17/100: Prince Caspian

My goal is to finish the Chronicles of Narnia series this year, but preferably within the next few months because they are so small. In this case, I read Prince Caspian in a little over a day. I was able to steal chunks of time here and there, especially when my sister and I went shopping downtown. We hit up a book sale and a couple bookstores and then planned on going to dinner afterward. We got done with our shopping a little too early to go straight to dinner, so we chilled in a coffee shop and each read the respective books we had brought or bought.

I can't tell you how many times I have been saved from boredom because I thought to bring a book... and I can't tell you how many times I wanted to die from boredom because when I left the house that day I didn't bring a book, thinking I wouldn't need it. I swear this is how people read 20 books a month... or they just have a lot of free time on their hands :)
(And as a side-note, I was very good and only bought one book over the course of the three bookstores/book sales we went to. I am making it my mission to only add books to my bookshelf that are favorites, I am sure will become favorites, or have special meaning. This means my wallet is happy and my shelves are curated.)

On with the review...
As with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, there's not much I feel that I can add to a book that has been around for so long and is so well-beloved. As such, I'll simply share a few thoughts I had while reading.

Prince Caspian definitely moved a little slow for me; it felt like most of the story was taken up by either the characters trying to find their way through the forest or Susan being a superior and bratty sister. I felt like Lewis missed an opportunity to have the Kings and Queens of Old Narnia interact more with the new King of Narnia. Maybe I'm just thinking too much about the movie, although I'm grateful the angst that was present in the movie was nowhere to be found in the book, I wish they had been given more time together.

I love the way Aslan refers to his people. He frequently uses terms of endearment like "my love," "dear heart," "beloved," and so on. As a Christian, I can read this series in a different light than most people; Aslan's tone and demeanor constantly made me think of Jesus and his love for me. If I ever audibly hear the voice of God, I imagine I will hear something akin to "my love." That feeling of being cherished and valued and seen; I think Lewis portrayed that perfectly in Aslan and Lucy's interaction. She truly had the faith of a child, and in the times that she was ignored by her siblings, Aslan saw her. I think that is such a beautiful allegory to our relationship with Christ.

(Spoilers in this section, read at your own risk)
Lastly, I along with many others I'm sure, got more than a little misty-eyed at the end. This was the one part of the movie that I could not stand to watch. Could you imagine spending your growing up and early adult years in one place, being away from that place for at least hundreds of years, returning for a short while, and then being told you don't ever get to come back? The movie really brought out the angst and feeling, especially when they played that song, so my weak heart was happier reading Lewis's version of it. But it still hit me where it hurts.

Overall, I think I preferred the first book, but another good installment. I'm looking forward to Voyage of The Dawn Treader, mainly because that was my favorite of the three movies they made. (Plus, they really outdid themselves casting Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian... 5 star casting; especially when he grew facial hair :) ) I mean, just look at him! Every Christian girl's crush, am I right?

Stats:
Completed: Mar 8
Rating: 5 stars
Pages: 216