I think this installment in the Chronicles of Narnia is my least favorite of the series. The reason? While the entire series is chock full of Christian allegory, for the most part the Narnia stories are parables similar to Aesop’s. But this volume dispenses with allegory almost completely. Before, Lewis’ tales had morals to them. Christian morals, of course. The Last Battle is a retelling the the Christian end times with the name Aslan substituted for God.
Shift is a talking Ape and Puzzle is a talking Donkey who live in the Lantern Waste on the west side of Narnia. One day they happen upon an old lion skin. Shift, being a clever and also duplicitous ape, convinces Puzzle to wear the hide. And then Shift starts manipulating the other animals around by telling them that Aslan has returned. Not that Aslan
will talk to them. Shift does the talking. Aslan
only makes appearances (in dim light no less). Shift also makes an alliance with a small force of Calormen who provide the muscle to push around anyone who disagrees in return for getting a pretty good deal on slaves and goods.
Tirian is King of Narnia. Investigating reports of Aslan’s return, he sees the Calormenes killing talking Trees. Inflamed, he kills two of them before quickly running off with his Unicorn mount. But since Tirian didn’t warn the men, he feels dishonorable so he returns and surrenders himself to the enemy. Shortly thereafter he realizes that Aslan is a fraud. He prays mightily for Aslan to send people from England to help him, and out of nowhere pop Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole, who were in my next least favorite Narnia book The Silver Chair. They free Rilian, and they all make their escape. Several more times Rilian returns to the camp of the false Aslan, making off with Puzzle in one trip.
Here’s where things just get tedious. Shift and the Calormenes tell a tale of an ass wearing a lion skin. So no one will believe Rilian when he tells the true story that Shift was responsible for the ruse. Meanwhile the Calormenes, mostly unbelievers, spread a fable that their god Tash and Aslan are one and the same. Two different names for the same god. They start calling him Tashlan, though none of them believe in it at all. Some Dwarfs are freed, but rather than siding up with Rilian, they go into business for themselves: The Dwarfs are for the Dwarfs.
The Dwarfs attack whichever side looks like it’s winning. Meanwhile other forces of Calormen sack Cair Paravel. Narnia looks finished.
And then both Aslan and Tash make appearances.
The not so subtle moral? The end times are near; don’t believe in false gods. In addition, while Lewis uses whimsical language (ahhh the Brits love their whimsy) throughout as he did on the rest of the series, the utter seriousness of the blunt force lumber of a moral and god-talk completely overwhelm any possible fun. It’s Armageddon, Narnia-style.
Title: The last battle
Author: C. S. Lewis (Clive Staples Lewis)
Illustrator: Pauline Baynes
Author: Roger Hane
Series: The chronicles of narnia; 7
Imprint / publisher: Collier / Macmillan
Format: Mass market paperback
Length: 184 p.
Publication date: 1970
ISBN-10: 0-02-044210-6
LC classification: PZ8.L48 Las2
