Inside Prince Caspian: A Guide to Exploring the Return to Narnia by Devin Brown
Nonfiction. 253 Pages. 5 Stars
Synopsis:
A guide that offers insightful background, commentary, and notes on C S Lewis’ second book in the Chronicle of Narnia series, Prince Caspian.
My Review:
Much like the previous book Inside Narnia: A Guide to Exploring the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Brown dives into Prince Caspian with a chapter-by-chapter literary breakdown, threading in relevant details from Lewis’s life to fill out the context for us. Just as with the first one, I was enthralled by the connections Brown made. I’ve read Prince Caspian a number of times, and Lewis has always amazed me with how I learn something new each time I read his books. But Brown still made connections that I found fascinating.
Caspian has arguably been my favorite Narnian story since I was a child. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe does compete for the title, but Caspian has always enchanted me and touched something deep in my heart that even the LWW did not. I’ve never really quite understood why Caspian’s story resonated so deeply until now. After reading through Brown’s analysis, I see themes and Lewis’s brilliance anew. But the connections Brown makes in the literary analysis explained the themes of awakening, maturing, renewal, restoration, return, and growth that hit me square between the eyes. That’s why this book has always settled in my heart like an old friend. It gave me all new eyes for one of my favorite books, and that’s incredible.
Unlike the first book, Brown included discussion questions at the end of each chapter this time. Though they were a nice addition, I can’t say they were my favorite part. Truly, the meat of the book is Brown’s analysis and careful consideration of Lewis. It’s an excellent source and again, Brown is very methodical, clear, well-organized writer. I greatly anticipate reading his thoughts on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
As mentioned with the first, I must caution that this guide does include spoilers. Don’t read this first! It even includes spoilers for the other books in the series, so be aware of that as you begin. If you’re at all a fan of the Chronicles of Narnia, I’d most highly recommend this companion guide and its predecessor. An absolutely excellent and worthwhile read.
More:
Inside Narnia: A Guide to Exploring the Lion, he Witch, and the Wardrobe (5 Stars)
Inside The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: A Guide to Exploring the Journey Beyond Narnia
See the links to find more info on Goodreads! I do recommend that you have read the entire series of C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia before reading any of these commentaries. While I liked reading them in order, they could standalone as individual commentaries and be read in any order.
On GraceBought
Check out my thoughts on Inside Narnia here!