The Last Battle (The Chronicles of Narnia, #7) (Narnia)

by C. S. Lewis

Pauline Baynes (Illustrator)

When evil comes to Narnia, Jill and Eustace help fight the great last battle and Aslan leads his people to a glorious new paradise.

• ISBN10: 0613983432
• ISBN13: 9780613983433
• Publish Date: 1 July 1994 (first published 1 January 1956)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 25 October 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Turtleback Books
• Edition: Bound for Schools & Libraries ed.
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Pages: 228
• Language: English

Reviews

[thepunktheory]

Well, well, I finally finished the last book. To be honest, the entire series didn't impress me too much and I'm really glad I'm done now.
This part started off rather interesting but as the story continued it got weirder all the time.
First of all, I had the feeling that C. S. Lewis only threw in the books The Magician's Nephew and The Horse and his Boy to justify some of the stuff in this novel. It didn't really feel connected, like one big story, but simple a little not so that a few parts in this book make sense.
Apart from that, I was very annoyed by the last third. As I mentioned, it all gets pretty weird and at some point does not even really try to explain stuff or make sense.
However, what was the worst of all is the ending. It felt rather cheap and like the easy way out. I don't want to add any spoilers but I only thought "Are you kidding me".

So summing up I have to say that The Last Battle is rather weird book that doesn't make much sense. I wasn't too fond of it and am generally happy that I'm finally done with the series.

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

It begins with a lie. A lie can be a powerful tool, and like a good piece of gossip if spread around enough fiction can warp into fact. That is what a coniving Baboon and a simpleton Ass have done. Someone is impersionating Obama er... Aslan -- and getting away with it! So the last King of Narnia, Tirian and a reunion of the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve go about saving Narnia a land not only they but all readers of these chronicles have taken into their hearts.


Well, not all of the Daughters of Eve return, Susan is conspicuously absent with the explanation given by past companions:

Peter says that she is "no longer a friend of Narnia"
Jill Pole -- "she's interested in nothing now-a-days except nylons and lipstick and invitations."
Eustace Scrubb -- "What wonderful memories you have! Fancy you still thinking about all those funny games we used to play when we were children,"
Polly Plummer -- "She wasted all her school time wanting to be the age she is now, and she'll waste all the rest of her life trying to stay that age. Her whole idea is to race on to the silliest time of one's life as quick as she can and then stop there as long as she can."

Is this suppose to signify anything? That girls are vain and conceited creatures, but then we have valiant and kind Lucy so it can be perceived as unclear what role they play. Personally, out of all the characters and mysteries of Narnia I think Susan is one of the greatest of them all, as all the other Kings and Queens of Narnia have a completed story.

The Last Battle, while it gives closure to a magical world with a solid ending was very bittersweet as I would have loved for it to go on and on and to step through the Wardrobe myself. One could wish this all they like but eventually Turkish Delight must come to an end. C.S. Lewis has done this and more throughout all his chronicles with a tear-dropping, spectacular ending.

[clq]

It is impossible for me to be objective about this book. Obviously the end of the Narnia-series, and the conclusion to seven books of fantastic story-telling. I had goosebumps while reading about half of it, and I'm not even sure why. I don't care one bit that it might have been a little cheesy, cliched at times, and preachy. It was a moving, worthy and brilliant end to a great series. Not that it needs saying, but it's hard not to imagine that the Chronicles of Narnia will still be read and enjoyed for hundreds of years to come.