The Amber Spyglass: His Dark Materials, Book 3
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that there's a fair amount of violence here, some gory, though not as much nor as graphic as book 2 in the series. Though handled with great delicacy and discretion, part of the plot revolves around the sexual awakening of the two main characters. There are also themes in this one that are bound to upset some religious readers. The author manages to question just about everything about religion in this book while he sends his main characters on trips through heaven and hell. You'll also find more bad guys in the rigid religious institutions than anywhere, and one Father is sent by the church to kill a main character. However, kids caught up in the fantasy and action will probably miss most of the book's theological leanings.
Families who read this book could discuss Pullman's view of religion. What does he believe, and why? What is Dust? How is Lyra like Eve? Older teens may be interested in checking out the book upon which this series is based -- Paradise Lost.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Matt Berman
First was The Golden Compass, the best fantasy novel in a generation. It introduced the street urchin Lyra Belacqua, called Lyra Silvertongue by the armored bears of the north, and her world where human souls are embodied in companion animals called daemons. It also introduced a cast of characters out of Dickens, by way of Mervyn Peake.
Next came the sequel, The Subtle Knife and, incredibly, it was even better. In it Lyra teamed up with Will, a boy from our world, who became the Bearer of the Subtle Knife, which could cut anything, including the boundaries between worlds. And Lyra's father, Lord Asriel, began amassing an army from all the universes, including rebel angels, for an assault on Heaven.
Then came the wait. Publication dates came and went. The author was rumored to be having trouble completing the trilogy, and his interviews became increasingly testy. Anyone who had read the first two books could understand why -- it seemed that the author had set himself an impossible task.
But at last, three years and three months later, THE AMBER SPYGLASS was released. It has been said that the series is Pullman's version of Milton's Paradise Lost. But this third book makes it clear that it's rather a response to Milton, one that, if the book-banners tear their eyes off Harry Potter for a while, could become the Christian Satanic Verses.
If you haven't read the first two books, don't even think of trying to read this one first -- Pullman, praise be, wastes no time bringing readers up to speed. In fact, even if you have read the previous books, you may want to reread them before tackling this -- there's a lot to keep track of. Moreover, readers who were expecting the conclusion of the trilogy to make all things clear may be disappointed; Pullman has a lot to say, but he also leaves a lot for readers to figure out themselves.
Pullman hasn't lost his touch -- it's as riveting and fast-paced as ever. Though nothing much happens in the first hundred pages, for instance, he still has readers on the edge of their seats the whole way. His characterizations are even stronger; Lyra and Will become richer and more complete characters, and Pullman can move you to tears with events that are meaningless in our real world.
But his plotting is weaker here than in the first two books; there's a lot of meandering about, setups that promise more than they deliver, and plot lines that just peter out. A lot is still unclear by the end, which will frustrate some readers even as it gives others much to speculate about.
But Pullman's point, his response to Milton, seems clear enough to perceptive and more mature readers: The only heaven is in our own world, and the best we can hope for after life is oblivion. God is a fascist fraud, who didn't create anything. The Fall was the saving grace of humankind, freeing us from bondage and giving us free will and rational thought. The rebel angels, far from being devils, are fighting for our freedom from the brutal authoritarianism of heaven, as exemplified by the Church. "The Christian religion is a very powerful and convincing mistake, that's all." And the world of flesh is more important and more powerful than the world of spirit, and even the angels envy us our physical senses.
Wow. This is really going to tic some people off. So if your faith is easily offended, stay away. If you agree with the author that Paradise is what we make of it right here and now, great. If not, it's still a feverishly exciting adventure. It also completes the finest and most original fantasy series since The Lord of the Rings.
From The Book
Then he was at Lyra's side, and she was deep asleep, Pantalaimon around her neck; and then Will held up the knife and felt carefully, and a second later there would have been an opening to pull Lyra through into safety --
But he looked up. He looked at Mrs. Coulter. She had turned around silently, and the glare from the sky, reflected off the damp cave wall, hit her face, and for a moment it wasn't her face at all; it was his own mother's face, reproaching him, and his heart quailed from sorrow; and then as he thrust with the knife, his mind left the point, and with a wrench and a crack, the knife fell in pieces to the ground.
Plot Summary:
With the help of two lesser angels, Will rescues Lyra, held a drugged captive, at the end of The Subtle Knife by her evil mother, who may or may not have discovered her maternal instinct. Once free, they make for the world of the dead, which, no matter the goodness of the soul, is Hell for everyone. There they work to free the spirits of the dead into oblivion, which is far better than the afterlife they lead.
Meanwhile the Church plots Lyra's murder, as they believe her to be a new Eve, who will bring about another Fall; Lord Asriel readies his forces for battle with Metatron, the angel who has taken over heaven from the decrepit and feeble-minded Authority; Dr. Mary Malone ends up in a world of gentle creatures who can see Dust, and begins making discoveries about the changes all the worlds are suffering; and all the worlds and all the races begin taking sides for the final climactic battle.
Related Books:
The Rest of the Series:
The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials, Book 1
The Subtle Knife: His Dark Materials, Book 2
Other Books by Philip Pullman:
The Broken Bridge
Clockwork, or All Wound Up
I Was A Rat!
Going to Other Worlds:
The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
The Transall Saga by Gary Paulsen
Abarat by Clive Barker
Gregor the Overlander: Underland Chronicles, Book 1 by Suzanne Collins
The Merchant of Death: The Pendragon Series, Book 1 by D. J. MacHale
Related Web Sites:
Publisher's Site
Author's Site
Movie Site
Fansite
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Sexual ContentKissing, intimations of sex, sexual feelings. |
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ViolencePlenty, some rather gory. Murder, deaths in battle, mutiliation, beheading. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoA boy is made to drink vodka. |
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