I don't know anyone who likes this.
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C.S.Lewis is generally a well-respected and loved wrtier, but The Last Battle is... awful. Admittedly, it has a beautiul, stifrring ending, but before the last 10 pages, you have to put up with weak characterisations, screeds against evolution, Muslims, skeptics, girls who wear makeup, and everything else C.S.Lewis disliked in society of his time.
Yes, the last 10 pages are brilliant, possibly the best depiction of Heaven I've ever seen. But there's a lot of awfulness before then, and the plot depends on all the characters acting like idiots. It's almost a bad parody of religion for the first half.
...I cannot recommend it.
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"Farther Up and Further In!"
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Say what you will about the correct reading order of C. S. Lewis's "The Chronicles of Narnia", one thing is certain - "The Last Battle" needs to be read last. It is not simply because it was written and published last in the series, that it clears up all loose ends in the previous installments and leaves no possible room for any sequels, but because it will change your entire understanding and perception of the last six books. Do what you like with the other books' reading order, but trust me on this one: "The Last Battle" needs to be read *last*.
It has been over two hundred years in Narnia after the events in "The Silver Chair", when Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole saved Prince Rilian from imprisonment and restored him to his father and the throne. Now Rilian's descendant King Tirian enjoys the solitude of his hunting lodge with his best friend, Jewel the unicorn. But there is treachery in Narnia like nothing the country has ever faced before...
A dishonest ape named Shift has found a lion-skin and forced Puzzle the donkey to wear it. Now he lords over the Talking Beasts of the forest by pretending to be the mediator between them and the great Lord Aslan, who remains hidden in a stable and only emerges by the dim light of a campfire at night. Soon the game (which began as a way for Shift to obtain food without any effort) has gotten dangerously out of control. Convinced that Puzzle is the real Aslan, the Talking Animals are scared and confused at his changing attitudes toward them, and the Calormenes of the neighbouring empire have taken advantage of the situation by invading Narnia. Once Tirian is captured by his enemies, he remembers the great stories of the past in which children from another world appear to help Narnia in need, and appeals to the true Aslan for another such occurrence. Right on cue, Eustace and Jill appear to free the King and lend their aid to the free Narnians in fighting for their beloved homeland.
All of the books in "The Chronicles of Narnia" series contain Biblical allusions, but "The Last Battle" is easily the most allegorical considering it is best described as Narnia's Armageddon. To put it simply, this is the end of Narnia (and don't think that's a spoiler, as the very first sentence of this novel is: "In the last days of Narnia...") and as such, we have allegorical representations of the Antichrist, the false prophet, the fate of non-believers, Heaven, the Final Judgement, the Second Coming and the End of the World. It's a pretty hefty topic for a children's novel, and both the story and style of the book is weightier than any previous book in the series, with plenty of death, violence and tragedy. This creates an interesting paradox overall, considering "The Last Battle" is the most spiritual, the most controversial, the most disheartening and ultimately the most upbeat book in the series.
The Calormenes are called "darkies" throughout the story, and are indisputably the villains; what with their part to play in the destruction of Narnia and the worship of their pagan-god Tash, an element of one other books in the series ("The Horse and His Boy") that has raised accusations of racism. Yet Lewis makes what is perhaps an attempt to compensate late in the novel by introducing a young Calormene named Emeth, who is permitted to enter Aslan's country based on his virtue, even though he never believed nor followed Aslan in his lifetime; a thought that may appeal to many, though it does not exactly fit into Christian teachings. As always, the author's dogma is a little muddled, for in all of his books Lewis plays by his own rules, by his own sense of right and wrong - this ranges from previous attacks on vegetarians and co-ed schools to his own opinions on who deserves salvation and who doesn't.
This leads into the second major point of controversy within the book: the fate of Susan Pevensie, the onetime Queen of Narnia. To put it bluntly, she's not here and her siblings dismiss her as someone who is no longer a friend of Narnia. Why? What could have possibly caused her abandonment from Narnia and Aslan? Surely something truly terrible! Well, no actually. Lewis pinpoints the cause as Susan's interest in "nylons and lipstick" and an interest in "grownup things". A beloved major character is excluded from the final installment of the series on the grounds of puberty? What?! Her fate becomes even more tragic when further information is revealed over the new "situation" of her siblings and parents (readers will know what I`m talking about, and what it must mean for poor Susan). I was very young when I first read "The Last Battle", and I recall how upset I was at the treatment of Susan - it stands to reason that other children will feel the same.
Okay, those are my issues and now they're off my chest. On to better things. "The Last Battle" makes fantastic use of Lewis's poetical prose, and the book carries a sense of both bittersweetness and grandeur, particularly in the chapter "Night Falls on Narnia". Though Tirian is somewhat indistinguishable from Caspian and Rilian before him, his friendship with Jewel is immensely touching, as is his relationship with the children who come to his aid. Far from the squabbling duo in "The Silver Chair", Jill and Eustace acquit themselves excellently throughout "The Last Battle", reaching hero-status in their efforts to aid the falling Narnia.
"The Last Battle" is also Lewis at his most philosophical (perhaps it's no coincidence that Professor Kirke mentions Plato), as he explores metaphysics, the boundaries of belief, the relationship between the real and the unreal, the existence of life after death and the nature of God Himself; in some ways "The Last Battle" is more akin to Lewis's apologetic Christian writings, such as "Surprised By Joy" or "Mere Christianity" than any of the other Narnian books, in that Lewis uses it as a basis for many of his spiritual concepts and ideas. As mentioned, "The Last Battle" carries the most obvert Christian messages, particularly in a declaration Lucy makes toward the end of the novel. The stable door, which begins as a convenient holding-pen for the fake Aslan soon takes on new theological meaning, with a surprising symbolic connection to our own world.
