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"His Dark Materials" Series

PostPosted: Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:08 pm
by Markus
I had this series recomended to me by a friend. I have only read the first book (The Golden Compass), so I can only recommend this one in good conscience. If the other two in the series are anything like it however, they will also be extremely good.
I may be a bit biased however, I have always loved the idea of animalistic companions...

PostPosted: Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:47 pm
by Kawaiikneko
I LOVED the first book... however once I finished the 2nd I was having a conviction not to read them any more and stopped. It was a loooong time ago when I read it, and I'm sure they're good books, but the second one starts having a very strange twisted view on Christianity. From what I've heard, the third one gets worse, but I never read it b/c the second was enough for me. Shame, b/c they were good, well-written books.

If I remember correctly:
[spoiler="click here"]The girl is supposedly the "2nd Eve" and she's supposed to side with the devil this time around or something.[/spoiler] This is only from memory as I read these books a long long time ago... I think when I was in 4th or 5th grade. To put that in perspective I'm going to be a sophomore. So if my memory is completely incorrect someone please correct me, as the thing I put above is rather drastic. If it is wrong I don't want to be falsely accusing.

Anyways, I do remember that there was something drastic enough to make me put down the book, which is something I do very very rarely if I'm enjoying that book.

PostPosted: Tue Jul 05, 2005 10:26 pm
by Warrior 4 Jesus
I've read all the books. They were very entertaining and interesting (especially the first) but many parts seem to have a personal vendetta against God and Christianity. So although they are very well written and interesting I personally can't recommend them - although the 1st book "Northern Lights" is pretty tame.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2005 7:32 am
by Indigo_Eyes
I started on the first, but then I read reviews that it did have some weird stuff in it, like gay angels o.o So yah, I stopped it...

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2005 10:06 am
by mai
The man who wrote it believes the universe is made out of dust [a spirit?] I believe he wrote the book as an attack against God. I never read the last book but my mom did, in the end [spoiler] the main characters help God to Die and return to the nothing ness of the universe [/spoiler]

PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2005 6:08 pm
by Warrior 4 Jesus
Um, I don't remember anything about gay angels. Phillip Pullman said he wrotethe books as an atheist alternative to the Chronicles of Narnia. They does share similarities with C.S Lewis's book: That Hideous Strength and also with the classic Paradise Lost but it really is humanistic propaganda.

PostPosted: Fri Jul 08, 2005 6:23 am
by Indigo_Eyes
Warrior 4 Jesus wrote:Um, I don't remember anything about gay angels. Phillip Pullman said he wrotethe books as an atheist alternative to the Chronicles of Narnia. They does share similarities with C.S Lewis's book: That Hideous Strength and also with the classic Paradise Lost but it really is humanistic propaganda.


Oh ok then, thanks for telling me. Just goes to show that you can't believe everything you read on the internet... :sweat:

PostPosted: Fri Jul 08, 2005 8:22 am
by mai
I think it was just implied that two of the angels were gay, though I thought it was kind of obvious from what they said and did, even if the exact word was never used.

PostPosted: Mon Jul 11, 2005 6:41 pm
by uc pseudonym
I read the series. The writing wasn't bad, and neither was the world-building, but I didn't really like the world he built (philosophy quite aside). They were good enough to make me finish them, but I can't say that I felt they were that compelling of reading.

On another level though, I have to speak negatively about their philosophy. Pullman never hid the fact that his books were intentionally anti-Christian, and this comes across extremely strongly. The "arguments" he sets forth (that is, the philosophies that drive his world and the dialogue he has chosen to give his characters) are rather unimpressive unless you wish to believe them or are incredibly uncertain about your faith.

PostPosted: Fri Jul 15, 2005 5:45 am
by Kireihana
Wow. I think I posted a thread about these books a while back but no one seemed to know about them... I read the first and second one but simply couldn't finish the third. The theology bothered me too much. Which is a shame beause I really enjoyed the first book and the environment, and Lyra's character in general.