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[CCBC-Net] VERY dark materials
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From: Joseph Matzner <matzner>
Date: Thu, 03 May 2001 22:21:24 -0500
I read Big Grandma's comments and can appreciate she felt the series was
"Dark and VERY heavy Materials". I wonder if she would feel the same way if she could read the first book again for fun, not because a "publisher's agent's jobber friend" sort of pressured her into reading the book. I do believe though, on one of it' many levels, this material is very heavy.
I LOVED this series and one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much was because of the "new language" that Pullman created. There were so many creative ideas and words. For example, the idea of the daemon. Instead of explaining to the reader what a daemon is, I thought Pullman wrote so cleverly he enticed me to read more so I could find more examples of what a daemon did so I could figure it out for myself. I think Pullman has a lot of respect for his audience and he does not "spoon feed" them.
Another feature I really appreciated were the strong female characters. I grew up relating to boy characters and I find Lyra very refreshing. In the Harry Potter books, everything seems to happen to Harry. Harry does not actively seek much of what occurs. Harry waits and then reacts as destiny comes calling for him. But Lyra, she is brave and not afraid of being in danger. Lyra actively seeks her destiny. I also like the way the adult characters interact with Lyra. There doesn't seem to be anything odd about the adults listening to Lyra or in them seeking her input on serious matters.
Something else I really appreciated, was the complexity of the characters. I particularly liked/hated Mrs.Coulter. I liked that she was beautiful, smart, and ruthless. Even though I felt Mrs. Coulter was just evil through most of the trilogy, she had a change of heart at the end and I believe her character best represents all people. We are not all good or all bad, we are just human and filled with contradictions.
My friend with 2 young daughters (ages 8 and 12) read the trilogy out loud and the whole family (even Dad) really enjoyed this book. I would be interested to hear what other kids thought of this book and how parents have felt about the negative portrayal of the Church.
Jo Matzner
Received on Thu 03 May 2001 10:21:24 PM CDT
Date: Thu, 03 May 2001 22:21:24 -0500
I read Big Grandma's comments and can appreciate she felt the series was
"Dark and VERY heavy Materials". I wonder if she would feel the same way if she could read the first book again for fun, not because a "publisher's agent's jobber friend" sort of pressured her into reading the book. I do believe though, on one of it' many levels, this material is very heavy.
I LOVED this series and one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much was because of the "new language" that Pullman created. There were so many creative ideas and words. For example, the idea of the daemon. Instead of explaining to the reader what a daemon is, I thought Pullman wrote so cleverly he enticed me to read more so I could find more examples of what a daemon did so I could figure it out for myself. I think Pullman has a lot of respect for his audience and he does not "spoon feed" them.
Another feature I really appreciated were the strong female characters. I grew up relating to boy characters and I find Lyra very refreshing. In the Harry Potter books, everything seems to happen to Harry. Harry does not actively seek much of what occurs. Harry waits and then reacts as destiny comes calling for him. But Lyra, she is brave and not afraid of being in danger. Lyra actively seeks her destiny. I also like the way the adult characters interact with Lyra. There doesn't seem to be anything odd about the adults listening to Lyra or in them seeking her input on serious matters.
Something else I really appreciated, was the complexity of the characters. I particularly liked/hated Mrs.Coulter. I liked that she was beautiful, smart, and ruthless. Even though I felt Mrs. Coulter was just evil through most of the trilogy, she had a change of heart at the end and I believe her character best represents all people. We are not all good or all bad, we are just human and filled with contradictions.
My friend with 2 young daughters (ages 8 and 12) read the trilogy out loud and the whole family (even Dad) really enjoyed this book. I would be interested to hear what other kids thought of this book and how parents have felt about the negative portrayal of the Church.
Jo Matzner
Received on Thu 03 May 2001 10:21:24 PM CDT
