His Dark Materials trilogy - Philip Pullman
As demanded by a task of this magnitude, the trilogy is vast in both scope and scale spanning a number of parallel universes, numerous characters from forgotten races and a final confrontation with God himself in attendance. However, it is in the details that Pullman falters. The plot meanders as we start the second book, every page sees a new character coming in to complicate the already complicated plot. Older characters are conveniently forgotten only to be brought out of oblivion when the situation demands. As a book which argues in favour of the free spirit against the shackled existence under an authority, it pays too little attention to the players other than the main protagonists. Whatever, their world view might be Tolkein ended up inventing an entire history to give each of his characters a place and Lewis never complicated his plot enough to get too many in the first place.
The Golden Compass, Subtle Knife and Amber Spyglass are interesting fantasy novels with an even more interesting plot line but people expecting a classic of the magnitude of Lord of the Rings or even Harry Potter will probably be a little disappointed. For those interested in reading fantasy with a slightly different flavour from that of Lewis and Tolkein should definitely look at the Earthsea novels of Ursula K. Le Guin.
These three books marketed for children are attempts by Pullman, a self professed athiest, to turn children away from God. The children kill God in book three. The movie the “Golden Compass” is marketed and produced in a “Narnia” like format and dumbed down so parents and children alike will not understand the full significance of the characters.
I read the Snopes profile on this movie and was amazed at the content. Very adult content being served to kids in a fantasy type movie. The books are even more graphic then the movie. If you choose to take your kids to see the movie, I hope they know what they beleive before they go, because this film and it’s characters are designed to turn kids away from God(Yahweh) in the movie.
I was so looking forward to this movie, I’ve seen so many previews at the movies. After reading a response and did some research myself. I am shocked that this is a kid’s movie! Check out IMDB, it has the trailer for the movie, it talks about Daemons(demons?) being each childs companion through life. If Pullman the author doesn’t believe in God, or spirituality, why are there demons in his story? As a parent I choose not to go see the movie.
[...] all of them turned to be on one post: the rather spare review I had written sometime back of the His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman. Given the content [...]
I have read all the books myself and I am a personal fan as well as a raised Roman Catholic. To begin with, they are not DEMONS. the AE is in there for a reason. The story is set in another world, where instead of your soul being on the inside, it’s on the outside, in the form of an animal, and it follows you everywhere. To be separted from it causes physical as well as emotional pain. It is your companion, it is your friend.
Second of all, it is not until you get to the end of the second and third book that there is any talk about faith. It is just like with Harry Potter, parents are scared of what they don’t know about. “Oh its about witchcraft and worshipping the devil” and we all now know that those comments are not true at all.
I agree that some of the content shouldn’t be directed at children because it might confuse them a bit, however none to the extreme where they will be asking the deepest questions you can ask about life. Kids will take it as it is. Fiction.
Furthermore, some of the websites I perused that were really anti-Pullman said that the movie dealt with female castration, I mean come on. That is just a desperate attempt to raise your eyebrows. That is not what these books are about.
If people are so concerned about this film, then take the time, read it. Stop being so afraid of the unknown and listening to heresay. Find out for yourself.
I have just finished reading the 1st book in the series and I just can’t see what all the fuss is about. I am a Christian Man and my wife and I pray with our children (6 & 3) on a nightly basis. As a younger man, I played Dungeons and Dragons, Magic the Gathering, and various other games like WOW and Everquest. These books are works of FICTION. Nothing more, nothing less. I thought the first book was very entertaining, but nothing even close to the epic tales of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman from the Dragonlance and Deathgate novels. This movie would be a flash in the pan if it weren’t for blogs just like this one.
Like Kelly, I agree that some of the material may be a bit mature for my 6 year old, but let me make a suggestion…
To all of you who think you are showing concern for children by propagating the Snopes information… READ THE BOOKS!
I bet not 10 percent of the people who forwarded that email ever even heard of Pullman before hitting the forward button.
If you want to help children, TEACH THEM WHAT IS TRUE THROUGH YOUR EXAMPLE! Don’t shelter them from the world and try to police everything they read. Telling them not to read something only makes it that much more palpable. If you claim to be a Christian, just bring your children up using Jesus as your example. Then you won’t need to fear stuff like this.
Personally, I plan to read not only books 2 and 3, but also 4 and 5.
Bet most of you didn’t do enough research to even know about those!
~Disher~
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I would just like to say in Response to Tiffany: You clearly have not done “some research” on the topic at all. If you had, you would not have accused Pullman of having “Demons” in his books. If he had demons in his books, he would not spell them as “Daemons.” FYI, Daemons are animal familiars that share the soul with their individual humans in the parallel universe in which the movie and books take place. They are friends and loyal companions to their humans, and I think its awful that you channeled it to meaning something that it clearly doesn’t mean. If you are opposed to Daemons–loyalty, friendship–then by all means don’t let your children see this movie.
philip pullman sucks like hell by the way he should go there. I have never read his books but i know they suck. Don’t read the books if you are a christian or believe in god because i do.
In response to Celia. Apparently you haven’t done any research at all about the movie.. If you are not a Christian or don’t believe the existence of God, I can see what your comments means, however; the movie “Golden Compass” and even the books are all about attacking Christianity.
FYI, Pullman intended that the Magisterium to be the Christian church imposing on people what they need or don’t need to do. Christians don’t live a life based on what churches tell us. We live based on the Bible. In the third book, you see Lyra and Will eating a red fruit and a few minutes later they are involved in some kind of unspecified sexual act. That’s pretty much a mockery of what the Bible says about Adam and Eve in the garden.
About daemon being spelled with “ae” instead of an “e” is extremely irrelevant. The thing is an atheist doesn’t believe in a spiritual realm whatsoever. Every human being knows that a demon isn’t friendly and no one wants to be a part of it.
I am a preschool teacher and I have been warning my kids and parents about everything they watch. If you have a child(ren) and you don’t want them to be lost in sexual relationship at an early age, then you need to start judging and scrutinizing everything movie, books, or tv shows your child(ren) watch.