Fully dramatized and produced with cinema-quality sound design and music, each title in Radio Theatre's Chronicles of Narnia is now available in a travel-friendly size. Hosted by Douglas Gresham, stepson of C. S. Lewis, these timeless classics have mesmerized millions around the world. Upon entering an enchanted world called Narnia, four ordinary children learn extraordinary lessons in courage, self-sacrifice, friendship, and honor. Brought to life in London by a cast of more than 100 actors, including award-winners Paul Scofield, David Suchet, and Ron Moody, the 7-part Chronicles of Narnia provides over 22 hours of exhilaring listening entertainment. The Last Battle: A powerful script and stellar cast mark this final installment in the acclaimed Radio Theatre adaptation of C. S. Lewis's most famous work. What begins as a self-serving scheme by an evil ape quickly turns deadly, as the fierce Calormenes invade Narnia and claim that their god, Tash, and the Great Lion Aslan are one and the same. Young King Tirian and his comrades must fight for the survival of Narnia. "The Last Battle," though the conclusion of the series, is also a beginning--with a timeless message that listeners will treasure.
Performers: Paul Scofield, David Suchet, Victor Spinetti, Andrew Sachs, Gwynn Beech, Philip Sully, Steven Webb, Jade Williams, Douglas Gresham.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Clive Staples Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954. He was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and been transformed into three major motion pictures.
It’s always difficult to pick a favorite Narnian story but, when it comes down to it, I always have to go with The Last Battle.
Beautifully produced and well-cast, this production is the perfect blend of intensity and hope, joy and sorrow, terror and gladness. These radio theater dramatizations of The Chronicles of Narnia WERE my introduction to this great series and they are, in a sense, my Narnia. This audio drama was my first introduction to the story that has impacted my life and touched my soul as few books has – and this audio drama did this story total justice.
Since I'd only ever read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe before, I decided that before I turn 40 (later this year) I needed to read the entire Chronicles of Narnia. I thought it would take a while, but they were so engrossing, it took only a couple of weeks (I read 9 other books during the same time, otherwise these books were so wonderful, I'm sure I would have finished in a matter of a few days).
It would be hard to choose a favorite book among the Chronicles. The creation of Narnia and Aslan's compassion in the Magician's nephew drove me to tears. Aslan's reminder, "I am telling you your story, not hers. No one is told any story but their own.” will stay with me. Eustace's encounter with Aslan in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader resonated with me deeply. Aslan telling Lucy in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, “Courage, dear heart.” filled me with warmth and delight. Puddleglum in The Silver Chair is one of my favorite literary characters. Aslan's words "You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you" from the Silver Chair made my heart sing. And finally, these words in The Last Battle made me weep for the hope and encouragement they stirred within me:
“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 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 for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”
This series cannot be taken book by book really, it's one terrific story.
I loved listening to this whole series! I love that so many of the beloved characters from the previous books show up in this final novel! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- I love the symbology of Jesus Christ and in this book in particular of the final judgement and in Heaven. What a beautiful series!
que buen final para esta saga me gustó mucho me da curiosidad que el final por como lo entendí yo en el viaje en tren murieron los protas y que por eso sus padres y ellos se queden en Narnia
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Wow. Such a powerful ending. The only way to end it. Made me sob.
This one was really hard for me to listen to for the first half. I honestly wanted to stop it several times. It is so full of darkness, that I really, really needed the moments of light.
And it did! I love that Aslan’s light overcame the darkness! I wanted it to so badly!
The ending is so beautiful. I love the idea that even after death, Aslan sees the truth of someone’s heart. It’s never too late to acknowledge Him. I love “Further up and Further in”—that heaven continues and only gets better the more you see.
I don't want to give away too much for those who've never finished the series, but this is worth reading to see the hope that lies at the center of Christianity, the light that overcomes the darkness, and the reminder that we are not of this world, we were made for something far greater!
En general toda la saga me gustó un montón, ya me flipaban las pelis y me animé a leer los libros. Si que es verdad que los leí tarde (con 20 años o así) y el lenguaje que utiliza el autor es muy infantil, pero aún así todas las historias son magníficas y si te gusta la fantasía los libros de Narnia son imprescindibles.
Read (or rather, listened, as I've done for many in this series). Not a fan of battle scenes as those don't particularly interest me and I don't feel they work well in books. I can see that boys might be fans of that.
I did love how Lewis wrapped everything up with various characters from earlier in the series all coming in for cameos in this one. Kind of odd how things ended up with Susan--is that supposed to be a warning ala the Church at Laodicea not to be lukewarm? I loved Jewel the unicorn.
