His Dark Materials Trilogy: The Golden Compass / The Subtle Knife / The Amber Spyglass

Rating:
Summary: such a great book
Review: these i would say are the greatest books ever. from the first page right until the last, they touch on so much. from the growing up of children, the church and life in itself. it rivits you into it and you cannot let go. the most memorable book. Pullman has used incredible skill in creating a whole other world where the events happen.it leaves you with such emotion, a book like no other. if you haven't read these books DO SO NOW!

Rating:
Summary: Waste of paper, waste of time, waste of money
Review: I bought "His Dark Materials" book set because I saw it in a bookstore announced as fantastic literature, for children. It was sold beside Harry Potter and other famous children books. It is the kind of literature I find resting after a week at work.

So it was extremely disappointing to find out that Mr Pullman's work is actually pseudo-children literature. More precisely, it is nothing more than cheap materialistic/atheistic propaganda disguised as book for kids.

Mr Pullman obviously hates religions in general, Christianism in particular. To the point that his criticism becomes really pathetical. The bottom line is that God is bad, sin is good, matter and spirit are the same thing, our minds are nothing more than amplifiers of "conscious" cosmic energy, there are gay angels and wisdom and universal freedom are achieved by the satisfaction or your most base instincts (to put it mildly).

The problem of "His dark materials" series is that the first book, "The golden compass", is really thrilling. Mr Pullman's has good ideas for the plot and his biases are yet not apparent; you see only a couple of out-of-place attacks to the church, but nothing to the point to feel there is really an issue there. This will be clearer in the second book, and blatantly obvious in the third one - by the way, the worst of the series: considering strictly the artistic merits, it is complicated, badly resolved, full of "out of the blue" escapes, and boring. I confess I just went to the end because I was sure that such a heap of nonsenses would have a powerful turn. "He cannot be saying this and that; of course all of this will be clarified and come to a good end", I kept thinking. Well, I was completely wrong.

I am a professional chemist. As a scientist I cannot understand what Mr. Pullman finds so relieving in thinking that the atoms of our bodies will wander around the universe after our deaths, trying to find the atoms of our beloved. It is much easier to believe in God. Mr Pullman not only does not know anything about human spirituality. He lacks some scientific base as well.

And poor ex-nun dr. Malone... because she found out that she got hormones, God does not exist. She wastes her time trying to talk to energetic "particles" (dust, shadow, whatever), and this is framed as legitimate scientific research. It is not a surprise her laboratory was going to be sacked and her grants cut off.

So, if you are looking for good books for your children, may I suggest Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Harry Potter and Michael Ende (The Neverending Story is wonderful).

Of course, this comment has a meaning only if you care about philosophy, scientific method and religion. And kids. I sincerely hope Mr Pullman's kids have not had that kind of "liberating" experience at the age of 13 that he seems to find so fundamental to achieve wisdom.



Rating:
Summary: 5 stars because 6 isn't an option
Review: Perfect. I could have easily read these books back to back but then it would have all ended too quickly so I had to read one, wait a few months and read another. I have the last chapter left in The Amber Spyglass because I cannot bring myself to finish it. I have not been this enthralled since first reading The Chronicles of Narnia about 20 years ago. I especially love the fact that Mr. Pullman doesn't portray his female characters in a chauvinistic way as did Mr. C.S. Lewis. Both authors have painted lovely, vivid pictures though. I can't say enough good things about this trilogy. I find Lyra, Will, Mary, Iorek and other characters and storylines come to mind frequently...it's been years since I so desperately wanted to believe such wonderous people and places could exist. I have encouraged everyone I know to read these books as discussions can be as entertaining as the books themselves. I could easily become fanatical about this set...I disagree with some reviews that a particular book in this trilogy is better than another. They are equally astounding. Thanks--

Rating:
Summary: Amazing. Simply Amazing...
Review: These books are intense. As parent to an eight year old who has read the Harry Potter series, I would not give these to her just yet. Phillip Pullman is a storyteller, first and foremost, and the story he weaves is compelling. I review this as a whole - not three separate books. Personally, one cannot exist without the others.

Mr. Pullman's characters are memorable (Mrs. Coulter continues to show up in my nightmares), and very, very human. Yes, he takes quite a swipe at organized religion, and yes, I agree with his assesment that the Narnia series is both bigoted and sexist, (although, a product of its time) making His Dark Materials more enjoyable to me.

Phillip Pullman is referred to by the media as an aethist, but I see his books as carrying quite a Buddhist message, also. (a very similar view of death - as well as his approach to living life here and now.)

I thoroughly enjoyed the books, although I did space out reading them over a few months. As a bereaved parent, I found the parts written about the land of the dead extremely difficult to read - it hurt, but I read them through.

I've read many comments about the unsatisfying ending -- there aren't always happy endings. Personally, I found the ending very right for the books, very fitting.

I plan to give these books to my daughter in two years or so - not for just their tremendous story, but for their world view of religion. What I don't understand, is why the conservative churches in my area continue to burn Harry Potter and pass completely over these books, lol...

