I finally finished reading His Dark Materials after being given Northern Lights‡ for my birthday two years ago, but not getting around to reading till a couple of months ago. I've got to say, I was fairly disappointed in the series especially after everyone (including a BA air hostess) telling me how brilliant they were.
Maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind for them, or maybe it was built up too much, but I really didn't think they were that good. I mean everyone on Amazon thinks they're pretty good, so it must be me. And I'll admit when it comes to Sci-Fi or Fantasy literate, I'm probably pickier than most, having read so much of it since the age of very young and the Magic Faraway Tree.
I just found HDM to lack any depth whatsoever. Hell the later Pratchett's I think have more depth. The characters whilst they grew a bit, where pretty much flat, and I got the feeling they were only growing because the author was told that for a good book characters need to grow (which isn't actually always true, some characters work best flat). I also got the feeling that I was been taken from one plot point to the next in a fairly linear fashion. Even if I couldn't see where the story was going, as I got to each plot device or point, it didn't actually give me anything new. I just felt lead along, like walking down a history of events timeline in a museum.
The first book was ok and engaging, but didn't really hook me like a good book should. The second book I felt was a steady progression down, and I really didn't rate the book at all. In fact the third book annoyed me entirely for the almost complete use of deus ex machine to get Will and Lyra out of every single situation.
I mean I thought the alethiometer was the biggest cop out ever from book one. I mean got a problem, oh look, magical devices tells us all the answers and gives us the next plot coupon. It just made it all to easy and took away any concept of the characters needing to actually figure anything out for themselves. Very literally deus ex machine. And when that wasn't enough wherever they were stuck, they had someone pop up (ghosts, angels) and tell them what to do next. Drove me nuts.
Whilst I thought Pullman came up with a new concepts (the dust, daemon/souls), I really don't think he implemented it well. He never quite explained the dust in a way that I thought he was entirely sure as what it was, nor why the dust affliction affecting the other worlds kind of skipped earth entirely. It just didn't gel for me as a strong enough story point to base three books around.
When I compare his works to say C. J. Cherryh, I just can't see why so many people liked this book. Cherry also manages to regularly introduce new concepts, but really makes them work. Her characters I connect with (which I failed to do with every single character in HDM. Cherryh is just so much more engaging. A Cherry book is like a full river, I found HDM to be a small stream, and that’s being complimentary to HDM.
The best I can say about HDM, is they were not entirely awful. But I can't see why everyone else seems to think they are brilliant. Utterly lost on me.
‡ Thanks Pete and Karen
1. Francesca
I have read the His Dark Materials trilogy and the entire current Harry Potter series.
My view on HDM is that they are better written than the HP books. The reviews seem to reflect the views of those who are disappointed in the latter but still need something overhyped to rave about. Neither series is particularly original; both sets pale in comparison to books by Diana Wynne Jones.
I guess it could be worse: we could get Dan Brown for kids.
2. Adrian
Is HDM meant for kids? I was under the impression that although the main characters where children it was an adults book.
3. razorhead
HDM is better compared to the Lion, Witch and the Wardobe. In fact the relgiousity in the former is almost in direct answer to that in the latter.
I liked the undercurrent of ideas; some of them are very black, heaven as a prison camp? - wow.
4. Francesca
Gah. Looking at the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe through cynical adult eyes belies the mystery and marvel that a small child can find within its pages. I doubt (hope) that a kid would (not) notice the religious overtones.
HDM is technically a children’s book, though it is pretty dark. Hence the comparison to HP.
5. Gordon
Suspension of disbelief anyone?
It must just be me, but taking these books at face value and not expecting something amazingly wonderful made me enjoy them all the more - same with HP.
6. Adrian
Actually I loved the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe although I read it somewhere around 20 years or so ago. I don’t recall any relgiousity at all.
The fact HDM is a children’s book does perhaps make my evaluation of it vs Cherryh a bit harsh, but it’s still not as good as something like Coraline (admittedly a shorter book) or Stardust (perhaps on the same level but markedly better.
Gordon, I read loads of sci-fi/fantasy. It’s not a case of suspension of disbelief. I didn’t find the characters themselves believable. I also found the writing sloppy (i.e. the deus ex machine every 7 pages, the plot coupons). This isn’t a case of me not believing in the universe he created, but that he didn’t write the universe well. I do take it at face value, I just don’t think it was very good. There is a difference there.
7. Gordon
Well maybe it’s better put as the ability to immerse yourself in a world regardless of the quality of writing. It’s a little like Star Wars perhaps. The original movies pulled you in enough that you are willing (ish) to let the awfulness of the recent three pass you by because .. hey, it’s Star Wars…
Or something… I think it might just be me though.
8. Adrian
That’s true and a good point. In Star Wars the rough story of the movie and the visuals where good enough to pull me through. The dialogue though did turn it into a movie I can live without seeing again.
With books however, as I have got older and read more and more books, my tolerance for poor writing is less. There is nothing else in a book but the writing to pull me through. And in HDM the writing was just simply not good enough, nor was the broad strokes of the story.
I really see this more as something that’s success is driven more by it being popular than being good.
9. Sevitz's Stalker
Is “relgiousity” actually a word?
10. Destructor
And I think we all know that animals would not evolve wheels.
11. Adrian
Yeah that was one of the more bizarre totally implausible concepts in the book. We drifted passed “suspend disbelief” and into “who the fuck are you trying to kid”.
also I never quite got how the wheels would go between the front and hind legs, and lot the side legs.
12. Alan
Not necessarily relevant in this case as you plainly were unaware, but far more worrying to me is this current trend towards adults reading children’s books. Okay, this point is usually answered by the excuse that children’s literature is becoming more sophisticated, and I applaud that, but they are still aimed at children, and can we not then equally argue that by reading them, adults are becoming less sophisticated.
