Customer Reviews

The Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials, Book 3)

5 star:		(560)
4 star:		(128)
3 star:		(91)
2 star:		(65)
1 star:		(93)

 

 

This book brings to an end a rich and strange fantasy trilogy. The books tackle huge themes: the nature of consciousness, the Fall, the relationship between body and soul, and the conflict between what Pullman calls the Kingdom of Heaven and the Republic of Heaven.

It's interesting to think about this trilogy in comparison with C S Lewis's "Narnia" chronicles. Like Lewis, Pullman writes out of total immersion in the Western literary tradition. His obvious influences are Blake, Milton and the Book of Genesis: but there are also traces of Homer (e.g. the fight between Iorek and Iofur in the first book of the trilogy reads like a clash of two Homeric heroes). At a less exalted level, I suspect that Kingsley Amis's "The Alteration" contributed something to Pullman's picture of an alternative Oxford. But in Tolkien's words a book like this is written "out of the leaf-mould of the mind", and if one can discern the shape of one or two of the leaves that doesn't in any sense devalue the originality of the work.

Both the Narnia Chronicles and Pullman's trilogy are imaginative responses to the Christian tradition. The difference between Pullman and Lewis is that Lewis's reading of the Bible is that of orthodox Christianity, whereas Pullman's reading derives from Blake and from Gnosticism. In Pullman's version of events, the God of the Old Testament is not the creator of the Universe, but is a lesser figure (like a very powerful angel), and also a tyrant; the serpent in Eden is an embodiment of wisdom, not a malevolent force; and Eve is a heroine, whose choice of experience over innocence is the very thing that makes us human. The Church is seen in unremittingly bleak terms: Pullman's Church is a synthesis of the worst bits of medieval and Counter-Reformation Catholicism with the worst bits of Calvinism.

Is the book anti-Christian? It's certainly anti-Church, and in a sense also anti-God. But the most curious omission in the book is that Pullman (unlike Blake and unlike the Gnostics) appears at first sight to have nothing at all to say about Jesus (either directly or allegorically). Yet at the same time, although his heroine Lyra is presented as a new Eve, she also has Christ-like characteristics: a child whose destiny is to save the world, threatened by cosmic forces, and capable of sacrificing herself for love (even at the cost of a descent into hell). Pullman would certainly endorse St Paul's view (on this point if on no other) that the greatest love is to lay down one's life for one's friend. In short, the book embodies what are usually regarded as Christian values, but it then uses those very values to attack both the Church and the God who is portrayed in the Old Testament.

Should you read the book? If you are interested in speculative fiction or in theology, then yes. Like C S Lewis, Pullman is the sort of author who can be a gateway into the Western literary tradition. Like Lewis also, he needs to be read consciously. Agnostic parents who give their children the Narnia books should be aware that these books are brilliant Christian propaganda. And Christian parents who give their children Pullman's trilogy should be aware that it 's brilliant Gnostic propaganda.

In short the comparison with Narnia is apt (despite, or perhaps because, of the fact that Pullman has gone on record about how much he hates the Narnia books). In both cases readers may get considerably more than they bargained for!

I loved "The Golden Compass." I was intrigued by "The Subtle Knife." And I tried to prepare myself to be a little disappointed by "The Amber Spyglass"-- trilogy conclusions are rarely as good as the first book. But I had hopes. The first two were so good....

This was nowhere near as good.

The various plot threads are all wrapped up, more or less. But the ending is forced. Other reviewers have pointed out the flat and inconsistent characterizations, the scattered plot, the valueless sub-threads (like Father Gomez). The useless spyglass. And even those who loved the book found the ending of the romance disappointing.

