Sean Kennedy's Reviews > The Last Battle

"with a final 'yay!' like a brainwashed Rod and Todd Flanders, skip merrily up the steps to heaven"

well said.

I'm so sad about susan. . she used to be my favorite for being gentle and clear thinker and all. . but what was just happened?? she just never has a chance coming back to narnia just for losing a faith and belief on it. . it bother me so much. .

The Last Battle is the reason the films fizzled out. No filmaker can touch it at this point in time. It's everything we need to be moving away from.

Use spoiler tag once you mention Susan's fate.

I mean think about it from the her siblings perspective. Susan has gone on adventures with them, fought battles, and reigned with them in Narnia. This is not a simple "once I was christian, and now I don't believe". She has seen and experienced the things they did, yet she denies it all. That's 30 years in Narnia she's denying. Yeah, that would be frustrating. BUT, I don't like how her siblings never got over Narnia, they let it consume them until they find it hard to function in the real world. See both are at wrong. The siblings never move on in the real world, and are stuck in their memories basically. Susan, completely denies Narnia and acts like it was all a "game". Anyway, in my opinion, both are at wrong.

With regards to Susan, I think you may be wresting what the book actually says in order to draw a negative conclusion. The way I read it, Susan didn't show in Narnia because she didn't die in the train crash. She didn't die in the train crash because she didn't show up for the Narnia reunion. She didn't show up for the Narnia reunion because she thought it was a childhood fantasy they made up.

Also, I find it quite insensitive that you're reinforcing a racist connection by assuming that Lewis employed an ape for "obvious racist parallels" when there does not seem to be any textual or contemporaneous evidence of this.

This is the best review of this book I've seen so far lmao

I was originally bugged by Lewis’ use of “darkies,” however then I remembered that he made some of them Kings and Queens over Narnia (Caspian and Aravis).

Also, the Ape is not a racial reference, it’s a jab at at Evolution, hence the Ape trying to convince the talking animals that he (the Ape) is actually a man.

Anti-Catholic and anti-donkey as well.

There's a strange resemblance between Shift and the Vatican, after all. Considering Lewis was a member of the Church of England, I doubt this was accidental.

Susan wasn't denied entry into Narnia because she was discovering her sexuality. She COULDN'T re-enter because she denied it exists! Go back to that chapter with the Dwarves sitting in the dark. No matter what Aslan did, they just denied what they were experiencing. I think you hated this book because it didn't fulfill your own modern demands of right and wrong. Millions love it because it is an allegory of the Truth, which resonates with people everywhere.

Nicely stated, Jennie!

I actually agree with much of this review, but someone really needs to cut in here and point out that the last two sentences:

"In the end, their rhetoric is 'you're either with us or against us'. It doesn't seem very Christian at all, does it?"

...are kind of silly, seeing as "You're either with me or against me" is a saying that literally originated with Jesus Christ (see Matt. 12:30; Luke 11:23).

*runs away*

You have naively conflated the voice of the author with the cruel behavior of some of the characters.

Excellent review - I kept reading portions aloud to my husband because I was so shocked at the tone.

Jeff Whitlock, Taija, and Jennie said nearly everything I wanted to say. Also, no one ever said Susan would never be able to enter Narnia. They said she was no longer a friend of Narnia and gave a few examples of the things she was more interested in. At no point in the story did anyone say Susan was locked out of Narnia forever. I think she simply had to be a believer to go and could not as she was currently denying the existence of such a place. Who are we to say she stayed that way for the rest of her life?
Also, she wasn't dead like the rest which seems to be the catalyst of the arrival of the other Narnia veterans so she (seemingly) would not be there regardless of her current state of unbelief.

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Wow you kind of spoiled the story.😅😅

I like your review, and love the Rodd and Todd reference. I thought the book was such a dry bunch of biblical mumbo-jumbo. Bringing back characters from the 6 preceding books, spending inordinate amounts of time describing scenes straight out of a Michelangelo painting. Pass

Here's your Woke points. Do with them what you will.

I dislike you so much all of the chronicle of Narnia books r amazing clearly you don’t know what you r talking about you r not as smart as you think you r.

Amusing rants at your opinions, Sean. I think I might start up a Susan fan club.

It’s as if this review was written by one of the dwarfs who is drinking the finest wine but only tastes trough water.

Well said, Charity.

You can’t judge the past by the present, so while ‘darkies’ is horribly racist in our time, it wasn’t then and I believe criticisms are unfair.

