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Definitely a page turner!
“My friend let me borrow The Golden Compass but didn't have the other two in the trilogy when I was dying to read it. I finally caved and bought the trilogy because I couldn't wait any longer! Unlike some authors who write sequels and 3rd, 4th, or 5th books just because they're trying to ride out their fame with their first novel, Pullman definitely delivers with all three of the books. They are all beautifully written and incredibly engaging, for both children and adults. At first I felt embarrassed to read a children's novel, but after a chapter or so, I quickly discovered that the book had universal appeal. Pullman has such a wonderful imagination and manages to surprise you all the time throughout the three novels. The characters were infuriating at times, but I quickly reminded myself that he was writing about pre-teens so that explained the juvenile personalities who sometimes acted like mature adults. The trilogy was about loss, friendship, respect, love, betrayal, faith, etc.
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-11-14.
Many critics of this book argue that it's deeply anti-Christian. I disagree. I think the book was simply extolling the importance of independent thinking. It was a story plot that taught that we are capable of good even without being religious, and that destinies don't exist because we can make our own futures. It was an uplifting, imaginative story. For children, the story on the surface will be fun enough. For adults, it's definitely interesting to be able to read between the lines and see a deeper meaning to the story than what one might read into it at first. ” -
Hm...to recommend or not to recommend?
“This book begins as interesting adventure in otherworld, like ours but not quite like it. It continues as pleasant read with allusions that are a bit subversive, and main idea, which religious people won't like, is discovered somewhere along the way.
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-11-04.
This looks like children's book but it isn't really.
I would not recommend this to kids, especially if their parents want to educate them in Christian spirit.
Okay, I made a lame joke, but point is, I would recommend book to adult people whose attitude is formed and who are not afraid to hear other people's opinion.
All in all, a good read whose strong point is not in shocking religious people but combining several fresh ideas on theology, philosophy and some other fields.
A book for forming young atheists OR interesting opinion? You decide.
Oh, and there is a passage at the end of third book I overlooked which is cleverly put there. Main idea is well hidden. First two books are really easy to read, but third has some puzzles worth thinking. End of first book has also important lord Azrael's monologue and second book has importand Mary's dialogue with *SPOILER OMITTED* using supercomputer she did research on.” -
Liked it allot, loved the ideas.
“I think this series is great, I didn't LOVE it but I really enjoyed reading it. Grand adventures, grand ideas and great characters. I'm really surprised they ended up making a movie out of it(which I hated, grrrr) as the ideas behind them could be upsetting to uber religious types. I highly recommend this series. ”
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-10-14. -
Next Read?
“I recall clearly the day I began reading this trilogy.
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-10-13.
My feeling on the first few pages was 'oh dear, this isn't going to be my kind of book'. The next few pages found my intrigue growing, by the time I finished I was totally immersed in his world of demons and battling polar bears and hoped it would never end.
Superb story telling craftmanship and a totally rivetting, mind stretching plot with unique devices throughout that work beautifully.
You must read this trilogy!
But what do you read after it?
I would move back to an earlier classic with a different but equally compelling tale and read The Day of the Triffids (20th Century Rediscoveries) .
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1 of 2 members found this review helpful.
The author blew it
“This is a 3 book series of some fantastically written fiction about life in made-up, intermingling worlds different than our own, but with many similarities. The first book of the trilogy, Northern lights, was so good I got the second book as soon as I finished it. The second book, The Subtle Knife, hinted at the books main plot and because it was a very twisted view of some very real beliefs I was hoping the author was going to redeem himself by the end of the 3rd book and not continue in what he seemed to be implying. He could have, he's a brillant writer, but he didn't. 30 pages into the 3rd book, The Amber Spyglass, and I was ready to put the book down. It was rather disappoining that he was going down the road he was, but I was too curious, I really had enjoyed it up until this point. I still hoped he could make it all right by the end, though it seemed improbable. Maybe I was just fooling myself trying to justify why I was still reading it. Whatever the reason, I continued reading. However, because the thrill was gone the book became laborious to read, too many violent killings happening too many times; too many detailed descriptions of too many scenes. Still I finished it and the ending was sweet. BUT, the end doesn't justify the means, the author had an agenda and I felt like it was a sneaky, underhanded way of imposing it on his readers, or at least, this reader. That part was not fiction, it was quite clear that the author hates the church in general and God specifically. He made evil good and God a liar and humanism, no matter what you have to do to achieve it, the most important. Of course, if you don't believe in God, if you don't love him, it doesn't matter, enjoy the book. I'm one who loves the Lord and Pullmans agenda ruined the whole series. ”
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-10-04.
