Books and Beverages

Books and Beverages | Because Stories Matters |

  • Home
  • About
  • Books (Author)
  • Books (Title)
  • Advertise
  • The Shoppe!

The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis | Inklings Series Discussion

January 21, 2019 by Jamie 10 Comments

Inklings_Sketch(b)

(The Inklings Series is a monthly series featuring the works of my two favorites, J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, or books about them. But I don’t want it to be just me chatting about these books, so that’s where y’all come in! I’ll announce the book at least four weeks in advance of when the discussion post will go live, so you have plenty of time to get the book and read it. Then, the following month, I’ll post a discussion post and let the fun begin!!)

the-last-battle-cs-lewis

I have to say, I think out of all the Narnia books, this one brings all the feelings to my Narnia loving heart. Not only on the fiction side, with the end of Narnia, but all that it means for us too. Like, for real ALL THE FEELINGS. I didn’t forget how much I loved this book, but reading some of those sections over? Love. Love. Love.

Now where to start with this one? Let’s start with the characters.

Shift the Ape – Lewis perfected manipulation with this jerk. Seriously, I felt much anger towards a fictional ape and how he treated Puzzle and all he said against Aslan.

The Dwarves – Little Punks. Y’all, I got so angry after this scene! “It was the Dwarfs who were shooting and—for a moment Jill could hardly believe her eyes—they were shooting the Horses. Dwarfs are deadly archers. Horse after Horse rolled over. Not one of those noble Beasts ever reached the King.” But more than making me angry, I thought Lewis was brilliant with them. The scene in the New Narnia? Genius.

Puzzle – Oh Puzzle! I wanted to shake him and say get it together! But he is also a telling example of not being secure in your value. If you don’t understand how treasured you are, you can fall to evil characters like Shift. I also loved that Aslan talked with Puzzle first. And I love that Lewis didn’t tell us what he said to Puzzle, but I bet it was beautiful.

The Tarkaan and Tash – Don’t play with things you don’t understand, son! #SpiritualWarfare

(Also I have a tendency to start talking like this is real life and I ain’t even mad about it.)

I loved Tirian and Jewel. They reminded me of Samwise Gamgee from LOTR. Brave and loyal until the very end.

And of course seeing all our old friends from all the previous books made my heart so happy (and Susan’s story is also one to learn from).

We’re discussing The Last Battle by @CSLewis on the blog! Join in!

Click To Tweet

I loved everything about the scenes with the new Narnia. From the descriptions of the death of Narnia, to Lucy’s mourning old Narnia (“Don’t try to stop me, Peter,” said Lucy, “I am sure Aslan would not. I am sure it is not wrong to mourn for Narnia. Think of all that lies dead and frozen behind that door.”), the animals going through the door and facing Aslan before they do, to tasting the fruits, to Further Up and Further In. Here’s a few favorites. (I tried to keep it to a few….I should get points for that!)

“What was the fruit like? Unfortunately no one can describe a taste. All I can say is that, compared with those fruits, the freshest grapefruit you’ve ever eaten was dull, and the juiciest orange was dry, and the most melting pear was hard and woody, and the sweetest wild strawberry was sour. And there were no seeds or stones, and no wasps. If you had once eaten that fruit, all the nicest things in this world would taste like medicines after it. But I can’t describe it. You can’t find out what it is like unless you can get to that country and taste it for yourself.”

“…but as he spoke the earth trembled. The sweet air grew suddenly sweeter. A brightness flashed behind them. All turned. Tirian turned last because he was afraid. There stood his heart’s desire, huge and real, the golden Lion, Aslan himself, and already the others were kneeling in a circle round his forepaws and burying their hands and faces in his mane as he stooped his great head to touch them with his tongue. Then he fixed his eyes upon Tirian, and Tirian came near, trembling, and flung himself at the Lion’s feet, and the Lion kissed him and said, “Well done, last of the Kings of Narnia who stood firm at the darkest hour.”

Raise your hand if you cry when Aslan shows up?

“It was the Unicorn who summed up what everyone was feeling. He stamped his right fore-hoof on the ground and neighed, and then cried: “I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the old Narnia is that it sometimes looked a little like this.”

Lewis was able to so brilliantly capture a teeny bit of our heart’s reaction to Glory. I know it will be even more than even Lewis described, but I love so so much that he was able to stir our hearts with these passages and story.

