Customer Reviews
Narnia is always worth visiting! 
2008-07-22
I'm always torn on what rating to give the Narnia books. I think if you take the series as a whole, it is - in a way - better than the individual books.
I did enjoy "The Last Battle" quite a lot! And, unfortunately, took longer to read it than I would have liked (which probably didn't help the flow of it). But, for the most part the good and the critiques are the same as always.
The world of Narnia is beautiful! Aslan is always magnificent! What we learn of the characters is enjoyable, and often fun, and I end up feeling like they have become friends. The premises are always intriguing and filled with "right and wrong." But, because all of this is so good, I'm left wanting more; more character development, more on the world, and the plot delved into further.
The ending went on - just a tad - long, for the individual book, however if you consider it the ending for the entire series, I think it's probably pretty accurate.
If you have liked the other books in the series, then I'm sure you'll want to eventually read this one! It is quite an interesting concept/plot, and the story makes some interesting points.
And, of course, the world of Narnia is always worth visiting!
I Didn't Want It To End 
2008-07-06
In this last book in the Narnia Chronicles, even from the beginning, I felt this book was the end. And I really wished C.S. Lewis would have written more tales about Narnia.
This book brought forth many emotions. I was angry that the monkey was making the lion suit. I was happy to see Jill be so brave and smart. I was sad to see the wood nymphs die, being chopped down. I wanted to cry when I read about who died. I felt a connection with all of the characters in some kind of way.
But at the same time, I learned so many lessons. Even today, the themes in this book ring true. How some try to decieve in the name of God. How fear can grab hold of us and make us do things we don't want to do. Also, how beliefs can change from when were children to when we become adults.
I think this book was wonderful along with the entire series. It was so well worth my time to sit down and read about Aslan, and who he clearly represents in my own life, and the many characters that feared him, respected, and loved him.
Thanks.
The Last Battle- C.S Lewis 2008-06-06
The Last Battle by C.S Lewis was a thrilling and adventurous novel that kept readers on the tips of their toes. From characters to battle scenes and biblical in-put, The Last Battle was one of C.S Lewis's finest works. There was never a dull moment or chapter and it left the reader longing for more Narnian adventures.
C.S Lewis wrote The Last Battle novel to represent in his own way the ending times, mentioned in the book of Revelation in the Bible. He wrote the book in such a way that not only children were able to enjoy it but adults as well. That is what makes C.S Lewis such an amazing author; he can capture readers of all ages. After reading the novel I felt myself thinking about it long after I had put down the book. The things that happened and the characters themselves became so real to me. While reading the novel I found myself never wanting to stop reading. I always had to go on to the next chapter to see what kind of adventure or what new creature or Narnia was going to occur.
At the end of the story, the children along with the other main characters, King Tirian, Jewel, Donkey, etc, entered into the gates upon a high hill and were greeted by old Narnian friends. It was a very good closure to the novel because you weren't left wondering what happened to the other characters you had fallen in love with in previous books. The one thing that did bother me somewhat was the fact that Susan, who use to be a friend of Narnia, wasn't one anymore. It made me sad because she had been a very important and loveable character. Despite that one thing, the novel was absolutely brilliant.
With a whimper. Oh, I'm sorry; that was from me. 
2008-04-20
The other books were so gentle. An adventure in Narnia is like an adventure in one's backyard - kids just like us (or just like we once were) discover in their coat closet or attic or schoolyard a wonderful fantasyland next door. They explore it under the guardianship of kindly fantastic creatures and, though there is real and potent evil, the battles are no more violent than a good dodgeball game. Lewis's habit as narrator of stopping and starting the story to explain unfamiliar concepts to his young readers or share memories from his own boyhood like a devoted grandparent only enhances the stories' warm intimacy and fairy-tale feel.
