Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials: A Multiple Allegory: Attacking Religious Superstition in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Paradise Lost [Paperback]

Leonard F. Wheat (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2007

"Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials" trilogy is one of the most popular fantasy works of our time. Both the trilogy and a new movie based on it are being marketed chiefly as YA (young adult) fare. But Leonard F Wheat shows in this fascinating analysis that "His Dark Materials" is far more than a YA tale. At a deeper level it is a complex triple allegory - a surface story that uses 231 symbols to tell three hidden stories. As such, it is among the most profound, intellectually challenging, and thoroughly adult works ever written. Wheat brings the hidden stories to light. He demonstrates how Pullman retells two prominent works of British literature - C S Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and John Milton's "Paradise Lost".Pullman's aim is to counter Lewis' pro-Christian allegory with his own anti-Christian allegory. Pullman does this in his second allegory by turning "Paradise Lost" upside down. Satan and his daughter, Sin, along with Adam's murderous son Cain, become heroes; God and Jesus become villains. This retold story depicts our society's warfare between knowledge (symbolised by Dust) and religious superstitions (symbolised by Spectres). Pullman adds an original third hidden story featuring Christian missionaries, Charles Darwin, agnostics, and atheists. Wheat's intriguing interpretation of Pullman's work is the first to point out the many allegorical features of "His Dark Materials" and to highlight the ingenious ways in which Pullman subtly attacks religious institutions and superstitions. Pullman fans as well as readers interested in fantasy or concerned about religious coercion will find Wheat's book not only stimulating but overflowing with surprises.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Leonard F. Wheat, a retired economist living in Alexandria, VA, received his PhD from Harvard University in 1958 and is the author of five previous books dealing with economics, film, and religion. His books include Kubrick's 2001: A Triple Allegory and Paul Tillich's Dialectical Humanism: Unmasking the God above God.

Product Details

• Paperback: 338 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (December 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591025893
• ISBN-13: 978-1591025894
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,522,973 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and revealing, September 4, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials: A Multiple Allegory: Attacking Religious Superstition in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Paradise Lost (Paperback)

Philip Pullman's HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy is a modern fantasy hit, so any college-level collection strong in science fiction analysis will find Leonard Wheat's title the perfect analytical companion piece to the series. Readers will find discussions of symbolism and allegory - as well as religion and British literature as a whole - to be insightful and revealing, lending to classroom discussion at either the high school or college levels.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Overly Far Fetched, June 6, 2011

By 

Jonathan L. Harvey - See all my reviews

This review is from: Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials: A Multiple Allegory: Attacking Religious Superstition in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Paradise Lost (Paperback)

Could have been an interesting read, but makes too many far-fetched and tendentious assertions about C.S. Lewis' symbolism. For example, the claim that the Pevensie children at the conclusion of the first Narnia book represent the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is utterly unconvincing, among many other odd claims. I was interested in reading this author's book on ''2001:A Space Odyssey'' but after slogging through much of this one, I think I'll skip it.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Phillip Pullman's "His Dark Materials", January 28, 2008

By 

R. Cutler "Multi-reader" (Sarasota, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials: A Multiple Allegory: Attacking Religious Superstition in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Paradise Lost (Paperback)

I saw and enjoyed the movie "The Golden Compass." Later, I learned from a relative that it was anti Christian. Not sensing this from the movie, and wishing to understand the issue, I purchased this book and "Discovering the Golden Compass" by George Beahm. My overall impression after reading Leonardo Wheat's book is either he has a very active imagination or is compulsively dedicated to making every combination an allegory. Not withstanding, many of his "allegories" were worth consideration. I recommend both books to the interested reader.