His dark materials

jcf

Hi ,
Someone recommended me this book here some time ago , can't remember how , it was a separate thread , anyway is it good ? I don't want to read what's it about on Wikipedia because of spoilers , is it kinda fantasy stuff like LOTR or Harry potter ?


Thanks

Andy-Pandy

An amazing series, i'd love to be starting it afresh.

Its nothing like Harry Potter or LOTR btw, and is, in my opinion, far superior to either.

Turtwig

What Andy Said. Utterly Fantastic series.

jcf

Reading about it a little on wiki , not sure the fantasy aspect will appeal to me , mind you I did enjoy LOTR and Harry Potter ,

emeraldstar

Overrated series. I didn't read it until recently but had been hearing laudatory opinions similar to those above for ages, which enticed me to give it a go. Going into it with such high expectations however wasn't ideal, as I thought it was going to be this truly mega amazing trilogy and so much better than it actually was. It was alright, but I'd take Harry Potter over HDM any day.

Necronomicon

^What emeraldstar said. After reading the trilogy it left me scratching my head as to why it's so highly regarded. I did like the first book, Northern Lights, without thinking it was anything special. I didn't enjoy The Subtle Knife at all, though, and by the time I got to Amber Spyglass it was just reading for the sake of seeing out the story.

mcgovern

Didn't think much of the series, as Necromonicon said, it goes down hill quite quickly.

I read them when I was about 12 and loved them. I still love them because of this.

But objectively speaking I can't see how they would appeal to an audience over 15 years of age. If I read them for the first time today I don't think I'd like them at all, I only like them because I grew to love them at a younger age.

nikegame

When i was in [URL="app:ds:senior"][/URL]senior high school,i was deeply addicted to them. [URL="app:ds:deeply"][/URL]
i haven't read them for a long time now!
[URL="app:ds:to"][/URL]

Dades

One of my favourite books of all time. (Read first when I was about 30...)
I actually have a signed hardback of the trilogy.

The first book is like a slightly dark, children's fantasy book, but the 2nd (and particularly) third books add layers of more complex adult themes to the story.

You've nothing to lose by giving them a go because the first book is an easy read.

candlegrease

I´m 23 now and have grown up reading a lot about this series but never got around to reading them. Are they worth my while now? Always thought they were aimed at older teenagers?

purplepapillon

Same as others, I read them around 12. A great trilogy. Pullman's other novels don't stand up to these three. Have a go with the first one. The series A Song of Ice and Fire (otherwise known as the TV series Game of Thrones) is great series IMO, if you're looking for something aimed at an older group. Started reading them a few weeks ago and on book 4. Addictive

ancapailldorcha

I read these earlier this year. The first book is quite good and interesting and the character of Lyra is really strong and compelling. The second was ok, helped greatly by the introduction of Will and the third was one of the worst things I ever read. I've never seen a trilogy go from so promising to such a complete and utter mess.

Dades

Couldn't disagree more, sorry! The third book was epic and produced an unforgettable ending.

ancapailldorcha

Dades wrote: »

Couldn't disagree more, sorry! The third book was epic and produced an unforgettable ending.

Fair enough, it just pissed me off that the

whole war with heaven was set aside so Pullman could drone on and on about Lyra and Will hitting puberty and bloody mulefa

.

emeraldstar

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

bloody mulefa

.

Good God, I hated those weird yokes.

NIMAN

Read them in my early to mid 30s, and maybe about a 5/10. OK but nothing special.

I agree that the 1st book was the best and it went downhill from there.

Talking of the books, the 1st was made into a film, but the next 2 weren't. Anyone know why? Are the other 2 ever going to be made?

ancapailldorcha

NIMAN wrote: »

Read them in my early to mid 30s, and maybe about a 5/10. OK but nothing special.

I agree that the 1st book was the best and it went downhill from there.

Talking of the books, the 1st was made into a film, but the next 2 weren't. Anyone know why? Are the other 2 ever going to be made?

I'd say they were afraid of offending people due to the anti-religious tone of the books.

Toby Take a Bow

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

I'd say they were afraid of offending people due to the anti-religious tone of the books.

I think the film bombed at the box office. Money is usually why these things get made or don't get made. They also went very easy on the whole anti-god stuff.

I loved the books when I read them years ago, but when I read them again I noticed a sharp decline in quality after the first book. I would think they're still brilliant if you're around the 12-16 age bracket.

ancapailldorcha

Yeah, it's stuff like

2 people and their daemons being able to take down the leader of heaven's army

that really ruined it for me. I can imagine enjoying it immensely at an impressionable age as you pointed out.

Lector

I read them in my late 30s and thought they were pretty good. The mix of fantasy, physics and religion was intriguing. I'd rate them 7.5 out of 10

Dades

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

Fair enough, it just pissed me off that the

whole war with heaven was set aside so Pullman could drone on and on about Lyra and Will hitting puberty and bloody mulefa

.

You have a point with whole

Mulefa storyline. Probably the one bit of the books that could have been ditched, or at least shortened.

Roisy7

I agree... I read the first one at about 11/12, absolutely loved it. Loved Lyra, loved the setting, and the ending was incredible. I was so excited about The Subtle Knife but I couldn't get through it at all. I must have borrowed it from the library about four times in an effort to read it but I could never finish it.
I think I also tried to read the The Amber Spyglass too but couldn't finish that either. I tried reading The Ruby in the Smoke (??) one of his other novels but it didn't grip me.

So disappointing as Northern Lights was at the time the best book I ever read.

Definitely read it tho, it's a great book, just don't expect much from the others. Harry Potter is consistently good over the series, and JK Rowling has a sense of humour. Also the themes in HP-friendship, evils of discrimination, good vs evil etc- are more overarching and complex than His Dark Materials. By the middle of the The Subtle Knife I was a bit sick of atheism being rammed down my throat- and I'm not religious!