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Revisiting the Land of Narnia

May 16th marked the release of Prince Caspian, the second movie adaptation of C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia series, which holds the challenge of adapting a tougher story than THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE.

The seven books in the Chronicles of Narnia series were first published between 1950 and 1956, and have been translated into almost 50 languages and sold more than 100 million copies. Since then, they’ve captured the imagination of children and adults, and have spawned numerous commentaries and guides.

For me, the books were magic.

I am eight years old, and waiting impatiently for my mom and dad to quit mingling and talking with folks after church in the foyer. In the corner, a book rack on rollers from the church library catches my eye. I run my fingers over the battered titles and they stop on a paperback with a lion on the cover. I pull it out, intrigued. From the first step into Narnia, I was hooked.

So have generations of Americans themselves enchanted by a land far away in place and time, overseen by a strong lion named Aslan (“He’s not a tame lion. But he’s good.”) Although there have been many movie adaptations of the popular books, 2005’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was perhaps the most stunning since the BBC’s earlier version (it was the second-highest grossing film that year). The release of Prince Caspian promises further delights.

No wardrobe this time; the four Pevensie children are whisked into Narnia from a subway platform to discover that the land of Narnia is in trouble. More than a thousand years have passed since the Pevensies were last in Narnia (remember, time is not the same in Narnia as it is here), and Prince Caspian, the rightful heir to the throne, must overcome his evil Uncle Miraz to save Narnia.

With the movie in mind, FaithfulReader.com’s Cindy Crosby browses through a few of the new books about all things Narnia. Grab some popcorn, settle into a comfortable chair, and enjoy discovering more about this enchanted land and its characters.

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN - The Official Illustrated Movie Companion
Ernie Malik
HarperOne
ISBN: 9780061435607

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Movie fans, you’re going to love this one. Ernie Malik, the publicist for both Narnia movies, brings a depth and thoroughness to his book that will satisfy even the most enthusiastic Narnia reader. This oversized glossy full-color paperback is packed with gorgeous artwork, a plethora of star snapshots, behind-the-scenes photos and interesting insider movie trivia. The pages are liberally sprinkled with profiles of the new cast members and chats with the veterans, and such thoughtful asides as the reasoning behind making Prince Caspian a stand-alone film rather than combining it with Voyage of the Dawn Treader, as the BBC did.

You’ll discover the changes made by director Andrew Adamson in the screenplay from the book, the challenges of the script, and the ins and outs of storyboarding (fascinating reading with accompanying storyboards). Movie aficionados will appreciate such details as copies of the film schedule and editing notes.

Breathtaking shots of locations in New Zealand (I immediately wanted to book a vacation there) are tempered with precautions taken against venomous snakes in Poland and disease-bearing ticks in the Czech Republic. It’s fascinating to see the sets the way they were filmed without the special effects, giving the viewer greater appreciation for the work that goes into an epic series such as this. There is a fascinating chapter on how the castle set was built and the ins and outs of trying to film on location.

Makeup artistry, costuming, music, special effects, casting extras --- everything is fair game. It’s stunning to realize that it took 10 artists working 12 months to create the on-screen character of Reepicheep, my favorite. “We wanted to be sure Reepicheep didn’t end up looking like a rat.”

If you buy only one book to enjoy with the movie, this is the one you won’t want to be without. Watch the film and then read the book. You’ll want to see it all over again.

THE CRAFTING OF NARNIA: The Art, Creatures, and Weapons from Weta Workshop
Weta Workshop
HarperOne
ISBN: 9780061456350

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THE CRAFTING OF NARNIA is a coffee table book for insatiable fans of all things Narnia. Looking specifically at the first two movies in the series, this is a fantastically detailed book that fills in any blanks left by the official illustrated movie companion book from the same publisher. New Zealand-based Weta Workshop, under the direction of Richard Taylor (a five-time Academy Award winner), may be familiar to you from their fabulous work on The Lord of the Rings films. Here, they let readers in on the secrets of their design, costumes, props, sculptures, super-detailed miniatures, weaponry, displays, creatures and so on. An imaginary world, the reader soon discovers, requires a host of imaginative thinking.

If God is in the details, then He is all over this book. Are you interested in the Snow Queen’s costuming? See all the variations Weta Workshop designed --- and how they tried to remain true to Lewis’s books while using lots of imagination and creativity before they settled on her outfit. Wondered about how the White Witch’s wand was crafted? Two pages of sketches and several paragraphs are offered about the process and the finished wand (and there are another two pages on her dagger).

If you have small children, remember that some of this is the stuff of nightmares. There are three pages of drawings of ogres and their weapons, nine pages of minotaurs and their armor, four frightening pages of Harpies, more drawings and photos of “maquettes” (sculpted preliminary models) of Marsh Horrors, the Ankle Slicer, Hags, etc.

