Book #188: The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

 


The Chronicles Of Narnia:
The Last Battle

C.S. Lewis

 Released: September 4th, 1956

My 54th book for 2026 was C.S. Lewis’ The Last Battle.  

Going along with the other Narnia books, I was half asleep at the wheel.  We have more new characters, and even a who plethora of old ones who make appearances in this story.

An ape named Shift convinces a donkey named Puzzle to dress as Aslan the Lion and convince the people of Narnia to cut down the trees for lumber.  Shift then pockets the profits.  They encouter support from the Calormenes.  They too believe Puzzle to be Aslan, and kill off any who doubt what Shift has to say.  King Tirian and his unicorn Jewel hear of the murders, and rush to stop them.  Once there, Tirian discovers what Shift is up to and denounces him, causing himself to be tied up.  After calling out to Aslan and King Peter, Eustace and Jill are thrust into Narnia without using the rings.  King Tirian also finds out that his army was massacred by the Calormenes who have taken over Cair Paravel.  Nearly all the characters, save for Susan, return to help Tirian in his battle.  Susan is absent due to her no longer believing in Narnia.  Aslan appears later on and permanently puts an end to Narnia.  He moves all the friends to a permanent Narnia, and reveals a stunning revelation about Narnia and it's inhabitants, and why the time periods are so vastly different.  The series concludes on a strong finish.

I love the references and allusions to Christianity in this series.  Aslan is a representation of God.  The old Narnia ending is similar to God ending the Earth in Revelations and Aslan (God) moving his people to a perfect world.  It ties all the books together remarkably well.

I love that the classic characters have returned.  It gets a bit tiring seeing new characters in established series at times, so it's nice to see familiar faces (or at least read about them).

Here is what I learned:

—————

  • Shift the Ape lives west beyond Lantern Waste and close beside the Great Waterfall.
  • Puzzle the Donkey is Shift’s best friend but acts more like his servant.
  • Ales have weak chests.
  • The dwarves have taught Shift how to sew.
  • King Tirian is the last of the kings of Narnia.
  • His closest friend is Jewel the Unicorn.
  • Roonwit is a centaur.
  • Wild Fresney is a Narnian Weed.
  • “Narnia is no more.”
  • Susan is no longer a friend of Narnia.
  • She prefers nylons, lipstick, and invitations.
  • The taste of the fruit cannon be described.
  • Father Time is a giant who would awaken when the Narnian world ends.

—————

Overall, good conclusion to the series.  I feel that I need to reread it all at some point to gain a better understanding of the material.  I'll save that for another day though.  I liked this one.

Recommended.

On to Book #189: The Secret Three by Mildred Myrick.

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Need to catch up?  See previous blog post: The Magician's Nephew.

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Want to read more of the Chronicles of Narnia series?  See also:

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

The Silver Chair

The Horse and His Boy

The Magician's Nephew

The Last Battle

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