Ultimately, the book fails to deliver on the themes that were begun in "The Golden Compass," including one of the most important. Am I simply not getting it? How was Lyra's position anything comparable to Eve's? She finds love (with almost no character build up), she gives it up for the sake of the world(s). As other readers have noted, she's arguably a Christ character. But not much like Eve. Unless you count the temptation to sex (in a world with giant apple trees that contain the essence of sentience), and frankly, I don't think that was especially plausable. Eve, according to Judeo-Christian theology, succumbs to temptation (for knowledge, not sex) and gets everyone kicked out of Eden. I suppose Lyra resists temptation (to continue a relationship) to help everyone build a new Eden. But it's a tenuous connection at best, because the "only one window, not two" argument is so weak and last-minute, and she and Will can only affect one world each at best, with no way to travel between them. (And if Pullman wanted to redefine Eve to mean something else, a lot more work was needed.)

Aother of the great disappointments was the hesitant flirting with Wisdom. Evidently Pullman has come across feminist spirituality interpretations of gnostic gospels and eastern church references to a female Wisdom character (Sophia) who predates Yaweh (in some traditions). I kept waiting for him to develop this theme. Instead she (Xaphania, the only female angel) merely appears as a "Deus ex machina" and answers the kids' questions before sending them on home. I suppose Pullman realized he was getting too close to replacing a God with a Goddess, and backed down rather than give up his anti-theistic theme. I suppose that's forgivable, if all he wanted to do was write entertaining fiction. But if he wanted to actually make a point about theism, it's an act of cowardice.

Unlike most other reviewers who panned this book, I don't mind the anti-organized-religion slant. As a Quaker, I'm not much on organized religion myself. I didn't think the book is as inherently anti-Christian as some of the reviewers seemed to think, either. To my mind, Lucretia Mott had it right when she encouraged us to "doubt more, in order that we might believe more." Looking at other possible theologies can help us get at the root of what we really believe. But I think Pullman ran out of steam --or maybe even courage-- before he finished developing his ideas. This book needed at least one more major rewrite before publishing, to shake out the loose pieces and add the richness to the characters and themes that was so evident in his earlier books. Maybe Pullman was just too tired to do the necessary work. Or maybe the publisher was impatient. Or maybe Pullman himself started to lose faith in his anti-theism, and didn't have the courage to write details that would force him to acknowledge his dependency on divine powers in the story (Xaphenia, the angels, and most of all, Dust).

I gave it three stars, because it's worth reading, if you liked the first two, just to tie up the loose threads. But it's not on par with them.

Of the books in the `His Dark Materials' trilogy; the sighs of relief, and gasps of wonder and dismay in the Golden Compass; the cliffhanging apprehension, and the extreme suspense in Subtle Knife... and of the sheer brilliance, and intense power, of The Amber Spyglass, this one tops each of them. This extraordinary once-in-a-lifetime literary work of art is most likely the most magnificent and stunningly vivid of the entire trilogy. From the first page, to the last, Phillip Pullman grips your imagination and your entire being throughout the entire book, never misses a beat, and never lets go... The characters seem more tangible and real then you have ever seen them before, so you laugh when they laugh, cry when they cry, and gasp in unison. Every plot, sub-plot, and every fundamental cliffhanger is resolved in an uncannily skilled way. But this trilogy is not just a story for children... in fact; it's much deeper then what lies in the surface. And even if you see just what's on the surface it's still a great ride, but then you begin to wonder, and that takes you deeper, and deeper until you have a secure understanding on what's really being said in these books. Impressive, awe-inspiring, wondrous, and at many times the most heart-wrenching book I've ever experienced, none of there words can fully characterize, specify, or describe The Amber Spyglass in its purest, and most moving form. Phillip Pullman has created something more entertaining, engaging, fulfilling, and absorbing then anything like it to date... but come to think of it, there is nothing quite like it, and there never will be anything quite like it. These three books are literally one of a kind, and nothing will be quite the same in one's eyes once they have been experienced.

Got hooked on the first 2 books...great books, original storeyline, great writing.

This one got bizarre.

So many loose ends, unanswered questions and religious comparisons. It just left me dazed and confused.

What happened to the cloud mountain...did we destroy it? Is it Heaven? Was that really the final battle? Did we win? Why was Dr. Malone playing a serpent, was marzipan like the Adam and Eve's apple? Is the world now Godless (authority-less?). Did the trip to deadland really have any significance? Why did anyone fear Angels...they couldn't, and didn't do squat. Dust was consciousness? Where'd that come from? Was that old babbling invalid God? Is the world now loving and kind since he's gone? What the hell was the battle all about, and what happened to the world(s) after? Did the dust stop leaving cuz we won the battle or because Lyra and Will fell in love? Cuz no windows were closed when it stopped, which was the reason they said it would stop leaving.

