Two and a half stars for the collection as a whole, rounded up to three. Most of the stories consist exclusively of pseudoscientific/philosophical speTwo and a half stars for the collection as a whole, rounded up to three. Most of the stories consist exclusively of pseudoscientific/philosophical speculation about space/time travel, psychosexual issues, and/or casual (and not-so-casual) misogyny. The combination, naturally, is not a very winning one. At the same time, it’s only fair to acknowledge that Lewis himself did not publish these works, many of which were left unfinished. And the unflattering ideology notwithstanding . . . dang, could that man write. Forms of Things Unknown was quite well-executed, and I wish I could read an entire novel of After Ten Years....more
"If Aslan gave me my choice I would choose no other life than the life I have had and no other death than the one we go to."
I understand that it's a g"If Aslan gave me my choice I would choose no other life than the life I have had and no other death than the one we go to."
I understand that it's a good book, but I've never liked it very much. It makes me almost exclusively miserable until the last ten pages or so. (Of course, those last ten pages are so good that I can't rate the book any less than four stars. It's just that the majority of the story does not-so-great things for my mental health.)
Then, too, the more I study the series, the sterner I find I have to be about Lewis's treatment of Susan in this book. I don't fault Lewis for deciding that Susan would cease to believe in Narnia/Aslan, because that's not inconsistent with the trajectory of her character over the course of the series. But he could have (and should have) written her fall from grace with more -- well, grace. I appreciate that he later assured fans that Susan can still mend and that she may make it to Aslan's country eventually -- but the fact that he neglected to include even that rudimentary solace in the text itself is really, in my opinion, unforgivable from a narrative standpoint. Especially considering that the one paragraph he deigns to give her in this last of all the Chronicles is disproportionately harsh, dismissive, and belittling.
As I said, the final few chapters of The Last Battle are masterful. The creation of "the new Narnia" is powerful, and the reunion of our beloved characters is glorious. But, transcendent as they are, there is also a profound sense of wrong pervading these last pages. Siblings like the Pevensies belong together, in their world and in others, in life and in death -- and we all know it. Susan's absence leaves a gaping, aching wound in this book, and I can't acquit Lewis of his callousness in pretending that that absence is less consequential than it is -- nor in treating Susan herself with such contempt that even her own siblings appear to be essentially dismissing her as a worthless disappointment.
For what it's worth, she has never been that to me.
[And yes, as many of you know, I am writing a book about what happens to Susan in the years following the events of The Last Battle; and yes, I am fully confident that everything will come right in the end. So I'm not genuinely, lastingly troubled by TLB, because I am so emphatically convinced that Susan will get where she needs to be in the end. And because I believe that her siblings loved -- and love -- her more than Lewis gives them credit for in TLB. (Heck, I believe that Lewis loved Susan more than he gave himself credit for.) But the fact that he mishandled her relapse remains, and since Lewis himself did not see fit to champion his own character, there are those of us who will gladly do so in his stead.]
Also, Lewis's depiction of the Calormenes is never great, but it's especially problematic in this book.
However! One thing that I did appreciate during this reread was the exploration of divine vs. "human" ethics. I want to write a blog post about it, so I won't say anything more here, but I found it very heartening.
Again, I think that, from an objective standpoint, The Last Battle is pretty strong. In certain moods -- and more importantly, in certain headspaces -- I probably have enjoyed it in the past and probably could enjoy it again in the future. But, most of the times I've read it, I have found it far too depressing and upsetting for my fragile little Narnia-loving and Susan-stanning heart....more
And the memory of that moment stayed with them always, so that as long as they both lived, if ever they were sad or afraid or angry, t
{2024 Reread}
And the memory of that moment stayed with them always, so that as long as they both lived, if ever they were sad or afraid or angry, the thought of all that golden goodness, and the feeling that it was still there, quite close, just round some corner or just behind some door, would come back and make them sure, deep down inside, that all was well.
if that isn't a perfect metaphor for the experience of reading this series, I don't know what is...more
I actually, sadly, really didn't enjoy this very much this time around. However, I think the lackluster reread was due at least in p{May 2022 Reread}
I actually, sadly, really didn't enjoy this very much this time around. However, I think the lackluster reread was due at least in part to the fact that A) spring is exactly the wrong time of year to read this book (it needs the chilly, damp mistiness of late autumn), and B) you know that you're nearing the end of the series when you read this one, and I am already Highly emotional over this series reread and am really rather nervous about where I'll be mentally once I finish The Last Battle. Gulp.
But on the other hand, I have always loved this Chronicle and there are certain parts -- especially near the end -- that never fail to delight me.
{October 2018 Reread}
PUDDLEGLUUUMMMMM. <3
I forgot how much I love him.
