Narnia Fans » Devin Brown

Will Sears e-mailed us to help inform you all of something important. Unfortunately, Disney has informed us that the super-trailer will not be finished in time for Narnia Night at Asbury College on April 24, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. Guests are certainly still in for a treat with presentations from Narnia experts, the special Narnia exhibit preview from Clayton Ferguson, and other surprises!

This is very unfortunate, however: please don’t let that be contingent on whether or not you go. You should be in for something spectacular there.

More information:

On Friday, April 25, audiences can attend Asbury College’s second ‘Narnia Night’ to explore the newest addition to C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia films, Prince Caspian. The event begins at 7 p.m. in Hughes Memorial Auditorium.

Narnia Night provides the audience an opportunity to enter the world of Narnia through media and Lewis scholars. The evening includes a presentation by Lewis scholar, author, and Asbury College professor Dr. Devin Brown. Also, Clayton Ferguson, formerly of Walden Media and currently with The Becker Group, will share exclusive sneak peaks into the upcoming Narnia Museum Exhibit that will be traveling internationally for the next five years.

During the event, participants may purchase a limited number of discounted tickets for a local showing of Disney’s movie.

As fans enter the auditorium, which will be transformed into the realm of Narnia, actors in costume will play roles of characters from the film to entertain guests. Narnia fans are invited to a reception immediately following the presentations in the Student Center to purchase Narnia books and a special Aslan art exhibit by Christian Aylor.

Admission is free and open to the general public.

Narnia night is part of Asbury’s Engaging Culture Weekend, which is made possible through the Lilly Grant and a number of other generous sponsors. Professor Greg Bandy and Asbury College Communications Department students are producing the events for the weekend.

Asbury.edu for more about Narnia Night

Free of cost and open to the general public, Narnia Night is an exciting exploration of Disney’s newest installment to its films based on C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian.

Hughes Memorial Auditorium will be transformed into C. S. Lewis’s magical realm of Narnia as the sequence of the evening begins.

In addition to special presentations by Lewis scholar, author, and professor, Dr. Devin Brown, unseen clips from the new film and a super-trailer, including rare footage of the making of Prince Caspian, will be shown. Furthermore, Asbury’s Hughes Auditorium will feature actors in costume, and guests may buy discounted Narnia books and t-shirts.

Clayton Ferguson will also make a special presentation from the Becker Group. The Becker Group, in partnership with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and Walden Media will bring C.S. Lewis’s famed literary fantasy world of “Narnia,” to worldwide audiences with “The Chronicles of Narnia: International Museum Exhibition,” a fantastical state-of-the-art educational exhibit. The massive interactive experience will premiere June 2008, to coincide with the opening of the new film, “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” the second installment of the blockbuster film series based on Lewis’s beloved fictional books. Ferguson was formerly with The Anschutz Film Group and worked extensively with Asbury College in the production of the award-winning educational resource DVD for “Amazing Grace: The William Wilberforce Story” motion picture.

A limited number of discounted tickets to the national premier of Disney’s movie at a local theater will also be available. An enchanting reception will follow in the Student Center.

Devin Brown e-mailed us to let us know that there’s an excerpt from his book: Inside Prince Caspian on CBN.com! Here’s a piece of the article, written by Devin Brown, followed by a link to the story.

In my book Inside Prince Caspian, I provide readers with a detailed look at C. S. Lewis’s second Chronicle of Narnia. Here is a very brief overview of some of the issues in Prince Caspian, one which I hope will be helpful for those going to see the upcoming film or for anyone who will be leading discussions about the book.

In Prince Caspian when the children first arrive in what they later learn is Narnia, there is something missing. On their earlier journey, when the four children came out from the wardrobe into Narnia, there was a mysterious sense of enchantment. Yes, Narnia was under the control of the White Witch. And yes, she had made it always winter and never Christmas. But somehow despite this, there was an immediate sense of wonder and awe evoked by the snowy woods and the mysterious lamp-post, and by something else as well, something which was simply part of the land itself.

Now after the four children are whisked off the train platform, the thick, overgrown woods they find themselves in hold no enchantment—they are just woods.

Because there is no special feeling to the place, Lucy has to ask Peter, “Do you think we can possibly have got back to Narnia?” His answer speaks loudly about the magical quality which has been lost or repressed. Peter responds, “It might be anywhere,” a comment which could never have been said about the Narnia of the first book.

