His Dark Materials Boxed set (His Dark Materials)

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-05-17 rating:
Goes out with a whimper
Northern Lights is brilliant in almost every respect; fast-moving, well-written, imaginative. The Subtle Knife is almost as good, but begins to be diffuse. The Amber Spyglass is, frankly, rubbish. In order to understand what is going on here, you have to have read an obscure essay by a second-rank German author (Heinrich v. Kleist) that Pullman is always going on about. By a logic that defeats me, it concludes that a re-temptation of Eve will undo the disaster that came from the first temptation. Hence Lyra (she's the new Eve, we're told) goes all tingly when she's kissed (only kissed, mind you). This saves the world (don't ask me how). Pullman's cosmogony/theology is even wackier than the Christian version to which he's so hostile. Nor does The Amber Spyglass have a very tight plot -- is the realm of the dead another parallel universe, or what? The Father Gomez episode is totally gratuitous church-baiting, and should have been edited out (along with a few other repetitious bits). It is fairly obvious that Pullman had no idea how to end this trilogy, which accounts for the long delay in publication between parts 2 and 3. But the ending, when it comes, is possibly the most banal I have ever read. One might have thought that having opened the gates of hell, having quite literally witnessed the death of God (and incidentally having saved humankind with a kiss) Lyra and Will deserved some sort of apotheosis. But the ending is like the ending to a children's party: right now kiddies, pack up your things, time to go home.

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review by: date: 2008-04-16 rating:
Recommended
His Dark Materials is a fantastic series of books. Plenty has already been said in these reviews about the subject matter and writing brilliance. However many people have referred to these as "children's" books, which I slightly disagree with. Young children (8+) will enjoy these if they are read to them - although the subject and language is likely to require further explanation at this age. For sole readers an age of 12+ is more suitable; plus many, many adults (including myself) have enjoyed reading these too.

From my personal experience I didn't enjoy the second book in the series as much as either the first or third as I felt it wasn't as fast-paced and intricate. That said I do not mean that I `didn't enjoy it at all' just that I `preferred' the others.

Other reviews have mentioned that the religious/church bashing may offend, which is perhaps true for deeply/strictly religious folk. However for non-believers I think the books may have the opposite effect, i.e. it may open their minds to the possibility there may be more to life than what we see, in a kind of spiritual sense.

However, a word of warning. After reading this series I purchased Lyra's Oxford which was a big mistake. It adds nothing to this story and took no longer than 15 minutes to read. In fact it left me rather miffed with the author that my feel-good factor from reading the trilogy was then tainted by feeling I'd been ripped off with LO.

In short - the trilogy is a very good buy but give the subsequent books based on this same story a big miss.

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review by: date: 2008-03-13 rating:
His Dark Materials Boxed Set
What excellent books! i could not put them down. Phillip Pullman has a wonderful imagination and i would recommend this book to adults and older children as i feel children under ten year's maybe a little scared! Can't wait to read his next book.

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review by: date: 2008-02-28 rating:
Brilliant
There's nothing I can say except "absolutely brilliant". I have never read a more refreshing, thought-provoking, moving or, most importantly, entertaining children's series.


review by: happywappychick date: 2008-02-26 rating:
Converted Potter Fan
I absoluteley loved these books. I have always been a potter fan and decided try this trilogy as someone recommended them, I have to say I have been blown away. Pullmans imagination is unrivalled. His worlds draw you in immediately, as you start you won't be able to put them down. I especially loved his characters, totally believeable and engrossing. The characters are all perfectly described, and the idea of daemons works well (daemons are a persons soul in animal form that stays with them). The later books focus upon other worlds which works great. I won't give lots away but the ending is excellent, the best ending for a long time. I don't recommend the books for young children. The plot could perhaps be a little hard for them to grasp as a lot of the story is about religion and government. (That makes it sound boring but trust me - it isn't). Buy them now, you won't be disappointed.

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