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The Last Battle
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The Last Battle
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The Last Battle
Audiobook (abridged)2 hours

The Last Battle

Written by C. S. Lewis

Narrated by Sir Michael Hordern

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

The final instalment in the series of the classic fantasy tales – The Chronicles of Narnia. Read by the unforgettable Sir Michael Hordern.

“To my side, all true Narnians! Would you wait till your new masters have killed you all, one by one?”

It is Narnia’s darkest hour. A false Aslan is commanding all Narnians to work for the cruel Calormenes and striking terror into every heart. King Tirian’s only hope is to call Eustace and Jill back to Narnia in an attempt to find the true Aslan and restore peace to the land. But a mighty battle lies ahead…

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateSep 5, 2005
ISBN9780007222773
Author

C. S. Lewis

Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954, when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and have been transformed into three major motion pictures. Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) fue uno de los intelectuales más importantes del siglo veinte y podría decirse que fue el escritor cristiano más influyente de su tiempo. Fue profesor particular de literatura inglesa y miembro de la junta de gobierno en la Universidad Oxford hasta 1954, cuando fue nombrado profesor de literatura medieval y renacentista en la Universidad Cambridge, cargo que desempeñó hasta que se jubiló. Sus contribuciones a la crítica literaria, literatura infantil, literatura fantástica y teología popular le trajeron fama y aclamación a nivel internacional. C. S. Lewis escribió más de treinta libros, lo cual le permitió alcanzar una enorme audiencia, y sus obras aún atraen a miles de nuevos lectores cada año. Sus más distinguidas y populares obras incluyen Las Crónicas de Narnia, Los Cuatro Amores, Cartas del Diablo a Su Sobrino y Mero Cristianismo.

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Reviews for The Last Battle

Rating: 3.8672566371681416 out of 5 stars
4/5

113 ratings85 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Good children's fantasy. Aslan the lion is supposed by many to be a proxy for Jesus, given Lewis' fame as a defender of Christianity. If so, it wasn't obvious to me, and the series is just as enjoyable for an infidel as it would be to a .....fidel?
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Narnia 7.The end, at last. Fine children's books, but hardly as durable as Lord of the Rings?Read in Samoa Dec 2002
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I had fond memories of the Narnia books from my childhood, and so it seemed only natural to pick the series for bed time reading with my eight year old daughter. And indeed the first six books of the series have generally held up pretty well (with The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair being the strongest entries, or so I felt this time around). This last book, though, left me very disappointed. The Christian symbolism is clumsy and blatant, and it’s a dark, dreary, colonialism-tinged brand of Christianity lacking humor and love. When all was said and done, I couldn’t find a single thing about this book to like.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The Book of Revelation, for children, by C.S. Lewis. I'm a Narnia fan, they are wonderful introductions to the interior life. Even adults will like the series, and if reading them in order, this is the sad ending of the world. But readable.It was written in 1956.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    This book makes me uneasy, quite frankly.

    Look, I'll give Lewis props for a rather unexpected ending to the series. It's bold, mature and the exact opposite (in some ways) of the "everyone lives" philosophy of Russell T Davies or JK Rowling. Completely destabilising Narnia is something that feels visceral to anyone who fell in love with the books as a child. And I did enjoy, somewhat, the comic allegory of the faux Aslan.

    But... pardon the pun, Jesus Christ this is skeevy. For the most part, the series as Christian allegory could be wilfully ignored if you wanted to just enjoy the texture of the books and their creation of a world. Not so much here, quite frankly. Even aside from Lewis' infamous "screw you" to Susan for, you know, being interested in sex and make-up, the book is rather blatant in what it wants to push on to children.

    As I mentioned in my "Silver Chair" review, I'm not inherently against this. After all, it worked for such luminaries as Dante and Evelyn Waugh. But there's a clear difference here, I feel, and - while I can still appreciate the allegory even from my anti-religious bias - this simply doesn't feel like a fitting end to the Narnia series. Instead, it feels like an overly aggressive Sunday School teacher who's tired of just sitting around and telling kind stories. I completely understand Lewis' passion, from his point of view, to try and show the true terror of losing his world to a more secular one. It's just a pity that rather than simply writing essays about the perceived problem, he had to incorporate it so thoroughly into the final book of a much beloved children's series.

