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indrabindra's review against another edition
adventurous
3.0
Suspicious that one of the main characters is a self insert and there are questionable affections from this character. Much of the story felt episodic in a way that seemed like filler. Nonetheless would like to know what happens next and where he goes with everything.
radomu's review against another edition
4.0
This is probably the longest novel that Philip Pullman has ever written, and certainly the longest in the His Dark Materials series. And the length speaks volumes: it takes Lyra's world to places that none of the previous books has explored and makes it feel much larger and more complicated than it ever was. Like the Amber Spyglass, it's epic, but in a completely different way.
Different parts of the book feel distinct in both mood and genre, and every chapter contains developments that are unique and significant enough to leave you reflecting on their implications to the wider plot. Like the previous volume, La Belle Sauvage, some parts of the book meanders towards the surreal and absurd. Others will make you feel genuinely disturbed.
And this is where it differs from the original trilogy. Don't buy this book for your child. It was clearly written with a more mature audience in mind, for people like myself who've read the original trilogy as a child and are revisiting the world as an adult. Some parts of it are so dark that it might leave you traumatised.
Rather than being another polemic against organised religion and dogmatism, this particular book is equally critical of the spirit of cold-hearted rationality promoted by some secular thinkers, as well as, oddly enough, postmodernism. Lyra, being 20 and a student at Oxford, is naturally susceptible to the ideas of these new charismatic thinkers, which causes problems for her later on. This reminded me of when I used to idolise people like Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins at age 18, believing that everything that came out of their mouth was the truth. And this, for me, is where the book shines the most: it's capacity to allow for self-reflection.
Like all of Pullman's novels, The Secret Commonwealth is a fantasy novel at heart but ultimately has a much deeper purpose. Its literary merits, however, don't detract from its page-turning plot.
Different parts of the book feel distinct in both mood and genre, and every chapter contains developments that are unique and significant enough to leave you reflecting on their implications to the wider plot. Like the previous volume, La Belle Sauvage, some parts of the book meanders towards the surreal and absurd. Others will make you feel genuinely disturbed.
And this is where it differs from the original trilogy. Don't buy this book for your child. It was clearly written with a more mature audience in mind, for people like myself who've read the original trilogy as a child and are revisiting the world as an adult. Some parts of it are so dark that it might leave you traumatised.
Rather than being another polemic against organised religion and dogmatism, this particular book is equally critical of the spirit of cold-hearted rationality promoted by some secular thinkers, as well as, oddly enough, postmodernism. Lyra, being 20 and a student at Oxford, is naturally susceptible to the ideas of these new charismatic thinkers, which causes problems for her later on. This reminded me of when I used to idolise people like Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins at age 18, believing that everything that came out of their mouth was the truth. And this, for me, is where the book shines the most: it's capacity to allow for self-reflection.
Like all of Pullman's novels, The Secret Commonwealth is a fantasy novel at heart but ultimately has a much deeper purpose. Its literary merits, however, don't detract from its page-turning plot.
mrmysteryfox's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars because the ending left me frustrated…feels totally incomplete as a stand-alone book after nearly 700 pages.
I enjoyed the themes of a grown up Lyra trying to find herself as she’s changed from her younger self and been heavily influenced by external forces and theories.
Explores the themes of migration/asylum and political unrest from the eyes of someone previously shielded from these things which was a fitting theme to read in 2022. Identify also plays a large role in the narrative a bit of a coming-of-age tale with Lyra losing her youthful naivety.
Similar to La Belle Sauvage only skirted round the edge of fantasy concepts in this world with minimal interaction or development of dust or the secret commonwealth (not sure why that’s the title!!).
Will still read the final book in the trilogy but still slightly disappointed.
I enjoyed the themes of a grown up Lyra trying to find herself as she’s changed from her younger self and been heavily influenced by external forces and theories.
Explores the themes of migration/asylum and political unrest from the eyes of someone previously shielded from these things which was a fitting theme to read in 2022. Identify also plays a large role in the narrative a bit of a coming-of-age tale with Lyra losing her youthful naivety.
Similar to La Belle Sauvage only skirted round the edge of fantasy concepts in this world with minimal interaction or development of dust or the secret commonwealth (not sure why that’s the title!!).
Will still read the final book in the trilogy but still slightly disappointed.
cebege's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
elevenus's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
tanzanite's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jzpaul's review against another edition
Decided to reread his dark materials first and then just found other books I wanted to read more. Likely will come back to it at some point
noranne's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed this book and being back in the world of Lyra's Oxford. Although I found some of the things raised in this trilogy to be a bit at odds with the world I had been imagining. In His Dark Materials it seemed like a sort of 19th century type world perhaps, but it seems a LOT more modern in this trilogy. There's photons and air conditioning and pick-up trucks and machine guns--but yet bizarrely no telephones, radios, or even a telegram? Honestly it just doesn't make that much sense.
But setting that aside, it's a good story (and well-narrated, though it benefits greatly from listening on >1x speed) and just fun to see this glimpse into the future. I know Lyra is the focus here, but it's hard not to miss Will and want some insights into what he's up to.
I've always been fascinated by daemons, which I think are a stroke of world-building genius that helped the first trilogy be so amazing, and so I really enjoyed the deeper dive into them and that relationship. The relationship between Pan and Lyra is really interesting here.
Probably the parts of the book that I didn't like were sections that felt a bit too preachy-to-the-reader in ways that are a little off-putting even when I agree (and I didn't always). And a potential new romance that I'm not feeling enthused about.
Oh and there was a big disconnect from the events in HDM. Like obviously the Church isn't just going to fall apart immediately, but it's really unclear how much anyone in this world knows anything of what happened (it seems like the answer is no, but given the scope of HDM that seems...unlikely?). And some of the HDM events have repercussions (ie the disappearance of Mrs. Coulter) but the rest are just...? Even Lyra barely thinks about it.
Looking forward to the finish!
But setting that aside, it's a good story (and well-narrated, though it benefits greatly from listening on >1x speed) and just fun to see this glimpse into the future. I know Lyra is the focus here, but it's hard not to miss Will and want some insights into what he's up to.
I've always been fascinated by daemons, which I think are a stroke of world-building genius that helped the first trilogy be so amazing, and so I really enjoyed the deeper dive into them and that relationship. The relationship between Pan and Lyra is really interesting here.
Probably the parts of the book that I didn't like were sections that felt a bit too preachy-to-the-reader in ways that are a little off-putting even when I agree (and I didn't always). And a potential new romance that I'm not feeling enthused about.
Oh and there was a big disconnect from the events in HDM. Like obviously the Church isn't just going to fall apart immediately, but it's really unclear how much anyone in this world knows anything of what happened (it seems like the answer is no, but given the scope of HDM that seems...unlikely?). And some of the HDM events have repercussions (ie the disappearance of Mrs. Coulter) but the rest are just...? Even Lyra barely thinks about it.
Looking forward to the finish!