This ordinariness, this lack of enchantment, is appropriate. King Miraz, the tyrant who holds power over Narnia, is not a magical creature like the White Witch was. Instead, he is just a two-bit dictator, the descendent of lowlife pirates, and not particularly bright or imaginative, the type of self-seeking autocrat found in minor institutions and backwater organizations of every world.

Like his kind everywhere, after he usurps the crown through cowardly, underhanded means, he does away with his opposition by way of hunting accidents, trumped-up charges, and hopeless quests. He will pretend to be fond of his nephew only until he has an heir of his own. Unlike the Witch, who is killed by Aslan in a dramatic battle scene, Miraz will meet his end, very appropriately, by the hand of one of his own henchmen after tripping on a “tussock.”

Read the rest at CBN.com

The Christian Studies Center at UK has two audio interviews with Devin Brown, author of INSIDE PRINCE CASPIAN up online.

Devin Brown Interview – Part 1

Devin Brown Interview – Part 2

In this interview, Dr. Devin Brown, Professor of English at Asbury College and author of Inside Prince Caspian, discusses various issues related to the forthcoming release of the film adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ Prince Caspian. In this episode, Devin discusses the shift between The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian, biblical parallels in Prince Caspian, whether or not Prince Caspian should be considered an allegory, and Michael Ward’s Planet Narnia. Enjoy, and look for our next podcast on Prince Caspian to arrive shortly here, or subscribe to our podcast in your iTunes music store by searching for Footnotes or Prince Caspian!

Thanks to Philip Tallon for e-mailing this story to us!

Welcome to Tumnus’s Book Shelf where we review any and all books related to Narnia and CS Lewis! For this weeks review, we will be looking at Devin Brown’s Inside Prince Caspian

Book Title: Inside Prince Caspian
Author: Devin Brown
Publisher: Baker Books (January 1, 2008)

ISBN-13:978-0801068027

Summary of the book:

The Inside Narnia series continues with Inside Prince Caspian. In a careful, chapter by chapter analysis of the second book in the Narnian Chronicles, Devin Brown looks at the literary, mythical, moral and spiritual aspects of the Pevensie’s return to Narnia. From growth of the characters, to the ways the land of Narnia had changed since the four children were last in Narnia, to the absence of the magic in the land, readers learn how they themselves may grow in an ever changing world and bring back some of the real “magic” of the secondary world of Narnia into their world as well.

Review:

With 2008 being the year for the theatrical release of Prince Caspian, it is safe to say we will see a slew of Narnia related books hitting the shelves between now and the end of the year. Some will be reprints, others will be new. Devin Brown’s Inside Prince Caspian is the first of the new Narnia related books to come out, and continues the commentary series that was started during the release of the first film.

Following the formula set before him in Inside Narnia, Devin Brown reminds readers again what his focus is with the Inside Narnia series. He is looking at Prince Caspian from a literary standpoint ,which the book deserves. Unlike Lion , The Witch, and the Wardrobe, little has been written about the other six books, and if it has, it’s only been done in a few short paragraphs or chapters. Brown had rightfully decided to let each book have it’s due.

Because of the chance that many fans may be familiar with the film of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, rather than any of the books, he begins by briefly looking at the movie and looks at the ways it enhances Lewis’s book and the ways that the film falls short. It is not his intent to either praise or bury the movie but to look at the films original source material. Without the books, there would be no movies, and it is in the books that there is great wealth to find. As with the first Inside Narnia book, there are spoilers for the rest of the series. If some one is reading any of Brown’s books, it is best if they have read all seven Narnia books, and not just watched the film.

His use of key CS Lewis scholars continues to enhance Brown’s own understanding of the text and furthers his points. The parallels with The Lord of the Rings continue to show how the worlds of Narnia and Middle Earth compliment one another and enrich the reader’s understanding not just of Narnia but of the friendship between Lewis and Tolkien. Brown even makes reference to the Star Wars films as they are one of the quintessential American mythologies and can help readers better understand such things as in media res ( telling a story in the middle of it and going back later to the beginning) or what it is a mentor does( Dr. Cornelius’s role with Caspian in Prince Caspian being similar to that of Obi-Wan’s role with Luke Skywalker in Star Wars).

As most people assume that each book is a strict allegory, it may lead them to asking what Bible story Prince Caspian is based on. Instead of just making strict allegorical parallels to aspects of Prince Caspian, Brown shows that there are aspects of Christ’s resurrection and appearance to his disciples, David and Goliath and even other stories from the Bible that come into play. His argument continues to be that Narnia is not an allegory as much as a “what-if” story that asks how such events would play out in that world.