Well said Tracy. Sean, I see where you’re coming from, but do believe we could all use a little grace taking into account our time and experiences. There are good things that have come from this book and how it has helped people like Tracy think outside a fundamentalist box. Granted, a fundamentalist reading it can see it in their lens and come away with a different take but that’s free will. God allows us to seek our own inklings, sometime to our own and others detriment. The hope is that with enough love and grace being received from others, we might find our way around to also exuding grace and seeking the well-being of others.

Honestly, I think it’s racist that you think it’s racist because the hero’s happen to be white. And it wasn’t because Susan was discovering her sexuality that she was denied, it was because she didn’t believe any more

Excellent review. I'm rereading this as an adult and you've already pointed out everything I'm feeling about it.

As usual, all the apologists come out to say your interpretation is too extreme. Nope, it's right on point. The book is extremely racist and yes, also rather sexist, and in the context of a Christian last judgment/ salvation allegory the presence of those toxic attitudes is disturbing.

Also, to those who want to split hairs about Susan and belief in Narnia: all the rhetoric in this book follows a Christian pattern of belief, i.e. that the faithful will be saved. It so happens that characterizing her girlish vanity is also a sexist cliche.

Spoiler alert??

Michael, I’m rereading as an adult as well and I’m so happy that I don’t have the same stick up my Puzzle that you do. This review and your comments represent everything that is wrong with our society today. Everything is racist, and sexist, and bigoted! Rah! Get over it, and get a life while you’re at it.

Jason, the problem with society is that it was more racist, sexist and bigoted when this book was written. I have just finished reading it today. As a narrative story I found it lacking compared to other Narnia novels, but I found the casual racism and sexism in the series grating. It doesn’t mean people are bad for enjoying the stories (some of which I really did). however no one should be enjoying the racism and sexism, and it should be noted, as this review did that these a bad elements of the series, and this book in particular.

The problem with Susan is not that she discovered sex but that she desperately wanted to be grown up. She did not marvel in wonder like her siblings who reveled in their childhood. It was Lucy who discovered Narnia as the first one and that is no coincidence. She was young enough to still simply believe. The point Lewis makes through all the chronicals is that children have an easy time believing and that direct, honest faith is worth striving for. Susan stepped away from the childhood marvel and wanted to be an adult. But adults are no heroes in Narnia. It’s kids because the do the right thinks because it is right and are not tainted by other motives.

Lewis might have had a rather traditional view on gender roles being born over a hundred years ago but I think for the most time, he was able to create female characters full of bravery and other characteristics worth emulating.

This novel is indeed full of Christian allegory and Lewis never pretended it didn’t. And seeing it from Susan’s perspective, it would be horrible to lose your family in a train wreck - but things like that happen. And the kids are in heaven, so they are removed from that perspective before they fully realize what had happened to them. And the heaven they are in then, is their new realer reality. From a Christian perspective, it’s the place you have always wanted to get to. It makes sense that they are happy to be there.

In the first Narnia books, Aslan says several times that you can only know your own story and that he won’t tell you someone else’s story. In that logic it makes sense that he doesn’t tell Susan’s story because she didn’t get to Narnia in this narrative. But that doesn’t mean that her story ends there. It’s just not told to us. I kinda love that about these novels because we strive to know other people’s business when we should focus on our own story.

Of course Lewis was a child of his time and the depiction of the Calormene is racist and there is no defense there. Yet, it’s a historical book and should thus be judged and not by 2021 standards.

Like my mother in law usually says some people grow up and others just get bigger. I am not shocked to see that people like you just like to pander to people who have given their minds up to filthy propaganda and made up troubles. You sir are the plague of this world. If you are looking anywhere for stuff to get offended at, you will even find offensive stuff in teletubbies for stupid comments like "Why is not the sun a black baby? That is so racist." Shut up and and go cry somewhere else. I guess as a child, you wee just dumb and as an adult you are just dumber. Can not you realize that the message the final book is just the end to the world of Narnia.

just so you know, Lewis wanted to write a book about Susan getting to Aslan's country but unfortunately he did not have the time cause he passed away

I find it racist that you think black people cannot be villains in stories.

About the racism you've mentioned, just look at what time this book was written ! Now we despise racism, but in those days it was exactly like what is mention here... gone with the wind is also a racist book but what can we do about those books ? It was written in the time when racism was common

Nathan - the problem isn’t that they are villains, the problem is that they are only villains.

The calormen at the very end who believes in Aslan gets to live in the new narnian and he is not portrayed as a villain any longer :)

Madeline- good point. There is at least one.

Great review. I had many of the same thoughts and I was trying to reconcile this as well. I had forgotten the story because it’s so awful and I found myself getting uncomfortable at the beginning of the book like I don’t think I want to be reading this again and I had completely blocked out the plane train crash and the dogs getting killed in the horses and etc. etc. this one to me was just a failed wrap up where he was just trying to wrap everything up.
And like new Narnia is better than old Narnia, what?

