How did you feel after reading Last Battle?

How did I feel? Wow, there's a lot. When Aslan said that they were all dead, I got a pretty queer, spooky feeling in the pit of my stomach, especially thinking of our Peter, Edmund, Lucy and the rest as "smashed up by British railways." But, as Eustace said, it wasn't bad for them, because they weren't there.
I was filled with grief, and mourned for Narnia when the sun was put out, but of course, discovering the "real" Narnia filled me with absolute joy. And I can't begin to describe the giggly, bursting feeling of a heart overflowing with joy at the time of the reunions, and the listing of the people of the history of Narnia. I cheered when Reepicheep greeted the newcomers.
Of course, not being very athletic, the idea of running the speed of a car and never getting tired is very appealing.:)
The real Narnia is the perfect idea of heaven. I'm just wondering if it will actually, be a deeper, more wonderful yet a copy of earth. I guess we'll find out when we get there.
 
I took a a good little while to read all seven book.s Just recently I finished the Magician's Nephew and was enthused to finish "the last battle." I think it doesn't matter what anyone says this one book is one of the best in the series if not the best. The storyline, the imagery eberything was just "epic". I loved the book. While reading the book I began feeling everything might just turn out all right but then subtly the tides changed. It was clear the end was near. I had a real melacholy feeling after reading it but after reflecting on what the book might have meant or what Lewis was trying to say I'm not feeling as sad but more in a matter-of-fact way. The book draw a parallel between our lives and the events of the Chronicles of Narnia. If anything it has you thinking about the end times. The christian link is also very much there, TLB reminded me very much of revelations.

Nevertheless, great book.
 
i wanted the book to go on and find out what was going to happen to them next, especially Susan. her whole family dies, and some of her friends too. i really really wanted to know what she would have done
 
I actually put off reading it because I was affraid of finishing the series. I did not want it to end so soon. Finally, I just had to read it and when I did.....I was so sad! Everyone was turning away from Aslan and they just would not listen. When I finished the book, I had mixed emotions. I was sad because it was over and everyone died except for Susan, but I was also quite happy. I was glad that everyone (except Susan) went to Aslan's country, but still, they were dead and Narnia was no more. I felt so bad for Susan also. It almost ended like a cliff-hanger. You never find out what happened to Susan, and as soon as everyone arrives to Aslan's Country, it pretty much leaves it up to you to imagine what adventures they had there and what not. I'm okay now though, I just wish there was more Narnia to read. OH well.....
 
i felt amazed and happy at the same time because of the end the last paragragh was so misterious to me and i loved it but for the rest of the book i loved it but i felt bad because it was the end of narnia and also because susan didnt belive in narnia which that made me sad but overall i liked the book
 
I was like :eek::(.

I was sorta depressed, because of Susan. But I was also happy, because, well, just because of the fact they were in the new Narnia.
*happy sigh* ............ I'm gonna go read it again:p.
 
i was kinda dazed..kind of like in a ...uhhhhhhhhh... mode.. i was sad,overcomed with relization..and happy...
 
Trully Amazing:

I felt amazed, awestruck and sense of total satifaction. I thought the ending was by far one of the best endings in Literature. I felt such a sense of joy as all the beloved characters came together (Minus Susan). My favorite part was C.S. Lewis' "All their life in this world and all the adventures in Narnia had only been the cover andd tile page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which none on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before."
After reading all the Chronicles of Narnia, I declare The Last Battle my favorite. I didn't want to mention this, but I cried at the end.
 
Sir Godfrey said:
I felt amazed, awestruck and sense of total satifaction. I thought the ending was by far one of the best endings in Literature. I felt such a sense of joy as all the beloved characters came together (Minus Susan). My favorite part was C.S. Lewis' "All their life in this world and all the adventures in Narnia had only been the cover andd tile page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which none on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before."
After reading all the Chronicles of Narnia, I declare The Last Battle my favorite. I didn't want to mention this, but I cried at the end.
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i'm totally with you on that! ditto! (including the crying part)
 
I cried my eyes out when I read The Last Battle. (Very emotional person) And I loved the description of the Real Narnia. I was also very sad that Susan didn't come back in the end! She was always my favorite. But yeah, I loved that book, and I still cry when I read it. :eek:
 
Enjoyed it, but have a question about Emeth.

I really enjoyed the Last Battle, it's epic and exciting, yet full or sorrow and joy at the very end.

I have a question about towards the end of the book, I tried to post a new thread, but I guess I haven't been here long enough or something.

When the scene goes from Old Narnia to New Narnia there's a Telmarine soldier there named Emeth. He has never met Aslan in Narnia, yet he is allowed to stay in Aslan's country because he believed so fervantly (even if it was in Tash, not Aslan). Maybe I'm reading too much into it, and I know the Narnia books are not meant to be strict allegory, but wouldn't this be like saying that as long as you believe strongly enough in a god (little g) then you'll be welcomed into heaven (aka Aslan's Country) This goes against Lewis' Christian beliefs (which I share) and kind of threw me for a loop I guess.

I'm not going to lose any sleep over this, but I'd like you guys' take on this. I haven't found any other Narnia related books (even the ones that talk about the theology Lewis wrote into Narnia) addressing this.
 