Beyond the Biblical aspects of the story, Brown looks at the literary parallels between the play Hamlet and Prince Caspian, in particular in the character of Caspian’s uncle Miraz, and Hamlet’s uncle Claudius. The idea of a brother betraying and killing his brother for his kingdom is one that is so ingrained into our collective subconscious that we may miss it. Coincidentally the other Disney movie about a lion also used this motif.

As Narnia is often called “Children’s literature” Brown looks at what sets Narnia apart from such books as “Nancy Drew”, “Hardy Boys” and even “Harry Potter”. The kids in Narnia can do nothing special. They have no magic powers. All their adventures happen during the holidays and not during school. They have to continue on with their ordinary studies and things they always do. While they journey to another land, which is perceived as a dream, they still act and behave like normal children. Every skill they have is one they already have, or learned either at school or durring their first visit. Brown argues that this makes the Narnian Chronicles a better children’s book than others as they have a stronger element of realism.

Brown never shies away from addressing the problems people have with Narnia. From the use of ancient myths to the charges of sexism or racism, each argument against the books is addressed. His best argument against Lewis and the books being sexist or racist is that none of his heroes make such slurs about the opposing gender or another race. That is reserved for the villains. If heroes say something hurtful they apologize as it shows they are only human and makes them imperfect, flawed, and much more compelling figures.As for the myths they are literature and help serve as symbols.

Even the aspect of Susan’s fate at the end of the series is examined. Brown shows that while Lewis may not have planned all seven books initially, the seeds of Susan’s fate were well in place. If you look closely you can see it in her character. It wasn’t sudden or abrupt, it was there all along.

To make the book even easier for non-literature majors each chapter is divided into subsections to allow for easier comprehension. In text citations, which he used in the first book, are not used. In their place are small notations that point to references in his annotated bibliography in back. As the vast majority of American’s don’t major in literature, this makes Inside Prince Caspian less intimidating and more user friendly. To help grasp the concepts further, each chapter also ends with discussion questions to be used for book clubs, and devotional purposes. The questions are mainly designed for reflective purposes as readers read the book to allow them to better ponder what the stories mean.

As we get ready to return to Narnia this summer, Inside Prince Caspian is a wonderful companion into the second adventure that can only continue to further our enjoyment of this wondrous land. These books will truly let readers go “further up and farther in” as they journey Inside Narnia. One can hardly wait for the next installments.

Five out of five shields.

Welcome to Tumnus’s Book Shelf where we review any and all books related to Narnia and CS Lewis! For this weeks review, we will be looking at Devin Brown’s Inside Narnia

Book Title: Inside Narnia
Author: Devin Brown
Publisher: Baker Books (September 1, 2005)

ISBN-13: 978-0801065996

Summary of the book:

From the dedication page to the last sentence of CS Lewis’s classic The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, the adventures of Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie have enchanted people for generations. In the first book in the Inside Narnia series, Devin Brown examines in a careful, chapter by chapter commentary Lewis’s beloved work. From the biographical, to the religious, to the mythical, and the fantastical elements Inside Narnia allows the reader to love Narnia more. Readers come away with the same feeling for things in the natural world that they gained in reading Lewis’s Narnian Chronicles. They don’t despise the stories because those aspects are in there, they appreciate them more because of them.

Review:

By this point, there are countless books that examine Lewis’s Narnian Chronicles. Because of the imagery in the series, the vast majority of books look at the allegorical and biblical aspects of the series. However after a time, that can become redundant. There are not many ways of saying, “ Aslan=Jesus” before it becomes a cliché.

In the introduction to his book, Devin Brown admits this, and ponders why write another one. His reasons are simple. To say something that hasn’t been said and say it in away that hasn’t been used. Mr. Brown attempts to look at the series not strictly from the devotional and allegorical stand point, but from the literary and mythical stand point.

While many books may do this, they cover each of the Chronicles in seven short chapters. In doing so the depth of Narnia ends up getting left out. Brown seeks to avoid this by devoting one book in the Inside Narnia series to one corresponding title. Instead of one brief paragraph on everything, Brown looks at the whole book chapter by chapter.

Think of Inside Narnia as an audio commentary with a movie on a DVD. Much like with a commentary on a film, it is best to read Lewis’s book first before reading the commentary. Brown expects that the readers have not only read all of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but the other seven Narnian Chronicles. He gives spoilers for everything from the end of the book to the end of the series. If you don’t know what happens in all seven books before going into it, he makes no apologies.

