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The Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials, Book 3)

The Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials, Book 3)

List Price: $15.30
Your Price: $13.77
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent piece of literature!
Review: A masterpiece, I didn't let anyone persuade me otherwise! The Amber Spyglass is wonderful, probably better than the 2nd one. Of course I read all the books in order, and that is a very good idea to do with this trilogy.
"Actually if people think that books are only for those who already agree with them, then they don't deserve books," this was a quote from Phillip Pullman, and I must say that I quite agree. These books were wonderful, every single one, even though I do believe strongly in God. Remember its fiction! I really do love these books, and look forward to his others. The ending is a little (very) disappointing in my opinion but I can live with it, and it makes the story different, than if it was turned into a fairy tale, that's not his style anyway. I can see why he ended it that way, and it does fit, even if it isn't perfect. "The basic theme of the story, which of course is the difference between innocence and experience," another quote from the great Phillip Pullman. I encourage anyone with an open mind to read not only the Amber Spyglass but all of these books! Lyra and Will had a very interesting adventure throughout this book and I'm glad I read it and hope you will be too!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Bad (and rather offensive) end to the series
Review: Let me start by saying I am a liberal Christian. I'm a firm believer in gay rights, adamantly pro-choice, and think that many of America's leaders who claim to be diligent Christians are nothing but a bunch of old white guys in cheap suits waving flags saying that patriotism is the way to salvation. What's more, I even liked the first book of this series. By the third, however, it got to be too much.
The lengths to which the Christians in this book go to are sickening. We have a priest who goes through a process of redemption strong enough to justify his murder of a little girl. The whole Christian organization (which pretty much rules every aspect of life) is a corrupt, power hungry autocracy. Moreover, needlessly offensive comments are made about Christianity's virtues (for expample, the Spanish priest's idea that he would convert the mulefa from their satanic use of wheels, what the hell kind of Christian would do that?)that are downright agregious. It's obvious Philip Pullman is making these judgements due to his own ignorance.
These aren't the only things that make the book bad. The whole thing is utterly humorless. Also, it seems like Pullman has given up on development altogether and resorted to introducing a bunch of new gimmicks and creatures. Worst of all, the book ends on a sappy cliche of one of the most overused themes of all time.
Don't waste your time. Read some intelligent sci-fi by Anthony Burgess or Frank Herbert.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent
Review: Like Rowling's Goblet of Fire, there were definitely parts of the book that could have been omitted that would have made the story move along faster...But Pullman's expert writing is not something that you want to be over soon...Pullman, more so in Amber Spyglass than either of the first two books (which are amazing), exhibits a mastery of the writing and storytelling crafts.....A reader cannot help but BE with Lyra and Will and physically FEEL the full range of emotions that these two children on the brink of young adulthood go through from beginning to end of Amber Spyglass.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A work of genious by Phillip Pullman (i love u and i hate u)
Review: After finishing His Dark Material's trilogy, i couldnt stop crying and all i could think about was that this was sooooo unfair. My heart was broken but i never once stopped loving the three books.
For two years i couldnt read the last book without feeling a sense of lose and sadness but now i come to realise that this was the best ending to my favorite triology and that Phillip Pullman is brilliant.
Will, Lyra, Iorel Bryrnison, Serafina Pakkala and all the other unforgetable characters are very well developed and so very beleivable and loveble.
I'm in love with his dark materials triology from now to always. I reccommend all people of the world to read this book and the other two in the series. You will love them!!

ps: anyone who thinks that these books are offending to the christian religion i would just like to say it is a work of pure, unspoiled and original FICTION. Meaning it is not meant to offend but to entertain and delight.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Superb, Fantastic, Amazing!
Review: This book is great! The whole series is. After you read one book, you want to go right to the library and pick up the next one. You can't put the book down at night because the ending of each chapter is a cliff-hanger. Tip: Don't predict the ending because you may be dissapointed! The whole series (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass) are must read books!!!! :)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I can't believe he wrote this!
Review: I am just in utter shock that an author could be so bold as to write a grand finale like __The Amber Spyglass__.

Yes, it is controversial. Yes, people take it personally and despite that, it is still a superb work of fiction!

I am surpirsed that this book garnished 4 and 1/2 stars. ... In our society where Christianity is the dominant religion, I thought that many people would rate the book badly just becuase it shows an alternative view. Please remeber when reading this book: it's just a work of FICTION. Some person's fanciful ideas.

