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What are readers saying about His Dark Materials?
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-03-27 09:55:49.
(Language: English)
 
This trilogy beats Harry Potter to the floor and wipes the floor with him. In fact, not only that: taken as one whole work, His Dark Materials is simply one of the best books written, well, ever; the fact that it's supposed to be for kids is irrelevant. Brimming with ideas, sometimes (in the case of the final part) perhaps a little too many, astounding invention, unforgettable characters and big, big cojones (yah booh, sucks to you, organised religion), it's astonishingly great. The mindless automatons who condemn this as no more than atheistic propaganda for the under 14s have obviously not read it. Yes, Pullman is an atheist and by book 3 subtlety is out the window, but his real target is authoritarianism in *all* its forms. Anyway, forget the religious hysteria that's been whipped up by the unfortunately mediocre film, this is dazzling fiction, providing you can cope with fantasy. And if you can't, you should try it anyway, because otherwsie you're really missing out.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-09-05 07:22:30.
(Language: English)
Wow, these books are amazing. I would call it a contemporary 'Lord of the Rings,' and a thousand times better then Harry Potter. It tackles religion, growing up, love, and an adventure between worlds through one fiery little girl, who must unknowingly comment the ultimate betrayal to save the world(s). Pullman spawned the novel from the lines of Milton's PARADISE LOST and is also coined to be the antithesis of C.S. Lewis's CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, which Pullman denies as a conscious intention. A war against God, new worlds, the land of the dead, Spirits existing outside the body(Dualism), Mercenary Polar bears, Witches, Shamans, head strong children, Mythological creatures, prophecies, a truth measurer/teller, actual character growth and degradation... and a visit to our own world. What more could you want? Lord Asriel rocks my socks off. A must read.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-07-20 02:58:08.
(Language: English)
With all of the hype of Pullman's atheist worldview, I expected these books to be much more challenging to my moral compass. I was disappointed with the portrayal of the evil 'church', it seemed more of an attack on medieval catholocism than anything that exists in today's world. I wouldn't dare compare it to C.S. Lewis' Narnia series, there's just not the same power behind Pullman's words, but then he's not really trying to do the same thing (other than create an atheist 'alternative' to Narnia?). Are these books for young people? There is not a lot of violence, but it tends to be very graphically described (I'd say mostly on par with the later HP books, but a few of the scenes are beyond what I'd let a pre-teen child read).I did find his descriptions of heavenly beings interesting (although I definitely don't agree with the fallen angels being the good guys), as well as the notion of parallel worlds, but if he believes the afterlife to be that bleak, I feel truly sorry for him.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-02-08 04:53:03.
(Language: English)
This series, unfortunately categorized as Young Adult fiction, should be classified more properly simply as Literature. The density of the descriptive passages immediately draw the reader into Lyra's world, and Lyra, the protagonist is a complex and fully-realized creation, who becomes even more so as the trilogy progresses. Banned by the Catholic Church (almost reason enough to venture to read it), it chronicles a parallel world which is ruled by an omnipotent and fanatically paranoid Church, which seeks to maintain control through its priests who also may act as assassins in their "holy work" to assure maintenance of the current order. Pullman has also devised a remarkable construct in the use of a "daemon" - the "animal spirit" or "soul" - the vital part of the human is represented in an external creature which speaks with and sometimes for the human, and cannot be separated from him or her without grave consequence. I have read this series twice, and am looking forward to doing so again. It is an adventure story, a mystery, a love story, and an epic, all at once. The writing is gorgeous, and it is unfortunate that the film based on the books was modified as it had to be to mollify the Church, as well as condense it into a watchable session.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-08-21 10:04:46.