This book is not like a SparkNotes or CliffNotes version of Narnia where you don’t even have to read the real book in order to understand. It’s purpose is to take what you know, or think you know and enhance it. Readers discover that Narnia is not just a fine “allegory” but a “fine fantasy” , a “work of literature” and “ a mythology.”

His scholarship is insightful and goes past the biographies of Lewis. Such prominent Lewis scholars as Paul F. Ford, Walter Hooper, Clyde Kilby, and others lend more then their weight to his arguments. He even refers to Joseph Campbell, notable scholar of mythology and mentor of George Lucas, to show how well Narnia fits as a mythical heroes journey. As JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis were great friends and influenced each other profoundly, Brown also looks at the parallels between Narnia and Lord of the Rings.

Unlike most devotional works which will look glowingly at Narnia. Because of this they will ignore the opposing views of the series, such as charges of sexism or racism. Brown’s work doesn’t do that. He not only allows these views their voice, but with his careful scholarship,he eloquently argues why they are invalid by carefully looking at the text, the scholarly sources and Lewis himself.

Particular surprising to most readers in this book will be the assertion that Aslan is not Jesus and that Lewis did not write the books with an evangelical bend in mind. Most quick readings will leave people saying this, and such things have been inflated more due to the comments such people as Phillip Pullman and JK Rowling. However, Brown shares that Aslan is “Christ-Like” and not “Jesus.” This allows Aslan to take his place along such “Christ-Like” figures as Gandalf the Grey in Lord of the Rings, John Coffey in Stephen King’s The Green Mile, Neo in The Matrix, ET, and Superman and not beside Jim Caviezel in Passion of the Christ.

Most readers may worry that this book is like a boring college literature class they slept through Freshman year. Non-literature majors won’t have to worry about this. While intelligent and insightful enough for an English Major, the book is simple, straight forward and cleverly written enough for everyone.

For long time fans of the series looking to enhance their future journeys to Narnia, this is one travel companion that’s indispensable. For new fans this will be an eye opening experience into a world they have only just discovered. From the wardrobe in the spare room, to the halls of Cair Paravel, readers will have a greater understanding of all the other aspects that we’ve missed Inside Narnia.

Five out of Five Shields

Hello NarniaFans! Welcome to the second and final part of “Inside Narnia with Devin Brown” a NarniaFans exclusive interview series with the author of the Narnia commentary “Inside Narnia” and soon to be published “Inside Prince Caspian.”

I especially want to thank Devin Brown for his time and willingness to do this interview.

This week we talk with Devin Brown about his books.

CR: What is your purpose in writing these books?

DB: Everyone enjoys sharing their favorite author with other people. I hope my observations will give a greater understanding and a greater delight to these books which have had such a big role in my formation. I also have another goal. You might call my second goal a greater appreciation for the life of the mind—the ongoing pursuit of ideas and thinking.

CR: For what audience is Inside Prince Caspian intended?

DB: Both Inside Narnia and Inside Prince Caspian are for a general audience of somewhat older readers who would like to learn more about Narnia. Book discussion leaders, youth ministers, Sunday School teachers, anyone who is writing a paper, and others who will be talking about Narnia might also find my books useful.

CR: If your readers could take one thing away from reading Inside Prince Caspian, what would you want it to be?

DB: In Prince Caspian, Lewis presents two truths we need to be reminded of again and again. The first truth is that the life lived only for self is an empty life—think of the White Witch in the first book and Miraz in the second. This life leads only to unhappiness, isolation, and ultimately destruction. This message is the opposite of the one that often gets passed on to young people today. The second truth we see in Prince Caspian is that the virtuous life—despite what today’s media sometime suggest—is really quite an exciting life, really quite an adventure. The word virtuous has fallen out of fashion, and we need Lewis to remind us of the real worth of a life of virtue.

CR: When is your book to be published?

DB: Inside Prince Caspian comes out in January 2008. This way it will be in stores a few months before the film comes out so readers can learn more about the story before they see the film. My third Narnia book, Inside The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, is scheduled for release in January 2010 in advance of the third Narnia movie.

CR: Do you plan to continue to write books on every Chronicles of Narnia book?

DB: I plan to keep writing as long as I feel I have something to say. I have started working on Inside The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and so far it’s going well.

I wouldn’t mind if after Dawn Treader, the movie folks took three or four years off before making The Silver Chair. I have a novel for young people titled Not Exactly Normal, and I would love a short break from Narnia to write the sequel.

