# His Dark Materials Trilogy



## Gnomeling (Jan 18, 2004)

Hey all,
Just wondering if neone has read this trilogy (Golden Compass, Subtle Knife, Amber Spyglass) for those unaware of the seperate titles 8) . I thought that these books were amazing and up till now they are my second most favourite stories i've ever read, dwarfed oly by the Lord of the Rings. I thoughtthat his ideas were unbelievable and that they were extremly well written. Much better than i thought that they would ever be when i first heard about them. So yeah...open for discussion...whatever
later


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## Lykkwid (Jan 19, 2004)

the ending made me very depressed. Have you read Lyra Oxford that's a ok book but it's very short.

Also the Golden Compass here in the UK is called Northern Lights, there was some mistake made when the book was sent over to America and they changed the name of book 1.


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## Gnomeling (Jan 19, 2004)

wow never new that..that's kinda cool..go figure the americans would screw it up :wink: . just joking just joking..wouldn't insult my neighbor to bad eh!? anyway, the same sort of thing happened to the Philosiphers stone...it's called the sorcerers over here in norht america, even in Canada where i'm from. You can by both editions but the english name is so much more truthful than sorcerer.anyway....


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## TimK (Feb 20, 2004)

My parents bought me these a couple years ago for Christmas, I think it was. I tried once to read _The Golden Compass_. It started excellently! Then several chapters in Pullman started IIRC to pile on fantasy elements too fast, and it started to get silly. But that was a while ago that I tried to read it. Maybe I'll try again. 

-TimK


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## Kitten Courna (Feb 20, 2004)

One of the better series I've read, ever.  Something I would read to my hypothetical children...hypothetically.  A group of my friends is planning on reading it together with Paradise Lost.

-Kitten


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## RONIN (Feb 20, 2004)

I enjoyed the series. The start was nice with some mystery and fantasy thrown in but I found the story slowly became less and less... exciting and a little more weird. I liked the ending and all thoughs things with the wheels and seeds and stuff. I can't remember thier names.


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## morningstar (Feb 22, 2004)

i love this trilogy. philip pullman is one of my fave authors right now as i have just recently finished this. and i was a bit confused there when i saw 'golden compass', lol. i know it as 'northern lights', but i'm clear on whats going on there now. =) i own a copy of northern lights, but i don't have the other two, borrowed those. i've got all these little descriptions that i loved highlighted in northern lights. one that stood out to me the most was of a sunset, lol. 

and is the golden compass the title refers to the alethiometer? (don't think i've spelt that right, lol)


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## Blackdragonhide (Mar 9, 2004)

lyras oxford is a good followup, if a little confusing.

The ending to the Amber Spyglass, in my view, was a little cheesy. Although the rest of the trilogy was good, if a little confusing at times.


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## defenestrator (Apr 18, 2004)

I found the ending rather depressing, really. But I enjoyed his writing style, and the story itself was pretty good.


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## BookwormA (Nov 1, 2004)

RONIN said:
			
		

> I enjoyed the series. The start was nice with some mystery and fantasy thrown in but I found the story slowly became less and less... exciting and a little more weird. I liked the ending and all thoughs things with the wheels and seeds and stuff. I can't remember thier names.



melufu!!!!  LOL


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## magikpumpkin (Nov 4, 2004)

the trilogy for me was awesome. I loved Northern Lights best outta the 3. You could argue that the second book started to loose grip a bit becuase you werent sure what exactly all of it was leading to, but Pullman wraps it up brilliantly at the end. One of my fav authors for sure, I'd reccomend this to anyone!!


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## Pookaah (Nov 6, 2004)

Loved it and I think there was a play made from it in the UK.


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## Iorek Brynison (Nov 9, 2004)

How do they make the daemons and panserbjornes?


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## BookwormA (Nov 9, 2004)

Pookaah said:
			
		

> Loved it and I think there was a play made from it in the UK.



I heard something like that on a message board somewhere.  that musta been one heck of a long play

They're making a movie out of it, which I think is the wrong move.  If it were Peter Jackson, okay, sure.  _maybe_
They're doing the guy who did American Pie I and II and American Wedding do it, which I think might make it a bit of a fiasco


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## tekp (Nov 11, 2004)

The trilogy has been made into a theatre production in London, and I might be going to see it in february sometime *yay* - and it's being made into a film.

