ari_reading_'s review against another edition
3.0
The ending was a little sad, this book wasn't as good as book 2, the pacing felt off once again.
icewarrior's review against another edition
5.0
What an amazing, heartwrenching, beautiful ending to this series. I’m so glad I decided to reread this series because every read reveals new depths to the narrative, ones I didn’t pick up on previously. HDM will stick with me for a lifetime.
flijn's review against another edition
3.0
Did not love it as much as I wanted to.
The themes were interesting and the world-building was creative, but the pace was hampered by fragmentation and by many detailed descriptions that made my mind wander off instead of immerse deeper into the story.
Most dissappointing to me was the ultimate enemy and the final struggle. The parts of the book dealing with them felt childishly one-dimensional and a bit preachy.
The themes were interesting and the world-building was creative, but the pace was hampered by fragmentation and by many detailed descriptions that made my mind wander off instead of immerse deeper into the story.
Most dissappointing to me was the ultimate enemy and the final struggle. The parts of the book dealing with them felt childishly one-dimensional and a bit preachy.
simo_hamzaoui's review against another edition
3.0
Not the ending I had hoped for. But it's an ending.
erinray82's review against another edition
5.0
I was right when I said that The Subtle Knife was setting me up for something great in The Amber Spyglass. In truth, it broke my heart into a million little pieces. And I could go into great detail, but I think I'd rather not. This is a novel that should be experienced. And I think I'd rather communicate just a couple things that I took away from this novel that was truly spectacular, things a young mind should know.
First, people are neither good nor evil, only actions are. And in communicating this truth, we see how some intrinsic characters are deeply complicated individuals. Sometimes the constitutions of people lean one way over the other, but ultimately individuals are messy inside, full of duality, and are often divided when it comes to what they want, who they are, what they should do, and who they should be. It should be no surprise when people behave as such, but we're often put off by it when we encounter it in literature, particularly children's literature, because there is often that running assumption that morality is clear. It is not. The ethical journey these characters face is a pleasure to witness. Children should be exposed to books like this for all their many shades of of the moral grey zone, an ethical gradient. In this novel, Marisa Coulter and Lord Asriel stand apart, and I loved watching them change... or find themselves beyond it, depending on the case at hand. People are nuanced, they contain multitudes, and are subject to their natures and the environments in which they live.
Second, children are capable of understanding that the world is imperfect, that there is pain and wickedness, and sometimes there are just no good answers or solutions to the world's problems. We seldom give kids enough credit in their ability to grasp this. Society apparently feels the need to tie everything up with a pretty bow, clean, neat, and finished. Life is seldom this way, and we need to trust kids enough to grasp they are just as entitled to the wickedness in the world as they are to the bliss. Life isn't fair. There are kids all over the world that witness this in their own lives, but we continue to edit, filter, and oversimplify for them because it's simple and it's easy. Kids are capable, strong, and have an eye for bullsh**. Instead of being constant censors, we should be providing literary opportunities for them to connect, identify, and find mirrors to their own experiences.
Third, change isn't easy, but it isn't to be avoided. It's difficult, but it's what forges our path. It's how we grow, it's how we develop, it's what we're made of. The path we take, the ways we change offer up it's own adventure, one worth pursuing. Change brings wisdom, and wisdom is worth possessing. Learning, loving, questioning, experiencing, risk-taking...they all set us up for the acquisition of wisdom. The simple answers aren't always the right ones.
And lastly, love hurts--a lot. It hurts as much as it brings us happiness. Sometimes we experience one more than the other at different times, but sometimes we're capable of feeling both at exactly the same time. And that's a [email protected]%$ if ever there was one.
Parents should read this to their kids or simply have them read it, because they can handle it, and because if nothing else... it encourages a lot of questions.
First, people are neither good nor evil, only actions are. And in communicating this truth, we see how some intrinsic characters are deeply complicated individuals. Sometimes the constitutions of people lean one way over the other, but ultimately individuals are messy inside, full of duality, and are often divided when it comes to what they want, who they are, what they should do, and who they should be. It should be no surprise when people behave as such, but we're often put off by it when we encounter it in literature, particularly children's literature, because there is often that running assumption that morality is clear. It is not. The ethical journey these characters face is a pleasure to witness. Children should be exposed to books like this for all their many shades of of the moral grey zone, an ethical gradient. In this novel, Marisa Coulter and Lord Asriel stand apart, and I loved watching them change... or find themselves beyond it, depending on the case at hand. People are nuanced, they contain multitudes, and are subject to their natures and the environments in which they live.
Second, children are capable of understanding that the world is imperfect, that there is pain and wickedness, and sometimes there are just no good answers or solutions to the world's problems. We seldom give kids enough credit in their ability to grasp this. Society apparently feels the need to tie everything up with a pretty bow, clean, neat, and finished. Life is seldom this way, and we need to trust kids enough to grasp they are just as entitled to the wickedness in the world as they are to the bliss. Life isn't fair. There are kids all over the world that witness this in their own lives, but we continue to edit, filter, and oversimplify for them because it's simple and it's easy. Kids are capable, strong, and have an eye for bullsh**. Instead of being constant censors, we should be providing literary opportunities for them to connect, identify, and find mirrors to their own experiences.
Third, change isn't easy, but it isn't to be avoided. It's difficult, but it's what forges our path. It's how we grow, it's how we develop, it's what we're made of. The path we take, the ways we change offer up it's own adventure, one worth pursuing. Change brings wisdom, and wisdom is worth possessing. Learning, loving, questioning, experiencing, risk-taking...they all set us up for the acquisition of wisdom. The simple answers aren't always the right ones.
And lastly, love hurts--a lot. It hurts as much as it brings us happiness. Sometimes we experience one more than the other at different times, but sometimes we're capable of feeling both at exactly the same time. And that's a [email protected]%$ if ever there was one.
Parents should read this to their kids or simply have them read it, because they can handle it, and because if nothing else... it encourages a lot of questions.
katje's review against another edition
5.0
Such a fantastic series. Didn't think it would make me cry so much.
alexmcfly's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5