Convulated sub-plots, loose ends, unanswered questions, inconsistent cause and effect relationships. This book was simply silly and erratic.

"Sacriledge!!"

I know, I know...everyone loves this series. I liked it too. Loved the bears, the witches, the gypsies, the little people...and the characters were great. It's just this last book was all over the place. Inconsistent and confusing if your actually trying to follow a plot. The writing and character development were wonderful and absorbing...the story was original and had huge potential. It just never really resolved or adequately explained anything.

It was like the author took each issue in religion...Death, Heaven and Hell, God, Adam and Eve, and just built subplots around those ideas, instead of the books storeyline. "Ok, now I'm gonna deal with death and hell, so I'll send Lyra there to fix it." Or, now I'm gonna deal with the Biblical view of Adam and Eve, so I'll send lyra and will to someplace similar." "Now I'll deal with Angels...and make 'em wimpy"..."Now I'll deal with God, make him a babbling senile old man." And he just built a story around doing those things. Screwed up any coherence in the storyline, almost as if he didn't care what the story actually did...as long as he made those points about each specific religious issue.

Argh!

If your still trying to debunk and rail on other people's faiths (which, make no mistake...that is exactly what this book is about) after you've reached middle age, you got some serious issues with your own self. Anger? Or just plain meaness...I dunno. This book was written to piss off religious folk, and show "how enlightened" and self possesing the author is. "I am so secure in my atheism, I can write about God being an evil old senile invalid." He either has a huge Ego, or is just a nasty person...mebbe both.

I have been an atheist myself since 1970. I remember how smart I felt that I didn't beleive in those silly "myths and fairytales," religious folk did. I also remember I had to tell them at every chance. "Look, your a fool, can't you see it's all just a fantasy!"

I'm still an atheist, but I don't need to prove to religous folk how stupid they are, and how smart I am. If someone has faith, more power to 'em. If they wanna preach to me...that's ok too. They usually are doing it because they sincerely wanna help, or care about my "immortal soul" and stuff. An occassional zealot might be a little obnoxious, but, I can deal with it.

As an atheist, I was arguing with them not because I cared about them...I wanted to show how stupid and ignorant they were, and how enlightened I was. Arrogant and egotistical. That was me. And that is the author.

Get over it.

Anyway, I still enjoyed the series. The religious things didn't really bother me, except that it screwed up a good story...especially in this last book. Fun to read. Wonderful characters. I think people really fall in love with the people in the book...I did. Just don't get too curious about what's happening and why, and you'll have a grand time.

But, it will upset religious folk. Completely unecessary in my humble opinion.

At the end of "The Subtle Knife", things were dire. Lyra had been kidnapped by her mother Mrs Coulter, whilst Will was left in the company of two angels with the subtle knife (which can create windows between worlds) and the altheiometer (that communicates with the mystery substance known as `Dust'). Refusing to accompany them to Lord Asriel, who is on the verge of war with Heaven itself, Will enlists the angels help in tracking down Lyra, and is soon joined by Iorek Byrnison, the king of the polar bears. Meanwhile, Lyra herself is forced into an enchanted sleep by her mother, whilst the powers of the Church and the Authority close in to end her life and thus the terrible threat she poses against them. When the two children are reunited, they hatch a plan to go right to the end of where the subtle knife can take them; right into death itself.

Mary Malone, who has been told that she must "play the serpent", has reached a world where elephantine creatures wheel along on giant seedpods, and may just have the final key to unravelling the mystery of Dust. Pullman brings out all of his previous creations: witches, Spectres, angels, gyptains, daemons and cliff-ghasts are all here in full force, each with a part to play in one of the most exciting, controversial, imaginative and thought-provoking books in recent history. Yet unlike the previous books, "The Golden Compass" and "The Subtle Knife", "The Amber Spyglass" has a few faults that does not make it quite the awe-inspiring finale I had hoped it would be.