    In spite of my beliefs, and the fact that Philip Pullman and his ilk have eradicated our generation's need for Narnia, I still treasure these books from my childhood, and always will. It's just a pity, that's all it is.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It's finally complete. I've done it. What a wonderful little world. I'm so glad I finally read all these books. I love them.

    I love unicorns! I was very excited to finally get to this one. Although there is so much death and destruction, I still do enjoy this little world. Susan is really missing out. 

    Growing up sucks. 
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the last book in the Narnia series and is, undoubtedly, my favourite and most poetic one of the bunch. The action seems more ripe and the characters more true to themselves here and the allusions and poetic language is duly appreciated. This is achieved, all at the same time, while being entertaining.4 stars.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    There are few things as disappointing as discovering that the concluding volume to a truly great series is utterly pedantic, poorly crafted, and astonishingly trite. Lewis barely finds a story to cloak a diatribe in, and his diatribe includes such horrors as the derogatory use of the term "darky" to characterize the evil Calormenes (in case you hadn't already understood the message, and needed to be beaten over the head with it). The quaint emphasis on gender roles in the earlier books becomes thinly veiled sexism in The Last Battle (easily recognized as such by young children). The Last Battle depicts a black-and-white world of evil and heros, and unsubtly makes it clear that the evil ones are the non-Christians, who have literally no redeeming characteristics. The heros are devoid of charm and utterly flat as characters; the minor moments when a character shows sympathy and compassion are tangential to the story and message itself. The prose is stiff, preachy and self-important. All the compassion, charm and subtlety of the earlier books has been drained. Worst of all, this is some strange form of Manichaeism mascarading as Christianity. Lewis' story here is too cartoonish to be tragic: the deep and profound tragedy is that this, in the end, is what the Narnia series comes to.Please, PLEASE, don't read this one to your kids until you've read it yourself.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I gave this a four-star based on the reaction of my children rather than my own feelings, because that's what reading it this time, 30+ years after the first time I read and probably 25+ after the last time I read it was all about. They were excited to recognize characters from our past journeys through Narnia. They were upset by how things were turning out for Narnia and they were relieved by how it wrapped up - although still upset that this was our last visit to that land for the three of us together.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    See review for #2, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe."
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A crafty Ape named Shift finds a lion skin and, using it to cover a donkey named Puzzle, tricks him into masquerading as Aslan and the Talking Beasts of Narnia into following his whims, even going up against King Tirian.I'll be honest here... this book is probably one of the ones that had the most impact on my decision to be an English major. When I was 8-9 years old, I most often named it my favorite book. Okay so the plot is razor thin and choppy, and reading it as an adult I was a little disappointed at times that things didn't quite match my recollection. But as a kid...oh, as a kid I was so proud to have figured out some of the parallels between this book and prophecy in the Bible. Reading "between the lines" was new to me, and the ability to match one thing with another and see Lewis's interpretations of end times and heaven and the rest just fascinated me. I still love the last few chapters and the very last line especially gets me every time.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book started out with adventure right from the beginning. I loved the whole Shift/Rishda/Tashlan thing that went on. It was so frustrating, but not in a bad way...frustrating in the sense that you just wanted to shake the Narnians that were falling for this because you knew what was actually going on. I didn't really King Tirian as much as I liked some of the other Narnian kings. He seemed a little cold and I didn't like how he was always trying to make the children feel like children in the sense that they shouldn't be fighting alongside with the rest of them for the sake of Narnia. However...the ending...blew me away. What amazing imagery! And I love love LOVED how all of the favorite characters of the previous books came back. It made me so sad that I was reaching the end of this wonderful series. I kinda saw the ending coming, as far as the last paragraph or so went, but that, by no means, took away the surprise that I felt actually finding out that I was right. This book, out of all of them, however, felt less like a children's book to me. I mean, I suppose I can see how this is still a children's book, but this book is also incredibly dark and deep...maybe too much so for a child to fully understand what C.S. Lewis was trying to get across. It was a little rough for me to hear about Susan's fate, although there were clues leading up to it throughout all of the books. Once again...this book was brimming with Christian metaphors and allegory. I could type pages and pages about everything that I found in this book. Although it all remained fairly obvious, this book can still be read as a simple story. Overall, I loved it...and I am so glad that this series ended the way that it did.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I officially finished The Chronicles of Narnia! This series is definitely very interesting. On the surface it is a kids series about a place called Narnia, with a bunch of fun adventures. On a deeper level it is completely and utterly about Christian theology. The creation of Narnia, the belief in and ability of Aslan, the good and evil in the land and people, the place beyond Narnia, etc. This is Revelations retold as children's stories. I remember not liking The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe movie when it first came out because of it's obvious religious undertones throughout the whole story, but ~20 years later I am able to look at it and appreciate it for what it is and it didn't bother me as much. I am so glad I finally read this series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book gets a bit too big for its britches, at Lewis finally cavaliers off from adventure children books to religious pandering. Still fun to read, but not as action packed as I'd like it to be.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The best of the C.S. Lewis Narnia series. Ties the entire series together to an exciting conclusion. As a child, this book made me go right back to Lion, Witch and Wardrobe and start reading them all over again!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is probably my least favourite of all the Narnia books. I often skipped this, when I was younger, and actually contemplated it this time. The characters are not my favourites, at all -- Tirian and Jewel inspire me with no particular affection, and while I actually find Eustace and Jill less annoying than in The Silver Chair, I don't find them compelling either.