(Language: English)
This is a great series if you like magic, parallel worlds, talking animals, and lots of action. The first book The Godlen Compass is coming out in movie form in December, so it helps to be prepared by knowing the plot and characters. I am not sure if this movie is only the first book or the entire trilogy. I abhor people who tell too much of the plot in reviews, so I have not given anything away in this review. Basically, a young girl unaware of her special abilities and true parentage is involved in myriad escapades with and without human / animal companions. Of course, evil exists and tries to thwart her at every turn as she tries to make the right choices. The secret is that she must find her own way without anyone telling her what to do, or she will not be able to save the world. Apparently, everyone magical and non-magical knows that she is a special person. Magical DUST (which represents the life force for GOOD) is almost another character in this series. It known only by "special" people who have plans to use it for pleasant and unpleasant ends. The Golden Compass is a compass that only tells the truth through hands that move through a variety of symbols, each of which have many layers of meaning. It is the last remaining compass like this in the world and the main character not only has it, but is able to read it without the normal years of training and the "how to" book. The Subtle Knife is a knife that can cut windows from one world into the next and can only be wielded by someone that the knife chooses. A male child companion of the main character is eventually the possessor of this powerful knife which is also deadly against all types of magical villans. Of course, everyone wants to possess this knife!! The Amber Spyglass is a scientific invention built to identify and determine "up close" what DUST actually is and why the world is coming to a bad end without it. This magic DUST of good life feelings and actions is pouring out of all the worlds, leaving only BAD people to be in charge...unless someone can change this scenerio. This is an enjoyable series with very creative situations and characters. The action is non-stop and harrowing most of the time. However, if you have any strong Religious beliefs, you might be upset at how creation, life, death, and religion are portrayed throughout this series. Arif Aziz
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-01-30 08:36:56.
(Language: English)
Wow, Pullman really had a chip on his shoulder regarding the church when he wrote this! These books are fantastic and I really recommend them to anyone, especially if you're looking for kid's fiction with strong female characters, because I don't think anyone can beat Lyra Belacqua in that category. Her development throughout the book is carefully measured and depicted, as she escapes from Oxford a lying little tomboy and travels through various worlds with her friend Will, emerging a mature young lady in the end. I didn't like the strange beings in the Amber Spyglass as much, because that felt a bit like, "Oh, kid's fiction! Must add critters! Because talking animals are not enough!" but the rest is terrific.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-06-16 05:07:53.
(Language: English)
I know it helps that I read this trilogy during my trip to Iceland, which makes the whole story even more amazing! Philip Pullman is like Tolkien but readable. He hooks the reader from the first book until the end of the third, which doesn't disappoint either. A story that touches on spiritual and religious matters with great simplicity, it builds on the idea that there are various worldly dimensions on earth, living in parallel of each other. The first book, Northern Lights discovers Lyra's world, which is one where humans have dæmons in the form of an animal. Humans cannot be separated from their dæmons which are like their spirits. Lyra becomes involved in a long journey to the North in the discovery of Dust. It's a world of witches, armoured bears, academics, etc. The second book, The Subtle Knife discovers Will's world, which is like the world we live in. Lyra and Will accidentally finds each other and together they discover various things about themselves, and about what is happening to their worlds. The last book, The Amber Spyglass completes the journey. It's a spellbinding journey which Lyra & Will take, showing their loyalty to promises they made to others and to each other. It teaches us something about dedication and friendship. A must read.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-11-23 02:43:29.
(Language: English)
I avoided starting this book, because my literary intuition warned me it would be a conscious swallowing experience - and it was. In fact, on the homestreatch I think I actually made myself sick so I could stay home from work, baricade myself off from my husband and kid, stay in bed and finish it. I recommend this series to anyone who revels in fantastic leaps of the imagination, courageous, lovable characters and lots of scenes of children getting hurt. Buahaha. Actually, for a young mother, this was a bit traumatic, but hey - book trauma is like the unpleasant prick of needle right before a shot of bad bad medicine. ahem! Though the middle volume called "The Subtle Knife" was not as compelling as first and third volumes, I found the whole ride extraordinary and will be freatly pissed off if they fuck up the film. Thanks for a great gift Aaron! (Do this to your friends and they'll love you too)
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-05-26 05:06:39.
(Language: English)
This was an excellent series, but had felt like it slowed and sped up in places. the first two books were excellent, with the second book being the fastest paced, but the third seemed to slow waay down. Perhaps it's the entire world of the mulefa that had me feeling like entire sections of the book simply didn't belong. pullman spent the entirity of the first two books explaining worlds that felt intimately familiar, and doing so quite well. his descriptions of the intercision process, and his automatic and complete revulsion to any abuse brought upon children against their will was incredible and novel. But in book 3, things seemed to unravel a bit, and everything got a lot more philosophical, but not in a manner that meshed well with the previous style or writing. I loved the 3 books, and hated pullman for his ending (though I felt it was well done and justified - i just wanted it to end differently very badly:( ), and am now quite curious about his other works.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-07-17 08:29:48.