"I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia."
MY SOUL IS FEELING THINGS. <333
(Also, these two bits were particularly priceless. xD
And in the inquiry all sorts of things about Experiment House came out, and about ten people got expelled. After that, the Head's friends saw that the Head was no use as a Head, so they made her an Inspector to interfere with other Heads. And when they found she wasn't much good even at that, they got her into Parliament where she lived happily ever after.
C.S. Lewis over here throwing British shade. xD xD
"Why, Son of Adam, don't you understand? A Centaur has a man-stomach and a horse-stomach. And of course both want breakfast. So first of all he has porridge and pavenders and kidneys and bacon and omelette and cold ham and toast and marmalade and coffee and beer. And after that he attends to the horse part of himself by grazing for an hour or so and finishing up with a hot mash, some oats, and a bag of sugar. That's why it's such a serious thing to ask a Centaur to stay for the weekend."
Have some mixed feelings on this one. I love reading about his conversion and philosophical reasoning processes, but the chapter where he addressed thHave some mixed feelings on this one. I love reading about his conversion and philosophical reasoning processes, but the chapter where he addressed the pederasty (student to student, not adult to student) and other issues going on at one of the schools he attended left me pretty disturbed. I was not satisfied by his exploration of greater vs. lesser moral evils. I'd have to reread that chapter and do some serious pondering/praying, but . . . yeah. Not totally at rest regarding that. I also felt that he went on some random bunny trails throughout the book.
However, again, I loved other parts of it. ...more
It is still “either-or”. If we insist on keeping Hell (or even Earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept Heaven we shall
{June 2024 Reread}
It is still “either-or”. If we insist on keeping Hell (or even Earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept Heaven we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell.
This is flawed, with some regrettable sexism (as per Lewis usual), strange creative choices,* and iffy hamartiology, but overall quite excellent. It's also a solid rebuttal to those who mistakenly label Lewis a universalist. I think the preface is arguably the most remarkable part of the book: incisive, irrefutable, heartening.
*"The Nature or Arch-Nature of that land rejoiced to have been once more ridden, and therefore consummated, in the person of the horse." Sir, this is a Wendy's??...more
I reread Out of the Silent Planet so that I could reread Perelandra. That’s how much I remember loving it.
Unfortunately, however, while Silent PlanetI reread Out of the Silent Planet so that I could reread Perelandra. That’s how much I remember loving it.
Unfortunately, however, while Silent Planet raised its initial rating by half a star and rounded up on this reread, Perelandra lowered its own by two.
Don’t get me wrong: It’s not that Perelandra is so much worse than I remember it being. It’s just that I no longer find the elements that blew me away the first time all that astonishing anymore.
For context, Perelandra explores what could have happened if God had created sentient humanoid life on multiple planets, and if not all of those planets fell from their original, sinless states. Essentially, Lewis is asking what it would look like if God had created another Adam and Eve, on another planet, and if they had not committed the first sin of disobedience when tempted to by Satan. If the Fall, in fact, never happened.
Now, that’s a gutsy allegorical premise, on many levels, and I could get behind it in theory. Lewis could also write allegory quite well, so, again, it could have worked. The problem, for me, is not so much the allegory itself, it’s the exposition of that allegory.
Because, in this version of cosmic history, the cataclysmic introduction of sin isn’t averted because this Adam and Eve simply make their own, freewill decision to obey God and ignore the devil. Nope, in this version, God sends an earthly human to this other planet to kill the tempter for this Adam and Eve.
And who might that chosen human be?
If you guessed our original protagonist, Elwin Ransom . . . you’re right.
Do you -- do you start to see my issue? I just . . . I don’t know, man. If you’re going to consider the possibility of a “second Eden” which never fell to darkness, you can approach it from multiple equally valid theological angles. So, on one hand, I have no real -- meaning, insurmountable -- issue with how Lewis wrote this novel. I can see how he came to the conclusions he came to, for this, and none of them are technically wrong. But part of that, of course, is because I don't know if it’s possible for any one perspective on such a premise to be “technically wrong”. On an issue so speculative, there’s plenty of room for nuance.
So, since just about anything “could,” in theory, “go” for such a story, the question is not so much what you can do with it, but what would be best for you to do with it. And, in my personal opinion, reproducing the biblical Eden situation on another planet, but bringing in a human man to act as God’s “hands” in giving this extra-terrestrial Adam and Eve some “additional help” in resisting Satan’s temptation -- making that human man, essentially, a kind of divinely designated, “substitute messiah” for this other race -- is perhaps not the best thing to do with it. You feel me, fam?
