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Mechanics and basket cases
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From: AlwaysErin at aol.com <AlwaysErin>
Date: Sat, 5 May 2001 11:28:57 EDT
Beth Wright wrote:
<< Learning the mechanics of a fantasy world has always been part of my enjoyment of books like this one, but Pullman just wasn't playing that game. >>
I just loved what Pullman had to say about this in the interview on amazon.com. Once again he criticized C.S. Lewis--this time for explaining things too much. Pullman found it distracting when Lewis explained that centaurs had two stomachs. He found it pulled him out of the story and into the realm of speculating about how that would work, so Pullman himself avoided explaining too much. (Go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/feature/-/94589/104?60478b07134. The part I refer to is towards the bottom of the first page; I hesitate to quote it, in order to respect copyright and the rules of use on list-servs.)
Also in that interview (towards the top of the second page), I loved the introduction to Kleist's essay "On the Marionette Theater" and how very important it was to Pullman's development of the theme of self-consciousness and the role it plays in turning children into adults--and therefore in determining when the daemons will become fixed. Pullman explains that once we become self-conscious, we must spend the rest of our lives pushing through embarrassment and doubt until the end of our lives when (we hope) we become wise enough to shed self-consciousness once again. He says it much better than I do, of course. Just lovely.
And one last comment, in response to Denise Anton Wright
, who wrote:
<< Pullman has made me "yell at the book" since that time - especially when Lee Scoresby dies in The Subtle Knife. I found that by the time I made it to The Amber Spyglass, I was so emotionally devastated that I had to take the book very slowly and wait days, even weeks between chapters. Has anyone else experienced this, or am I a borderline basket case? >>
That was exactly how my experience was, Denise. I read the first two quickly
(yes, actually yelling in some places, though in my case it wasn't the first time I'd yelled at a book) and then took a very long time reading the third. So I can't guarantee you're not a basket case, but at least you're not alone!
Erin Murphy
Received on Sat 05 May 2001 10:28:57 AM CDT
Date: Sat, 5 May 2001 11:28:57 EDT
Beth Wright wrote:
<< Learning the mechanics of a fantasy world has always been part of my enjoyment of books like this one, but Pullman just wasn't playing that game. >>
I just loved what Pullman had to say about this in the interview on amazon.com. Once again he criticized C.S. Lewis--this time for explaining things too much. Pullman found it distracting when Lewis explained that centaurs had two stomachs. He found it pulled him out of the story and into the realm of speculating about how that would work, so Pullman himself avoided explaining too much. (Go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/feature/-/94589/104?60478b07134. The part I refer to is towards the bottom of the first page; I hesitate to quote it, in order to respect copyright and the rules of use on list-servs.)
Also in that interview (towards the top of the second page), I loved the introduction to Kleist's essay "On the Marionette Theater" and how very important it was to Pullman's development of the theme of self-consciousness and the role it plays in turning children into adults--and therefore in determining when the daemons will become fixed. Pullman explains that once we become self-conscious, we must spend the rest of our lives pushing through embarrassment and doubt until the end of our lives when (we hope) we become wise enough to shed self-consciousness once again. He says it much better than I do, of course. Just lovely.
And one last comment, in response to Denise Anton Wright
, who wrote:
<< Pullman has made me "yell at the book" since that time - especially when Lee Scoresby dies in The Subtle Knife. I found that by the time I made it to The Amber Spyglass, I was so emotionally devastated that I had to take the book very slowly and wait days, even weeks between chapters. Has anyone else experienced this, or am I a borderline basket case? >>
That was exactly how my experience was, Denise. I read the first two quickly
(yes, actually yelling in some places, though in my case it wasn't the first time I'd yelled at a book) and then took a very long time reading the third. So I can't guarantee you're not a basket case, but at least you're not alone!
Erin Murphy
Received on Sat 05 May 2001 10:28:57 AM CDT