(Language: English)
While these are engaging action fantasy books with children as the main characters, THEY ARE NOT CHILDRENS' BOOKS and should not be read by children. There is simply way too much graphic child abuse and violence at the heart of the story, in my opinion. That being said, Pullman has come up with some intriguing concepts that make this trilogy weighty enough to stand in the company of CS Lewis' SF trilogy (among others). For the most part, the plot moves forward sensibly and the characters--all but the inane Mrs. Coulter--are comprehensible. The most lamentable aspect of the work, though, is the superficial concept of divinity that Pullman imposes on his audience and on the characters in these books. His own personal "atheism" is a well-known fact. But one hopes that it is based on a rejection of "God" that is somewhat more substantial than that presented here.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-02-26 10:43:06.
(Language: English)
I loved this trillogy the first time I read it. The second time I felt things kind of broke down at the end a little, but it was still pretty good. also, I don't hate god after reading this book. In fact I thought the God I believe in was portrayed clearly in this book, just not as the character "god" in the story. I also thought it was interesting that Pullman, a devout athiest, could let such a christian message slip in as the Christ type of Lyra enduring unbelievable pain and decending into the land of the dead to save the souls of everyone in the universe. I wonder if he did that intentionaly or what, because if that's how he destroys the faith of children, he better rethink his methods. well I really loved this series when i read it in middle school, but on a second read, I liked it up to the end where i just started thinking it was silly. It's been described as 'athiest propoganda' but I believe in God, and found that these books actually represented God (not "the authority") pretty much the way I think of Him.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-03-10 12:27:24.
(Language: English)
I'll keep this short. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The plot was twisty and kept me guessing. I loved the odd names the author gave common things when they were mentioned in Lyra's world. I loved the adventure of the story, and I loved the "every action has a consequence" moral. I loved it right up to the last chapter or so. Then I hated it. The ending was abrupt and unsatisfying. I also thought this was a youth book, so I totally disliked the entire Anti-God aspect of it and the adult-oriented love-theme at the end. It was totally inappropriate and I felt like the ending was a cop-out because the author ran out of ideas.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-09-17 12:44:00.
(Language: English)
Wow. AMMMMAAAZING trilogy! Couldnt put it down! I hope they dont butcher it with the film... I absolutly love His Dark Materials triliogy – it is so smart and cunningly written. On one layer it is simply and adventure story (which is how I found it to be when I first read it back in 7th grade) but on another layer, which is what I now find as I read it, it is layered thickly ideas from fields like physics, philosophy and the philosophy of religion, and theology and its biblical symbolism. The beauty of this trilogy is that as it progresses, these things become more and more apparent and eventhough it has a “deep†meaning, it is still enjoyable for all ages I think. So I recommend it to pretty much everyone because no one is shut out from enjoying it. What fascinated me the most was Pullman’s take on religion. Christianity and the Church are criticized by some of the characters; Pullman generally always put in subtle hints and comments about religion, but the case of Ruta (a witch and friend of Lyra’s) says that "For all of [the Church's] history...it's tried to suppress and control every natural impulse. And when it can't control them, it cuts them out." She later actully extends her criticism to all organized religion: "That's what the Church does, and every church is the same: control, destroy, obliterate every good feeling." It should be noted that the witches are treated criminally by the church in their own world; does this ring any bells for anyone? Pullman actully even goes as far as to have one of his characters say that "the Christian religion…is a very powerful and convincing mistake, that's all". He also portrays the Christian heaven to be a lie, and the books' real afterlife is a bleak place where people are tormented by "harpies". The “Authoritity†represents God – he is weak and fake. However all of this Pullman masters with complete smoothness and subtelty as he never makes a distinction between negative and postive Christian practice; instead, nearly all Christian characters are represented as “bad†or are presented as “better†individuals once they give up their affiliation with the Church. So I guess that if anyone is up for an adventure story with a deeper theological and philosophical meaning, this is it!
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-02-21 10:16:47.