I wanna know how they're going to do the stairway at the end of book one... hmm.

I enjoyed the series, and thought the second book was the best out of the three - by introducing Will it brought a whole new meaning to Lyra i never knew about - and I think the ending in the Amber Spyglass was sufficient, if a little cliche.

The prequel, Lyra's Oxford, was quite good in my opinion, although I don't really see it's purpose..

He's writing more books about Lyra's adventures too, although I can't remember if they're to be set before or after the trilogy. I hope they're after, I wanna see how her and Pantalaimon get on without will


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## A_MacLaren (Dec 5, 2004)

I just finished reading the trilogy again (all three in four days), and I noticed some strange things.

1) *You never learn the name of Mrs. Coulter's daemon*.
It's true. Think about it. You even know the name of Lord Asriel's, but not hers. Weird, no?

2) *Mrs. Coulter's daemon never speaks*
Actually, he says one word in _The Amber Spyglass_: 'Shh!'

3) *The narrator never refers to Mrs. Coulter as anything but 'Mrs. Coulter'*
This isn't entirely strange, because it maintains narrative continuity, but even when she turns into a strange kind of anti-hero she is still, to the narrator 'Mrs. Coulter', never 'Marisa'.

4) *You never know Lord Asriel's first name*

I wonder why Pullman did these things?


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## Creative_Insanity (Dec 7, 2004)

Yeah, that is weird. My theories:

1) Maybe because Mrs. Coulter was the villain and Pullman wanted the reader to have an inpersonal view of her, sort of like from Lyra's point of view. An evil lady that we want to keep away from. 

2) Also because Mrs. Coulter is a villain. If the daemon speaks it shows the reader that Mrs. Coulter's daemon is a person too. Er, I mean a daemon. You know what I mean, I think. Again, he probably didn't want the reader to sympathize very much.

3) From Lyra's point of view, Mrs. Coulter is Mrs. Coulter. Not Marisa. So this is the impression we're supposed to get as well. If the narrator referred to her as Marisa, it would be like the narrator and us talking over Lyra's head. Instead, it's brought to Lyra's level. Which makes sense.

4) Again, maybe because it's supposed to be from Lyra's point of view. She is the one you're supposed to sympathize with the most. Also, Lord Asriel was sort of enigmatic. Maybe it helps with this image ..?

I don't know. Just thoughts.


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## A_MacLaren (Dec 7, 2004)

Ah, but in the third book Mrs. Coulter became a decidedly less evil character, despite being...well, evil.


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## Creative_Insanity (Dec 10, 2004)

True .. but still. That was the third book. You're supposed to be shocked that she's got a good spot.


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## Jiieden (Dec 25, 2004)

I've seen the play.  It is beyond amazingly good.

The daemons they do using puppets - the puppets are handled by actors wearing only black who manipulate them, and the puppets have lanterns inside, so they glow.  It is absolutely breathtaking.

Love it.


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## Ilan Bouchard (Dec 25, 2004)

I loved this series.  I also liked how the more you read it the more references to religion you find.   Very crafty.


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## swing_it_away (Dec 25, 2004)

I think one of my teachers read most of the first book to my class a long time ago.  I remember liking it, but that's about it.  
I don't think I ever finished the Golden Compass, but I know I read The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass, I know I liked them, a lot, but aside from a few random moments in all of the books, nothing really stuck.  
I know where I was, geographically, when I finished the last one.  
Now I want to go back and read them again.


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## Gracie (Jan 25, 2005)

I absolutely loved the Dark Materials, although I read them years ago. I've read a few other books by Phillip Pullman and they were good too. I think one was called The Tiger in the Well. 

Grace


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## Saffron (Feb 20, 2005)

I suppose I can't really comment, as I've only read the first book in this series. But I've scanned through the others. I liked the ideas Pullman put across, but I really disliked the character of Will, and after his introduction I lost all interest and enthusiasm in the books. :? 