Actually Susan not being allowed into Narnia doesn't have anything to do with her "sexuality." This is the one thing explained clearer in the movies. She is not allowed into Narnia simply because she wants nothing to do with it anymore. She either doesn't believe in it anymore or she doesn't want to believe anymore. It was mentioned briefly at one point that any time Narnia is brought up, she would call it a "childish game." If it was simply due to sexuality, than she wouldn't have been turned away. Edmund betrayed Aslan in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and he was protected and allowed back into Narnia no hesitation. And even the soldier who worshipped Tash was allowed into the rebuilt Narnia at the end.

Fully agree with this, definitely my least favourite. it’s wild to see some of the comments tho xD

I don’t think he meant anything vile in this work, I think it was perhaps more biblical than modern - he speaks of “other gods” who sacrifice men to Tash - this is some thing ancient peoples (in the Middle East) used to practice under authority of their gods. Apes are agreeably the closest in intelligence and emotional capacity to humans - as is also portrayed in other modern versions of creative fiction such as the live action jungle book. And C.S. Lewis doesn’t hide the fact that these are Christian tales based on his belief in the Bible - so you shouldn’t expect him to condone promiscuity and sexuality whether you agree with it or not. You contradict yourself, here, failing to realize that if this were written from a Muslim perspective women, people of other races, and anyone LGBT would be excluded and portrayed much more severely. You may think yourself open minded, but you are simply spouting off media driven hatefulness, I would encourage you to broaden the horizons of your mind. And, if you struggle with the concepts of Christianity you either should read blatantly Christian literature with the understanding that it is Christian, or not read it at all. Also, it is very dangerous to not realize that something C.S. Lewis promotes in this work is freedom for all - mythical creatures, Calormen, telemarines, etc. - where respect and kindness for one another is of the utmost importance and slavery, bigotry and hatred are not tolerated. I hope you will not always fail to
Overlook those very important themes. I think I it would help you see the work snd the world differently.

It’s also important to note that the use of “darkies,” though a horrible term, is used to display the wicked nature of the dwarves. Bullies in school talk this way, adults who refuse to be educated on tolerance still speak in inexcusable slurs today. Lewis, by having these treacherous words come out of the mouth of the characters who are truly to be the least liked and are the most vile, is depicting it as something incredibly wrong through his usage. The world can still be a dark place, and I think his usage of germs here indicates that it isn’t right to use those terms against others. And that is a lesson still worth being taught.

Why the fuck are people so determined to defend a dead author who wrote stuff with racist undertones? I’m an HP Lovecraft fan, and you wouldn’t catch me dead defending his views…

This is a horrible viewpoint to have on this book and author. Fake thoughtfulness

Sean, I question if you understand what you read? Your response doesn’t match what the book is even about. First let me enlighten you that Christianity uses the words “light and dark” to reference good and evil. The Darkies with dark skin called the Calormenes, are referencing dark as evil. The white skinned Narnians are referencing white as light or goodness. Light and dark are embedded in Christianity and in the Bible. The word “darkie” or white Narnian has nothing to do with actual people. Second, the time period in which Narnia represents had male and female roles, which the modern world would call it sexism; but that was how life once was. Instead, we need to look at how far society has come with equalizing gender roles. Thirdly, I don’t see how this book is fundamentalist rhetoric. If you read the Bible you’d know the answer is no. This book is a made up children’s story with a lot of fantasy fiction. There is Christian symbolism but that’s it. There is not enough information about the Christian religion to say whether it is fundamental or not. Sadly, your review has so many votes that it shows up first in the review feed. But you’re outvoted because more people gave high star ratings than negative. So ha!!

I am glad that I am not the only one who thought this. I had never read the series as a kid & when someone gifted these books to me to pass onto my son l thought they’d be a fun read. Yikes. Not something I’d want him to read.

This is why I refuse to read these books. Even start. I am content with the films where like Susan and Peter, Lucy and Edmund grew and never went to Narnia again.

This book's ending icks me out. It always did, even in the movies, but that at least I don't have to read.

I'm pretty sure Susan didn't go to Narnia bc she didn't die but other then that I agree

Agreed. As a kid I always hated that Susan never got to back to Narnia, and I still feel this way as an adult. Aslan literally said to her, “You will never return to Narnia because you are too old.” So she decides to move on with her life and then she gets punished for it? And I agree that saying she is more worried about parties and makeup and whatever is so insulting. She’s a teenage girl people, she wants to have fun! Why must we always shame women for wanting to look good and have a good time?!