(Language: English)
Fantastic fictional story. These are my comments I posted on a blog for the series: I read the books. If anyone has an ounce of faith in Christ that's truly their own and not based on their parents' faith or someone else's then they wouldn't be effected by the books unless they chose to be. Let's stop being so weak-minded and easily offended. If people are going to greatly alter their beliefs based only on a fantasy book then they wouldn't have made strong believers in Christianity or anything else for that matter. I'm not saying we shouldn't be open to new beliefs and being wrong, but that we shouldn't be credulous, gullible and passive about our beliefs to the point that we believe every fiction book we pick up. Come on! 2 By the way. The two children who represent Adam and Eve don't kill "God", in fact he dies by accident because they were trying to help him. They didn't know it would kill him. Another by the way: I would've intentionally killed him. The God of that story is nothing like the God I know and have fallen in love with. I would've gladly killed him. 3 Another by the way: Near the end of the last book I stopped and had one of the best prayer times I’ve had with God in a while because it inspired me so much. 4 I know I've basically said this already but humor me for a sec. In a way, he's not attacking Christianity, because the behavior of the "Church" and the "God" he describes aren't Christlike and ARE wrong and NOT CHRISTIANITY. The God he describes in the books isn't the God Christians believe in. I think most Christians would hate the "God" of his story and want to kill him as well. He wasn’t even truly God anyway. He lied to everyone about it. He was a selfish, tyrannical, cruel and megalomaniacal angel. I'D KILL GOD IF HE WAS LIKE THAT AS WELL. He's almost supporting Christianity by making clear what it is that Christianity ISN'T. 5 Suzanna Cook said, "By the way Michael, that great that you had good prayer time with God, but I that's not going to happen with everyone. In what way did it inspire you?" Suzanna, I don't have a lot of time to comment right now, but I feel like you missed my point. I probably didn't make it clear. My point is actually the same point you made in the above statement. I mentioned the prayer time to make clear that we can't assume the books will effect everyone the same way. We should be far more careful and less hasty to slap a "good" or "bad" onto something until we're more fully informed, have been circumspective about it, and have had an open mind and heart. How each person is effected by something is usually far more THEIR fault than the thing supposedly "affecting" them. How each person is determining whether something is "good" or "bad" is different anyway. That’s just as much God's fault as it is ours in my opinion. He didn't give us perfectly clear directions in the Bible; a section entitled, "How to determine which books should be red and which movies can be watched" He left it quite vague. Oh, there's 'principles'. but don't waist time mentioning them to me. I teach them in the Church and I believe I understand their value, but everyone still applies them differently and comes to different conclusions by them. Lets just admit that God made it hard for us all to find and agree on what the truth is in these more peripheral matters of life. They're still worth giving time to, but lets always keep the more important things of life and our faith more important, you know? I'd like to explain this following statement but won't really. I think God's less interested in what decision people make IN THIS MATTER as he is in HOW they make the decision. He doesn't believe it's either wrong or right to read the books or watch the movies. I believe he has a different opinion of wrong or right (in these peripheral kind of issues) for each person based on many things (their reason for doing it, the effect it will have on them, who and how they'll influence by doing it, etc.) It's not the same answer for each person. I believe stealing is always wrong for everyone, but deciding whether or not to play a video game for an hour is right or wrong for different people for different reasons. There's countless things involved in why it could be right or wrong. There's no universal answer for it. Lets stop acting like there is. Fantastic! Loved it. Well written. Made me love God so much more, because he's so much different than the "God" described in the book. I recommend it to anyone with any real faith of their own.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-05-21 11:13:52.