Out of all three books, this one is the most blatantly anti-religious; in particular anti-Christian. Now, I have my own religious convictions (though what they are irrelevant to this review), and a critique of faith is hardly going to endanger them. It was easy enough for me to thoroughly enjoy a book without agreeing to its message. After all, religion is a human construct, and I'm sure I'm not the only religious person to recognise atrocities that have occurred by self-righteous fanatics in the name of `religion'. But Pullman takes this one step further and is anti-God. In his literary creation, God was not the creator, but simply the first intelligent being to come into existence. Again, I wasn't that disgruntled: I had to admire the sheer nerve Pullman displays in taking on the concept of God, and anyone who has read "Paradise Lost" (on which these books are based) know that Satan comes across as an epic hero, whilst God is somewhat of a bore.

No, what bothered me about this book was the general attitude held toward all religious people: at all times there is no good that can come from having faith in a deity of any kind, and no chance of a coexistence between those that have faith and those that don't. In my opinion, the key to peace on earth is not religion, nor atheism, but *tolerance*. Pullman displays none of this, and seems to be saying that only way to deal with religious people is with scorn and mockery. Any impressionable young reader will most likely be inspired and enlightened by Pullman's books, but on taking his standpoint, they may also adopt a negative attitude toward anyone that does not conform to atheist beliefs. Just as the stereotype of a Christian is an uptight, Bible-bashing bigot, atheists are steadily coming across as smug, arrogant dictators. Neither is particularly becoming, and the differences between the two extremes aren't really that different. I say again, tolerance is what the world needs, and Pullman shows none of this.

As well as this, there are some very basic mistakes, which come across as sloppy writing - something I thought I'd never, ever accuse Pullman of doing. Serafina is practically forgotten, and the plot thread concerning the arrow she prepares for Mrs Coulter comes to an empty conclusion. Huge amounts of time are given to preparing Asriel's army and the forces he controls, and yet we never hear the outcome of this physical battle. Lord Asriel's statement in book 1 about how he plans to destroy Dust now makes no sense, and Pullman is forced to pull a 360 and claim that Asriel was lying. Lyra claims that she overheard the witch-consul Lanselius comments on her role in the witch-prophesy. But in book 1 Pullman specifically states: "She must fulfil this destiny in ignorance of what she is doing." If she'd overheard this, then she wouldn't be in ignorance, and the prophecy negates itself. As well as this, Pullman tells us that the prophecy concerning Lyra's betrayal occurs when she leaves Pan behind when she crosses into the land of the dead. Not only do I fail to see how this was a betrayal (she had no choice!), but I thought the betrayal had occurred in book 1 when Lyra led Roger to his death. Because I thought it had already happened, my anticipation hadn't been building up for this `real' betrayal.

Then there's the matter of the Gallivespians. Although they are wonderful creations (miniature people with poisonous spurs on their heels) the two that accompany Will and Lyra have no real purpose. The altheiometer insists that they are needed, but on close inspection all they do is convince the harpies of a deal, and get Lyra angry enough to see her Death. In other words, they do squat, at least not enough that justifies their presence, and do nothing that Will and Lyra couldn't do themselves.

At the end of the day, "His Dark Materials" is essential reading, and I don't think any book has stimulated my mind as much as these. Despite some faults in this final book, and an infuriating sense of superiority in the narrator's voice, I have read the trilogy numerous times and enjoy it more each time. Thanks Philip Pullman for an unforgettable, intoxicating, extraordinary read - but I'm still not an atheist.

The Amber Spyglass, at its heart, seems to say that Christianity is a powerful mistake. Throughout the book, the Church is portrayed as evil, and even 'God' himself is shown to be a deceiving character, not the creator. However, the books are not rationalistic and materialistic in their outlook; they create a whole different theology cobbled together out of human spritual traditions.

