Customer Reviews
I don't know anyone who likes this. - By: Adam Cuerden, 08 Apr 2007 
C.S.Lewis is generally a well-respected & 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, & everything else C.S.Lewis dislikedin 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, & 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.
"Farther Up and Further In!" - By: R. M. Fisher, 12 Jan 2007 
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 & published lastin the series, that it clears up all loose endsin the previous installments & leaves no possible room for any sequels, but because it will change your entire understanding & 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 yearsin Narnia after the eventsin "The Silver Chair", when Eustace Scrubb & Jill Pole saved Prince Rilian from imprisonment & restored him to his father & 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 treacheryin Narnia like nothing the country has ever faced before...
A dishonest ape named Shift has found a lion-skin & 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 & the great Lord Aslan, who remains hiddenin a stable & 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 & confused at his changing attitudes toward them, & 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 pastin which children from another world appear to help Narniain need, & appeals to the true Aslan for another such occurrence. Right on cue, Eustace & Jill appear to free the King & lend their aid to the free Narniansin fighting for their beloved homeland.
All of the booksin "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...") & as such, we have allegorical representations of the Antichrist, the false prophet, the fate of non-believers, Heaven, the Final Judgement, the Second Coming & the End of the World. It's a pretty hefty topic for a children's novel, & both the story & style of the book is weightier than any previous bookin the series, with plenty of death, violence & tragedy. This creates an interesting paradox overall, considering "The Last Battle" is the most spiritual, the most controversial, the most disheartening & ultimately the most upbeat bookin the series.
The Calormenes are called "darkies" throughout the story, & are indisputably the villains; what with their part to playin the destruction of Narnia & the worship of their pagan-god Tash, an element of one other booksin the series ("The Horse & His Boy") that has raised accusations of racism. Yet Lewis makes what is perhaps an attempt to compensate latein 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 Aslanin 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, forin all of his books Lewis plays by his own rules, by his own sense of right & wrong - this ranges from previous attacks on vegetarians & co-ed schools to his own opinions on who deserves salvation & 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 & her siblings dismiss her as someone who is no longer a friend of Narnia. Why? What could have possibly caused her abandonment from Narnia & Aslan? Surely something truly terrible! Well, no actually. Lewis pinpoints the cause as Susan's interestin "nylons & lipstick" & an interestin "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 & parents (readers will know what I`m talking about, & what it must mean for poor Susan). I was very young when I first read "The Last Battle", & 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 & now they're off my chest. On to better things. "The Last Battle" makes fantastic use of Lewis's poetical prose, & the book carries a sense of both bittersweetness & grandeur, particularlyin the chapter "Night Falls on Narnia". Though Tirian is somewhat indistinguishable from Caspian & 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 duoin "The Silver Chair", Jill & Eustace acquit themselves excellently throughout "The Last Battle", reaching hero-statusin 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 & the unreal, the existence of life after death & 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 & ideas. As mentioned, "The Last Battle" carries the most obvert Christian messages, particularlyin 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 introducedin his previous books, calling up the strange creatures & that Jill & Eustace discoverin "The Silver Chair", the Narnian concept of stars exploredin "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader", the magical transporting ringsin "The Magician's Nephew", even the use of the phrase Son of Adam & Daughter of Eve that was used so long agoin "The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe." It all culminatesin a wonderful reunion at the conclusion of the book that may just brings tears to your eyes - especially when Lucy rediscovers her first & best Narnian friend.
Make no mistake, this is a fitting end for the trilogy & if the new movie franchise gets this far I'll be firstin line for a ticket - but I'm removing a starin honour of Susan.
A rather exciting beginning for a syrupy ending. - By: Stephanie Noverraz, 18 Aug 2005 
This is the seventh & last (chronologically) Chronicle of Narnia (after The Magician's Nephew; The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe; The Horse & His Boy; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; The Silver Chair).
This final volume is more or less cutin two parts. In the first one, an Ape called Shift bullies & forces his companion Puzzle the donkey to wear an old lion skin on his back & to pretend he's Aslan the great Lion. Allied with Calormenes, they start slaughtering Talking Beasts & doing other evil deeds.
To Tirian, the current King of Narnia, & to his dear friend Jewel the noble Unicorn, this seems like a most unusual behaviour for Aslan, so they set outin search of the truth. They'll call children from our world to their aid: Eustace & Jill.
Ensues a battle opposing the King's small party to the Calormenes & the Men & Beasts they've managed to cheat.
In the second half of the book, likein a mirror image of the adventures of Digory & Pollyin The Magician's Nephew, we witness the unmaking of the World by Aslan (the real one this time). Likein 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 & allegorical. It was also very shocking to see the absence of Susan explained by "she's interestedin nothing nowadays except nylons & lipstick & invitations." With its oldish style, & the fact that the baddies, the Calormenes, have a definite Middle-Eastern profile, I felt that the book was really anchoredin the 1950's. I must admit I'm glad to have finally finished the series.
Bringing the Series to a Close - By: Mark Baker, 20 Nov 2003 
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 & Jill from our own world. But can they defeat this new evil?
This book is different from othersin the series because the story startsin Narnia & 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, & I find this book one of the most interesting of the series from that standpoint. The story is probably one of the fastestin the series, with so much intrigue & 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 booksin 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.
The perfect ending to a perfect series - By: Harry Hughes, 08 Nov 2003 Well now, where to start. Well lets start with the fact that I am now 42 & 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 isin my mind far & away the best of the series. It has everything that you could want from a book, a perfect plot, loveable & believeable characters & most of all the greatest ending to any book ever. However, when I was 11/12 & I first discovered the chronicles of narnia I despised this book & loved The lion, the witch & 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 & characters every bit as good asin his other chronicles, but the ending to this book is just something else, & 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 & 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 & 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 reviewin which the reviewer poked fun at the bathos (Anti-climax) of this book & I physically shook with rage, this novel has the greatest ending of any novel that I have ever read &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, & 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 & pull down a copy of The lion, the witch & the wardrobe & read the whole narnia series. The entire series is probably shorter than the latest Harry Potter book, but they contain 100 times more action & excitement. In these novels, Lewis has genuine passion for what he is writing about which is so rarein the books of today & so read these books, love these books & then pass them on to the next generation as these are novels which transend time & age anyone at any time can pick up a C.S Lewis novel & admire it as on eof the greatest pieces of fiction ever to leave a printing press.
