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Summary: the saga continues...
Review: this book was good but i have to say that i liked "the goldencompass" better. it was incredibly believable about the worldsthat were connected and about the daemons being inside and appearing when one enters lyra's world. i liked the 1st book because it was completely about lyra and her thoughts. this book, though, was not primarily focused on lyra, or one particular character.... i think that this book let a lot of things go unfinished and questions unanswered. but i think that if you have read "the golden compass," then you still must read this one.
Rating: 
Summary: great book!
Review: God, I love this book! I was assigned The Golden Compass for school, and took it becuase it was the most challenging out of the bunch. What an awesome book! I was blown away, and as soon I finished it I went straight to the library to borrow the Subtle Knife, equily as entertaining. Bravo Mr. Pullman! Adressing the so-called "contriversy" over Mr. Arisal's ambition to kill God: I am a Christain, and this does not offend me one bit, becuase it's happening in a different world. I belive it is a different God in Lyra's world. Once again, excellent book! A must read!
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Summary: Pullman doesn't make the issues easy for us.
Review: It's no surprise that some reviewers have attacked this book as "Satanic" and dangerous to your immortal soul. It's surprising, in fact, that there aren't more such reviews. These are, after all, the people who think that the Harry Potter series also promotes Satanism. But one of my college professors once observed, perhaps with some justice, that J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings was escapism rather than great literature because it presented the battle of good against evil as a fairly easy choice in which you could usually tell right away which was the right side, and who was good or bad. Now, I loved Lord of the Rings, and don't mean to bad-mouth it, but Pullman certainly does not present us with such easy moral judgments. At the end of The Subtle Knife, I have no idea whether the "Authority" that rules the church of Lyra's world is God, Satan, or something else, whether the angels who appear to communicate through "Dust" are good or evil, and whose side Lyra and Will should plan to join. People who respect the intelligence of their children will not try to hide legitimate moral questions from them. Pullman is absolutely right about one thing: quite aside from whether "The Authority" is good or evil, religions -- and not just the imaginary one in Lyra's world -- have done terrible evil in the name of God. Any intelligent teen-ager who pays attention in history class will learn that, whether or not you let him/her read this book. This, of course, is a typical middle-installment of a trilogy, and so the ending is inevitably unsatisfying. (I've already ordered the third volume). Pullman is obviously following the same formula that George Lukas described in explaining his Star Wars trilogy: introduce the characters in the first installment, then put them in the worst imaginable situations in the second (the hero's "Dark Journey") and resolve the plot in the third. I'm hanging by my fingernails till the Amber Spyglass comes out!
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Summary: It's controversiality adds to it's greatness
Review: Don't be put off by the heading up there ^. I'm not saying that the veiws in this book are in alignment with my own or that they fit under the general heading of "good". They don't, at least to my thinking. What I AM saying is that most good books do have spats of controversy. Take for example, "The Turn of the Screw",(I'm not putting Pullman on the same pedastle as Henry James) which, is still mind-blowing today, was scandalous when it first came out. Just because a book is controversial doesn't mean that it can't be valued as good literature. I, for one, like Pullman's writing style. I like going through and dissecting the details. And the reviewer from 1/26/00 is right, an author knows exactly all of the undercurrents that they bring to their stories. I'm expecting a terrific climax to this tirlogy, which will probably cause more controversy than this one did. One more thing. Did anyone else notice the smiliarities (refer to the Sally Lockhart trilogy) in personality between Sally and Lyra and Fred and Will?