(Language: English)
The trilogy kept me turning page after page, from chapter to chapter, putting down one novel and moving to the next in the series. Seldom if ever did I not feel entertained and delighted by the sheer imagination of Philip Pullman. In the end I compared this set to the Potter hype of last year (Yes Matilda, I read them all) and the delightfully prolix but fascinatingly informative and imaginative "Clan of the Cave Bear" series of several years ago. Pullman researched well. He built his plot on a sustained metaphor. If we think of a metaphor as a thing regarded as representative or symbolic of something else, especially something abstract then the author used many metaphors to symbolize the creator of the universe, life/death, after death (even inbetween death), intuition, education, dogma, propaganda, control, independence, and either our souls or a Freudian id, ego, superego. The symbolims linked nano-technology, a cheeky and oblique take on the 'big-bang theory' and a twisted, contorted view of relativism in reality versus Darwinism in despair. In fact, I believe the contrast of hope/faith versus despair was intriguing. However, nothing got me salivating as much as the use of intuition through I-Ching, an alethiometer and attached demon personality/ alter-egos. Pullman brought in psychology (Jung/ Freud), religion, medical science and physics such that one's mind could tumble with potential interpretaions, suggestions and potential reality. Certainly he did not profer any challenges to convential faiths his attack, if designed or seen as such would, in my opinion, be a questioning of blind faith, reliance on dogma or 'religion' by power and fear. More so than just metaphors, and much like "The Pilgrim's Progress" this trilogy is an allegory. It is a story that can be interpreted to reveal many hidden meaning, moral, political, or religious. More importantly it focusses on a person's education or lack of. If one could simply see education as a teacher and a student learning a set curicuulum then such an allegory would not be needed. However, education has been one of, if not THE most profound challenge of mankind since Adam and Eve or whomever came first (even that is open to an educated interpretation). The bible teaches us, the Koran teaches us, our parents teach, our laws teach, nature teaches... what is there to rely on or not? What speaks the truth without question? Do we believe in the flat earth, or the round one? We revolve around the Sun, the sun revolves around us? There is one Creator, there is none or more than one? Some hypotheses can be empirically proven; others by theory or logic and others cannot. What to believe. Heresy is not stating a fact that lacks a complete proof. If one reads "Peony in Love", a novel adventure into life after death is posited such that the reader has a better understanding of the results of 'education' and thus faith or beliefs in one defined culture. Compare that after death experience with the one presented by Pullman and neither of them have any substantive logic or theory to support to them, certainly nothing has been observed to give proof to such imaginative potential; however there is also nothing to say that there exists a basis for a wide potential of after death scenarios. For this, I thoroughly enjoyed what I read. I am rating this as a nine based on its entertainment value and what I gained from it even at my age (65). From a literary point of view, I rate it higher than the works of J.K. Rowling or Jean M. Auel but a little less than the literary classics that are held together by the structure of words and phrasing rather than ideas, imagination and action.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-06-27 09:47:30.
(Language: English)
The "His Dark Materials Trilogy," by Philip Pullman, comprising "The Golden Compass," "The Subtle Knife," and "The Amber Spyglass." Although ostensibly "young adult" fiction, Pullman's trilogy is a complex investigation into deep philosophical questions by way of a simple narrative firmly entrenched in a fantastic universe of innumerable worlds - some which are similar to the world we know, but others that are entirely different. Pullman's novels are quite dark for the younger reader. He deals with themes such as the loss of childhood innocence, nascent sexuality, death and religion in a way such that, to his credit, he neither alienates the younger reader nor insults those of us in our advanced years (I read these when I was 26). Pullman's books are a mishmash of the Judeo-Christian religious tradition (Adam & Eve), along with wild fantasy elements (armored bears, witches), and tribute paid to classic writing such as Milton's "Paradise Lost." Really quite fascinating and a wonderful story. A word of warning: one must be willing to lose oneself in Pullman's world, at once fantastic yet curiously familiar. Check this trilogy out.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-08-11 09:03:53.
(Language: English)
After having read the first two books so many years ago, it was nice to come back and read all three together in a series. Not that is really helped me enjoy the books. I found his philosophical ideas mildly engaging, but the randomness of his presentation certainly decreased their potency. I understand (and appreciate) the idea of parallel universes, and Pullman's desire to show how incredibly different they can all be. But seriously- ghosts, Specters, Gallevespians, angels, etc. etc. etc.? It just felt like every time he ran out of plot, he threw in a new species. When Will and Lyra were lying on that big long beach with the huge ferns, I expected dinosaurs. Seriously.In addition to his haphazard assortment of genres, Pullman's writing style itself at times detracted from the story. At times, his writing would sing beautifully, but at other times it felt forced. Characters would say or describe things that just felt out of place, like the event was happening from the wrong viewpoint; at other times, he would almost painfully ground the book in a particular time and place. I was thinking in particular of when he's describing Mary's interaction with the Dust when it was if she was trying to stop the flow of the Mississippi River. The Mississippi, really? Simply describing a rapidly flowing, engorged river would have been fine; to include the Mississippi was jarring.There's always more to a story than how it's actually written. But given the subject matter Pullman was covering, I'd have hoped his writing would help to enhance and not detract from the ideas.As for those ideas, I've not too much to say. It was a new and refreshing look on the ideas of life, death, and existence. I take solace in the idea of making your own life more about telling the truth and living honestly, and not worrying about what happens after death. It gels really well with my philosophy of life: "I know it's coming, I'll worry about it when it gets here." It always frustrates me when people say they wouldn't let their children, friends, etc. read such-and-such a book because of the ideas it espouses. Read it, let others read it, and decide on your own what it does for you. Just beware of the Mississippi....