Lewis makes excellent use of components introduced in his previous books, calling up the strange creatures and that Jill and Eustace discover in "The Silver Chair", the Narnian concept of stars explored in "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader", the magical transporting rings in "The Magician's Nephew", even the use of the phrase Son of Adam and Daughter of Eve that was used so long ago in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." It all culminates in a wonderful reunion at the conclusion of the book that may just brings tears to your eyes - especially when Lucy rediscovers her first and best Narnian friend.
Make no mistake, this is a fitting end for the trilogy and if the new movie franchise gets this far I'll be first in line for a ticket - but I'm removing a star in honour of Susan.
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A rather exciting beginning for a syrupy ending.
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This is the seventh and last (chronologically) Chronicle of Narnia (after The Magician's Nephew; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; The Horse and His Boy; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; The Silver Chair). This final volume is more or less cut in two parts. In the first one, an Ape called Shift bullies and forces his companion Puzzle the donkey to wear an old lion skin on his back and to pretend he's Aslan the great Lion. Allied with Calormenes, they start slaughtering Talking Beasts and doing other evil deeds. To Tirian, the current King of Narnia, and to his dear friend Jewel the noble Unicorn, this seems like a most unusual behaviour for Aslan, so they set out in search of the truth. They'll call children from our world to their aid: Eustace and Jill. Ensues a battle opposing the King's small party to the Calormenes and the Men and Beasts they've managed to cheat. In the second half of the book, like in a mirror image of the adventures of Digory and Polly in The Magician's Nephew, we witness the unmaking of the World by Aslan (the real one this time). Like in a curtain call, all the characters (but one) from the previous volumes return for the final journey to the forever kingdom of Aslan. Whereas the beginning was rather exciting, I found the ending really too syrupy and allegorical. It was also very shocking to see the absence of Susan explained by "she's interested in nothing nowadays except nylons and lipstick and invitations." With its oldish style, and the fact that the baddies, the Calormenes, have a definite Middle-Eastern profile, I felt that the book was really anchored in the 1950's. I must admit I'm glad to have finally finished the series.
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Bringing the Series to a Close
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King Tirian of Narnia is thrilled to hear the rumors that, after a couple hundred years of silence, Aslan has returned to the country. But when he goes to investigate himself, he discovers that no one is allowed to see the Lion. In fact, an ape is speaking for Him. The new pronouncements are just as puzzling, including the enslavement of the talking animals. What is going on? His few allies include Eustace and Jill from our own world. But can they defeat this new evil? This book is different from others in the series because the story starts in Narnia and then brings the characters from our world into theirs. But the differences don't stop there. This is a stirring conclusion of a great series. The symbolism is strong, and I find this book one of the most interesting of the series from that standpoint. The story is probably one of the fastest in the series, with so much intrigue and fighting going on, it's hard to put down, even on a reread. The ending leaves me with a feeling of euphoria mixed with just a little bit of melancholy because the series is over. While the order the other books in the series are read doesn’t matter as much, this one must be read at the end to fully appreciate it. It's a wonderful ending to a wonderful series. Don't miss it.
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The perfect ending to a perfect series
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Well now, where to start. Well lets start with the fact that I am now 42 and I am reading these books to my own children. I loved all the chronicles of narnia (With the exception of the magicians nephew which I despise) but The last battle is in my mind far and away the best of the series. It has everything that you could want from a book, a perfect plot, loveable and believeable characters and most of all the greatest ending to any book ever. However, when I was 11/12 and I first discovered the chronicles of narnia I despised this book and loved The lion, the witch and the wardrobe instead. Now why is that? I think that it is because this is a book that is wasted on anyone under the age of 18. Lewis does create an exciting plot and characters every bit as good as in his other chronicles, but the ending to this book is just something else, and I feel that an immature reader will not fully appreciate this. You can feel the emotion welling up inside you almost as if you know that the end of the series is nigh and you don't want it to end. However, you are aware that it must. And when Aslan finally destroys Narnia you feel that you are there beside him because lewis's description is just out of this world.
This book is not for the faint of heart as it does have all the usual bloodthirsty battles between the narnians and the Calormenes. However, what this book posesses that the others do not is the absolute passion of the intense novelist that Lewis was. I once read a review in which the reviewer poked fun at the bathos (Anti-climax) of this book and I physically shook with rage, this novel has the greatest ending of any novel that I have ever read and in my opinion is almost too beautiful to be wasted on young children who will not understand them. I feel that nobody can adequately describe just what a phenomenal novel this is, it blows all other tales clean away, and more to the point, this was a series that Lewis intended for children but which does genuinely bridge the age gap to appeal to adults as well.
Let me end by giving you a piece of advice, put away your J.K Rowling, your Jaqueline Wilson or your Brian Jacques and pull down a copy of The lion, the witch and the wardrobe and read the whole narnia series. The entire series is probably shorter than the latest Harry Potter book, but they contain 100 times more action and excitement. In these novels, Lewis has genuine passion for what he is writing about which is so rare in the books of today and so read these books, love these books and then pass them on to the next generation as these are novels which transend time and age anyone at any time can pick up a C.S Lewis novel and admire it as on eof the greatest pieces of fiction ever to leave a printing press.
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