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dancingwaffle's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
fallingrainbowcomets's review against another edition
5.0
I read these in middle school. I still remember almost all of their contents. I should probably sue this man for the emotional damage little me took. Poor thing cried for weeks.
oliviawinchester's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
lupetuple's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I can't say I've been touched by anything quite like this in a long time. I cried, I laughed, I was brought to think about so many questions that the themes pose, issues recurrent in my life... Lyra and Will have become such dear characters to me; there are certain lines that I will retain forever, how they struck me the moment I read them.
Pullman's writing is mythical; every sentence holds weight. It balanced between points of view and evocative description so well.
I had issues with a couple of scenes toward the end of The Amber Spyglass, regardless of my affection for the character it concerns, as they seemed to address an imminent threat all too cleanly--I'm talking aboutFather Gomez and the foreboding he inspired, yet he was easily and quickly disposed of, and the children had not a single hint about it. I did tear up when Balthamos vanished, though. I also felt that Pullman's use of other religious traditions like I Ching divination and vague shamanism to interact with the phenomena of Dust was superficial.
There's also the matter of how his handling of Mrs. Coulter struck me as misogynistic at times (she became one of my favorite characters, either way). It's most obvious in the first book, when Lyra is paraded around and made to act like a "proper girl", and in my view, it implied that womanhood, growing up to be a woman, meant shallowness and a preoccupation with appearance. Lyra also showed her disdain toward the female Scholars.
It's hard to describe my experience with these books. It feels too revealing, or impossible to put into words, because I did not expect to love them so much, or be so overcome with feeling.
Pullman's writing is mythical; every sentence holds weight. It balanced between points of view and evocative description so well.
I had issues with a couple of scenes toward the end of The Amber Spyglass, regardless of my affection for the character it concerns, as they seemed to address an imminent threat all too cleanly--I'm talking about
There's also the matter of how his handling of Mrs. Coulter struck me as misogynistic at times (she became one of my favorite characters, either way). It's most obvious in the first book, when Lyra is paraded around and made to act like a "proper girl", and in my view, it implied that womanhood, growing up to be a woman, meant shallowness and a preoccupation with appearance. Lyra also showed her disdain toward the female Scholars.
It's hard to describe my experience with these books. It feels too revealing, or impossible to put into words, because I did not expect to love them so much, or be so overcome with feeling.
albanueva's review against another edition
5.0
This book has broken my heart, it's been a while since I've cried like this over a book!!! Maybe I'll write a proper review later on, now I'm too overwhelmed with feelings
gwennym's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
aehreads's review against another edition
4.0
Really great series about a curious young girl in a fantasy world. I actually just like this series because I want a daemon and I think the armored bears are really awesome. The first movie did not do justice to the first book.
I highly recommend the first two books and the third only to finish the series but it is quite strange and includes the controversial killing of God. This series gets a bit high-handed when dealing out judgement to the Magisterium (the Catholic Church basically) however its interesting to read Pullman's beliefs snuggled within a children's book. Also it's very easy to gloss over whatever you don't want to read and just enjoy the story!
I highly recommend the first two books and the third only to finish the series but it is quite strange and includes the controversial killing of God. This series gets a bit high-handed when dealing out judgement to the Magisterium (the Catholic Church basically) however its interesting to read Pullman's beliefs snuggled within a children's book. Also it's very easy to gloss over whatever you don't want to read and just enjoy the story!
tjryanwrites's review against another edition
5.0
Revisiting childhood favourites as an adult this year, I loved reading every moment of Philip Pullman's The Subtle Knife. The exquisite prose and multiple storylines made this an engaging read.
This audiobook has a full cast voicing the characters, with Pullman as the narrator. This took a while to warm up to - I much prefer one narrator unless I'm listening to a radio drama, but the cast were all great in their roles. I will be reading The Amber Spyglass and then moving on to my much-anticipated read of this year: The Secret Commonwealth.
This audiobook has a full cast voicing the characters, with Pullman as the narrator. This took a while to warm up to - I much prefer one narrator unless I'm listening to a radio drama, but the cast were all great in their roles. I will be reading The Amber Spyglass and then moving on to my much-anticipated read of this year: The Secret Commonwealth.