Thank you, Mr. Pullman, for sharing Lyra's world with us. Your books have affected me...


Rating:
Summary: Acceptable
Review: I loved the first two books, and I thought the 3rd would be the best. I was far mistaken. The third book had a huge rise to a tiny climax. It just isn't anywhere close to the caliber of the first two. I will rate book 1-5 stars
Book 2-4 stars
Book 3-2 stars

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Setup, Unable to Deliver at the End
Review: After reading the reviews of this series, I was very eager to plunge into it and experience what reviewers called the "last great fantasy series of the 20th century."

The first book of the series lived up to the hype. The adventures of the main character, Lyra, which began through her overhearing a cryptic presentation by her uncle, led to a first-rate series of events that completely drew me in.

Unfortunately, Mr. Pullman became overly sentimental about his characters in the second and third books. The events were so heavily foreshadowed throughout the last two thirds of the series, that there were no surprises at the end. Further, the "climactic" final confrontations were so brief and scattered that they seemed less important than the very successful and suspenseful buildup before.

It seemed to me that Mr. Pullman lost steam in his writing.

The same thing happened again with his very brief follow-up book Lyra's Oxford. It begins with what seems like a potential new adventure for Lyra and once again dries up (it could have been a very good opening few chapters for a greater invention, but Pullman ends it abruptly and frustratingly).

Rating:
Summary: "Unputdownable"
Review: "Unputdownable" is how I would describe Philip Pullman's superb "His Dark Materials" trilogy comprising "The Golden Compass" (released as "The Northern Lights" in the UK), "The Subtle Knife" and "The Amber Spyglass". I am so glad that I picked them up after all the three books had been released as I cannot imagine how I would have borne the agony of having to wait for a couple of years to find out how this delicious saga unfolds.

Pullman combines the multiverse and dark matter theories from modern physics with theology and pure fantasy to create a gripping saga with only a few logical loose ends. The tale begins in a parallel universe quite like ours (even in the names of places and their relative geography) populated by humans who have externalised polymorphic souls called daemons. The corrupt Church has established a stifling theocracy and seeks to suppress anything that goes against what it has propagated. In particular, it wants to reign in and control the research into a recently discovered curious form of matter called Dust.

The ebullient and charming heroine Lyra Belacqua and her daemon Pantalaimon find themselves dragged from their blissful abode in Oxford into what becomes the ultimate battle led by Lord Asriel against The Authority (God) itself. They are ably supported by the brave Will Parry from our own world and a whole lot of other characters including gypsies, witches, armoured bears, mulefas, Gallivespians, etc.

While the story in the first book happens entirely in Lyra's world and is quite linearly narrated with Lyra always at its centre, the next two books have several threads of narration, many more prominent characters and keep switching between worlds. The story is quite gripping and the pace quite good. I did find the end a bit disappointing and strange considering the ambitious swipe of the story's plot, but I still found the book on the whole an extremely satisfying read. I was a bit sad that it had to end and I keep wishing I had an external daemon of my own too.

Very highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: A response to those who call Pullman a bigot
Review: I am currently reading Northern Lights (The Golden Compass to the US Market) but I have just come back from London where I saw the stage production of the trilogy at the Royal National Theatre and have read the play numerous times so I am familiar with the HDM theology. Nicholas Wright, the author of the adaptations for RNT sums it up well. The plays and the book are not anti-religious, nor are they anti-god. They are anti clerical dogma. When spiritual beliefs are tied so much to earthly dogma, coming from man and not the numinous, beliefs get "hardened" and "dreary" and downright "untruthful." His Dark Materials is a celebration of the numinous beyond earthly dogma. It is a critique of what we as a race make of spirituality. The Authority may represent G*d but rather more what we make of Him, and not whatever He may really be.

On that note, I think Phillip Pullman is a storytelling genius. The story is memorable; Pullman makes you feel emotional about the characters and their many experiences, and keeps the reader riveted. When I saw the play last week, I was amazed by the number of children in the audience, and how many of them stayed riveted for the entire 6 hours of action (The three books were split into two 3 hour plays.) There were no children talking loudly to their parents at any point in the whole theatre. This was not a visit to see A Chipmunk's Christmas Story, these were young children entranced by what they were seeing.

I highly recommend these books to anyone and everyone who has ever wondered if we've got it right when it comes to how we perceive G*d and organized religion. And to those who haven't, because these books will challenge what you believe and strengthen your own spirituality, if you allow it to. I also highly recommend the stage production at the Royal National Theatre on the south bank of the Thames in London, England. It is playing until mid April 2005, and it is the best epic piece of theatre I have ever seen. And while you're there, buy the script for the play. I don't think it is available anywhere else.

The bottom line is this: experience Pullman's world in any way you can because it is worth it. Unexamined and unexplored beliefs are as true as those explored and examined, but I know my experience with Lyra, Will and Pan has strengthened my own spirituality in ways that I never thought possible.