KnightBond said:
I really enjoyed the Last Battle, it's epic and exciting, yet full or sorrow and joy at the very end.

I have a question about towards the end of the book, I tried to post a new thread, but I guess I haven't been here long enough or something.

When the scene goes from Old Narnia to New Narnia there's a Telmarine soldier there named Emeth. He has never met Aslan in Narnia, yet he is allowed to stay in Aslan's country because he believed so fervantly (even if it was in Tash, not Aslan). Maybe I'm reading too much into it, and I know the Narnia books are not meant to be strict allegory, but wouldn't this be like saying that as long as you believe strongly enough in a god (little g) then you'll be welcomed into heaven (aka Aslan's Country) This goes against Lewis' Christian beliefs (which I share) and kind of threw me for a loop I guess.

I'm not going to lose any sleep over this, but I'd like you guys' take on this. I haven't found any other Narnia related books (even the ones that talk about the theology Lewis wrote into Narnia) addressing this.
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Welcome to the forums KnightBond (Don't worry. The posting problem is temporary). First, Emeth was a Calormen soldier, not a Telmarine. Telmarines assimilated into Narnian culture about two hundred years ago.

As for Emeth being in the real Narnia, I've always wondered that too. My best explanation for that is that in Narnia, salvation is different from that of our world. Because the first sin in Narnia was commited by an out-of-worlder, I think Aslan was willing to be a bit more lenient. In addition, Emeth was worshipping the opposite of Aslan, but behaved as it were Aslan he was serving. Like Aslan said, because he and Tash were opposites, Tash couldn't have taken Emeth. An in our world, there is no opposite (unless you count satanism, but I can't imagine any satanist acting like they served God).

Second theory: Emeth could have been completely ignorant of Aslan in Calomen. Lewis could have been saying "ignorance may be okay, if you have lived a good life."

Of course, this is all subjective.
 
Go straight to either Wikipedia or your favourite online source and look for "Anonymous Christianity".

It's the doctrine, which was accepted as part of Vatican II, that someone who seeks Christ and his ways with all their heart but never found out who he was can find salvation.

It's a little more complicated than that, but let's put it this way. You live on the Island of Rongo Hivu and you have no contact with Christianity whatsoever. Yet you feel that people treat one another abhominably. You try to get people to live by laws that respect life, private property, and the need to be grateful to the power that made the universe. This person works hard to establish these and eventually dies at the hands of the powerful warlords who consider him an idiot and a dreamer.

Was this a fool or a martyr?

Look at one of the Pharoahs, Akhenaten. He risked the wrath of the powerful temple priests and servants to declare that there is only one God who never sins and who is all knowing and all powerful. He was no more than cold in his grave when the priests persuaded his son Tutankhaten to change back and become Tutankhamon. Akhenaten had his temples overthrown, his likeness chipped off monuments.

Let me tell you what he said:
How manifold it is, what thou hast made! They are hidden from the face (of man). O sole god, like whom there is no other! Thou didst create the world according to thy desire, Whilst thou wert alone: All men, cattle, and wild beasts, Whatever is on earth, going upon (its) feet, And what is on high, flying with its wings. The countries of Syria and Nubia, the land of Egypt, Thou settest every man in his place, Thou suppliest their necessities: Everyone has his food, and his time of life is reckoned. Their tongues are separate in speech, And their natures as well; Their skins are distinguished, As thou distinguishest the foreign peoples. Thou makest a Nile in the underworld, Thou bringest forth as thou desirest To maintain the people (of Egypt) According as thou madest them for thyself, The lord of all of them, wearying (himself) with them, The lord of every land, rising for them, The Aton of the day, great of majesty.
 
Wow. Thank you both for your replies. I had never read about Akhenaten before. It was interesting. I have read about Anonymous Christianity before in college, but I don't exactly agree with it.

I think I am more leaning toward PuzzleGlums's first theory, it may not click exactly (after all, these books aren't scripture) but I can't bring myself to accept the theology behind the "man on the island" idea of salvation. I don't believe that there is any way to be saved apart from a personal relationship with Christ. I guess that's why I have a hard time with Emeth in this book.

One thing I didn't realize (and thanks for pointing this out) is that he was Caloremen and not Telmarine. I know the people who founded Telmar were once pirates who found a way into Narnia through a cave. But where did the Caloremens come from? Were they descendants of Frank and Helen (the cabbie driver and his wife who were the first king and queen)? Maybe then, the Caloremens were seen as Narnians (instead of humans from our world) and then it could be like God in the Old Testament with the Israelites. (where keeping good standards in the sight of God seemed to be more of works as well as looking forward to the coming of the Promise of Christ) Not exactly the same, but somewhat of a similar idea?

Also interesting is that while God and Satan are not opposites (Lewis makes his view of this clear in Mere Christianity) Aslan says that he and Tash are. This puts a whole new spin on the theology of Narnia :)

Again, thanks for the discussion. While it might not amount to much in our world, it's very interesting and insightful! I wish that CS Lewis was still alive and I could fly to England for a chat. I'd love to pick his brain on this :)
 
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