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Dennis posted a review at 2009-01-03 05:52:26.
(Language: English)
I have to confess I first heard about the Dark Materials trilogy (Golden Compass) from a mass e-mail forwarded by an un-named friend, an e-mail which stridently warned that the Golden Compass was written by an angry atheist author hell-bent on subverting and completely destroying the morals of children and adults and generally undermining the structure of civilization. (Not mentioned in the email was the fact that the book had won every major literary award in Britain, and many elsewhere.) At that point, of course, I had to check it out! It took me a month or two to plow through the three volumes, but the rewards were immense. This is a gigantic science-fiction-type universe (or maybe a Kosmos, an infinite set of universes) in which the author, Philip Pullman, travels both time and space to pose, and even sometimes answer, questions about why we are here, what our connection is to other living things with consciousness.. and along the way he also addresses other assorted little subjects... like religion, science, faith, intuition, authority, and (yes) God...or maybe god.. and the meaning of life. It's true that organized religion does come in for a bit of a pounding, but it would be an unfortunate and narrow over-reaction to see this as the central theme of the trilogy. Oh yeah, and then there are the talking polar bears with magically enhanced armor-plated uniforms! They are totally, fabulously cool. In all seriousness, this might be the one book series that I place at the convergence of, hmmm, the Chronicles of Narnia; Edgar Rice Burroughs; and Friedrich Nietzsche! The philosophy is profoundly deep, but never gets so heavy or tedious that the story is lost. I've never even seen the Golden Compass movie, I'm so convinced that it will be inferior I don't even want to take the chance. My only complaint (and given my enthusiasm for these books it is really a minor one) might be that the first two volumes of the trilogy (Golden Compass; Subtle Knife) are so intricate, lush and well-imagined, that they make the third volume (The Amber Spyglass) feel a little bit rushed and hasty in comparison, especially in its final few chapters, as it barrels to something of a conclusion. On the other hand, maybe it's just an artifact of the way I personally read the books, sprinting near the finish line in joyful desperation to find and internalize the Secret Meaning of It All. A Secret Meaning which I will certainly NOT be foolish enough to divulge as a spoiler here. Nor, in all likelihood, without writing a book myself, could I...
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-08-04 11:43:53.
(Language: English)
Better than most fantasy that I've read, His Dark Materials is interesting for its philosophical thrust as much as its narrative, if not more so. The two are so intertwined (much like C.S. Lewis or Ayn Rand) that they're a bit hard to separate. As fiction, it is effective, exciting, and fun, and I won't give up any plot details. Some parts are cartoonish to the point of being unbelievable (e.g. the Magisterium in Lyra's earth) and undercut the story, but they aren't severe enough to make the story bad, just less believable from a parallel universe/social evolution standpoint. As philosophy it is fun and effective (whether or not one agrees with it), and that's what I'll address in the rest of the review. Although Pullman has self-identified as an agnostic/atheist, I don't see these books as an attack on the idea of a deity as much as an attack on deity-as-oppressor, or a false god (which The Authority is in HDM), and ultimately the humanism that Pullman embraces is very close to many of the ideals of Christianity (just without the presence of an identified, quantifiable deity). In other words, Pullman's atheism is genuinely humanistic and encourages compassion, charity, the love of humanity, etc, whereas some atheisms (most notably Ayn Rand's) lead to selfishness and a rather sick hyper-egoism that falsely calls itself humanism. His Dark Materials is also much more fun than Atlas Shrugged and seems unlikely to encourage anyone to behave like a sociopath (as Atlas & the Fountainhead do). I contrast HDM and Atlas for a few reasons: 1) HDM and Narnia have been compared extensively, 2) both are narrative-as-polemic, and 3) the reaction of the evangelical community to each: HDM is denounced by Christians although its humanistic ethics are very close to Christian ethics, whereas the ethics of Atlas are widely embraced by many in the American religious right, even though they are profoundly opposed to Christian ethics, and some American evangelicals (e.g. John Piper) have praised Rand (except for her atheism). Ultimately, HDM is a coming-of-age story and is very effective as such. In fact, I can think of only one fantasy coming-of-age story that is more effective, but I won't get into that here (Hint: It takes seven years for the boy in that story to come of age, and it is also about vanquishing a spiritually oppressive tyrant).
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-11-30 12:55:16.