Anyway, loved the bits at the end that were analogies for heaven.
"Beloved," said the Glorious One, "unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek."
"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. "
“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 we loved the old Narnia is that sometimes it looked a little like this. "
"The term is over: the holidays have begun! The dread has ended: this is the morning!" (goosebumps just typing that :) )
Although I can't remember exactly how many times I listened to Focus On the Family Radio Theatre versions of "The Chronicles of Narnia" stories while I was growing up, I do remember my whole family greatly enjoyed them every time... except this one. It shouldn't have bothered me personally like it did, but I was upset for a long time after I heard this story for the first time. A lot of the story still kind of bothers me (I recently read the paper books again with my own wife and kids), but that may be a personal issue. That doesn't necessarily make this a bad story. And the ending is actually very beautiful (which I only realize now that I am older and have read the books again).
Also, each book is adapted into a marvelous, beautiful experience containing great narration, voice acting, and sound effects. The introductions by Lewis's stepson are also pretty cool. I need to listen to these adaptions again...
(Note: I don't agree with how they numbered their versions stories, but maybe that's just me... and my dad, who actually reordered them in our collection and wrote over the numbering. The Magician's Nephew and The Horse and His Boy do take place chronologically before other stories, but in the reading order they were not meant to be numbers 1 and 3.)
Es simplemente maravilloso. La forma en la que une las historias, desde la primera donde conocemos a Pedro, Susana, Lucía y Edmundo (o Peter, Susan, Lucy y Edmund, como yo los conocí en las peliculas), hasta Jilly y Eustaquio de la última aventura narniana, y denotando un poco de cada libro y de cada querido personaje de esta saga.
Las crónicas de Narnia tienen un profundo valor teológico, donde se combinan los valores básicos de la religión (a mi entender cristiana, aunque puede aplicar tranquilamente a otras religiones de las cuales no tengo conocomientos como para hacer una comparación). Hace reflexiones muy profundas con analogías muy sencillas, algo que me parece maravilloso. Y me dejó pensando, movilizada con un tema que trato de esquivar, la fe, la muerte y lo que hay más allá.
Este libro se posiciono sin duda como mi favorito de la saga, y recomiendo que sea el último en leer para aprovechar al máximo cada palabra, y compartir junto con los personajes el amor, la tristeza, la nostalgia y la admiración por Narnia.
This book while being a change in pase in the series brings an epic and satisfying end to a wonderful journey.
One of the book's criticisms is many think C.S. Lewis to be racist and sexist. When reaching further chapters near the end King Tirian calls out the Dwarfs for their rude comments, and they are really made out to be all the more stupid for their opinions of the Calmormen men from the south. The female characters of Poly, Lucy, Aravis, and Jill have had a massive impacts on the plot of the books they were in and were made to be very important in the end. One thing to keep in mind also is that C.S. Lewis came from a very different time and culture in which the social values of his day were different from those of ours.
Being myself a Christian, the book's ending leaves me longing for Heaven myself. All the characters who I journeyed with over these seven books made it (That is except Susan). The reunions were beautiful and the call backs to all the previous books left me joyfully crying.
I will always be grateful for tis series, and this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
What an amazing end to the Narnia series! The callbacks to familiar characters and events from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Magician's Nephew took me back to the beginning of the semester.
This book covered several important themes: truth, faith, and heaven and hell. However, amidst the many themes in this book, I found the theme of forgiveness most noteworthy in the scene where Emeth is called "Beloved" by Aslan. Never once in Emeth's life did he believe in Aslan (in fact, he worships his opposite), so there really isn't any reason for Aslan to forgive Emeth. Yet, he does, and even calls him "Beloved". Aslan's capacity to love is incomprehensible, in my mind, but it's so beautiful at the same time. In response, Emeth says "And this is the marvel of marvels, that he called me Beloved, me who am but as a dog..." This quote really resonates with me because it describes exactly how I felt when I first learned of God's unconditional love for me a little over a year ago. And, it's why I've been running after Him ever since.
And so we reach the end…the ‘Avengers : Endgame’ of the 1950s. A return for nearly all the characters from the previous 6 novels…from Diggory…Polly…Peter, Edmund and Lucy among so many more.
It is in so many ways ‘The Final Battle’ is exactly that…the end of Narnia…a false Aslan and a devastating ending that brings everything back to Aslan and the Emperor-beyond-the-Sea. It is a difficult read…an honest read and a journey that is never easy. The Narnia books have shown us that life isn’t easy…but the journey is so worthwhile.
Susan, not getting back to Narnia, is the ultimate warning that not everyone who knows about the journey…actually goes on it. It is sad that Susan doesn’t…but it is all so real for those we care about.
