Subject: (urth) Phillip Pullman

From: akt <akt at attglobal.net>
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 10:33:26 +0000

Is Phillip Pullman that children's-book writer. The Golden
Somethingorother? I've noticed his name and thought I might look into
him, maybe at the library. What are the names of the books in the
trilogy? (Too lazy to consult Amazon.)

-alga

*More Wolfe info & archive of this list at http://www.urth.net/urth/

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From: mark millman <millman at us.ncipher.com>
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 11:12:16 +0000

alga,

You're thinking of the right person; his series is titled 
His Dark Materials, and comprises three volumes:
_The Golden Compass_; _The Subtle Knife_; and 
_The Amber Spyglass_.

It's been strongly recommended to me by my book-
seller and by other friends, though not with the  . . . 
fervor . . . that Harry Potter seems to engender.

Mark Millman

At 10:33 AM 18-04-01 -0400, you wrote:

> Is Phillip Pullman that children's-book 
> writer. The Golden Somethingorother? 
> I've noticed his name and thought I 
> might look into him, maybe at the li-
> brary. What are the names of the books 
> in the trilogy? (Too lazy to consult 
> Amazon.)
>
> -alga

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From: John-Paul Wellcoat <john-paul.wellcoat at omgroup.com>
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 15:49:22 +0000

I was taken aback when I learnt the Dark Material trilogy was classed as
childrens fiction.
I would recommend it heartily. (note. the third book is not all it could have
been)
I haven't read much of Harry Potter, but what i did read didn't come close to
the Dark Material trilogy.
However, it may be I just dislike the whole glamourisation of one author and her
work.

Just thought I say something. I hate being classified as a lurker.

JP

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alga,

Mark Millman

ranjit at moonmilk.com

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From: William Ansley <wansley at warwick.net>
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 12:33:54 +0000

I have read them. First, let me say that I like children's books. (Probably 
because I have a childish personality, err... I mean childlike sense of 
wonder.) I am also a big fan of the Harry Potter books, although I don't 
understand all the hoopla.

As far as the Pullman books go, I thought _The Golden Compass_ was 
wonderful. The writing is superb, the characterizations excellent and the 
plot fascinating. Practically the only reason this is considered a 
children's book is that the protagonist is a eleven-year-old girl. In 
nearly every other way, this book is on an adult level.

_The Subtle Knife_ is just as good, but it leaves you with an uneasy 
feeling that Pullman will not be able to pull off a satisfying conclusion. 
And he does not. In spades.

In _The Amber Spyglass_ the whole works just blows up in your face. The 
plot clanks; endless needless complications and characters are introduced. 
The characters, at least some of them, including major ones, start acting 
unlike themselves. And Pullman evidently regards the success of the first 
two volumes in the series to be a license to turns parts of the third book 
into a virulent anti-Catholic screed (thinly disguised but unmistakable). I 
consider myself agnostic, but this aspect of the book made me 
uncomfortable. A certain anti-church bias is evident in the first two books 
as well, but nothing like what comes out in the third.

In short, I might recommend this series on the merits of the first two 
volumes, but only to someone who is not likely to be offended by a very 
anti-Christian message. (This seems to be a real bugaboo for Pullman. He 
apparently gave an interview some time ago in which he attacked C. S. Lewis 
and the Narnia books, which garnered him much ill will from their fans.)

William Ansley

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From: Michael Straight <straight at email.unc.edu>
Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2001 10:33:17 +0000

> as well, but nothing like what comes out in the third.

Interestingly, First Things, a conservative, mostly Roman Catholic journal
has a mostly positive review of Pullman's series this month (May issue) by
Daniel Moloney.  He's not so concerned about the anti-church stuff as what
he considers the artistic/philosophical failure to create a convincing
alternative metaphyics.  He argues that the parts that work the best
artistically owe the most to the Christian story/worldview.  Not having
read the books yet, I can't say whether the article makes a good case or
not, but it and this discussion have convinced me to give them a try.  
The article will be available on their website (www.firstthings.com) in a
few weeks.

-Rostrum

Here's a quote that may be a spoiler (so beware!):

"As is, I can fairly characterize His Dark Materials in this fashion:
imagine if at the beginning of the world, Satan's rebellion had been
successful, that he had reigned for two thousand years, and that a messiah
was necessary to conquer lust and the spirit of domination with innocence,
humility, and generous love at great personal cost.  Such a story is not
subversive of Christianity."