In fact, the book can be shown to be unconsciously Christian, and a beautiful reaffirmation of the greatest Christian values which we sometimes tend to forget. In our haste to 'follow the Bible' we sometimes forget who Christ was- a saviour to set Mankind free. Although Pullman has stated that he wanted to revel in the physical world, and intended this book as an alternative to CS Lewis' Narnia, there is an unconscious Christian thread running through the book. First off, has anyone wondered why, with 'christianity', there is no Christ? And that God is so weak?

In reality the God shown in the book is not God at all, but a sort of Satan figure, an antichrist. He calls himself God, but as the angels tell us, he is not the creator. In reality, who is the creator, we learn? It is Dust. And in fact, there is a strong case for showing that Dust is God in this book (although this may seem absurd, bear with me for a while. While we think of God as singular, we think of Dust as plural. Just think of Dust as the essence of God).

In the book, Dust pervades the world, and is the source of the greatest joys. Out of it were all things made. So, let us assume Dust is a sort of non-personal God. In the world, it is the source of spirituality. The Church is a institiution of fanatics, a distortion of Christianity. It is the false church set up by an antichrist.

Now comes Christ. Who is Christ in the book? The answer is, Lyra. Her adventures have a very Christ-like feel to them: she frees the people to search for truth (Christ: 'the truth shall set you free'); she saves the world(s) from sin and fanaticism; she reaffirms the existence of love and the holiness of Dust; and she frees the dead to return to God in the world (to mingle with the Dust).

As for the nature of this 'god', Dust. Too often we think of God as a human, only more powerful, wise, and kindly. Why does God have to be of this type? Can't God be a spirituality, a consciousness, a great and holy essence, that fills the world and clusters around those beings that are conscious? The history of our world, as Serafina Pekkala puts it, is "one long struggle between those who want you to obey and submit, and those who want you to stand tall and think". Only, the Church that we have viewed as Christianity had become corrupted by lesser men only a few hundred years after Christ. Those who are truly spiritual and call themselves Christian will find that they need not be tied down to the Bible always, and that consciousness is the greatest gift of all. Holiness is in thought, not in repeating words mindlessly. And this book is truly great. It reveals to us these values, and it awes us. Truly a book for the ages.

Magical! Provocative! Inspired! Genius On Paper! Crap!

I was totally swept away into the worlds of His Dark Materials, and then half way through The Amber Spyglass, I lost it.

(WARNING! This will contain spoilers!)

It was as if Phillip Pullman set down his pin and let a much more incapable person finish up. So many story plots were left unfinished, untouched. There is SO MUCH stigma and story and expectation about the subtle knife and how it is a "god killer", but it is just dropped and becomes pointless. The authority gets taken out by a breeze!

What ever happened to the betrayal of Asirel? He kills Lyra's friend, in a most cruel way, and then goes on a holy crusade of sorts... And Mrs. Coulter, in The Subtle Knife, seems to be bent on killing Lyra, and if I'm not mistaken plans to do so, then in the Spyglass she is trying to protect her... Make up my mind for me!

Lyra's "choice" and Eve like fate, due to Mary's temptation, which is a huge plot point in the first two books is almost totally passes over in 2 paragraphs, and is nothing as dramatic as the other books seem to make it out to be. I thought Lyra was "destined to bring about the end of destiny," and that she was going to be the new Eve. Pullman seems to have an interesting interpretation of the story of Eve at any rate.

The obvious solution to Will and Lyra's problem of staying together is not even discussed. If the angles can deal with the specters that have been created every time a window is opened (which is also a week explanation), why can't they deal with the few specters that would be created for Will and Lyra to remain together?

There are several more instances where this book falls short of the bar raised in the first two in the series, but for the sake of going into a full out rant, I will simply say this, Pullman should not have raised such a high level of expectation. I burned through the first two books because I was totally enveloped in the story, and I found myself begging for more, but what I got was a total disappointment, and if there were any kind of legal precedent for suing an author for my money back for the cost of the book and the length of time it took me to read the story I would.

Wow. I loved this book. Read it, buy it, treasure it forever, because that's what it is, a treasure. Each book in this series is, in fact, such a treasure.

