His Dark Materials ~ Phillip Pullman
First off, it is going to be impossible to review this with out spoilers, so if you haven’t read it, think twice before expanding the page 
I’ve tried to read these books two or three times but never got past the first few chapters. Until recently, about halfway through “If nobody speaks of remarkable things” another book I’m reading, I got stalled and couldn’t go any further. So I decided to give this trilogy another go, and I am so glad I did, once you have got past the first few chapters, Pullman really hits his stride and the action doesn’t let up for the rest of the books.
The world he creates is completely emersive and you almost absorb his words rather than read them, you care deeply about his “good” characters and hate deeply, at least initially his “bad” ones. Why the quote marks, around “bad” and “good”? well you really need to read the books to know why, without me spoiling it, but suffice it to say, the line between good and bad is down to your point of view.
Even ignoring his theology, all the way though the three books I was going you can’t do that in a kids book, everything from the Incision reveal, right to the end, grabs your emotions and gives them a good kicking.
And his theology is the one thing I didn’t like about the book, Pullman is VERY Anti church, and isn’t afraid to use that in the plot. I haven’t a problem with his beliefs or his right to use them in a story but it did make me wary in the same way G.P Taylor’s
And then the ending what can I say…
Horrible, ghastly, nasty, evil, twisted, brilliant, fantastic, perfect ending, and if you keep your eyes open whilst your reading, you will see it coming. Still Argh!
- Buy, Northern Lights: Adult Edition (His Dark Materials)
- Buy, The Subtle Knife: Adult Edition (His Dark Materials)
- Buy, The Amber Spyglass: Adult Edition (His Dark Materials)
[rating:96/100]
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How in HELL can you like Pullmans trilogy if you’re afraid of it????!!!!!
Thats what you sound like, “you can’t say that in a kid’s book”. If you take away his philosophy, harshness, and unconventional-ness whats gonna be left?? A little girl trying to rescue her friend? That’s not the point of the books, any of them.
I’ve read all 4, can’t wait for The Book of Dust, and that’s what I love in them, he wants to make the reader think, to shock them e.t.c. thats what their strength is. Oh and the things he said about the church are actually true.
Just so that you know. G.P. Taylors books are too sugary, unnaturaly so. Did you know he sold his motorbike to publish them?
Who said I was afraid of it? You might want to read my review again, because I certainly didn’t.
As for the “you can’t say that in a kids book” that was actually a compliment of his work. The plot choices he made, the ‘important’ events that happened, all surprised me, even more so that he did it in a book ‘for children’. I’m not saying he shouldn’t, quite the opposite, I was just trying to express my surprise that he didn’t shy away from telling the story the way he wanted to.
As I mentioned in the review, the events described during the ‘Incision’ section of the first book, truly affected me (and I was 30 at the time!). It’s a VERY powerful scene and I was just trying to convey that.
As for the strong anti-church stance as I stated I have absolutely no problem with it or that he wove it into the story, my problem (and it’s the same with Taylor) is when it started to overshadow the rest of the book/plot. To me it feels forced and detracts from what is a very good series of books (I too have read all four and look forward to The Book of Dust). In the first two books it was always present but the plot drove the ’stance.’ During the third book – and more so towards the conclusion it took over and became too oblivious/distracting – to me anyway – you mileage may of course vary.
Just for the record, I’m not overly keen on G.P. Taylor’s work, his writing and plot struggled to hold me, even without his ‘pro-stance’ which was handled in a very clumsy way, and in my opinion does the exactly the opposite to what he intends.
I have actually listened to the man speak and he is an charming and humorous orator, and gets across his beliefs in an engaging and relaxed way. But his ideas about writing (he really dislikes both Rowling’s and Pullman’s works by the way) and getting his message across are just way short of the mark – again in my opinion.
And while I disagree that I’m ‘afraid’ of the books, because I’m certainly not I will admit to being ‘challenged’ by them, and a book that can both entertain you and yet challenge you (and yes in some cases make you ‘afraid’) is pure gold-dust (really good books should alway evoke more that one emotion), any author that can do that is truely talented.
I hope that clears up at least some of your points for you, feel free to reply if you want to discuss it some more.
His Dark Materials was absolutely the best trilogy I’ve ever read in my life. I’m twelve and it was slightly confusing for me, but I really thought Philip Pullman did a great job in writing them. I agree with the review; he has the right to his own beliefs. I’m Catholic and I don’t have a problem with him using that theme in the books.
My friend read them with me, and he was frightened of some of it; like the Specters, which reminded me of Dementors. I can see how, though: some things, like the incision, were pretty creepy.
I have a question: what’s the Book of Dust going to be about? I read somewhere it told the stories of some of the side characters like Serafina Pekkala and Lee Scoresby, but read somewhere else that it was about Lyra… Just wondering.. (: