[FicusFan]

I will start again, since nobody else has. I read this book a while ago and enjoyed it very much. I will try to remember it:

I liked the animal daemon companions, I liked the description of time and place in terms of the university and the town. I felt like I was really in Oxford or Cambridge of a certain time. In fact I kept waiting to hear Jeremy Irons start narrating (from Brideshead Revisted).

I liked the mystery of the dust, and the plight of the armored bear.

I liked the main character, Lyra, and the boat gypsies.

I thought there was some weak spots: the witches weren't fleshed out well, the cowboy was a bit of a cliche, and Lyra's mother was too good to be true - so she gave me the shivers before she revealed herself, and I thought that Lyra should have been more suspicious. Her father was also a bit of a cliche the dark and silent type who is revealed as really sinister.

I have the next two books in the series and will eventually read them.

[Hobbit]

Yes, thanks for starting this off, Ficus.

One of the things that I liked about this was that (at least here in the UK) it was 'sold' as a YA book. Pullman is a very clever writer though and there are other things there. As the book progresses and the series it is clear to me that Pullman was not just writing for young adults.

One point that I realised after reading the first book was that Pullman has deliberately (to me, anyway) set out to write an 'anti-Narnia book' Where CS Lewis uses Narnia to promote certain values and attitudes, Pullman tends to show the opposite view. (This becomes much more obvious in the later books of the series, I think).

There are other less subtle points too - where Lewis has Aslan the Lion, Pullman has the bear, Lorek Byrnison.... the family values brought up to date by Pullman for the late 20th century... etc etc.
I really liked Pullman's sense of place in the book, too. It reads as an alternative England Victorian adventure novel to start with.

As an aside, I'm also going to give a thumbs up to the recent BBC dramatisation of the books in there series too. Terence Stamp is great as Lyra's father.

Hobbit

[fluffy bunny]

I read this one months ago rather than recently, and I've lent the book to someone else so forgive me if I'm a bit hazy with the details...

Really liked this one.

Pullman has an uncanny ability of being able to drip feed the reader bits of the story leaving him/her puzzling over the next piece of the puzzle. Each chapter (especially at the beginning of Northern Lights) manages to answer some of the questions, but the answers just dig you deeper and deeper into the mystery wondering what it's all leading up to.

The alethiometer's one of the best story telling devices I've seen in any story period.

Looking back at it, I do see what ficus is saying about the 'cliches' but they're pretty well disguised ;) .

The ending's a bit weak IMHO:




Everyone thinks dust is bad, but it may be good so we'll stop them- sorry but that doesn't quite ring very clearly with me

[rune]

I thought this was the best book in His Dark Material series. I dont think the 2nd and 3rd come up to the promise of this first book.

I think the author was clever to have the storyline in Oxford, but with a different feel to it. At times I would forget I wasnt reading about the real Oxford :)

I did enjoy the relationships of the characters in this book, though it was a much younger tone that I would have liked. Once the journey was in the North Pole the pace picked up nicely and I enjoyed those parts very much.
I liked the idea of the daemon linked to a person, very novel :)

Unfortunately, for me, I found the next two books didnt keep the clever plot of this first, which was a real shame.

rune

[FicusFan]

Originally posted by Hobbit
One point that I realised after reading the first book was that Pullman has deliberately (to me, anyway) set out to write an 'anti-Narnia book' Where CS Lewis uses Narnia to promote certain values and attitudes, Pullman tends to show the opposite view. (This becomes much more obvious in the later books of the series, I think).


Hobbit

I felt there were probably parallels between the two authors - because GC has the feeling of being full of metaphors and symbols. I can't say definitely or specifically, because I have never read Lewis (though I have heard about how he used symbolism in his books to promote his religious views:catholicism).

I remember on another list a while ago we had a discussion about the book (because it was the read for the month) and there was something about the low key death of the child who escaped from the sanatorium - but the details escape me now.

[Eventine]

I really enjoyed this book.
Pullman does a good job of maintaining an involving plot while keeping it at a level that can be enjoyed by young and old alike. I enjoyed the concept of daemons, but for me the best part of the book was the very well realised almost-earth. The subtle differences that kept popping up kept me entertained, from the country of Texas through to the alternative Oxford.

I didn't pick up on any of the "anti-narnia" in this book (I don't think it's very obvious). The third books is where it becomes prominent.

I liked fluffy bunnys comment on how he drips you information - it definitely kept me reading the books as fast as I could. I actually panicked when I realised I wouldn't be able to get the second book for a few days.

As far as rune's comments on it being the best in the series, I actually enjoyed the second book the most. I liked how it increased the scope of the storyline, gave us another interesting protagonist and kept up the same breakneck speed.

[trentdick2882]

I loved The Golden Compass, actually just finished the entire trilogy recently. I don't really understand why people think the books are so anti-Christian.

I could understand saying anti-controlling organized religion, or anti-close mindedness, but I really didn't think anything in the novels was the opposite of the values represented by Christianity, so I wouldn't be able to agree with it being anti-Narnia.

I don't think that spoils anything, but feel free to beat me up if it does.

[Erfael]

I'll post some thoughts soon, but wanted to find out what the concensus was here: most people seem to have read the whole lot at some point or another. Are we free to discuss the trilogy, or should we stick to book 1 with others being heavily spoiler-warned?

[Nimea]

I haven't even started to read the book and am very far away from finishing the trilogy any time soon . . .
:(

So, I hope you guys stay with discussing only the first volume - and that I will be able to join before the month is over . . .

[FicusFan]

Originally posted by Erfael
I'll post some thoughts soon, but wanted to find out what the concensus was here: most people seem to have read the whole lot at some point or another. Are we free to discuss the trilogy, or should we stick to book 1 with others being heavily spoiler-warned?

How about a compromise :)

I have often wondered if the follow up books to the book of the month read would also be worth discussing in the group. It seems that people, especially those who like the books, go on to read the rest of the series. Somehow having the discussion on the main forum tends to dilute the response.

I understand Nimea though, because I haven't read the following two books yet myself.

Erf, maybe you could start another thread in the book group forum to talk about the book's sequels - that way those of us who haven't read them won't be spoiled, or avoid the main discussion for fear of a spoiler, and you and others can still talk about the sequels. :)