    What makes the book worth it, for me, is the end. It's hard, because it's the end of Narnia, but it's also a beautiful end -- the Time giant, the stars falling, squeezing the sun out, and everyone going to Aslan's country. I liked the universalist aspect of what happens to Emeth (although I have problems with the good god/bad god thing with Aslan/Tash -- it's all very binary, which is not what I believe). It's good to see a "nice" Calormene character.

    Thinking about it, the writing is also less friendly and more serious than in the other books. It's hard to make a last stand sound like fun and games.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I know people who have read and enjoyed the Narnia books without even really noticing the Christian theological subtext. Lewis made that hard to do with this one. It was impossible for me to avoid noticing his thinly disguised commentary on those who would conflate Jesus...er, Aslan with other, well, gods. And Lewis runs into the same problem as Dante did in Paradisio; it's much harder to describe heaven than hell (or at least hellish problems). Lewis does a lot of "the taste, sight, sound was indescribable if you've never experienced it..." Well, um, thanks. But that's why I'm reading the book. And I admit to a deep disagreement with Lewis' theology (though I respect his work and his creativity); he professes the "one way" of Christianity that led me to embrace the non-creedal religious community of Unitarian Universalism.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Such an intense story but quite possibly my favorite of the series. A hard read but such a good one!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I just finished yesterday, (it took me that long to gather my self) and all I can say at this moment is that I cried for an hour after I read it. a Tiny bit was in sadness, because it was over and there was a sad tone to it, BUT it really was not sad at all. and That is the Beauty of it!!!! The most horrifying thing ever, was also the most beautiful and pleasant thing ever. C.S. Lewis described the "world" just as my heart imagines it. This book was truly enlightening. The first 80% was action/edge of your seat excitement, but the last chapter, tied the whole series together into this glorious gold ribbon that left me feeling rather "changed". My heart is smiling. (If you did not feel this way when you read it, then you missed out on the whole POINT!)
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Of all the books in the series, this is the one that I remembered least about from when I first read them many, many years ago as a child. As a child I am sure I didn’t really take in the religious aspect of them. As an adult it is very obvious. It’s not this aspect of it that left me feeling rather cold towards the book, but I just didn’t enjoy the story, and I didn’t like Lewis’ treatment of Susan. I guess he had his reasons but it seems a shame that she was treated the way she was, just to make a point. Overall I was left feeling unrewarded by making it to the end of the series. In future if I do decide to revisit Narnia it will only be to re-read The Magician’s Nephew and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Chronicles of Narnia rightfully deserves its place among the greatest novels of all time. Smaller in scope than the Lord of the Rings, but not less influential, Lewis creates a world that wonderfully mirrors our own.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This volume marks the end of The Chronicles of Narnia, at least where Lewis was involved. This volume is an allegory for the Book of Revelation, which in itself, seems very allegorical.An ape named Shift convinces a donkey named Puzzle to pretend to be Aslan. Through this, he is able to convince Narnians that he, Shift, speaks for Aslan, and as such, he makes ridiculous requests of them, which they blindly follow, furthering Shift's own wealth and power.But, well, not everyone in Narnia is stupid, and some start to catch on, only to be overpowered by the overwhelming forces of the weak-minded. In a call to Aslan, the heir of Caspian, requests help, which comes in the form of former human visitors to Narnia.Good works to triumph over evil, but there are many casualties along the way. And since it's allegorical, you can probably guess how it ends.This book is a good way to end your reading of The Chronicles of Narnia. If you've enjoyed the series thus far, there have been loads of works written to both compliment and criticize the series, including one of the key events in the book involving a train, but I'll say no more on this subject. Definitely recommended if you've made it this far.