Nothing of this Narnia exists in The Last Battle. We are here to see things die. Valiant kings and unicorns. Entire families, both parents and children. Horses by the herd. *Dogs* - lots of them. (The animal deaths are milked for maximum effect; the dogs are heartbreakingly happy and slobbering, "as doggy as they can be", in their willingness to go to their deaths at Calormene spears, and the horses are filled with arrows by jeering crowds after a dramatic Helm's Deep-ish arrival.) I don't exactly recall how I reacted when I first read The Last Battle at ten years old, but I do remember that I wasn't that impressed with the overall proceedings. Revisiting them at twenty-nine, however, they're a knife in the heart. Every genesis means an eventual apocalypse, I suppose, but the book revels in nasty business in a manner quite contrary to the Christianity of the previous volumes. They painted its God and his son as a terrible force, yes, but also a loving and accessable one ("'Course he isn't safe. But he's good") and trusted that children would be moved to goodness through the wonder of creation and the genuine consequences of evil behavior rather than through fear and gratuitous pathos and death. The Last Battle compares poorly with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, which featured true danger and death but did not compromise.
Strange for me, then, to see others charge the book with being too "syrupy-sweet" and happy. "Happy"? This book made you *happy*? Well, yes, I suppose the denouement, with everyone - EVERYONE, with one infamous omission - reunited in a Narnian heaven is overwhelmingly happy in a two-dimensional sense; it reminds me of the artwork in Awake! where, as humorist Lore Sjoberg put it, "kids get to play with baby pandas for all eternity". There's no resonance, though, as everything, and everyone, is so two-dimensional. The Pevensies react without shock or sadness that their entire family has been killed in a railway accident and seem without regret that their paradise lacks their sister. The denouement does little to dispel the long night before. (The climax of The Silver Chair, with one beloved character rejoining his childhood friends and getting a five-minute romp in the "real" world he's always wanted to see, contains more genuine joy than everything in this ending.)
Even if I look at the book with a proper critical eye, removed and analytical, it's lacking. Narnia's King Tirian and his companion, Jewel the unicorn, are sympathetic, but they are skimpily drawn compared to Caspian or the Cabby or even Rillian. After six books of wonders, the only memorable sights here are those of blood-curdling apocalypse. (The image of Narnia's human stars screaming home, their flaming silver hair streaking behind them, burns bright, but for a depiction of a world comsumed by greed and hatred, I will take the still, ruby-lit ruin of Charn from The Magician's Nephew.) Narnia's downfall is implausibly, artificially swift; an ape slaps an old lion skin on a donkey, and the next day, Calormen's sold Cair Paravel for paving stones. Had Narnia's hold on independence and moral rectitude been this tenuous, it would have fallen long ago; it's implausible for both our heroes and Narnia at large to be so submissive and inert in the face of evil. The story is on rails to its ultimate destination; its only concern is to get everyone to martyrdom as quickly as possible.
The racism. Well, what is there to say that others haven't, really. Click the 2-star reviews and look for the one by Joe W, who will tell you what it was like to read this material being eight years old and black. The text explicitly points out how human Narnians are all "fair" and contains a chanted slur that should not appear in any children's book. Likewise, tons of ink have been expended on the problem of Susan; I'll just note that, while apologists claim it's the supposed single-mindedness of her obsession with "stockings and invitations" instead of its focus that gets her excommunicated, Lewis does reliably identify "feminine" charm and frippery with his "fallen" females (the witches, Lasraleen, Susan). Sit down and have a good talk with your kids before they read this last Chronicle.
As has been noted, no reader would plow through six volumes and skip the grand finale, but I dunno. Everything that Lewis tries here - the end of a once-great world through human frailty; a radiant vision of heaven; a Biblical allegory with a towering Satan figure (who, unlike Tash, isn't drawn directly from Jack Chick) and a terrible yet great son of God - he's accomplished before, far better, elsewhere in the series. I would've been happier leaving Narnia at The Magician's Nephew or The Silver Chair.
The Last Battle 
2008-04-15
This final book in the Chronicles of Narnia series thankfully returns to the early splendour of "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe". After "The Silver Chair", which seemed a little flat compared to other books in the series, "The Final Battle" restores some of the magic that made the first few novels so enjoyable and successful.
Lewis does well in beginning the novel from the point of view of the Narnians, specifically the last King of Narnia, instead of the from the childrens' perspective. We begin to see a particularly brave story develop from who is essentially a Christian author: A false Aslan has begun corrupting Narnia from within, who eventually comes under the thrall of the vicious realm adjacent to Narnia. Considering the powerful although admittedly insipid themes that Lewis is fond of, it seems a brave move to take his allegory so far. As a child the danger must read very real, and as an adult it is interesting to see the mythology of Lewis' realm with his potentially fully drawn.
