that stories of talking beasts are just fairy tales.

When Prince Caspian’s life is endangered by his evil Uncle Miraz, Caspian flees and finds the “Old Narnians.” They call back the kings and queens of the past to help him gain his rightful throne. This is another exciting adventure, with more wisdom of C. S. Lewis thrown in.

Reviews of other books by C. S. Lewis:

Book 1 of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Book 3 of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Book 4 of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair
Book 5 of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boy
Book 6 of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew
Book 7 of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Last Battle
The Last Battle performed by Patrick Stewart

Out of the Silent Planet
Perelandra
That Hideous Strength
Till We Have Faces
The Great Divorce
Of Other Worlds
A Year With C. S. Lewis

Book Reviews by Sondra Eklund

******Prince Caspian*

Book 2 of The Chronicles of Narnia

by C. S. Lewis