CR: In your book you often talk about the subtle symbolisms Lewis uses. Because of this, how important do you think it is for the filmmakers to stay close to the book?

DB: While Peter Jackson had to shrink Tolkien’s huge trilogy down to movie length, director Andrew Adamson had a modest-sized book that allowed him to expand and extend some elements, and in this way, add to the story. For example, while Lewis has his narrator simply tell us that this story is about something that happened when four children “were sent away from London during the war because of the air-raids,” the movie actually shows us the bombing and the sense of powerlessness it created.

Other additions, when they stray not only from the original plot but also from Lewis’s original intentions, detract from the story. For example, in the first film, the Witch’s dwarf should not have eaten the last piece of Turkish Delight, for he knew it was only illusion and more importantly that it would lead only to further craving. The forces of evil—the White Witch and her minions in the first adventure and King Miraz and his courtiers in the second—know that the view of reality that they are imposing on everyone is really a lie.

CR: Do you have anything else you would like to say?

The Narnia films, as terrific as they are, should be just the beginning. I hope everyone who sees the movies will be inspired to read or reread the books. To those who finish all seven Chronicles, I would recommend moving on Lewis’s other works, perhaps Out of the Silent Planet, The Screwtape Letters, or Mere Christianity.

Finally, I would encourage Narnia fans to look into taking a class on Lewis, attending a Lewis conference, or even joining me or Chris Mitchell for a seminar at the Kilns this summer. Making new friends you can share these stories with makes the stories all the better.

The trailer for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is out, stirring up all sorts of reactions from Narnia fans awaiting the movie’s release on May 16.

With the filming now finished, director Andrew Adamson—who also helmed The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe two years ago—must now turn to the editing process, deciding what to keep and what to leave on the cutting room floor. I realize I’m a couple weeks late for a Christmas wish list, but nonetheless, here are a few things I hope Adamson will address as he puts the finishing touches on Prince Caspian, the movie.

Read the rest at Christianity Today

Hello NarniaFans! Welcome to the first part of “Inside Narnia with Devin Brown” a NarniaFans exclusive interview series with the author of the Narnia commentary “Inside Narnia” and soon to be published “Inside Prince Caspian.”

I especially want to thank Devin Brown for his time and willingness to do this interview.

This week we talk with Devin Brown about his background with the Chronicles of Narnia and C.S. Lewis.

CR: When did you first read the Chronicles of Narnia?

DB: The college class I teach on Lewis gives me a window to witness how people discover the Narnia books at different times in life. Some of my students read them for the first time as nineteen or twenty-year-olds while others have known them since childhood. It is interesting to hear from the latter group how the books have grown and changed as they themselves have grown and developed.

In my own first encounter, I fall somewhere in between. I first heard of C. S. Lewis when I was 15. My older brother, in the way of older brothers everywhere I suppose, came home from college, tossed a book on my bed, and said I should read it. That book was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

CR: What interested you in the books?

DB: In one of his essays, Lewis asks us to suppose what it would be like for our everyday world to be “invaded by the marvelous.” That is what opening The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe for the first time was like for me, and like most people raised in the modern world, I was hungry for the marvelous.

One of my favorite Lewis quotes states that reading about enchanted woods does not make us despise real woods, but instead should make “all real woods a little enchanted.” Gradually over time, the enchantment has been drained from our world. One of the things Lewis does through these stories is to put it back.

CR: How have the Chronicles of Narnia impacted you personally?

DB: Besides their ability to re-enchant our world, the Chronicles of Narnia also have a powerful capacity to inspire, a capacity few works can match. I suppose everyone has times of feeling isolated, insignificant, and ineffective. These stories remind us we are not alone and that together we can make a difference.

The Chronicles of Narnia and my study of Lewis have also connected me—to people, ideas, and places I would never have known otherwise. This sense of connectedness is a feeling that people who have read and reread the Chronicles will share.

CR: What is your background in C.S. Lewis (i.e. teaching etc.)?

DB: I teach an upper division class on Lewis’s fiction in the English department at Asbury College. Besides the Chronicles, the course also covers the Space Trilogy, The Screwtape Letters, and The Great Divorce. Asbury also offers a separate philosophy class focusing on Lewis’s apologetic writings such as Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain. So students at my school who want to can really come away with a great background in Lewis.

Before the release of the first film, I was part of a wonderful event put on at Asbury called Narnia Night. It was a unique setting for teaching that extended beyond the classroom. The auditorium was packed, and there was a real excitement. We are planning a similar event to celebrate Prince Caspian. Information about Narnia Night can be found at www.asbury.edu/cslewis.

