Review Novel

Name: Aulia Fransischa

NIM: 1200968

Class: K1/2012

Review Novel

Title:                    Narnia (Princess Caspian)

Director:              Andrew Adamson

Writers:               Andrew Adamson (screenplay), Christopher Markus (screenplay)

Preceded by        The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Followed by        The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Stars:                   Ben Barnes, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley

Author:                C. S. Lewis

Illustrator:           Pauline Baynes

Cover artist Baynes Country United Kingdom Language English Series: The Chronicles of Narnia

Genre:                 Children's fantasy                                                      

Novel:                 Christian literature

Publisher Geoffrey Bles Publication date 15 October 1951 Media type Print: (hardcover)

Pages:                 195

Language:           English

Number:              2812448 LC Classification

 NARNIA (PRINCESS CASPIAN)

The four Pevensie children return to Narnia, only to discover that hundreds of years have passed since they ruled there, and the evil King Miraz has taken charge. With the help of a heroic mouse called Reepicheep, and the exiled heir to the throne, Prince Caspian, they set out to overthrow the King, once again with Aslan's help.

Caspian is the second in C.S Lewis’ Narnia saga. It returns to the story of Peter, Susan, Lucy and Edmund: four children who found their way into the magical land of Narnia through a secret passage way through a wardrobe.This time the book is set a year later, the children are all about to return to their places at boarding school when suddenly they find themselves magically dragged back to Narnia, leaving the train station and their entire luggage behind.

They soon come across a kidnapped dwarf named Trumkin; who they learn is working on behalf of the true king of Narnia, Caspian. The boy prince has been usurped by his uncle, who has turned away his father’s loyal lords and ladies and now battles against Caspian and all those who stand with him. They also learn that much of the magic has gone from Narnia, the animals, all once blessed with the gift of speech and intelligence, have regressed back into their most vicious animal states and are working on behalf of Caspian’s usurping uncle; tracking his enemies and Caspian’s army.

Whilst they journey Lucy finds herself at odds with her siblings; she has seen the forest come to life in the night and has been shown which the right way to go by Aslan himself. Yet her brothers and sister are not able to see Aslan at all and they question of whether Lucy is imaging him.

Prince Caspian is probably the least favourite of all the Narnia books that I have read. Very little seems to happen throughout the book, it lacks the sense of adventure and drama of the story of the first book and is heavily laden with morals and Biblical allegory.

For some this may strike true of their own faith, but for others it makes the book seem rather dated; the characters lack any personal emotion or motivation, as the entire book revolves around their devotion to Aslan. The way the characters speak to one another is also very dated; making the book seem somehow immature. By the end of the story you find yourself very irritated by these seemingly perfect and witless children whose adventure in Narnia lacks the darkness and intrigue of more recent fantasy novels.

In many ways however this is also one of the books strengths, it strives to capture the wonder of childhood, the innocence and love that children experience in a way that more recent literature seems to have shunned. Perhaps it is simply that the book has not aged well, once children as old as Peter and Lucy may have been the innocent and brave characters they are in the book, now however their ages seem out of sync with their behaviour. They seem immature and ignorant, particularly to the more cynical reader, whilst their ages suggest they should be more inquisitive and perhaps have developed more individual personalities.

I think overall the book is by far the weakest of the saga, yet this does not mean it is poor at all. By comparison few children’s books are as well written or innovative than those of the Narnia books; it is perhaps just a little misplaced in a modern reader’s world. I like to read this novel, because I can imagine that I read.