Debra Martin

Two years after the release of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” the first film based on C.S. Lewis’ fantasy novel series “The Chronicles of Narnia,” local fans are preparing for another trip into that magical realm.

The film adaptation of Mr. Lewis’ second published Narnian book, “Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia,” opens in theaters Friday. Members of the local C.S. Lewis Society will host an open forum at Rock Point Books on May 23 to discuss the book’s themes and the success of its big-screen adaptation.

Like much of Mr. Lewis’ works, “Prince Caspian” is multilayered, a characteristic that makes it fertile ground for discussion, said the Rev. David Beckmann, who moderates the society’s monthly meetings.

“You can discuss these things at different levels,” Mr. Beckmann said. “The discussion can be based on a literary level because it’s a good story or you think it’s a good movie; but because of the nature of the stories themselves and why Lewis wrote them, you can’t avoid discussing the religious themes as well.”

Originally published in 1951, “Prince Caspian” is the second novel in the seven-book series, but if read as Mr. Lewis originally intended — following Narnian chronology — it would be fourth, according to Elizabeth Kennedy, who writes guides to children’s books on about.com.

In the “Chronicles,” “Prince Caspian” is notable for fleshing out central characters such as Aslan as well as introducing recurring roles like the titular prince and the noble mouse Reepicheep, a fan favorite, Mr. Beckmann said.

The story follows the Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, as they return to Narnia after leaving for the real world at the conclusion of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” Because of a time difference, however, more than 1,000 years have passed in Narnia during their absence.

All this time swapping was delightfully challenging to try to wrap a young mind around, said Debra Martin, a member of the society who said she’s read Mr. Lewis’ series more than a dozen times during her life.

“I’ve never seen (Mr. Lewis) be repetitive, tired or old in the books,” she said. “The books cover different concepts, which really challenged me as a child.

“It’s the first set of books I read that I enjoyed that also made me think.”

The C.S. Lewis Society hosted a similar discussion after the first film released in December 2005, less than a year after it was founded.

Although there were inevitable discrepancies between the first film and its source material, Ms. Martin said she was mostly satisfied with the adaptation and is looking forward to Friday’s release.

“From the promotions that have come out, it looks like there is going to be a lot more emphasis on the action with the battles, which since it’s a movie, I don’t think is out of line,” she said. “The cast is older than the children are supposed to be in the book, which will change the interactions a little bit. It’ll be interesting to see what the children look like grown up a little bit.”

The society’s meetings at Rock Point typically draw a few dozen participants, but for the discussion of the sequel to an Oscar-winning film that grossed more than $700 million, the room may be more crowded, Mr. Beckmann said.

Mr. Lewis’ fantasy series may be his most-recognized novels, but his body of work also included seminal theological works. The society’s meetings touch on all his writings, which are more accessible than people might expect, said Dr. Bryan Hampton, an assistant professor of English at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga who has lectured on Mr. Lewis’ work in the past.

“Lewis is famous for a quote where he said ‘The longest way ’round is the shortest way home,’ and for Lewis, that longest way included a lot of imagination,” Dr. Hampton said. “Whether he’s writing about popular theology and trying to explain the doctrines of the Trinity or the thorny work of spirituality in everyday devotion, he always seems to be connecting it to an imaginative story or an everyday experience to illuminate what are fairly profound realities.”

For readers, Mr. Lewis can be as deep as they want him to be. Children who skim the surface of his work will enjoy a rousing tale of good versus evil, but older readers can dig deeper for more complexity, Ms. Martin said.

“Lewis doesn’t spoonfeed you happy little children’s story lessons,” she said. “I’ve used (‘The Chronicles’) at different times of my life for enjoyment or lots of different things.”

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