Lost in a Good Book

The Amber Spyglass (#3) by Philip Pullman

17 Jul 2015 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, His Dark Materials Tags: 20th anniversary his dark materials, fantasy, five stars, His Dark Materials, philip pullman, the amber spyglass

Published: 14th September 2001
Publisher: Scholastic Point
Pages: 548
Format: Paperback
Genre: Fantasy
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

Will is the bearer of the knife. Now, accompanied by angels, his task is to deliver that powerful, dangerous weapon to Lord Asriel – by the command of his dying father.

But how can he go looking for Lord Asriel when Lyra is gone? Only with her help can he fathom the myriad plots and intrigues that beset him.

The two great powers of the many worlds are lining up for war, and Will must find Lyra, for together they are on their way to battle, an inevitable journey that will even take them to the world of the dead…

The Amber Spyglass marks the final and gripping conclusion to the His Dark Materials trilogy. After an intense build up through the previous two books it all comes together in this magnificent story that brings everything together in perfect synchronisation, coupled with powerful emotions and an unforgettable series of events.

Structurally, Pullman is a master at weaving together everyone’s stories, one after the other and changing focus at just the right time. Even at the beginning when a unique point of view is provided, Pullman breaks this up incredibly well, giving it power in the words, as well as great narrative placement for the accompanying chapter.

There is so much you could say about this novel, from full and complicated characters to the incredible and complex plot and the magnificent way every tiny detail fits in and is not forgotten. The most admiral is of course the way everything connects and plays a role and the way Pullman can have so much emotion and meaning in the simplest of sentences. A single line can have so much power, and can break your heart in a moment, even if it isn’t all that sad.

From about halfway through the book, there is barely a page that goes by that doesn’t make you want to (or actually) tear up in fear and admiration, heartbreak or pride (may just be me though). These characters, who you have been following and falling in love with through each of these books, become so much a part of you that you wish they were real and you wish them happiness and safety, anything otherwise is unbearable.

It is amazing how Pullman manages to make you feel as if you are in these worlds besides the characters, of all the similar things some worlds have, there are grand and many differences, and yet you feel empathy and reflect on what you would do in the same situation, you feel the pain and the horror, the love and affection as if it were your own life. It messes you up but it is a wonderful feeling to have.

There is a sad beauty to The Amber Spyglass as well, in just a short period of time you can see how Lyra’s grown up, and you see her change as you read. The way she interacts with Roger in the final book compared with how she is in the first is bittersweet and is a wonderful example of how she’s changing. Pullman is wonderful at sprinkling in moments and sentences throughout all three that show these changes, always in the right places and always woven marvellously into the narrative.

Aside from the grand ideas, one things Pullman shines at is capturing voices. From Dr Mary Malone to Mrs Coulter, Lyra and Will, each unique voice captures the experience, inexperience, seduction, firmness, and strength that the person has or needs. There is life in the voices Pullman writes with that brings the characters out of the page and makes you believe they could be alive. Even the minor characters with the fewest of lines are alive with the voices Pullman gives them.

The wonderful thing about Pullman’s writing is that there is not one final moment of exhilaration and excitement that concludes this epic trilogy; instead it is ongoing and constant. At the start of the book there is quiet drama and suspense growing and building, each moment adding on the last until it breaks into a final dash to the end, not necessarily always fast paced but still spectacularly gripping. From midway through you can find the exact moment when things become even more intense. From then on there are rises and falls of tension and suspense, joy, sadness, and adventure. The final battle, predicted long ago in Northern Lights has finally arrived and Pullman makes you feel right in the middle, heart bursting with pride, uncertainty, and excitement as favourites fights for themselves, for Lyra, and for the side of good. It is an absolute thrill to read.

After such an impressive story and build up, the conclusion always had a chance to be a letdown. Yet Pullman offers an ending that you aren’t expecting but it is an ending that is the right and best ending there could be. The eloquence and style in how the story concludes, bringing forth references all the way from Northern Lights through each book, is divine. Everything is wrapped up with loose ends tied but everything is not perfect, which is the best way to do it, after a story like this there needs to be scars.

This is a story that makes you want to cry because of happiness and cry because of heartache. This is such a big bold story that is littered with importance and fantasy and magic and truth that there is no other way to tell it than with big emotions. From page one begins a story that will touch you and move you and in all honesty it is going to get worse and more emotional before you reach the halfway mark and then rip your heart out and step on it a few times by the end. But it will do so with utter perfection and mastery, I promise.

You can purchase The Amber Spyglass via the following

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Book Depository | Booktopia

Bookworld | QBD

Dymocks | Kobo

Characters in The Amber Spyglass

16 Jul 2015 Leave a comment

by Amy in His Dark Materials Tags: 20th anniversary his dark materials, characters, His Dark Materials, philip pullman, the amber spyglass

Many of the characters from the previous two books make appearances in The Amber Spyglass, both brief and otherwise. The main reoccurring characters include:

Lyra Silvertongue Will Parry

Dr Mary Malone Iorek Byrnison

Balthamos Baruch

Mrs Coulter Lord Asriel

Serafina Pekkala

There are also numerous new characters as well. The Amber Spyglass is a wonderful place where reunions of beloved characters come together with new faces, all working together and against one another in the final battle that brings this series to a thrilling end across numerous worlds and with uncharted dangers.