“Beloved, said the Glorious One, unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly.” This reminded me to never stop praying and hoping for people to find truth. They are all searching, they may just not know it yet. Plus, I wonder if that used to be him. Anyway, this scene with Aslan? #Dead

We’re discussing The Last Battle by @CSLewis on the blog! Join in!

Click To Tweet

“And this is the marvel of marvels, that he called me Beloved.”

Alright, I’ll end my quotes with this passage. It still remains one of my favorite in all of literature, not just the Inklings world. So beautiful.

There was a real railway accident,” said Aslan softly. “Your father and mother and all of you are—as you used to call it in the Shadowlands—dead. The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning.” And as He spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been 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: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.

Have I mentioned I LOVE this one? I cannot wait to hear what y’all think about it! I thought I’d include a few questions – feel free to answer any, all and add your own thoughts!

1. Do you have a favorite character from this one?
2. What were some of your favorite scenes?
3. I want to read some of your favorite quotes too!

For Aslan!

Filed Under: The Inklings Tagged With: Aslan, book discussions, book review, books, C.S. Lewis, Christianity, classics, faith, God, inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien, The Inklings Series, The Last Battle, theology

  • Joshua Miller

    One of the book’s most ‘controversial’ quotes, but a great one. Aslan explaining that he can use and redeem any good deed, even those done for Tash. I don’t believe Lewis was arguing for universalism (the earth shakes when he’s accused of it), but to show how powerful, wise, and gracious our protector can be! “But I said, Alas Lord, I am no son of thine but the servant of Tash. He answered, Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me. Then by reasons of my great desire for wisdom and understanding, I overcame my fear and questioned the Glorious One and said, Lord, is it then true, as the Ape said, that thou and Tash are one? The Lion growled so that the earth shook (but his wrath was not against me) and said, It is false. Not because he and I are one, but because we are opposites, I take to me the services which thou hast done to him. For I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him.”

    • Amy Green

      I love that quote too, and was actually going to ask everyone what they thought of Emeth. Before I was old enough to sort out theology and interpretations and such, I loved the beauty of his reconciliation with the God he always worshiped without knowing it, and I think there’s something to the way that story resonates with us. Not all beautiful things are true…but sometimes our instincts about justice and the places where we cheer in stories tell us something about truth.

      • Jamie

        Yes! What you said 🙂

        • Joshua Miller

          Just found the ‘Vote up’ button… mind blown! (was flummoxed that there wasn’t a ‘like’ button)

    • Jamie

      I agree – I loved that scene and I loved that it showed how He is gracious and seeks to draw people close to Him. I also loved when the earth shook because of his growl 🙂

  • Amy Green

    Favorite character:

    Since I hadn’t read this since middle school, I realized I didn’t remember hardly anything that happened in the first half, so I was really surprised at how cool Jill was in this book. I especially appreciated the part where, even though she was terrified, she passionately declared she was not going to leave Tirian and company (and got angry at Eustace for being all practical and saying there was no use in getting worked up about it since they were stuck there anyway—don’t we all know someone like this?).

    I also realized this book is the reason I talk with a lisp when whispering. Didn’t even remember that’s where eight-year-old Amy got that from.

    Favorite scenes:

    All the ones you mentioned are great, Jamie.

    Susan has always fascinated me. I wanted to hear more about her story—both what made her stop believing in Narnia, and what she did after all of her siblings died in a train wreck.
     
    Also, I love that Reepicheep made a cameo at the end, because fan favorite always show up.
     
    Favorite quotes:

    Of course: “I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now.” Love the idea that the new heavens and new earth will be everything we never knew we were longing for.
    And, of the dwarves: “They have chosen cunning instead of belief. Their prison is only in their minds, yet they are in that prison; and so afraid of being taken in that they cannot be taken out.” This scene is the part only part I really remembered from reading the book when I was a child, so apparently it made a big impression on me.

    • Jamie

      That’s so awesome that’s where you got your whispering technique from!!

      I love Jill’s character too – which goes against all that people claim about Lewis being sexist that we talked about above. She’s brave, strong and such a key to Narnia.

      Totally loved Reep welcoming them at the end. Commence Jamie crying about a mouse 🙂

  • Wesley

    Ok, so many things to unpack on this one.

