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| His Dark Materials Trilogy (The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; The Amber Spyglass) | 
 enlarge | List Price: $22.50
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 1079 reviews)
Sales Rank: 772
Category: Book
Author: Philip Pullman
Publisher: Laurel Leaf
Studio: Laurel Leaf
Manufacturer: Laurel Leaf
Label: Laurel Leaf
Format: Box Set
Languages: English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 3
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 7.2 x 4.4 x 3.1
ISBN: 0440238609
EAN: 9780440238607
ASIN: 0440238609
Publication Date: September 23, 2003
Release Date: September 23, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Book one, "The Golden Compass". A book for young and old alike! August 4, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have only had time to read the first novel, "The Golden Compass". This is a great start to a fantasy trilogy. Great fun for young readers and adult readers as well. I can hardly wait to get through the next two books and see where Pullman goes with this epic story. A must read for fantasy enthusiasts!
 Great Talent Gone To Waste August 4, 2008
7 out of 19 found this review helpful
As a Protestant Christian, I decided to read these books because I wanted to have an educated opinion of them and all the controversy surrounding them. The result was that I came away with an odd mixture of opinions.
First of all, for all parents out there (especially Christian ones) these are NOT books for young children to read. They contain scenes of graphic violence, they encourage lying and rebellion. They glorify preadolescent, and extramarital sex, even if it is in a very subtle way. For those who care, they are the most anti-Christian, anti-faith story books I have ever read. Philip Pullman is an atheist/agnostic and makes it abundantly clear in his trilogy.
Secondly and from a purely literary point of view, Pullman is a very gifted writer. He knows how to weave a fascinating story. He makes one care about his characters and the fate of his worlds. The correlation to "Paradise Lost" is brilliant. Sadly, he has thrown away his potential to write about truly great things by choosing to ruminate on his own hatred of "organized religion' i.e. Christianity. It is very pointedly Christianity he writes against and not just any organized religion. He makes no comparisons at all in the books to Islamic jihads or other religions which have spawned blood baths. I also find it interesting that he makes no allegorical allusions to any kind of non-Christian political party which uses its power to oppress people. The communist party is responsible for millions of deaths and its leaders are comprised almost solely of atheists. Would have been interesting if he had mentioned them.
He uses his books to drive home his own agenda and believe me he DOES have an agenda. As opposed to the relatively harmless Harry Potter books, it is impossible to read these stories and deny any ulterior motives. Pullman himself has stated that his intention in writing these books was to influence children toward atheism. This is a direct quote from "The Amber Spyglass": "The Christian religion is a very powerful and convincing mistake, that's all." How in the world do people argue that these books are not anti-Christian?
A third conclusion I drew from these books is that Pullman has a terrible, terrible understanding of Christianity itself. I mean he really does not get it. (I suppose this is true of all atheists) His experience with the Christian faith is only that of the politics, rules and corruption of the Catholic Church. He has no grasp whatsoever of true faith in the God of the Bible. He knows the Bible but he does not understand it. He views sin as "natural pleasures" and depicts resistance to it as "repression". He also seems to suffer from the delusion that Christianity discourages any kind of sexual pleasure. This is a gross misconception. God strongly encourages it as long as it is within the bonds of marriage. (Read "The Song of Solomon".)
I was both disgusted and amused at Pullman's depiction of "God" as a feeble and geriatric being. I assume that this character is a fantasized version of what he thinks God is really like. The last book especially is overflowing with the relief he would evidently feel if the world were to discover that God was simply a fraud. Poor man. If his "God" were truly the one running the world it would be in a much worse state than it actually is. I suspect that, contrary to Pullman's claims that he is an atheist or agnostic (he can't seem to make up his mind which) he is in reality a misotheist (one who hates God). If he were simply indifferent to God and to Christianity, then I don't see the reason for him to basically write a three-book rant against the two, ending with "God" being killed. There's definitely some kind of negative feeling going on there.
The end result is a confusing and morally ambiguous world view. I don't envy him it. His books are populated by broken families and separated loved ones. His explanation about death is basically lifted from the hindu religion. I could not figure out what his heroin's great "choice" was supposed to have done for the universe. There is a definite flavor of nihilism and anarchy by the end of the third book. He tries to reconcile it all with a neat little moral admonition, which I suppose is his version of the meaning of life; basically to be good and learn a lot and work for grace, but it falls flat. (Incidentally both of these concepts are directly contradictory to Christianity; we are told that we cannot work for grace, it is freely given and that "All our righteousness (being good) is like filthy rags." Isaiah 64 4-9)
The whole time I was reading HDM, a verse from the Bible kept popping into my mind: "For the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God." I Corinthians 1:18) Poor Philip Pullman is a shining example of the first part of that verse.
In ending, I would actually encourage people (older people) to read these books. They are a fascinating insight into an atheist's faith system, not to mention ripping good stories. (If you can stomach all the polemic.) When you're done with these, I challenge you to go read the Bible cover-to-cover and compare it against Pullman's personal gospel. I know which one I'm sticking with.
I would only rate "His Dark Materials" with one star except that I have to tack on an extra one simply as a nod to Pullman's writing talent. [...]
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Intriguing and suspenseful July 31, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I bought the trilogy looking for an opportunity for my imagination to take wing. Philip Pullman does a great job of bringing this adult back to her childhood and the ready fantasy I found there when learning how to interpret and understand a complex world. I loved the drama, passion, and loyalty of the heroine. It's an exceptional read. . .
His Dark Materials Trilogy July 30, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
His Dark Materials Trilogy (The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; The Amber Spyglass) (His Dark Materials)I bought this as a new set and received exactly what was advertised. I've only read the first book as of yet, but must say the book was WAY BETTER than the movie. Can't wait to read the remaining two. [...]
A fantastic Trilogy July 21, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I first was introduced to this trilogy by a friend that had the audiobooks. It was a fantastic story that kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters are full of life and the story is jam packed full of excitement. If you want a story that will take you to other worlds and draw you into them, check this one out!
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