13. QE
Stalker: Is “relgiousity” actually a word? Sure it is, give or take an ‘i’ (and perhaps a ‘u’, but I would rather keep that).
I’m reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe now, when perhaps I should have done so fifteen years ago, and although there is clearly plenty of allegory (and literal references to Judeo-Christian lore) it’s not as oppressive as many claim. On top of that, while I’m somewhat inured to it, I can easily see the mystery and marvel that a child should find in the book.
But I haven’t read HP or HDM…
14. Fer
I really enjoyed HDM.
I found the story well-written and well paced, and in particular a lot of seemingly unconnected mysteries were resolved very cleverly at the end.
I think you tried to read it too much as a straight story and not, as I interpret it, a fierce satire of organised religion (cleverly hidden as a children’s story). In that context the contrived plot and the fantastically improbable coincidences help to accentuate the point being made. I’d draw a comparison here with Gulliver’s Travels.
It therefore completely escapes me why the planned Hollywood adaptation is, I believe, being written with most of the religious side being taken out (to avoid offending large sections of the targe audience). The result will be completely pointless.
15. Dani
Are adults really reading more children’s books across the board? Or is it more of a trend in sci fi / fantasy because it’s a) relatively easy to write books that work on more than one layer, b) “adult themes” aren’t always as obvious as opposed to, say, crime and c) broadening the appeal means a bigger market to buy books?
16. Adrian
Fer, the one thing I didn’t find the story to be, was well written. I’d put it on the level of an average Star Trek episode, and boy has Trek hit the pan lately. I’ve read far more clever ways of looking at contemporary issues like religion, although I can’t think of a religious one off hand, but the Foreigner series by Cherryh is a great commentary on politics. I thought the fierce satire of organised religion wasn’t all that. He confused the issue to much in all the running around with knives and bears and animals on wheels.
Dani, I think there has always been crossover. I read ‘adult’ books from quite a young age, and many adults I’m sure read children’s books with their kids. I think their are many books that cross over nicely without being distinctly in one camp or the other. Stardust and Pratchett are good examples. I think a good author writes the book they want to write, and doesn’t think about selling more books. Not all authors are good authors though, and a popularist author can be a good author but often isn’t.
17. Sevitz's Stalker
Right, I’m about half way through the Amber Spyglass - will have finished it by tomorrow.
Firstly, this is fantasy, not sci-fi. There’s a distinct difference. Secondly, this is (so far) a wonderfully allegorical fairy tale, as well as a not so subtle comment on organised religion, moral education and secular beliefs (admittedly, from an inherently Christian standpoints). Thirdly, I’m finding the writing to be superb, full of texture and depth and more akin to the style of Blake, Peake, Coleridge and co than contemporary sci-fi authors. Finally, this is not, in my opinion, a book that can be classed as either a childrens book or an adults book. To pigeonhole it in this way is futile.
18. Adrian
Stalker, I don’t think I ever called it SciFi.
However the texture and depth you speak of, I cannot see. I honestly thought it was about as single faceted as you can get. But like I said, I seem to be alone in this.
19. Karen
I have to agree with Stalker here [sometimes it happens]. If you missed the deeper levels, Adrian, you can’t have been paying attention, because as he says, it’s not particularly subtle.
As for bizarre, implausible concepts - you say this, and you read sci-fi? I cite Michael Marshall Smith and his walking white goods as one random example of utterly stupid ideas in perfectly good adult books. If plausibility is important, stick to biographies.
HDM is so superior to HP in terms of writing style that it’s not even worth discussing. If you doubt that HDM is intended for adults, try reading something else by Philip Pullman, such as The Ruby In The Smoke, which is nothing but a children’s book. But being intended for adults does not mean that it won’t appeal to children. I don’t agree with Stalker that the age-range classification is futile in general, but insofar as these novels are concerned, it is beside the point.
However I absolutely do refute the idea that authors don’t write with a view to sales. This is naive in the extreme. Maybe the first book is a labour of love, but anyone churning out books as prolifically as Pratchett is writing for his fanbase, not for his soul. The existence of said fanbase mystifies me completely, but that’s a whole ‘nother comment.
20. Adrian
I have no issue with unplausible ideas, as long as you stick to the rules you create. I have issues with unplausible plot elements and all the get out of jail free cards. I have issues with lame plausibility (which puts HDM on a level with bad Trek). I also have issues with magical devices elements that solve every problem. It’s again like bad Trek (repolarising the hull plating protects you against all attacks).
Good authors write because that’s what they do. That doesn’t mean their isn’t a business side to their job and doesn’t mean it’s always a labour of love (in fact most authors sound miserable when writing great books, it’s hard work). Some authors write, because that’s what they do, they write, and can’t do anything else. Neil Gaiman has spoken many times about the two sides of his work on his blog.
21. Sevitz's Stalker
“I also have issues with magical devices that solve every problem”
I seem to have missed this part in HDM. While I’m aware of the fact that the altheiometer and subtle knife were important parts of the story (after all, the books were named after these devices) I don’t recall them being used to solve any problems. And they certainly didn’t appear to me to be akin Gaiman’s “plot coupons” or “get out of jail free” cards.
“I have no issue with unplausible ideas, as long as you stick to the rules you create”. Spoken like a true trekkie!
22. Adrian
The altheiometer and the knife could be used to get out of just about any situation. What do we do next, lets just ask the altheiometer. And when that didn’t work, someone or a ghost or a bear or a witch or an angle showed up with the information they needed. It was all way to convenient.
23. Destructor
Agreed- it reminds me of Zen in Blake’s Seven- Avon said it plainly enough: “Funny how you always give us just enough information to move us forward, but never enough for us to know exactly what’s going on.”