When I first read The Golden Compass, I had no idea what I was getting into. When I finished, it was all I could do to contain myself before getting my hands on and devouring The Subtle Knife. And now here is The Amber Spyglass, which takes everything the reader learned and gathered and hoped and wished about with Lyra - and then Will - in the first two books, and ties them all together. Such a satisfying end I could not have hoped for, or predicted! I wish I could shake Philip Pullman's hand. I wish i could tell him what a gift these books are! How many times I am going to read and re-read them i can't tell, but it will definately be numerous.

And to to those of you who are getting all upset about the underlying christian message, etc.etc... why can't you have open minds? Everyone is entitled to their opinion, of course - it's just too bad that sometimes it prevents people from enjoying things like this book. And the sad thing is, those people will never be able to read this great book whole-heartedly.

The Amber Spyglass made me laugh, cry, gasp, hold my breath, and, when i'd finally finished, realise that this was the perfect beautiful, sad, and above all, -right- ending to one of my favorite book series ever (no matter how much i wish it didn't have to end).

There are two words that accurately describe this book. Awe-Inspiring. The whole book is a joyful rush of events that sweeps you up into a gigantic heaven-and-earth conflict yet inflicts incredible poignancy and tenderness. Not only does it surpass the previous two books, it adds new layers of complexity that will take a while to sort out.

The book's plot is as complicated as the previous two books, yet at no time do we feel disconnected from the world(s) Pullman has created. Pullman's imagination has not yet run out of steam, and while we get new characters and an especially inventive new race (the mulefa), the best parts are the revelations about previous creation (Dust, daemons, etc.) Although the book is fast moving, occasionally it lets up and allows relaxation (the world of the mulefa; personally I loved this creation of his, a pre-technological world in decay). And in the background there is always the tension of Will and Lyra's ultimate fate: what will it be?

There has been some religious criticism of the book. While its true that the book certainly doesn't give us a favorable view of the Church, and even of God, I personally feel Pullman reaffirms the existence of God and spirituality. the God depicted in the book is really a Satan; the true 'god' and the source of spirituality is Dust. And in the end we are revealed a beautiful, joyful, and spiritual world, where decay is being reversed, and spirit is once more standing tall.

In the end, this book will definitely have some impact on you; hardly anyone can remain indifferent. I would urge any thinking person to buy this book (If you haven't read the previous two books, I suggest you read those first; it will ad to any understanding of this one). It is for anyone who wants to be awed.

Given the time and delays involved in the writing of THE AMBER SPYGLASS, I was initially afraid that it wouldn't live up to the huge expectations raised by the first two books. The first hundred pages or so, too, seemed slower and less tightly written than the previous volumes. Fortunately, this turns out to be only a building of tension before the near-apocalyptic events the book describes, and Pullman carries off his conclusion in brilliant theological, emotional, and literary fashion. Pullman shows his normal invention throughout The two-layered ending of the book is both joyous and painful, and is a masterpiece of the art of writing for both children and adults; nothing is explicitly sexual, but the finale is deeply erotic nonetheless.

Much mention has been made of the book being a kind of sequel to PARADISE LOST; undoubtedly true, but remember that it also makes great use of the works of that other prophet, William Blake (whose MILTON, of course, is a sequel to PARADISE LOST in itself.) The joy of the body and the mind, unchained by religion, is one of the main themes of the book. The book is, of course, deeply religious, even mystical, in its imagery, language, and feeling, but its overall message is one of a powerful imaginative atheism.

Some readers might be disturbed by this message. After all, this is a book that says, quite clearly, that "Christianity is a very powerful and convincing mistake." Myself, I'm all for it, and I think that Christian parents should allow their children to be challenged by the message of the book, but, if you feel strongly about such things, be warned.

The one element of the book I would question is the subplot involving the mulefa (diamond-wheeled creatures in an alternate ecology) which seems disconcertingly science-fictional, and which lack the fantastical resonance of the other creatures in the trilogy. They seem included largely to make a point, not by virtue of their own interest, and those sections, while necessary to the overall plot, slow the book down. Still, it's a minor flaw in what is probably the greatest sequence of novels, for adults *or* children, published in the last decade or two.