Review - The Last Battle
Nov. 21st, 2009 10:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wilderthanThis 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.
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.
