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With the premiere of the next Narnia movie just over a month away, I decided it would be a good time to re-read one of my favorite Narnia books – Prince Caspian. Though I am excited about seeing the film version, I cannot help but feel a tinge of sadness as I read the book again, knowing that once I’ve seen the film, I will never be able to read Prince Caspian quite the same way. Once you see the film version of a favorite book, your imagination is held captive to the images of the filmmaker and you can never quite imagine it the way you did the first time.

This time, I read Prince Caspian chapter by chapter with Devin Brown’s terrific commentary Inside Prince Caspian. Last year, I picked up Brown’s first Narnia companion (see my review for Inside Narnia here) and enjoyed it thoroughly. Inside Prince Caspian is even better. Brown does what few authors have done before, offering a literary commentary on C.S. Lewis’ work that delves into spiritual interpretations only when necessary. Brown also weaves the Narnia storylines together, showing how Caspian is interpreted against the backdrop of the other six books.

I look forward to seeing the film version of Prince Caspian, but I confess to having rather high expectations. The film version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe did not disappoint me, although there were several areas that could have been improved. Here are a few hopes I have for Prince Caspian – the movie:

  • Make Aslan bigger. Lucy’s perception of Aslan is that he is much bigger in Prince Caspian. According to the trailer, it seems that Aslan is about the same size.
  • Foreshadow Susan’s future. In Prince Caspian, Susan becomes a character that is harder to like, preparing the way for her exit and the fact that she will not return to Narnia again.
  • Give film time to the celebrations. Prince Caspian is a book about reclaiming celebration. I hope that the movie will not devote so much time to the battles that it leaves too little time for the joyfulness of the parties.
  • Start with the four children. It is rumored that the film version will begin with Caspian’s backstory and lead up to the arrival of the Pevensie children later. I hope this is not the case. Much of the book’s drama comes from the discovery of the backstory as the main narrative progresses.
  • Make Reepicheep valiant, not merely cute. I fear that the tendency of a filmmaker associated with Disney will be to make Reepicheep the comic relief of the film. That’s okay so far as it goes, as he provides some comic relief in the book as well. But I hope that the humor of Reepicheep will not overshadow his valiant nature.

If you are a fan of the Narnia series and are planning on seeing Prince Caspian in May, I encourage you to read the book once more before walking into that theater. And if you have time, pick up Devin Brown’s Inside Prince Caspian. You won’t be disappointed.

written by Trevin Wax. copyright © 2008 Kingdom People Blog.

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