(Language: English)
I wanted to like this series so bad... I really did. I wish I could convey just how much of a struggle it was to get through the third book. I guess it was mostly my fault, since I knew the books were geared for younger kids yet I read them expecting the type of high, rich fantasy that we get from contemporary authors like Erikson or Martin. The writing is bad and alternates between either too much or too little exposition, the characters are one-dimensional, and the story is filled with inconsistency. I think Pullman was aiming for the same audience as Brian Jacques, with the difference being that his books are far less readable. Phillip Pullman is an outspoken atheist, which is commendable. However, he should have been reminded somewhere around the second book that a conspicuous attempt to paint an evil caricature of the Catholic Church does not do much for your murky plotline. The narrator of a book should be transparent, and when it becomes obvious that you are INSERTING characters into your story for no other purpose than social commentary (cough Dr. Mary cough), it disrupts the storytelling. That is classic Terry Goodkind style bullshit. Anyway, I didn’t like much about this series. The books are really popular though, so there is definitely an audience out there. Read the first book and if you don’t like it my advice would be to stop there, because it doesn’t really get any better.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-12-24 10:41:10.
(Language: English)
Warning: lots of spoilers ahead. First off, the books are incredibly well written. Most importantly, it's unique and original, unlike most fantasy writing these days. Rather than steal from writers like Tolkien and others, Pullman actually comes up with creative ideas. So from a literary standpoint, these three books are very, very good. However, they are not children's books. It's not the religious overtones, which I'll get to soon enough. As my friend Cory Watson pointed out in a blog post, it's the sexual overtones. The story is largely centered around concepts of original sin and puberty. By the end of the trilogy, the main characters, a 12 year old boy and girl, discover their sexuality. It's not explicit, but it's blatant. Additionally, there are times when adults in the story interact among themselves or say things to the children that I would never want a child to read. It is for that reason that I have problems with the book. Sexual activity between children that are 12 years old is unconscionable. On to the spiritual/religious aspects. So yes, God dies in the book. When people talked about it, I thought it was an active killing of God. In fact, it's passive. Pullman's concept of God in the book is that he was merely the first angel. Angels coalesced from Dust, a conscious, elementary particle. When other angels formed, Pullman's God claimed to have created them all, which was a lie. Some, knowing the truth, rebelled, following the story line of Milton's Paradise Lost. By the third book, the first angel, known as the Authority (but also referenced by Christian titles: Yahweh, Jehovah, Alpha and Omega--he doesn't beat around the bush), is incredibly old and decrepit. He reminded me of the king from The Princess Bride, in a way. He is kept safe in a sort of coffin-like container to protect him from the elements. During a battle, while he is being flown to safety, the angels protecting him are killed, the coffin falls and breaks, and after a few moments of being exposed to the elements the Authority disintegrates away by the wind. Pullman's concept of God is far from omnipotent, omnipresent. In this world, he is unnecessary and irrelevant. Irrelevant is the perfect word, actually. Pullman in one sense follows Dawkins in his thoughts that religion is evil, but in the end appears to make the claim that God is irrelevant and we should just stop worrying about it at all, because it is powerless in the face of humanity? That may not be the right way to say it, but it feels right now. His church is the stereotypical Catholic church from the Dark Ages (except that it was run by a guy named Calvin out of Geneva--sort of a Reformation gone wrong). They silence heretics, don't bat an eye at killing, and try to run people's lives ("for their own good"). Religion is about what one cannot do, and what the church needs to do to protect people from themselves and from sin. So literary standpoint: excellent book. Sexual activity between children: bad. His religious foundation: false, and I'm sorry for it; I wish he could know the Authority that I know.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-12-08 09:38:36.
(Language: English)
Don't believe all the negative stuff = this is a wonderful series. Despite the fact that the author is an avowed atheist while I'm a Christian, I really enjoyed the entire series. Although he does make some statements that I found sadly misinformed, overall I found the work completely unique and fresh in a very populated world. Some will draw a parallel with the Narnia books, and I believe this author has said the parallel exists intentionally; still, Pullman's fantastic world teeters between Victorian England and steampunk sensibilities with an incisive depth lacking in many books of fantasy. While I found his style just a tad cold, the panserbjorn are a wonderful creation, as is the concept of the visible "daemon." He doesn't end up where I thought he would - he drew a bunch of pointers to a couple of ideas, and then just seemed to toss them. While the ending is not what I expected, there was also no big surprise - it ended on a lovely, romantic note, and it worked, regardless
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-01-10 10:39:24.