Additionally, there’s the issue of, um . . . gender . . . intrinsic to this premise. Because he’s writing a speculative, semi-allegorical Eden fantasy, Lewis is saddled -- or rather, saddles himself -- with the responsibility of describing his idea of what an Eveian woman would be like.
This . . . is . . . a delicate situation for any male author to put himself in, and I think it may be especially precarious for a male theologian. And I question the prudence of doing so at all -- or, at least, of doing so in such detail and for so long as Lewis does in this book.
Once again, there’s nothing (or not much) that is flatly wrong or unbiblical about his Eve figure. But, while revering her narratively, Lewis also emphasizes her naivete and her gullibility to an extent that is . . . dare I say, unnecessary? And troubling, considering the habits of sexism detectable in certain other of his works? It’s also . . . not great . . . that, while we only meet the Adam figure a few pages before the novel ends, Lewis takes the time to glorify him to the extent that he does.
I understand his interest in the magnificence of what a sinless Adam would be like, especially given the biblical comparison that names Jesus Christ our second Adam. I understand his interest in the magnificence of what a sinless image-bearer of God Almighty would be like. But . . . truly not trying to be petty, but . . . the Bible tells us that women are made in the image of God as well. So, without getting into a sticky biblical debate about gender, I think we can (and should) acknowledge that a sinless Eve would be just as great a marvel as a sinless Adam.
And Lewis does glory in the sinless Eve, as well -- he does dedicate quite a bit of time to her splendor, as well.
But he also explicitly states that, while this Eve figure is great, no one would think of paying her any attention if this Adam was in the same space, because he is so exponentially more radiant.
And that . . . that reads as a smidge icky, my friends. Just a smidge.
Remember, now, I absolutely loved this story when I first read it. I got really excited when I realized what Lewis was doing with the book -- how he was building it to this monolithic spiritual climax and infusing it with so much heady philosophical and theological speculation.
And that’s still cool, of course. I still love philosophical and theological speculation, and there are still bits of it in this book that I do enjoy and do find beneficial and compelling.
It’s just that, since I no longer appreciate all or even most of this speculation as much as I did at first -- since I no longer find this speculation very productive, or even very accurate -- I don’t get as excited about all the "trappings," for lack of a less depreciative term. (I’ve also realized that, on a purely recreational level, I enjoy the Malacandrian setting of Silent Planet more than I enjoy the Perelandrian setting of -- well, Perelandra.)
So, all in all, this book simply doesn’t do as much for me now as it did the first time I read it. And that is Perfectly Okay.
However, I will say:
“In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, here goes -- I mean Amen,” is still one of the single most epic lines I have ever read in my entire life....more
"I do not think the forest would be so bright, nor the water so warm, nor love so sweet, if there were no danger in the lakes."
First time reading this"I do not think the forest would be so bright, nor the water so warm, nor love so sweet, if there were no danger in the lakes."
First time reading this in probably six or eight years, and my thoughts are about the same now as they were then. It's a perfectly good book, even if it's not one that I trip over myself to reread all the time.
I did notice a few additional points of interest this time around. For one thing, I love that Lewis wrote Ransom as a philologist, because it feels like a pretty overt homage to Tolkien; and that, of course, gives rise to many Wholesome & Happy thoughts. Several moments in the book seem to be loving digs at Tolkien's nerdiness, which is sublime.
The creature was talking. It had a language. If you are not yourself a philologist, I am afraid you must take on trust the prodigious emotional consequences of this realization in Ransom's mind.
I also find it fascinating that Lewis addresses the form of colonialism inherent in the idea of extra-terrestrial exploration. His villains talk explicitly of "the white man's burden," but even our protagonist, Ransom, soon learns that he is guilty of some of the same mindsets. He, too, brings his own presuppositions with him when he arrives on Malacandra, and few of them are flattering. He, too, views himself as a member of the "superior race," who can and ought to "bring civilization" to a "savage world" -- and Lewis calls him out on it more than once.
Ever since he had discovered the rationality of the hrossa he had been haunted by a conscientious scruple as to whether it might not be his duty to undertake their religious instruction; now, as a result of his tentative efforts, he found himself being treated as if he were the savage and being given a first sketch of civilized religion -- a sort of hrossian equivalent of the shorter catechism.
Lastly, I'd forgotten how many funny bits there are in this book. My dude can write humor. Behold, a couple gems:
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For a moment Ransom found something reassuring in the thought that the sorns were shepherds. Then he remembered that the Cyclops in Homer plied the same trade.
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In explanation of his [Weston's] conduct it is only fair to remember that he had already that morning endured all the terrors of an expected martyrdom and all the anticlimax of fourteen compulsory douches.
Definitely recommended for fans of Lewis and/or science fiction.
Sorry, that person's shelf is private.
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