Customer Reviews

His Dark Materials Box Set

5 star:		(239)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(22)
1 star:		(26)

 

 

I find it so disturbing that some reviewers are saying that this is a "poison" that entices children. Entices them to do what? READ? Isn't this something that we, as adults, can only hope for in order to create a more literate, educated world? Philip Pullman's trilogy is so amazing that I cannot begin to describe it in the eloquence it deserves. His entire message is that certain authorities in our world - and in all the worlds he so richly creates - will try to tell us what to do. They'll try to control us. That's EXACTLY what has happened after the movie release! Certain authorities are scared of his message: freedom of choice, freedom of speech, freedom to think for ourselves. I think Pullman's books have done exactly what he wrote about; they've set up this kind of duality between freedom and control, and it's manifesting in our own world in the same way it did in Lyra's world.

Let me put it this way: if a book can get people to speak about issues, that's a good thing. If it can get kids to read, that's a great thing. Why be afraid of this? Why tell children that they can't ask questions? Why the anxiety?

Buy these books. The trilogy is truly a masterpiece.

Consider this: stories are a vital component of being human; without them, we would merely reproduce and die. That said, if the library of the world were on fire, and I had time to rush in and save only a handful of stories, this would be one of the first I would grab. I've been a lifelong reader and have a degree in Literature--I've read more than my share of stories. Philip Pullman has done an incredible thing by bringing these books into being. The story, though fantastical in many ways, speaks volumes about human experience: innocence, guilt, love, loss, and hope. The creativity is boundless; ideas about god, souls, consciousness, evolution and even contemporary physics are sculpted into a brilliant narrative. The underlying themes include a critique of dominant religious paradigms, which of course raises major antipathy in some readers (see other reviews). But I fail to see how a story that espouses freethinking can be anything but positive. Besides, the story is greatly concerned with--to oversimplify--love and responsibility; how can that be a bad thing? Above these undercurrents, though, the story is exciting, complex, and touching. There are moments that bring tears, goosebumps, and exhilharation. Pullman proves just how entertaining a profound story can be. If none of that entices you, Pullman has also invented one of the most fascinating ideas ever with his concept of daemons: animal-like companions that embody a person's soul. After finishing these books, you'll wish more than anything that you had one. I will read these books again and again, send them to my friends, leave copies lying in cafes, and read them over and over to my children. There are precious few stories that can compare with His Dark Materials. I only hope they eventually receive the widespread attention they deserve; if they were as widely-read as Harry Potter, the world would be the better for it.

I found this series mildly entertaining primarily due to the author's use of alternate worlds and the adventures encountered by the witches, wizards, bad guys, gypsies and the other assortment of characters. Unfortunately the primary character, 11 year-old Lyra, is dreadfully difficult to care about. She is unfailingly rude, disobedient and unpleasant. The few forays into an attempt to show her vulnerable, agreeable side are handled clumsily and in some cases outside the realm of logic. The author insists on making her ally exclusively herself with boys rather than other girls, perhaps to emphasize that she is a tomboy. Adding fuel to the male-good, female-bad fire is the fact that her mother is portrayed as Satan herself and many of the adult male characters are drawn as heroic and self-sacrificing. The plot also veers a bit, people appear and leave, sometimes forever, without explanation. Quests become interrupted or foiled and are never reattempted or concluded. Finally, unlike Harry Potter, there is an amazing lack of racial diversity in these books. Except for some northern dwellers who may or may not be Inuit, everyone is described as white.It seems with this author whatever world you happen to find yourself color will be confined to sunsets and the northern lights.

This is one of the best series I have ever read. It's got adventure, action, romance, and it's also VERY deep. What more can you ask for? Yes, it's a little on the dark side and its contents can be controversial as it questions the existence of the God most people associate with. But just because that some people will not agree with the beliefs presented in the story does not mean it's low trash. Sometimes controversy is a sign of something great. Pullman's writing just pulls you into this other universe and it's just impossible to forget the characters and what happens to them. It's definitely something more people should read and keep. This is not a library book that you can check out, read, and return... You'll want to keep this for as long as you live. Amazing.

Absolutely three of the best books I have ever read. They are filled with love, sorrow, justice, courage, wisdom, and strength. I can relate to these outstanding books on so many levels. The love story is so breath taking and the whole scientific outlook is fascinating. The world that Pullman creates is so convincing that you are drawn into it like it is a reality. His messages are so powerful and the images are dazzling. I am not one big on religion and you defiantly have to have a very, VERY open mind on religion to read these books. They have touched me very deeply. They have given me much to think about and I feel they are filled with much wisdom. Though I feel these books are for more mature children. Due to some violence and matured theories. I recommend 12 & up.

I really enjoyed Pullman's imagination-- love the idea of daemons (animal others that represent your soul), loved the armored bears and the rich worlds he created. I found the books utterly engrossing and difficult to put down.

I don't know whether the books will offend Christians, but as a Jewish person, I found the association of "Religion" with what is essentially Christian philosophy (emphasis on Authority, the afterlife etc.) to be muddy and ultimately a bit preachy. Not unlike Ayn Rand and the way she uses fiction to disguise her propaganda. Just be warned; if your kids read this they may become anti-religion bores! :) I also found the "good guys" to be questionable (not the kids, but Asriel and his forces) That said, I did enjoy them as stories.