Chevalier Tialys

The Chevalier Tialys is a Gallivespian, a race described as being as tall as the length of a human hand. Because of their size they are excellent spies and ride around in saddled dragonflies they raise from larvae. Tialys is described as having dark hair, bare feet, wearing Capri-length silver trousers and looking “strong, capable, ruthless, and proud”. Like all people of the Gallivespian race, Tialys has spurred feet, able to inject various levels of poison into enemies.

Lady Salmakia

The Lady Salmakia is a Gallivespian spy, just like Tialys. They are partners on their mission for Lord Asriel. Like Tialys she is described as being “strong, ruthless, and proud” and is depicted as quite maternal, and much more diplomatic and calm than her partner. Lyra describes her not as beautiful, but as having a face someone suffering would want to see. Salmakia is dressed similar to Tialys, bare spurred feet but with a silver skirt and a green blouse.

The Authority

The Authority’s Church and organisations are mentioned frequently throughout the series but he himself only appears in The Amber Spyglass. He is the first angel to come into existence, followed by the other angels, and resides and rules from the Clouded Mountain, a mobile city believed by those in that universe to be Heaven. He took power over the Kingdom of Heaven under false pretences and lies but when other angels discovered his illegitimate claims they began the rebellion against the Kingdom of Heaven. The Authority assumes several names, including “Yahweh”, the “Lord”, “El”, “Adonai”, and “the Almighty”. As he got older he withdrew into the city and appointed Metatron as his regent.

Xaphania

Xaphania is the leader of the rebel angels who have allied with Lord Asriel. Like other angels she is described as being naked, winged, and luminous, not shining but having an unseen light shine upon her. She is higher up than Balthamos or Baruch and is clearly visible to corporeal beings.

Metatron

Metatron is the Regent of Heaven, appointed by the Authority but also seeks to overthrow him and seize power himself. He is a medieval Judaic Archangel and is the ultimate antagonist of the series even though he doesn’t appear until the end. He is said to be the biblical character Enoch, who is in the line between Adam and Noah.

Mulefa

The Mulefa are not so much a character as a species, but one in particular, Atal, is a reoccurring figure and friend to Dr Mary Malone. Mulefa is the plural while Zalif is the singular. The Mulefa are a sapient species who inhabit the universe Dr Malone escapes into. They have four legs, short horns, and a prehensile trunk that is used as hands as well as communication. They are elephant-like creatures but have a diamond shaped skeleton without a spine and they use giant seed pods as wheels, attached to the spurs on their front and rear legs. Adding a seed pod is classed as a rite of passage when a Zalif is old enough to fit one. The seed pods fit the front and rear legs, with the side two being used to propel them alone, much like a cyclist without pedals.

Fun Facts About The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

15 Jul 2015 Leave a comment

by Amy in His Dark Materials Tags: 20th anniversary his dark materials, fun facts, His Dark Materials, philip pullman, the amber spyglass

The final book in the His Dark Materials trilogy was published in 2000; five years after Northern Lights first came out. At 548 pages it is the longest in the series and Pullman admits it took three years to write. This is an amazing book, not only for the ideas and the masterful execution, but because it brings together everything that Pullman had been working towards and building up to in the previous two books. There are moments towards the end of The Subtle Knife that break your heart, but that is nothing compared to what The Amber Spyglass will do to you.

The title refers to a telescope/spyglass created from two lenses with a lacquer from plants, as well as bamboo to separate the lenses. It was constructed by Dr Mary Malone and allows humans to see Dust. Like the previous two books, The Amber Spyglass has won numerous awards. In 2001 it became the first children’s book ever to win the Whitebread Book of the Year, and was named Children’s Book of the Year. It was also included on the longlist for the Man Book Prize, another first for a children’s book. Other awards it has received include winning the British Book Award, the American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults, Parents’ Choice Book Award, Horn Book Fanfare Honor Book, New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, and ABC’s Children’s Booksellers’ Choice. It was also featured on the New York Times Bestseller list.

While the previous books has hand drawn images at the start of each chapter, The Amber Spyglass opens its chapters with a quote from one of Pullman’s favourite authors, and like the images, it has symbolic meaning to the coming chapter. Among the authors quoted are John Milton, William Blake, and Emily Dickinson, as well as many others, and Pullman included them as a way to acknowledge their influence. Later editions have the hand drawn images with each chapter, of which Pullman say are some of his best.