Cracking characters and a smooth, compelling storyline make this one of the best of the series, as good as "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" and a fantastic, thrilling and emotional end to the book series.
8.5/10
A Nice, Sweet Ending 2008-03-24
When evil comes to Narnia, Jill and Eustace help fight the great last battle and Aslan leads his people to a glorious new paradise.
Further up & Further In 2008-01-21
C.S. Lewis' entire NARNIA book series (concluded in 1954) cannot be judged by the same standards as today's children's books. It was written in a different era, for a different set of children, in a different publishing environment, yet somehow it manages to stand the test of time and speak to readers today. The storytelling style is nearly timeless, the stories simple yet engaging (most of the time), and the layers deep and rewarding (for those who are looking). THE LAST BATTLE is clearly the final installment of the 7-book series and received the Carnegie Medal for its efforts upon publication.
Once again, readers find themselves in Narnia, this time at the edge of a waterfall in the presence of Shift the ape and Puzzle the donkey. When a lion's skin comes over the waterfall, they retrieve it and make plans to make the world a better place by pretending to be Aslan, come back to lead Narnia again. What begins as a simple, selfish plan to better the people leads to an invasion of foreign armies, the enslavement of the Narnian people and animals, and the Last Battle of the Last King of Narnia.
Eustace and Jill, old friends of Narnia and the original Pevensie children, are whisked into Narnia to save King Tirian and the unicorn Jewel from the hands of the Calormene's and the false Aslan. During their adventures, they cross paths with Peter, Edmund, and Lucy (alas no Susan), Lord Digory and Polly who were there at Narnia's creation, Father Time, unicorns, speaking eagles, unruly dwarves, genocidal slave drivers, mystical waterfalls, and magical doorways. The task before them is to restore peace to the land and find the true Aslan, a difficult job in light of all the trickery going on. But they must. Narnia depends on it.
"All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had been only the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on Earth has read."
With risk of ruining the plot for those who've yet to read it, the series ends with a fantastic view of the Kingdom of God as it will continue into eternity: Life as the characters knew it on Earth transitions seamlessly into Narnia and then just as seamlessly into the real Narnia, the more beautiful Narnia waiting for them on the other side of life. It awaits all of Aslan's followers, chock-full of adventure and beauty and amazing landscapes waiting to be explored and "ruled" by his people. Our friends who followed Aslan in their life are already there, living eternally in a far more perfect world, further up and further in to Aslan's presence and joy.
--- Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens
Fighting For Freedom 2007-11-13
'The Last Battle', by C.S. Lewis is the final book in the chronicles of Narnia. In this book, an ape named Shift decides he should be in charge of Narnia. He starts things he isn't able to stop, and amid the confusion, a neighbouring country is trying to take over Narnia.
I thought the best part of 'The Last Battle' was when the last battle actually takes place. It's great because it's King Tirian and his few followers battling against seemingly unbeatable odds. Do they win or lose? You'll have to read the book to find that out, but this sequence is so well written that you can feel what Tirian is feeling while he fights for his freedom.
'The Last Battle' is a spectacular ending to the Chronicles of Narnia. One reason it's so good is because of the message it gives and how it makes you think. This book has lots of cliffhangers, so you always want to know what's going to happen next. Also, this book is written from more than one characters point of view. All these things together make 'The Last Battle' a really great book that deserves to be recommended.
The End or the Beginning 2007-11-12
How do you conclude one of the most vivid and imaginative stories of all time? Very carefully. The adventure comes and goes but the real story starts when Aslan comes to unwind his creation. The end is as great as the beginning; from calling down the stars to each person giving an account for their life.
When all is done, Narnia is revealed as it truly is. And, it is even greater than before.
the last chapter 2007-10-16
The first book in the Narnian Chronicles I ever read (age 11) was the last in the series, 'The Last Battle'. It has always been my favourite.
'The Last Battle' is not just the last story in the series, but is the story of the end of Narnia, as well as the ending (and the beginning) of other things. In it Lewis references dualism (ie Tash), false prophets (Shift the ape)and other apocalyptic themes, and takes a swipe at atheism (the dwarfs who cannot see Aslan).
It is a very satisfying and bittersweet ending to the best ever children's fantasy series.