Narnia is a magical place…the story of Aslan is one that is open to all…the invitation to the Emperor’s country is a welcoming one… it is up to all of us how we respond.
The Narnian Chronicles were my favourite books when I was aged 11 - 14. I loved the varied characters and the way the principal players develop in a credible way. I loved the tales, the descriptions of different worlds, the feeling of being a virtual traveller in very exciting places. I didn't see the strong religious Christian analogies and dogma and I didn't spot the racism and sexism.
This however is less fun than the others.
I loved the Narnian books as a child yet it represents the values of the early 20c. C S Lewis was brought up in an all-male household and only at the end of his life did he develop a strong loving relationship with a Jewish American woman who rocked his ideas of womanhood. This late romance was tenderly and sensitively depicted in Shadowlands a great film starring Anthony Hopkins
It was not as fast-paced or dramatic as some of the other novels in the series. However, I really enjoyed it for that reason. I liked how this book tackled the difficult topics of false religious leaders and the free will of humanity to choose to have faith or not. The novel also explained how there are consequences for those decisions and choices made in life. For example, as much as it saddened me, I felt that Susan not being let into Narnia was important because is gave the reader a character's view of how, similarly to the world today, individuals can choose passions/desires of the world over faith.
The last few lines of the last chapter also melted my reader heart. It describes how in the New Narnia and England, they (all the children who had explored Narnia) were starting new adventures and new chapters that went on forever. It's such a beautiful ending.
“The Last Battle” was the last book we read in 7th grade and it was definitely worth the wait. It was the perfect ending to The Chronicles of Narnia but I wished this book series would never end. I have been reading these books for school since 4th grade and they always had a special place in my heart. I am definitely sad it has ended, but can’t wait to read more books by C.S. Lewis. This book makes many references to the Bible and has many lessons to be learned. As a Christian, this book definitely has some deep morals that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I think this book started out too slow and then went really fast at the end, but other than that, this book was amazing! I would definitely recommend this series for all ages because it is just such a fun read!
Este libro reúne TODO. Desde mucha acción, hasta todos los personajes de cada libro que además son tan maravillosos. El final fue súper hermoso. Aunque algo un poco turbio/triste por los Pevensie y por Susan (¿Porque? 😭?. No tengo ninguna queja en este libro, tuvo el mejor ritmo de toda la saga, y se leyó muy rápido.
Otra cosa: Bueno, no fue difícil entender que este libro esta basado en el de apocalipsis bíblico con las muchísimas referencias. Desde el falso Aslan que engañara a mucho o las trompetas que anuncian el fin, hasta el paraíso narniano en que dónde no existe tristeza y el tiempo tampoco existe. Es un final muy cursi, pero como fan de la biblia, Esto absolutamente me encantó.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Het laatste deel van Narnia begon als een onprettig sprookje met een duidelijke les en liep toen over in een heleboel langdradige religieuze achtergrondinformatie. Wederom spelen de stereotypische calormenen de slechteriken. Aan het einde wordt zelfs de hele reeks te niet gedaan met een paar zinnen. Zonde. Dit boek heeft voor mij totaal geen toegevoegde waarde en was eigenlijk best wel naar om te lezen, veel negativiteit.
Termine estos libros casi 15 años despues de empezar a leer esta saga y.... Definitivamente debi dejarlos en el pasado, en este libro se soluciona todo demasiado por la suerte del protagonista. Un final muy entre Peter Pan y los otros, y un sabor agridulce que me mancho los recuerdos de esta saga de la infancia. Entiendo que esta saga tenga sus años pero creo que se podria haber quedado perfectamente en Caspian y hubiera terminado mejor.
Not many books can enter my heart such as this one did. Hard to finish since I didn't wanted to leave Narnia. I am glad I did, make me tear up and feel happy at the same time. Will surely revisit this wonderful world when the time is right. Thank you, C. S. Lewis.
Wow, this was a really great series. The ending was sad (yet beautiful at the same time) but I don’t see any other way CS Lewis could have written it. So much biblical allegory. They really need to make a movie or show out of this. Soo good!
Actually one of my least favorites in the series. But still a really good one. I think it’s my least favorite because I don’t want to see Narnia end any more than the characters do.
Disclaimer: focus on the family is a hate group.
Period typical prejudices.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Omg , this book has such great plot twists , loved each one of it and it was written beautifully but I'd still only recommend it to kids . And I'd still want the writing to be more clear but everything about it was beautiful.
This was an excellent end to a great fantasy series. The book started out a little slow, but the ending was really good. I read this with my second grade class, and they absolutely loved it!