His Dark Materials Trilogy (The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; The Amber Spyglass)
by Philip Pullman
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Book Summary Information
Author: Philip PullmanBrand: Books
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-08-28
ISBN: 0375842381
Number of pages: 1312
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Book Reviews of His Dark Materials Trilogy (The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; The Amber Spyglass)
Book Review: A Brilliant must read.
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this box set only after seeing the movie trailer. I had recalled reading Golden Compass years before, and I remembered it was good, but decided to read it over since I couldn't recall what it was about.
Utter Brilliance. Philip Pullman manages to create a world unlike any other using a mixture of both fantasy and science. Being a scientist myself, I could relate a lot with the alternate realities and although the concept of daemons was confusing at first, he explained the complicated idea of it so well that I believe he should get a notable mention for just that. If you are the type of person who hates slow paced books, than I can guarantee you will not be bored with this one. Looking back at the trilogy now, the only "slow" parts in the entire series took place in the Golden Compass first four chapters. After that, Pullman has us moving ahead at an astonishing paces, juggling between various intertwined plot lines at once. I sometimes found myself having an adrenaline rush keeping track of it all, making me feel much more for Lyra since she had so many things to take care of in such little time.
I don't really see why C.S. Lewis's books are compared to Pullmans. I don't believe they have anything in common. Lewis does create his own world like Pullman did, but Pullman seemed much more epic to me with a much more complicated storyline, while Lewis just goes straight ahead towards the goal. There was just so much going on here that I was not at all suprised with the way he split the narratives in The Amber Spyglass. Pullman is also darker than Lewis is, and presents much more character development. We see Lyra go from a child to an adult in such a short time dealing with a very complicated world and adultlike situations.
For those concerned with the religious aspects of the books, I myself am a religious person but this did not stop me from enjoying his books; instead I think it made the experience even better. Pullman is constantly challenging the norms in His Dark Materials, not only the magisterium. It's just the idea that not everything is perfect, and you see this within the characters a lot since there is no clear cut line between what side who is on. If you are really a staunch Christian why don't you give it a go: you really might be surprised at how good it is. I myself recommend these books to both children and adults alike- they contain so many different uses of language and themes that both sides can appreciate it. Pullman makes a lot of implications that younger children cannot understand but adults will see immediately. So, even if you read it as a child- read it again, you might be surprised.
Pullman did not bore me even once in his books. I was intrigued throughout all of it, and at this I was very glad I purchased the hardcover copies since I gave it to my younger siblings to read as well. It was so amazing that my brother (who never reads anything in his life) finished it in one go. A must read for everyone, fantasy lovers or not (I'm not).
More His Dark Materials Trilogy (The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; The Amber Spyglass) reviews:
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