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A review by erasmios
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
4.0
Northern Lights - January 27, 2020
Finished the first book yesterday and here I'm wondering how on earth I never read this book as a kid. Luckily the quality of writing is high and there's enough depth for adults too. I really like the idea of people having their own animal companion and the relationship between them was told brilliantly. The story and the world seem very mysterious in the beginning, but the mysteries begin to unfold very naturally, page after page. Northern Lights was quite a page-turner for me. The characters are great, feel real and they all have their strengths and weaknesses. I found Lyra very interesting. She's strong, courageous and loyal, but she's also a compulsive liar, sassy and in the end just a little kid who gets scared and cries when she's hopeless. Northern Lights is a great adventure, very sad and also violent. I didn't know much about it and was surprised at how dark and brutal it can be or how straightforwardly it criticises religion. I don't know why, but I expected it to be more childish like Harry Potter for example. Sometimes the narration was a little too vague for my taste, especially in some action sequences, and a few times things ended up very conveniently for Lyra, but I didn't mind too much because it still fitted the general narrative style. I really liked Northern Lights and I can't wait to start The Subtle Knife.
The Subtle Knife - April 4, 2020
Every time I was reading this book, it felt like I returned to my childhood, which is interesting because I never read these books as a kid. There are many things going on in The Subtle Knife as it's not only Lyra's story anymore but also Will's. It was very interesting to learn about the different worlds, their history and lore. I liked how our world connects with the story. This time it isn't as adventurous as the first part, however, there's more action, more tension and the stakes are higher. There are surprises, tragedies and of course several familiar faces. I think I like Lyra more than Will as a character, so I was a little disappointed that she's not the main character in this book. Some curious questions were also left unanswered (like Lee Scoresby's mother's ring) but hopefully, they're answered in the next book.
The Amber Spyglass - January 17, 2021
I'm just really impressed with how Pullman managed to make sense of everything that was going on by the end of the third part. I also really admire his brutal honesty, considering that this book is meant to be read by children. I'm not sure you could (and probably should not) make a children's book any more honest than what His Dark Materials is. It's gut-wrenching, bittersweet and rough. There's no sugarcoating here, but every adventure is deadly, dangerous and lonely. It often reminded me of The Neverending Story, how the increasingly fantastic events follow one another. From the beginning, the story's been rolling towards an inevitable end which turns out frustratingly cruel and yet very satisfying. Would definitely recommend it.
Finished the first book yesterday and here I'm wondering how on earth I never read this book as a kid. Luckily the quality of writing is high and there's enough depth for adults too. I really like the idea of people having their own animal companion and the relationship between them was told brilliantly. The story and the world seem very mysterious in the beginning, but the mysteries begin to unfold very naturally, page after page. Northern Lights was quite a page-turner for me. The characters are great, feel real and they all have their strengths and weaknesses. I found Lyra very interesting. She's strong, courageous and loyal, but she's also a compulsive liar, sassy and in the end just a little kid who gets scared and cries when she's hopeless. Northern Lights is a great adventure, very sad and also violent. I didn't know much about it and was surprised at how dark and brutal it can be or how straightforwardly it criticises religion. I don't know why, but I expected it to be more childish like Harry Potter for example. Sometimes the narration was a little too vague for my taste, especially in some action sequences, and a few times things ended up very conveniently for Lyra, but I didn't mind too much because it still fitted the general narrative style. I really liked Northern Lights and I can't wait to start The Subtle Knife.
The Subtle Knife - April 4, 2020
Every time I was reading this book, it felt like I returned to my childhood, which is interesting because I never read these books as a kid. There are many things going on in The Subtle Knife as it's not only Lyra's story anymore but also Will's. It was very interesting to learn about the different worlds, their history and lore. I liked how our world connects with the story. This time it isn't as adventurous as the first part, however, there's more action, more tension and the stakes are higher. There are surprises, tragedies and of course several familiar faces. I think I like Lyra more than Will as a character, so I was a little disappointed that she's not the main character in this book. Some curious questions were also left unanswered (like Lee Scoresby's mother's ring) but hopefully, they're answered in the next book.
The Amber Spyglass - January 17, 2021
I'm just really impressed with how Pullman managed to make sense of everything that was going on by the end of the third part. I also really admire his brutal honesty, considering that this book is meant to be read by children. I'm not sure you could (and probably should not) make a children's book any more honest than what His Dark Materials is. It's gut-wrenching, bittersweet and rough. There's no sugarcoating here, but every adventure is deadly, dangerous and lonely. It often reminded me of The Neverending Story, how the increasingly fantastic events follow one another. From the beginning, the story's been rolling towards an inevitable end which turns out frustratingly cruel and yet very satisfying. Would definitely recommend it.