Aside from the controversy, Pullman has an undeniable talent with prose. His descriptions are wonderfully alive and his characters are so lovable. I think I got way too attatched to Will! The plot is good and undoubtedly orginal. The only fault that I can find is not in the book itself, but in the cover art. I think the cover art leads people to think of Lyra and Will as much older than they are. I was reading one previous review in which the person described Lyra as a college girl. No wonder the person hated the book if the whole time, the reader couldn't even see that Lyra is a young child (maybe around nine years old?)

All in all, a great book and a fitting end to the trilogy. I applaud Pullman for his bravery at daring to depict something in a totally different way and not going with that "safe" route.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: terribly sad ending
Review: wonderful book but if you asked me that a year ago i'd probably spit on you. The book is really good but that ending...grrrr!!!
really it is a must to read and you'll be lost without it but be prepared for the worst. i wouldn't suggest writting a review right after you read the book because you'll probably juge a little harshly. oh and by the way THIS IS FICTION!! it'd be a hell of a doosy if it was preching values of the church and no i AM a christion soo there! basicly if you can't axcept a different opionon on religon then go read some prehistoric 18th century written by a 18th century revrend .... i'm not saying you have to like it just agnolige the fact that the christion religion is only one of several thousand.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Supurb
Review: An incredible ending to a marvelous tale. I must say, I was getting quite impatiant waiting for this book to be released to the public (I read it quite a while ago, bought it the day after it was published).

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: An uninspired end to a fascinating trilogy
Review: The Amber Spyglass, which wraps up "His Dark Materials" has its interesting spots, but lacks the vision of its prequels. Much of the book skips back and forth between characters, most of who don't know whether they're coming or going. Lyra, who in the previous books, played an interesting leading role, seems to have lost all personality and is used simply as a pawn in the playing out of the story.

Near the beginning of the book, events are blown out of proportion into a huge good versus evil battle, which is not really resolved and ends up trickling away.

In this volume of the trilogy, it seems that Philip Pullman had written himself into several corners, which he escaped by writing wishy-washy facts into his fantasy world.

The whole book is full of prophesizing by the church, by angels, by witches, that Lyra is the brand new EVE and that she must not be tempted by evil, Dr. Mary Malone. (It is never clear what temptation she is laying before the girl) It seems that everything is solved by Lyra and Will suddenly finding they are attracted to each other. What an incredibly terrific climax to this mediocre at best novel. My advice... Read the first two books, but imagine for yourself a better third part! (It shouldn't be hard!)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Breathtakingly original and beautifully written.
Review: When I first picked up _The Golden Compass_, I was 12 and had heard that it was fantastic. After 100 pages I put it on the shelf, where it remained for the next two years.

Last month I picked it up again and breezed through it in a day, wondering how I could have ever deemed such a complex and magnificent novel "boring". I quickly moved on to _The Subtle Knife_, which I loved just as much. I fell in love with the characters, who were wonderfully three-dimensional, and Pullman's prose, which is lyrical, light, and even heartbreaking at times.

I was afraid to read _The Amber Spyglass_, for fear that Pullman wouldn't live up to the immense task he had created with the first two books. But my fears turned out to be completely dissolved as soon as I read the first chapter.

From there, I was hooked, unable to put it down and reading hundreds of pages in one night. The book is full of fantastical elements -- angels, witches, armored bears, and even a wheel-riding species called the mulefa -- but what makes it such an amazing work is its ability to be *human*. The protagonists, Lyra Silvertongue and Will Parry, have faults, talents, emotions, fears, and everything else that comes along with being human. When reading the book, I felt like I was right there, that the two were my closest friends. When they were hurt, so was I. When they were happy, I was thrilled.

_The Amber Spyglass_ is a 500 page novel, but once you've finished it, you'll wish it were longer. The ending was absolutely tragic; it left me in tears and unable to sleep or to stop thinking about it for days afterward.

For those who argue the book is sacrilegious...well. If you're not able to live with new ideas, why are you reading in the first place? To quote Philip Pullman:

"Horrible reviews on [websites]? Really? Good thing I don't read them then. Actually if people think that books are only for those who already agree with them, then they don't deserve books."

Bravo, Philip.

If Mr Pullman ever chooses to continue in this universe, I'll be first in line to buy the books -- they are full of heart, humor, and characters you will adore...they are easily the best books I have ever read, and I would recommend them to anyone. The Harry Potter series doesn't even compare to this one, nor do the Chronicles of Narnia. And even if fantasy isn't your thing, do not be afraid to read this trilogy. It will leave you breathless and wanting more.


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