    So I’ve been involved in a conversation with someone about the whole Susan thing. They say that they feel like Aslan turned his back on Susan just because she grew up. And I’m like, no. I think what CS is trying to say is that she became more consumed by worldly, inconsequential things than the forever, most important things. Thoughts on that? I always kind of felt for Susan. Like she’s smart and everything but she gets in her own way of her faith by her inability to trust and “let go and let God”. And if she was IN NARNIA and MET THE LION it kind of is telling how fragile faith can be.

    I felt for Puzzle. Poor little dumb donkey. What is it with all the doubting equines in this series? Aslan sets them all straight. And that Ape is several explicit words. Good grief.

    Tash scared the liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiife out of me. I loved CS’s description about how he walked and how it smelled like foulness when he walked and how the grass died..EEEEEEEK. Of course I’m all like that’s not that scary and then when I’m walking into my bedroom at night and it’s all dark and I’m like BIRD DEMON ARRRRGH. Do I smell trash?!?!?! Also I like that he’s all like “yeah well you shouldn’t have called me if you didn’t actually want me here”. You give the devil a little window in and that’s all it takes.#spiritualwarfareindeed

    Frankly I like that this book is a little unsettling. Death is a little scary, the Shadowlands is all we know and I think that the books shows that. Maybe as evidenced by above (lol) I’m easily freaked out and the transition from Old Narnia to New Narnia made my stomach feel queasy.

    This book also really made me want to read The Great Divorce again.

    I think this might have been my favorite, honestly. It’s dark. Ish got real.

    Thanks for making Inklings so I had an excuse to walk through Narnia again. <3 #Aslanisonthemove

    • Amy Green

      I’ve also heard people say Lewis was disparaging growing up or Susan’s sexuality or something like that. Which makes no sense to me because Polly—who, let’s not forget, was a grown adult who didn’t lose faith—puts that option aside by retorting, “Grown-up indeed. I wish she *would* grow up.” Totally with you on this one, Wesley: it’s Susan’s silly worldliness, her lack of maturity that the others are pointing out.

      And I like your thoughts on why it’s good that the book is unsettling. I’d never thought about it that way before. (And actually, this book makes the concept of eternity, which I *usually* find pretty unsettling, much more manageable.)

    • Jamie

      I always thought the argument concerning Susan and how that proved Lewis was sexist 100% fascinated me. Not the argument in itself, but because I didn’t understand how people who read the series missed Lucy, Jill, Polly and all the great women figures in the series. But people are people, so not shocked they miss Lewis’ whole point.

      I feel bad for Susan too – because she let life and things get in the way of what was the most beautiful. I think of people in my life who have drifted for what they think it better and I want them to come back to experiencing the beauty!

      Yeah, Tash is 100% nightmare material. Master of creepy!!

      I need to re-read The Great Divorce again too!

      And you’re welcome! I love going to Narnia at any moment. I’m sad the main stories are done, but at least there’s still the prequel.

Let’s connect!

  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

Hola! I'm Jamie. A Photographer. A Dessert Specialist. A Reader. Del Taco's #1 fan. A Wannabe Inkling. An INSPYs Advisory Board Member. A fan of Sports (Internet high fives for the Lakers, FC Barcelona, and the Saints). A Traveler & I heart Jesus a whole lot. Read more here.

Follow on Bloglovin!

Follow on Bloglovin

Want to change the world with me?

Then let's! -->Check out more here!<--

The Inklings Series

Categories

  • 4 Questions
  • Beverages
  • Blogging Friends
  • Blogging Resources
  • Book Nerd Awesomeness
  • Book Review
  • Fantasy
  • Features and the Guest Post
  • Fiction
  • Fun Finds for the Book Nerd
  • Historical Fiction
  • History
  • Jody Hedlund Challenge 2015
  • Lets Change the World
  • Non Fiction
  • Personal
  • The Inklings
  • The Podcast
  • Walking Dead

Disclosure of Material Connection

Some of the book links in my posts are amazon affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only link to books I've read or items I believe you readers will enjoy (like Fun Finds!). I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Google+

Copyright © Jamie Lapeyrolerie

Follow on Instagram

Popular Series

4 Questions
The Inklings Series
Book Reviews
Fun Finds for the Booknerd
Booknerd Awesomeness

List of Giveaway Winners

Recent Posts

  • The Road We Traveled by Jane Kilpatrick | Book Review
  • Fun Finds for the Booknerd #43
  • November Inklings Series Read | The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis
  • The Occupied by Craig Parshall | Book Review
  • 4 Questions with Award Winning Kristen Heitzman | Author Interview + Giveaway

Copyright © 2019 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in