The Amber Spyglass (part 2) by Philip Pullman

Although I am really getting tired on writing about these books, I’ll write yet another painstaking entry on this trilogy. It’s cool though I can listen to these books, like in art class for instance.

Since my last entry, a lot has happened. In Will’s attempt to save Lyra, he meets up with a pack of armoured bears in a village being attacked by them. Will tells them to stop attacking. They agree on one condition, that the king of the armoured bears, Iorek fights Will. Iorek wimps out, because of Will’s knife (subtle knife, can cut through anything). The bears agree to take Will along to the mountains (where Lyra is being held as explained last time). When they reach the mountains, Will and Iorek find Lyra. As explained last time, she is in the hands of the slightly better Mrs. Coulter (Lyra’s mom). Will rescues Lyra with the use of the subtle knife. She rescues her just in time, because the church (out to kill Lyra for other reasons, you have to read the book) arrives at the scene right then. Lord Asriel’s army fights off the church’s army and for now, everything is OK.

Our group is doing a few courses about this series. Last week, we focused on daemons, and comparing the themes in the three “His Dark Materials” books to a book by John Milton called Paradise Lost, which is an interpretation of the Adam and Eve story. We also picked a random animal from a deck of animal cards, which would be our daemon. We then had a discussion on how that animal would be sort of like us (as daemons are). My animal was a bat. It was a hard one to think of how a bat would be similar to me, but we found a few. Bats are quick to analyze an area, as I am. If I come into a new place, I like to know the ins and outs of it, just like a bat does. Bats also like to swing around, as I like to swing on our chin-up bar and stay up late, as I like to do.

For the “Paradise Lost” part of the course, I found it really interesting. The story of Adam and Eve is about temptations. There are parts in the book where Lyra gets tempted, like in the end. Lyra and Will are not in their homeland, but they love each other to death. If they got married, they would not live very long, because they would be in a world unlike there original one. She resists the temptation to stay with Will.

Overall so far, I am enjoying this book. I hope to be finished soon though. Currently, I would rate it an eight out of ten.

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

The book I’m reading right now is called “The Amber Spyglass”. It is the third book in the “His Dark Materials” trilogy.

It basically continues where the Subtle Knife left off, and tells that Lyra (main character) is in an enchanted sleep in a cave with her somewhat evil mother. Although it seems that she has become a kinder than last time you meet her (when she kidnaps Lyra), because instead of killing Lyra, she protects her from the church (violent force).

Next, it switches over to Lyra’s close friend, Will, who is in the guidance of an angel. Will is on the track of the kidnapped Lyra.

The main theme in this book is the massive war between Lord Asriel’s atheist-extremists wanting to exterminate god (or the Authority). He wants to do that because he thinks that a world without god would be a lot better, because of the highly restrictive church figure controlling everything in life. This reflects Phillip Pullman’s feeling on the real-life church. I found that out because of a presentation I saw on Pullman. Currently, the two sides are creating their massive fortresses and armies. Hate is in the air, and I am looking forward to what happens.

So far, I haven’t really gotten into the book, but from the summary of it that I heard, I really think I am going to enjoy it later on. I am also looking forward to writing about another book, because I’ve written 6 entries on this trilogy.