It’s a relief to get to page 136 and see the smiling face of Mr. Tumnus the Faun. And it’s a lot of fun to read about the head-scratching that went into creating the beavers’ habitat, and fascinating to think of the thought processes that went into those scenes. Do Mr. and Mrs. Beaver wear clothes? Carry backpacks? What sort of kitchen equipment would a Narnian Beaver have? These are the sorts of questions the Weta Workshop wrestles with that make the movies such treats.

Hardcore Narnia fans will find exhaustive movie-making information and a heightened respect for the making of the Narnia movies through this in-depth book.

BELIEVING IN NARNIA: A Kids Guide to Unlocking Secret Symbols of Faith in C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia
Natalie Gillespie
Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 9781400312825

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Adult readers --- this book is NOT for you! Natalie Gillespie is the mom/stepmom of seven and knows what kids like. From the very first pages, they’ll be intrigued with the idea of unlocking the secrets of The Chronicles of Narnia.

Gillespie organizes her material well. First, children are invited to learn how to “unlock the secrets for reading this book.” She uses nine illustrated symbols throughout; seven each stand for a book title (a crown, for example, means the quote is from PRINCE CASPIAN) and two to invite kids to discover deeper meanings and truths about God in the series. A treasure chest symbol means “you have found one of the secret places where C. S. Lewis hints at something you can find in the Bible. The Bible verse will be marked with this symbol.” When a doorknob and keyhole symbol appears, Gillespie tells youngsters they will “learn one of Narnia’s greatest secrets…real-life lessons that Aslan taught and that God wants you to learn too.” Gillespie gives a brief but reasonably thorough synopsis of each book in the series, then offers glimpses into the characters and creatures.

I liked Gillespie’s tone, which is comfortable without being condescending. She adeptly walks the difficult line between moralizing and engagingly incorporating strong faith lessons. There are some nice open-ended questions for reflection (“How would it feel if you woke up and discovered you were a dragon?” What do you think you would do? ) and encouragement (“The second of Narnia’s Greatest Secrets is that C. S. Lewis shows over and over again in these books that nobody is perfect, but Aslan still loves them anyway.”).

In addition to the solid content, Thomas Nelson has done a good job with the layout. It’s kicky and fun, and avoids being childish. Interspersed throughout are interesting tidbits (did you know that Sir Winston Churchill offered C. S. Lewis a knighthood ---and Lewis turned it down?) and significant spiritual content (“When you think you are too weak to handle a problem, that’s when Jesus can give you extra strength”).

This would be a good gift to give any upper elementary-aged kid who loves the Narnia books. There is also plenty here for parents to use with family devotions, homeschool lessons, or quiet time with their children.

FOLLOWING PRINCE CASPIAN: Further Encounters with the Lion of Narnia
Thomas Williams
Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 9780849919978

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This tiny volume is a gentle philosophical musing about absolute truth and today’s culture, as seen through author Thomas Williams’s eyes, who looks at how Prince Caspian’s world parallels ours. “The old beliefs that once defined our culture are being discouraged or even repressed,” writes Williams, a C. S. Lewis devotee. “The intuitive understanding of basic right and wrong is fast disappearing…Instead, human beings are assumed to have no higher purpose than following our own desires and scratching our own itches.”

Compact and brief, this has the appearance of an evangelistic giveaway booklet, perhaps for Christians to use with non-believing friends and family members who see Prince Caspian.

A typical passage finds Williams offering a short scene from the book/movie, then his own moral lesson about what this might mean for us today. “If the overwhelming consensus of history is that there are real values and a deity to whom we owe allegiance, shouldn’t we pay attention?” asks Williams. To those who find themselves yearning for something more than they’ve found in life so far, he offers: “Prince Caspian blew Queen Susan’s Horn, an action that symbolizes prayer, and Aslan came. If you call on God as Caspian called on Aslan, God will come.”

Evangelistic groups or Christians looking for witness materials to tie in to the movie should find this booklet exactly to their taste. It should appeal to those who like logical and reasoned explanations of the imaginary world of Narnia.

Writes Williams: “Even if enough people do not call on God to turn our nation around --- your calling on him will bring him into your life and turn you around. You will be able to find that company of believers just as Caspian found fellowship with the creatures of the old stories, and through their love, support, and encouragement, you will draw strength to live your life with meaning and deep joy.”

A FAMILY GUIDE TO PRINCE CASPIAN
Christian Ditchfield
Crossway Books
ISBN: 9781581348446

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This slender little paperback, written by the prolific author of A FAMILY GUIDE TO NARNIA, presents PRINCE CASPIAN as illustrating moral lessons that children can learn from, as well as a stimulus to the imagination.

Christian Ditchfield begins with a short summary of Lewis’s life and writing, then offers a brief synopsis of the characters in PRINCE CASPIAN. She carefully ties together themes from the story to themes of faith, from the cycles of oppression and deliverance in the Old Testament (as Narnia experiences these cycles) to the struggle of good against evil.