For the past two summers, I have been one of the speakers at Ichthus Music Festival, and this is yet another setting for teaching. Each year I have been reminded of the broad appeal that Narnia has and the depth of interest it generates. Each year, we have had a huge tent filled to capacity. After both sessions we finally had to cut off the question and answer time, not because people were out of questions, but because the next group needed the tent.

This summer I will teach a week-long seminar on C. S. Lewis and the Chronicles of Narnia at the Kilns, the house Lewis lived in near Oxford. Participants will get to eat, sleep, and take classes in Lewis’s home, making this the opportunity of a lifetime. Teaching sessions will be held in Lewis’s library and, on nice days, out in his garden. This summer seminar is a regular event offered by The C. S. Lewis Foundation. Those interested can find out more at their website: www.cslewis.org. This summer those who attend will have the option of receiving college credit through Asbury.

CR: How long have you been writing and teaching about C.S. Lewis?

DB: The first Lewis essay I wrote, “Pilgrimage to Oxford,” told my reflections on finally visiting places I had only dreamed about: Lewis’s college and his home, church, and gravesite. It was accepted for publication in the spring 1996 issue of The Lamp-Post, the journal of the Southern California C. S. Lewis Society. It was a very modest essay, but this was a huge deal for me because for the first time I realized that writing about Lewis was something that I might do.

For the past 10 years I have taught a class on Lewis at Asbury. My department originally offered it as a special topics class, but the course was so popular it quickly became a regular offering.

My first big presentation was in December 2000 at a conference in London called The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe—Fifty Years Later. I was one of three Americans who spoke, and it was my earliest exposure to the odd love-hate relationship that quite a few Brits have with the Chronicles. On one hand, they cherish these works as beloved classics from childhood. At the same time, as adults many have become resentful of what they—in my opinion, mistakenly—view as religious indoctrination.

CR: What inspired you to write Inside Narnia and Inside Prince Caspian?

DB: While the Narnia books can be read and enjoyed by everyone, I believe there is a further enjoyment in not just reading but studying them.

When I was a graduate student in English, I came across Master of Middle-Earth by Paul H. Kocher. Unlike the other books of literary criticism I was reading, the observations I found were full of a special wisdom and insight that changed the way I thought about scholarship. I have hopes that, every now and then, I might offer the kind of commentary about Lewis’s fiction that Kocher offered about Tolkien’s.

Next week NarniaFans talks with Devin Brown about his new book “Inside Prince Caspian.”

Both ardent C.S. Lewis fans and newcomers to the Narnia movie series are excited about the second installment, “Prince Caspian,” hitting theatres in May 2008. The first movie, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” grossed over $740 million worldwide, and Devin Brown, nationally recognized expert on C.S. Lewis and author of Inside Narnia, one of the most popular books about Lewis’ Chronicles, offers a sneak peak into the newest story in the series with Inside Prince Caspian.

Brown’s literary approach and references to the “very best” of other Lewis scholars provide a unique background to both the original Narnia books and the coming movie release. Brown discusses literature that influenced Lewis, including works by Shakespeare and Tolkien, as well as correlations between the story and his life.

Already at work on the next volume in the series, Brown is spending the time to cover each of the seven Chronicles of Narnia with an entire book, rather than just a single chapter – as is typically the case in other books about the Chronicles.

Brown’s book by book approach to the series also provides some of the most detailed insights available. In Inside Prince Caspian, Brown takes the original book chapter by chapter, providing commentary and unfolding Lewis’s intentions throughout the story, with corresponding chapter names and numbers. Each chapter ends with discussion questions which can be used by reading groups, as topics for papers, or for further reflection. A bibliography is provided at the end.

Inside Prince Caspian comes out in advance of the second film adaptation by Walden Media and Disney. As the film generates renewed interest in Narnia, Inside Prince Caspian will be useful for groups and individuals who want to learn more about Lewis’s original work.

Brown notes, “Most of the material in both my Narnia books comes out of the college class I teach on Lewis. My students deserve credit for raising many of the issues I have written about. Their questions and genuine interest helped inspire me to write my first book on Narnia. Its success reminded me of the special place that the Chronicles hold in many people’s lives.

Inside Narnia, currently in its sixth printing, was “highly recommended” by Library Journal and was praised as “well-written and readable” by BookPage. Inside Prince Caspian continues in the same clearly written and easy-to-understand style.

Keep an eye out for an interview with Devin Brown, coming up next.