(Language: English)
Also, it really is a pain to read. I would only recommend the first two books. The philosophies behind it are great, but as I said below, the overall message behind sucks and does not change the reader in the end, which is why the book fails itself. Spoilers Below: Truly a great first two books, but the third is in shambles. Pullman decides to only put effort into his characterizations in the first 14 chapters, and then after that there are about 20 chapters that, although filled with great content (some of the parts of the story are better upon reflection than when reading them then and there), have a terrible writing style that drags you along. In truth, if I did not have an iron will to finish this book, I would not have done so. Out of the 4 climaxes he has, only two are rewarding (coulter and Asriel defeating Metatron, Will and Lyra splitting up)and the other two are just disappointing, fail to make any sense, and bereft the reader of a better possible scene. IT felt like Pullman rushed the third book, that he should have added another hundred pages for description, detail, and characterization. Just because he says two people are in love a thousand times does not make them in love. However, this stunt of trying to convince the reader in the end that Will and Lyra are in love through saying they are eventually succeeds (the old Hitler trick: if you tell a lie enough it will eventually become true), only to have their love taken away and that they could never see each other again. Unfortunately, this did not really suite well as an ending for this series. I am all up for sad endings (I think that Novels should almost always have them to teach a lesson), but for a book series it is different. A book series creates an attachment to the reader as he/she spends a long time with the series, and to depress the reader in the end does not help the book. The readers feel like they wasted their time, because a sad ending does not better the reader in a book series, it only worsens their mood for a couple of days and makes them want to forget. Pullman should realize that since there are no real lessons in this book other than his hate for religious structures (though he cannot seem to lose the concept of god since he accepts fate), he had the chance to tell the love story of a lifetime, one where love passed beyond the world itself, but unfortunately he just pushes you back in the darkness. In truth, a book series like this, which has so many losses throughout it (the death of Lee Scoresbee really touched me, even more than the absolute ending), sort of deserved to leave the reader feeling happy. Instead, it just makes the reader regret that he ever read anything, and when the reader does that, the series fails itself. Then again, the writing in the third book is in such shambles and such a bore that the third book was heading towards its own destruction anyways, Pullman decided to ruin the rest of the series with it. It felt like the story should have had an unbelievable last minute change to a lighter side, but unfortunately, Pullman disappoints, giving an ending that just doesn't seem right to this series.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-11-18 08:06:05.
(Language: English)
A Humanist's Paradise Regained. Lyra and Will (both on the cusp of puberty) must travel between universes as they flee from the absolutist theocratic Magisterium. Both enemy and ally believe that the pair are destined to choose original sin or freewill. Their decisions will change all worlds. The setting has many unique elements such as the world of Lyra's Oxford, where the souls of people (Humans and Panserbjorne) are manifested outside of their bodies; the fallen world of Cittàgazze, where Spectres of Indifference spread fear and bring the curse of apathy; infernal devices powered by severing a soul, zombies, beings of spirit, and an alethiometer. The setting, however is not what is so emotionally involving about the story. It is Lyra and Will and their relationship with each other and their friends and enemies. The action is exciting, the intrigue and misleads are enjoyable. But it is the emotion of the characters that I keep thinking about. This is one of the few fictional works that I have read multiple times. Both the anxious 12 year old that I was and the proud father of a 12 year old that I am love His Dark Materials.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-02-08 02:01:21.
(Language: English)
On finishing this series, I find myself profoundly disappointed. Book 1 was excellent, book 2 was quite good, although there were, to my mind, some inconsistencies in the character of Will. Book 3 became a jumbled mess, with some really good parts and some really bad parts. The characterization of Will and Lyra falls apart completely and they do things for stupid selfish reasons that just happen to fit into what they were supposed to do. In the end the world is not saved because of anything they tried to do, but rather as an accidental side effect of something they did on a whim. Mary Malone, who is supposed to have a large role to play, spends most of her time not playing any real role, and the "temptation" she is supposed to offer never really materializes. All she ends up doing is giving a little extra push to what was already happening to Will and Lyra of their own accord. What could have been a really great series is let down by problems of plotting and characterization. The writing is pretty good, certainly better than that in Harry Potter, but compared to writers who I think really use language effectively (and not all are considered literature, e.g. Stephen King's use of language is amazing) it is merely good, not great.
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