Ditchfield then offers a series of short, formatted chapters that could work well for family devotions. A sample chapter might begin with “Biblical Parallels and Principles” from PRINCE CASPIAN, followed by a question “Do You Know?” and then a list of scriptures that correlate to the topic at hand. A typical short reading might find Ditchfield reminding children, “It’s one thing to be cautious --- its another to be fearful,” followed by illustrations from PRINCE CASPIAN and then scriptures on finding courage.

The book feels a bit disorganized, and I found myself confused at several points about how the various sections hung together. But for some readers, this disorganization may be part of its charm. I particularly enjoyed the “Continuing the Adventure” section at the end of the book, which is a mish-mash of recipes (Crock-Pot Applesauce, hearkening to the apples the Pevensie children tire of when stranded on an island); making mosaics and murals (based on Aslan’s How); and ideas for writing poetry, letters, drawing maps and making bookmarks.

This would be an interesting resource for homeschool families to use as a companion to the movie, or for families to use during devotional times following a screening of Prince Caspian or a reading of the book.

A READER’S GUIDE TO CASPIAN: A Journey into C. S. Lewis’s Narnia
Leland Ryken and Marjorie Lamp Mead
InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 9780830834990

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In the spirit of full disclosure, I confess that I know Marj Mead, and my husband is associate publisher at InterVarsity Press. Okay, now that this is out of the way, it’s tough to beat a book on Narnia by these two dynamic authors. Mead, a Lewis scholar, has been the associate director of the Wade Center, the repository for all things Narnia, for more than 30 years. Co-author Leland Ryken is professor of English at Wheaton College in Illinois. (Together, they wrote A READER’S GUIDE THROUGH THE WARDROBE.)

The authors recommend you read PRINCE CASPIAN before you begin this book --- a
welcome assignment for those who have not done so. Then the duo acts as a “reader’s guide,” something they say is similar to a “tour leader.” After offering some preliminary information about the Narnia series and Lewis himself (including some sidebars on pertinent timelines and parallels), they plunge in.

Part One is the guided tour through the story of PRINCE CASPIAN, with insights on everything from plot, setting and character to “denouement,” how Lewis ties up all the loose ends of his story. Part Two explores some backgrounds to the PRINCE CASPIAN story, including the allegorical content. It also contains a bit of flotsam and jetsam: a short biography of Lewis, a summary list of critics’ commentary on PRINCE CASPIAN, and several appendices on using the book with reading groups and home school students, plus --- for the true Lewis aficionado --- a chart comparing the illustrations in the first U.K. edition of PRINCE CASPIAN to the first U.S. edition. Okay, you might need to be REALLY passionate about Lewis for this appendice.

The layout of the pages is user-friendly; lots of information boxes with trivia (the origin of the name “Caspian,” C. S. Lewis’s fascination with mice) and ideas for reflection or discussion. Black-and-white photos in the center of the book depict everything from Lewis as an infant in a dressing gown to the first-edition jacketing of PRINCE CASPIAN, and pull-out quotes are scattered throughout from other books on Lewis and Narnia that apply to the topic at hand.

This is an adult read, designed to illuminate PRINCE CASPIAN in an approachable, enjoyable way. Lewis fans won’t want to be without it.

INSIDE PRINCE CASPIAN: A Guide to Exploring the Return to Narnia
Devin Brown
Baker Books
ISBN: 9780801068027

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Devin Brown, a C. S. Lewis expert and author of INSIDE NARNIA, opens with some gentle praise and critique of the movie The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He then unpacks the original book chapter by chapter, ending with discussion questions. Included are insights from Lewis scholars and notes about other writings that also influenced Lewis.

This is intense reading. Brown leaves few stones unturned, beginning with the dedication page, “To Mary Clare Harvard” (“So who was Mary Clare Harvard and why would Lewis dedicate a book to her?”) He examines the title and subtitle in detail --- “notice Lewis’s use of the definite article in THE RETURN TO NARNIA” --- and later says the subtitle is rich with meaning. Like I said, no stone is left unturned.

For those familiar with the Narnia books, but who haven’t done much study about them, there is plenty of intriguing information. For example, Lewis, Brown notes, never kept drafts or manuscripts of his books, including The Chronicles (a loss to us for many reasons, which he also explains). Brown strives for a conversational and engaging tone in his chapters. He opens “The Dwarf” with this: “Imagine it. The sun is coming up. It is day two of the adventure…..” He’s particularly adept at integrating numerous references from other writers and allegorical works (such as Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings) into his guide. Admirably, Brown tried to avoid the problem of too many citations within the text, but the numerous parenthetical page numbers still interrupt the word flow. Academic readers will have less objections than those looking for a popular treatment.

Brown’s discussion questions are much more than the ordinary fare you’d expect from a book of this type. I particularly liked how he connects the story to our personal experiences. Even if the content of the chapters are a bit heady for some discussion groups, the thoughtful questions alone would be worth the very reasonable price of the book.

His passion and knowledge for his subject matter comes through on every page. Brown plans to write a book for each of the seven Chronicles of Narnia, so if you enjoy this one, you’ll have plenty to look forward to.

--- Written by Cindy Crosby