FLIGHT

I'm new here (hi) so I don't know if this has been discussed before, but I can't recommend Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy highly enough. It's just incredibly smart, exciting fantasy.

I can definetly more than second you on this one.
I've devoured this threesome twice... umm lesse, The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and the Amber Spyglass.
*launches into bookreview mode*
These books are so well written and explore sooo many different environments. They're extremely inspiring and they have all of this awesome philosophical undertones and questions they pose about things that humans commonly believe in, or are investigating today. The beginning is wonderful right through to the ending. I loved it.

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- Krunce
"And youth is cruel, and has no remorse
And smiles at situations which it cannot see."
I smile, of course,
And go on drinking tea. (T.S. Eliot)

I read them about two years ago, and they're definitely worth the effort of diving into with reckless abandon. The world, characters, and plot completely envelope the reader, and it's nigh impossible to escape their charm. Very nice suggestion.

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O sodales, ludite, vos qui scitis dicite michi mesto parcite, grand ey dolur, attamen consulite per voster honur.

I was thoroughly enjoying the first two books when I read them in paperback a couple of years back, so I went out and bought the third in harcover, as it was only available at the time, and was so disappointed in the third installment that I don't recommend the series at all. What a waste of time.

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Dean Trippe | Butterfly | Project Rooftop | LiveJournal

I love these books. I reread them every year or so and seem to find new levels of enjoyment overy time. I especially love the settings these take place in. I could just get lost in imagination, living in that world.

Hmmm. Is there anyone else out there who found these books a bit contrived and overly romanticized? I got the impression that Pullman tried his best to put lots of ideas in (sweeping and small), and really did some research to give us a lot of interesting detail, but in a way that was what put me off. I couldn't see the illusion for the machinery. I had some other problems with these books too. Made sure I gave him a good chance though. Slogged through all three books, didn't say anything, waited for my sig. other to read them, then asked him and he had the same reaction as I did. We felt we'd wasted our money, and then wasted our time.

Luckily many many others disagreed with us and we had no problem finding a buyer for the books.

Didn't really want to be so negative, but then maybe it's useful to have a balance of opinions? It was the wall of raves that convinced me to buy the set, which I later regretted.

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a Chris

I admit these books aren't really for everyone. I don't love it for its message, but for its texture, atmosphere, and visuals. It's up there with "A Wrinkle In Time" as being one of my favorite books ever, the trilogy holds a special place in my bookshelf and has been one of my recent inspirations.

Whoa, people actually started responding to this. Neat.

The books definitely take a point of view that I can see as offputting. I dug it, so that was off the table for me, but what I really enjoyed was just the incredible depth of the world(s) that are created. One of the things I love about comics, TV, and other ongoing fiction is that you can create these sprawling elaborate worlds to draw from, so I always find it very impressive when someone does that in a work with a set length (though three big fat books isn't exactly a small canvas).

I also like it when people treat adolescent romance as something more serious than semi-worthless puppy love. That's not to say that kids that age have fully developed emotions, but certainly to them it feels like the love of their life. It was very interesting to see it depicted that way.

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All fine ladies and gents love Mastodon City

Wow! I'm amased I didn't know they were so popular I read them I while ago I can't remember the quality of the writing (I read them as they came out) but I do remember that I loved the ideas there definatly a book I'ld recomend for kids as for them being overly romantisised the only point where I can think of that that might be true was the end of the last book that whole "loosing there inoncent thing" that and when they have to leave each other forever so yah. I guesse my favorit is the Golden Cumpass but like I said I'ld have to read them again it's been a few years.

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"so if you're feeling low,
stuck in some bardo.
I, even I know the solution,
love, music, wine and revolution."

-The Magnetic Feilds

I really really loved the first book. The characters, settings and intensity to how it laid out the story was just captivating. The second book took it in a different direction and still really enjoyed it. There's one part that actually even scared the heck out of me. Damn that golden monkey!!!

But I agree that the third one kinda loses steam and ultimately kind of takes away something from the series. There are some great ideas and cool scenes...but there are also entire chapters I wanted to skip.
Some of the religious stuff was interesting--but I didn't want it to consume the whole book.

But I still say everyone should read each of them. They have lots of great entertainment to offer. And if you are into adventure fantasy it will inspire the hell out of you.

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It's yaytime...let's go!

Ya, it's an inspiration that's for sure.
But I definetly agree on the religious theme level. In terms of fantasy novels with religious themes, His Dark Materials is like the anti-Narnia lmao.
But I have to admit, I love Narnia, but the whole appeal of it started to drift as I began to realize it was a religious allegory.
Even though His Dark Materials is a children's book, I don't think I'd recommend it to kids, just because having messages like this concerning religion in your reading may not be the best thing for you. Religion is something that you grow with or without, and then make more decisions about when you're older, but I've already made those decisions which is why I was fine with this.

I'm interested to hear why people thought the series dropped off in the Third book though.

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- Krunce
"And youth is cruel, and has no remorse
And smiles at situations which it cannot see."
I smile, of course,
And go on drinking tea. (T.S. Eliot)

The series became utterly unenjoyable for me when the veil dropped to reveal the real "point" of the books was a diss at God. It was just like, "What? That's the big reveal? You wasted my time with your personal issues with God?"

They started off so strong, but when the real motive of the author was revealed, I lost interest entirely. The Narnian books kept themselves clear of that kind of thing. Why couldn't the books have just been fun?

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Dean Trippe | Butterfly | Project Rooftop | LiveJournal