I've read and loved all the Harry Potter books, and C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, and I have to say, Pullman surpasses them all. With effortless grace and an amazing imagination, Pullman essentially re-tells the story of the fall of man through the characters of two utterly real, conflicted and all too human children, Lyra and Will. They are pitted against dark forces, but are given some astonishing helpmates and tools with which to fight a battle for nothing less than the souls of all humanity. Assisted by Daemons and Angels, Lyra and Will seek the answer to a puzzling mystery - what is "Dust", and why is it spilling out of the universe? Pursued by some very determined and evil adults, Lyra and Will meet armored bears, flying explorers, and witches in their travels through parallel worlds to find the answer and elude their persecutors. Dark, richly imagined, occasionally terrifying, Pullman is a breathtaking storyteller. Young adults will love the fantastic creatures and situations Lyra and Will must surmount, and adults will get a kick out of references to Milton's Paradise Lost, and Dante's Divine Comedy. Young or old, this is a brilliant series of books best read in one juicy gulp.

Words of warning - 'The Golden Compass' (1st in the series) and 'The Amber Spyglass' (3rd) are nowhere near as good as 'The Subtle Knife' (2nd). In 'The Golden Compass' we are stuck with Lyra, a dim-witted, uncharismatic girl with no personality. Though Lyra is supposed to be the hero, she posseses none of the qualities that would suggest so. She is not brave, noble or cunning. The more exciting parts of this book do not even involve Lyra. She, in fact, runs away as a reaction to tough situations. Her one redeeming quality is that she quickly learns how to read the alethiometer, an ancient device shaped like a pocket watch that helps her answer difficult questions and sometimes predict the future. Lyra's travel companion, Iorek Byrson, the talking armored polar bear, is a much more interesting character. It is he who is involved in the most exciting part of the book - a high stakes fight with another armored bear.

But even with Lyra's shortcomings as a hero, she still garners sympathy merely because she is a kid who has would-be assassins tailing her everywhere she goes. Also, she finds out who her parents are and with sketchy evidence she can't figure out which one is sending out minions to kill her. In the 2nd book 'The Subtle Knife,' it was with great relief to me that Lyra became more or less of a sidekick to the ever-compelling and mysterious Will Parry. With Will cutting openings from one world to another with the instrument called the Subtle Knife, there is no shortage of heart-pounding twists and turns.

I have often heard His Dark Materials being compared to Harry Potter, but Philip Pullman is not as consistent as J.K. Rowling is with Harry Potter. While Rowling has continually exceeded expectations with each Harry Potter book (each book being better than the one before it), Philip Pullman is horribly disappointing with the 3rd book, 'The Amber Spyglass.' At 500+ pages, 'The Amber Spyglass' could've used a lot of editing. The action doesn't really get going until at least 300 pages into it. It doesn't help that many of the longest chapters are centered around Dr. Mary Malone and her useless trek into a land where she befriends some mysterious beasts. I thought Lyra was uncharismatic, but Mary Malone is a thousand times worse. Even the enigmatic Will Parry could not save the slow plot. In one last ditch effort to soften readers up to Lyra, Pullman brings back a few of her travel companions from the first book, who by this time have been separated from her and now wish to find and protect her. Though Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnson both express to others that they love Lyra as a daughter, the two showed no affection of this sort while they were with her in the first book. This just seems odd and ill-placed. The end of the series is disappointing to say the least.

First a disclaimer. I am 28 years old and only read the series as the first two books happened to already be in my apartment in Japan and I was bored. I had to buy the third book in Tokyo.

The first book in the series was great, no questions. The idea of people with daemons is a fascinating one and it got my imagination fired up. As some people have mentioned, Lyra is not exactly the most interesting heroine, but the book moves at a strong clip and her world is a familiar yet unique place.

Book two introduces Will and Dr Mary Malone and things start to slow down. Not necessarily a bad thing as sub-plots come to the forefront. Dark clouds looming for book three though.

I was 'lucky' enough to find book 3 in Shinjuku, Tokyo (English books not being exactly popular in Japan) and I still have about 20 pages to go. The thing is; I just don't care. I just want the book to end so I can put it away. Definitely not a good feeling. There are just too many sub-plots and the characters are dull as dish-water with some completely out of character events and dialogue (based on the first two books).

Also, while not being particularly religious myself, Pullman's ideologies are rammed into your face page after page. There is no subtlety to it. God is dead, Christianity is for stupid people, wisdom comes from . . . well who knows? Obviously he is a very bitter man but if I want to read some crackpot religious treatise I will go to the Religion section in the bookstore.

The whole book is a shambles, boring characters, inconsistent dialogue/action (not in character), long winded chapters where nothing happens and constant nagging about Christianity. It was just not enjoyable for me.

I don't know what to say, the first book is amazing, the second is so-so and the final book was just a chore. I would say read it, but there is much better junior fiction (or adult fiction if you are around 12 or so) to be had than this.

Arguably, the most satisfying read in the last few years across all genres. The Dark Materials Trilogy is composed of three books: The Golden Compass (originally entitled the Northern Lights in its initial UK release), the Subtle Knife and the Amber Spyglass. The first book was published some 10 years ago and since then the trilogy went on to win both worldwide recognition, with some 15 million copies sold, and its fair share of literature prizes. The story describes Lyra Belacqua's journey out of the innocence of her childhood into the world of experience and acquired wisdom of adulthood. Although the publishing house decided that the book would be ideally targeted at a young adult audience, both a 12 year old and a 50 year old will find the story mesmerizing and inspiring. Pullman is a master storyteller. His writing skills are simply second to none. The multi layered structure of the story means that this book can be read and re-read as someone ages and acquires knowledge of History, Physics, Literature, Mathematics, Cosmology. Truly a Masterpiece and a must-read.