Comments on: Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” http://www.davidlouisedelman.com/book-reviews/his-dark-materials/ Science Fiction Novelist, Blogger, Web Programmer Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:41:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: David Louis Edelman http://www.davidlouisedelman.com/book-reviews/his-dark-materials/comment-page-1/#comment-4902 David Louis Edelman Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:06:05 +0000 http://www.davidlouisedelman.com/?p=81#comment-4902 Rachel O: Thanks for the detailed critique. I'll definitely have to keep this in mind when I decide to give the books another try, which I'll almost certainly do -- they've gotten far too much extravagant praise from too many intelligent people for me to ignore them. Hopefully I'll get more out of them next time. (Though I seriously doubt I'll have read "Paradise Lost" by then; I really have no interest in Milton). I think you're wrong to dismiss J.K. Rowling's books as "children's fiction," though. The Harry Potter series does have a candy-coated surface, but underneath that is a surprising amount of depth. Rachel O: Thanks for the detailed critique. I’ll definitely have to keep this in mind when I decide to give the books another try, which I’ll almost certainly do — they’ve gotten far too much extravagant praise from too many intelligent people for me to ignore them. Hopefully I’ll get more out of them next time. (Though I seriously doubt I’ll have read “Paradise Lost” by then; I really have no interest in Milton).

I think you’re wrong to dismiss J.K. Rowling’s books as “children’s fiction,” though. The Harry Potter series does have a candy-coated surface, but underneath that is a surprising amount of depth.

]]> By: Rachel O http://www.davidlouisedelman.com/book-reviews/his-dark-materials/comment-page-1/#comment-4901 Rachel O Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:42:21 +0000 http://www.davidlouisedelman.com/?p=81#comment-4901 This view of Pullman's trilogy is completely naive, I understand every critic has an opinion but to have not even read or looked into Paradise Lost I’m afraid you are defiantly not in on the joke. First you are certainly right that Pullman is no J.K.R because his book contain much more thought and conscious didactism, Harry Potter is clearly a children's fiction where as His Dark Material can be read on so many levels, many of which you're missing. The trilogy does not only include God and Satan as you so lamely say but a structured re-working of the bible story of Adam and Eve, it is not that we must sympathize with Satan but take the fact that Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit as a positive thing. When they eat this fruit they are exposed to knowledge and Pullman's suggests this is similar to a child growing from adolescence into an adult, which is represented in Lyra and her daemon who when fixes it's form at the end of the series represent her coming of age into adulthood. So basically Pullman is saying it is a positive thing to grow up and it should be celebrated rather than deplored. Daemons are certainly more than a narrative device so a character can talk to itself, they are a huge metaphor for puberty and represent a person soul, and when left behind when Lyra enters the underworld they shown the sacrifice she has to make much like Eve when she sacrifices Eden. As for the 'backdrop' of Lyra's world with the exception of the daemons it is our world which has not experienced the Enlightenment period/ the revolution of science, it conveys the effect that a over powering control of the church would have on our society, meaning it would stifle our greater knowledge/technology in order to keep control. The are many clear and consistent point made about religion the main ones that an organised religion has the power to brainwash (so to speak) adults; also represented in the second book where adult cannot be around the spectres as they turn zombie like, these spectres symbolize the control of organised religion and effect they would have on adults. And also that many stereotypically wicked things such as Eve eating the fruit or children losing there innocence are turn into positive things by Pullman because you must remember that Pullman doesn't write of his own context but instead writes back using 17th to 19th century when children went through a transition from being thought of as wicked to being thought of as pure. If you haven't read any Blake or Milton or even listen to Pullman in an interview it would be very difficult to come up with an informed view. And Meagan if you haven't read the books why comment at all? There is no vendetta against God merely the opinions Pullman has on a 17th to 19th century view of religion and childhood. Which if you researched you might agree it was a lot harsher than today’s religious views. - And just to make it clear, I am conveying Pullman's views (well, what i argue to be Pullman's views) not my own and would be really interested to know if this has helped your knowledge of the triolgy. This view of Pullman’s trilogy is completely naive, I understand every critic has an opinion but to have not even read or looked into Paradise Lost I’m afraid you are defiantly not in on the joke. First you are certainly right that Pullman is no J.K.R because his book contain much more thought and conscious didactism, Harry Potter is clearly a children’s fiction where as His Dark Material can be read on so many levels, many of which you’re missing. The trilogy does not only include God and Satan as you so lamely say but a structured re-working of the bible story of Adam and Eve, it is not that we must sympathize with Satan but take the fact that Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit as a positive thing. When they eat this fruit they are exposed to knowledge and Pullman’s suggests this is similar to a child growing from adolescence into an adult, which is represented in Lyra and her daemon who when fixes it’s form at the end of the series represent her coming of age into adulthood. So basically Pullman is saying it is a positive thing to grow up and it should be celebrated rather than deplored. Daemons are certainly more than a narrative device so a character can talk to itself, they are a huge metaphor for puberty and represent a person soul, and when left behind when Lyra enters the underworld they shown the sacrifice she has to make much like Eve when she sacrifices Eden. As for the ‘backdrop’ of Lyra’s world with the exception of the daemons it is our world which has not experienced the Enlightenment period/ the revolution of science, it conveys the effect that a over powering control of the church would have on our society, meaning it would stifle our greater knowledge/technology in order to keep control. The are many clear and consistent point made about religion the main ones that an organised religion has the power to brainwash (so to speak) adults; also represented in the second book where adult cannot be around the spectres as they turn zombie like, these spectres symbolize the control of organised religion and effect they would have on adults. And also that many stereotypically wicked things such as Eve eating the fruit or children losing there innocence are turn into positive things by Pullman because you must remember that Pullman doesn’t write of his own context but instead writes back using 17th to 19th century when children went through a transition from being thought of as wicked to being thought of as pure. If you haven’t read any Blake or Milton or even listen to Pullman in an interview it would be very difficult to come up with an informed view. And Meagan if you haven’t read the books why comment at all? There is no vendetta against God merely the opinions Pullman has on a 17th to 19th century view of religion and childhood. Which if you researched you might agree it was a lot harsher than today’s religious views. – And just to make it clear, I am conveying Pullman’s views (well, what i argue to be Pullman’s views) not my own and would be really interested to know if this has helped your knowledge of the triolgy.

]]> By: Meagan http://www.davidlouisedelman.com/book-reviews/his-dark-materials/comment-page-1/#comment-4576 Meagan Fri, 22 May 2009 13:14:20 +0000 http://www.davidlouisedelman.com/?p=81#comment-4576 <I've never read the series as a whole but just certain excerpts. and from what i can see, the guy has a knack for the melodramatic. and i'm sure that's alright for young readers but sheesh--what kind of vendetta does he have against god? God must have given him six toes or something! <I’ve never read the series as a whole but just certain excerpts. and from what i can see, the guy has a knack for the melodramatic. and i’m sure that’s alright for young readers but sheesh–what kind of vendetta does he have against god? God must have given him six toes or something!

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