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is probably my favorite book out of the series. I love how this book draws parallels that go beyond Narnia. It's the culmination of the battle against good and evil and what would that be without everyone's (except for maybe Eustace) favorite mouse, Reepicheep. Had to go an entire book without him, so don't mind my enthusiasm. *cough*
    I'm reminded of the verse: For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Whether intentionally or not, I saw how this played out with this final book and that made it that much sweeter. It's bittersweet because this really is the end. It's over. Really. I'm still in denial.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The last of the Narnia books is in many ways the least satisfactory. Why? In part because Lewis is not quite convincing about the end of a world. The eschatology is a bit much. And the anti-hominoid angle is peculiar, too. He has an ape become the Antichrist (or "anti-Aslan"), and apes hadn't appeared anywhere earlier. There's something a bit icky about the disguised anti-evolutionism implied here.Oh, well. This is the least crumpled of the books in my possession. I reread it the fewest times, growing up.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Not a review but just a few thoughts upon finishing this last of the Narnia series...What a sad book! Not only did the Narnians apparently lose their last battle with the Calormenes, Narnia itself is 'undone' by Aslan and all the Pevensies (except Susan), Eustace, Jill, Digory & Polly all died in England!! And despite Lewis's attempt to say that this wasn't sad at all but rather glorious, I couldn't stop wondering in the final section "What about Susan?" Peter, Edmund, Lucy are reunited with their parents & all their old friends. But what happens to Susan, the only survivor of this terrible train crash? I bet it isn't glorious for her...
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I never think I like the Last Battle until I read it. Still, with no new children to get to know and the average bland Narnian king, it's not the best in the series. The end is a little ghoulish at times (Haven't you guessed, children...).
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The last edition is a great book and a very nice end to the series, while some see it as depressing and very well it might be if you stand back and take a look i think you might find and end to Narnia that is supposed to mirror our own, so read the last book it might just make you think.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It's so depressing to see the Chronicles of Narnia draw to a close, even if it's a good one. What surprised me about the theology in The Last Battle is that the "battle" isn't one between good and evil exactly (I was surprised that the White Witch never showed up), but one between good intentions for religion and bad intentions, or perhaps mundane goals versus the divine and ultimate ones. Nearly all of the characters of the series make a final appearance, and Lewis raises the question of what exactly Narnia was - does it reside within those who believe in it, or is there an ultimate reality? Is it "Heaven" to us or something else? Interesting book, a lot milder than some of the others in the series, but I think it makes for a good send-off
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    While there's not a ton of action in this last book, there is something very beautiful about the ending - about how God works and how what we really want is what we really get. My kids were sorry to see the end of the series (I was too!)