I've also heard what happens at the end, which makes me even more reluctant to read the rest of the series. I find it contrived and unneccesary when writers feel they have to include some sort of romance - especially when the characters are only - what, fourteen? Fifteen?

Just my two cents.


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## Jiieden (Feb 21, 2005)

The romance was not a very large aspect of the third book, but it held symbolic importance - the Fall from Eden, again.  In other words, he included it to satisfy the religious prophecy about Lyra, and not just for some crazy unnescessary whim of his...

But I agree, I never did like Will either.


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## Creative_Insanity (Feb 23, 2005)

I liked Lyra less.


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## blademasterzzz (Feb 23, 2005)

Hate Will. Love the books though.


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## LensmanZ313 (May 6, 2005)

The movie version of the trilogy is in trouble. Seems that studio execs want to get rid of the "anti-religious" elements, for fear of radical right-wing Christian backlash. The director has left and not much has been released yet, as to possible helmers.


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## stereomuse (May 6, 2005)

how would they do that?

*slight spoilers*
its a strongly anti-religous book, there would be no plot, no motivation for lord asriel to open the portal in the sky, no battle at the planes, no people chasing lyra, there would be no substance.
*end spoilers*

I loved the books, was kind of sad at the end though.


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## Scarlett (May 14, 2005)

I found I had to wade through The Amber Spyglass, but Northern Lights and The Subtle Knife were good. I loved Will, Lyra and Roger, all good characters. I also liked Lord Asriel. Pantalaimon I especially liked though.


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## speculative (May 28, 2005)

Cool, I was just gonna start a thread about these.  They are being sold as a package deal at Borders and I was thinking about picking them up.  Good gravy I haven't read anything except textbooks and journal articles in so long; hope I haven't forgotten how!


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## magikpumpkin (Jun 24, 2005)

Pullman is bloody genius. I love this trilogy. Out of the 3 novels i'd say the 1st - Nothern Lights - is my favourite. That might even be my favourite book, it's def in the top 3 of my fav books. I tried some other of Phillip Pullman's but i forgot he's a children's writer and so i wouldn't really look into much else of his. Thing is HDM really didn't strike me as a children's novel, sure you could read it to young children but i felt it directly appealled to me when i read it and i was what 16? And i know adults who like it as well. It's def Pullman's lifetime masterpiece, hands down. Great read. recommend it


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## Keridwen (Jul 2, 2005)

Wow I love His Dark Materials!!

Just curious - why does everyone hate Will? I liked him!! But Lyra was classic, and Pan was the best. Oh, and Iorek. I'm not quite sure Lee Scoresby was really relevant though, what big part did he play, other than to lead Will's father to Will??

I noticed that we never knew the name of the Golden Monkey. He was simply "The Golden Monkey". Yeah Asriel's was Stelamria or something wasn't it??

Yes the ending was sad...and what is Lyra's Oxford?? I wanna read it!!

Also about Asriel...remember how she thought he was her Uncle, and her father's last name was Belaqua? I think Asriel is his first name and Belaqua is his last name.


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## hiddenwisdom (Jul 2, 2005)

I love this trilogy so much! Now that I hear you all talking about them, I want to read these books again. But I don't think I've ever met anyone who read these books and didn't love them.


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## -Sambo italiano- (Jul 29, 2005)

I thought it was an amazing trilogy even though i'm a christian. Though he does make a point of saying the authority wasn't god he just told the angels he was.

Northern Lights is the best just for the bear fight.
Though when I read the subtle knife I was in a plce called Praia De Luz in the south of Portugal. So for me that place was Cittagazze.


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## Wizard (Jul 30, 2005)

I thought it started out great with the first book, but to me they seemed to get weirder and stranger and the end was very weak . . . in my opinion.  I found it hard to get wrapped up in the story in the last book.  If he had simply kept to the rules of the fantasy world he set in the first one, it would have been great, but it seemed like he expanded them and made Lyra and Will go to places that were so outragous, I couldn't keep suspending my disbelief.


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## -Sambo italiano- (Jul 30, 2005)

Aye I thought the end was a bit of a cop out, plus the way the authority died was a little crap.

The Metatron fight was awesom though.


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