Customer Reviews
Powerfully inspired!
I wish that I could have experienced this masterpiece when I was 12 or 13. That way, I could have grown up rereading this trilogy until the covers fell off! Oh, well... anytime is perfect to jump into Pullman's dramtic universe.
Lyra's capture and visions of the Land of the Dead are thoroughly gripping. I no longer could say that her captor was 100% evil, which is a credit to Pullman's character development. His villians are far too complex to hate with perfect impunity.
With regards to the actual Land of the Dead, I can't remember when I have read another author who could create a landscape that was so vivid in its despondency. It was like walking through the bombed out ruins of Dresden after World War II (and that's just the entryway!)
I also loved Mary Malone's interaction with the mulefa, the wonderfully strange creatures who live in absolute harmony with their environment. If you have ever read the space trilogy by C.S. Lewis, you might see some parallels between the mulefa world and Lewis's middle book, "Perelandra".
There are so many wonderful instances and scenes in this book that its impossible for me to pick one favorite. I think that one major theme in this book (and in the whole series) is the importance of keeping promises. Lyra and Will not only will do anything for each other, but they are also willing to sacrifice their very beings to help their friends and loved ones.
It feels good to read about imperfect people who discover thier hidden talents and use them to better serve those around them. An apt reminder for both children and adults.
Truly a classic. Excellent book and an excellent trilogy!
This trilogy by Phillip Pullman will be a classic for both adults and children, a claim that is made all too often but is true in this case. If you are offput that this may be a children's book or is too much science fiction, don't be! Under the umbrella of an excellent novel with an intricate plot, well-developed and extremely complicated characters this trilogy deals with physics, organized religion, adventure, personal responsibility and more. His Dark Materials is a haunting and disturbing trio that stays with the reader well beyond the end of all three novels. Only read this after the other two: The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife.
People read books for different reasons: some like beautiful and lyrical writing, some well enjoy well developed plots, and some prefer novels more character driven. His Dark Materials will satisfy almost any reader. They are the most interesting books I have read in a long time. Pullman did an excellent job in terms of research and searching his imagination, a function not often used. READ THESE BOOKS!
soppy and nonsensical
I'm sorry to say that Pullman's main achievement in this last book is to create yet another soppy paean to adolescence. I was really disappointed in the weakness of the plot and characters. Through most of the book, Pullman is crudely trying to jerk the reader's emotions around... Oh, the sadness! Oh, the joy! Oh, the tragedy! It's all surprisingly amateur, simplistic, and it doesn't work. At least not for an adult reader. But I couldn't like this kind of sci-fi hackery even when I was an adolescent myself. Oh Asimov, Tolkien, where are thou???