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Summary: OK...Let's address the controversy
Review: I have read many of these reviews and there are a few people that have taken exception to the War on God (or in the case of this book "The Authority"). I am a Christian, yet I have no problem with this book, nor do I feel reading it amounts in any way to "devil-worship" as has been suggested by some. Let me illustrate my take on this: First, in no way can Lord Asriel be called a sympathetic character. He's a horrible father. He has a dangerous ambition. He sacrificed a child. He is not shown as noble in any way. That factions are forming around him, only speaks toward his charismatic personality. Secondly, The subtle knife is believed to be able to kill the Authority (God). Until it accomplishes this feat it is all speculation. Until, the third book is written it is premature to speak toward the author's motives. Characters may be blasphemous, or liars, or murderers, but that does not mean the author condones these behaviors. He is simply telling a story. If you don't like the story he's telling you are free to criticize it, encourage others not to read it, and move-on to other books. That is your right. That said, I will exercise my right. I believe this book is better than "The Golden Compass." I thought the characterization of Will was flawless. The plotting is incredible. I am fully involved in the story from cover-to-cover. The only area that bothered me was Will's meeting with his father--I did not like the resolution. I do not want to ruin the story by being more specific, but reflecting on that point for those with objections, notice that Pullman painted a witch in a extremely unflattering way. All things considered, Pullman has been fair. People have always railed against the church, and questioned God's love in light of human suffering. I think addressing this question through a second potential war in heaven is not only appropriate, but gives the plot an epic feel. If you are not comfortable with the themes than by all means read something you enjoy. I however love these books and am anxiously awaiting the conclusion.
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Summary: *The Subtle Knife*
Review: THIS WAS A GREAT BOOK! I couldn't put it down. I began reading this book almost as soon as I finished the first one. Philip Pullman is an excellent author who knows how to keep your attention. Even when the book is over you want to keep reading, which brings me to my only complaint. I want to keep reading, but the last book isn't out yet. So unless you love suspense I suggest getting this book when the third is already available, or at least close to then. Well I hope my review helped you out, and I hope you read this book because if you don't, you're really missing out!
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Summary: LFett7@aol.com Finally Time
Review: After a few years of waiting I figured that it's finally time to write a review of The Subtle Knife. This is the most amazing book I have ever read (this is coming from a teenager who actually reads books) and I could not use words to express how much I love this book. If I could I would personally thank Mr. Pullman for creating such amazing books, but my parents won't let me fly to England. Believe me, I've tried. I've also tried making web pages but they just don't seem good enough to be representing Philip Pullman's books. About the book- William Parry comes in here, my absolute favorite character. And how could anyone accuse Mr. Pullman of de-heroinizing Lyra? Obviously Will just came in, Obviously book two is called The Subtle Knife, which if you read it, obviously the knife goes to Will. And about the cliffhanger ending, well, that's just how a trilogy goes. Needless to say, any ending would be a cliffhanger until it's over. Please please please, read the book before you write a review. And this may come as a shock to most people out there but this book actually requires thought! If one would think, onw would discover no side is clearly made of the "good guys" or the "bad guys" so how can one judge the intent of the author, unless we have some psychics here... The worlds Pullman has created here, no matter how dangerous actually appeal to me more than this one. He masterfully takes a complex subject devises a setting a perfectly creates a series of books. As I read over The Subtle Knife for the eleventh time, I realize how much emotion was put into the first two books. The characters are as real as people- probably more interresting than most too. And whenever I get to the part about Lee Scoresby and Alamo Gulch I cry, every single time. I just hope Will never...dies becuase if he does, I think my parents will send me to a psychiatrist I'll shed so many tears.
Rating:
Summary: Great sequal to the Golden Compass
Review: In this book, the adventure continues with Lyra, Pantalaimon, Mrs. Coulter, Lord Asriel, and the witches. There is also a new character, Will, who is a boy from the other world. They travel to the North of the new world in pursuit of Lord Asriel so that they can help him with the war against the angels. With Mrs. Coulter on their tail, will they make it? A great book! Philip Pullman has created a soon-to-be original. He puts fantasy and excitement into his books. I definitely give this book a 5-star review!
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Summary: The Subtle Knife was awesome
Review: I think that the Subtle knife was a great book. It was full of action and it keeps you trying to read faster because you desperatly want to know what happens. The plot is even so different it makes it fun to read and let your imagination go free, and it is so easy in Pullmans books!
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Summary: A great sequel to a great book...
Review: ..and I can't wait for the next one! This book, unlike the Golden Compass, brings readers into this world, or at least one very similar. It also introduces a new character, Will. I suggest you read the golden Compass before you read this, fantasy fans. It's a really great book actually and I think anyone would like it!
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