Similar to Northern Lights, there has been controversy with certain aspects of the story though less about religion more about apparent sexual references. This series has been marketed primarily towards young adults but Pullman also intended the book to speak to adults. This is clear with the content, themes, and some of the more adult inferences seen in The Amber Spyglass. In North America some parts of book have been censored where Lyra’s incipient sexuality is described, which is a shame because it does actually play an important role, as does everything Pullman includes. In response to this, and his story in general, Pullman has commented “Nowhere in the book do I talk about anything more than a kiss. And as a child, a kiss is enough. A kiss can change the world.” The sexual realisation of the characters is as natural and innocent as the kiss that’s described and as Pullman says, “This is exactly what happens in the Garden of Eden…Why the Christian Church has spent 2,000 years condemning this glorious moment, well, that’s a mystery. I want to confront that, I suppose, by telling a story that this so-called original sin is anything but. It’s the thing that makes us fully human.” You can see the changes here.

With this year being the 15th anniversary of The Amber Spyglass being published and the 20th since Northern Lights, it’s wonderful to see how over the course of five years of writing, three books, and an idea slightly controversial but incredibly brilliant, how much has changed, not only seeing how these characters have grown, but the effect it’s had on people reading about them. Pullman’s trilogy is apparently not as well known or popular worldwide as Harry Potter became (though still managing to sell almost 20 million copies) which is a shame, though interestingly sales matched those of Harry Potter in the USA, and despite the controversy has received a lot less criticism for books with a lot more obvious content than Harry Potter ever had. But all that aside, those who know it love it, and even with that movie it has remained loved and treasured.

Pullman has stated that when he began Northern Lights he did not know where the story was going, at least not in any detail. With a rough idea of where it was all headed it is astounding to see where it ended up. To read only one of these books is doing it a disservice, to understand fully the masterpiece all three need to be consumed, only then can you see the bigger picture, the grand idea and intricate and detailed creation that has been described as being the most ambitious work since Lord of the Rings.

Understanding Pullman’s Dæmons

14 Jul 2015 Leave a comment

by Amy in His Dark Materials Tags: 20th anniversary his dark materials, Dæmons, His Dark Materials, philip pullman

Dæmons (pronounced demons) play an essential role in all three novels of His Dark Materials. They are iconic and a brilliantly original idea, and so ingenious that from my first time reading this series I have wanted one of my own.

Pullman got the idea of dæmons from paintings by Leonardo da Vinci (“The Lady with the Ermine“), Holbein (“The Lady and the Squirrel“), and Tiepolo (“Young Woman with a Macaw“) where it seems to show that a connection exists between the animal and the person, and to this day dæmons remain the single greatest idea ever that I have seen in a book. His Dark Materials is the first real reference to dæmons, but there is actually almost a small inclination of the idea of dæmons in one of Pullman’s books that was written years earlier called Spring-Heeled Jack, a children’s book that has a moth who flutters around as the villain’s conscience.

Various forms of Pantalaimon

Pullman explains that dæmons symbolise an aspect of a person’s personality. Everyone has a dæmon in Lyra’s world, and to see someone without a dæmon is like seeing a person walking around without their head. It is a part of them and a great horror to see someone without one. More than once dæmons are referred to as being like someone’s soul, and there is an invisible but evident connection between dæmon and human. The connection is strong and many times a person’s health, emotions, or subconscious can be reflected in their dæmon’s actions. This link also restricts how far they can move from one another and lets them feel what the other is feeling.

They are also used as a visual shift from innocence to experience. Pullman mentioned in an interview that he had been thinking about the transition which happens in adolescence for a long time and being a teacher he had seen this change in kids around Lyra’s age. Dæmons are a representation of this change.

As children, dæmons are able to change and shift form, often reflecting moods or used to intimidate other children. As they grow older their dæmon settle on a single, non-changing form. Having a dæmon settle is a part of growing up and while disappointing at first, it allows you to know the sort of person you are. Like the Able-Seaman tells Lyra in Northern Lights, “There’s plenty of folk as’d like to have a lion as a dæmon and they end up with a poodle”.

Hester (Lee Scoresby)

Dæmons may also not settle on a form that someone may like either. The Able-Seaman tells Lyra about a sailorman whose dæmon settled as a dolphin, which meant he could never leave the water. Despite the fact he was a wonderful sailor and the best navigator who made his fortune fishing, he was never happy.

Typically dæmons are the opposite sex to their humans, though there are a few rare exceptions. They can talk and while they take the form of animals, they are not animals themselves. Being part of a person means that are different than an animal, this includes what happens to them when someone dies. When a person is killed their dæmon disappears instantly, it also reflects their growing weakness if it takes time. But a person can be killed through their dæmon as well. In Northern Lights Iorek Byrnison kills a Tartar’s wolf-dæmon and as he does “bright fire spilled out of her as she fell to the snow, where she hissed and howled before vanishing. Her human died at once”.

The Golden Monkey (Mrs Coulter)

There are many great taboos relating to dæmons, unspoken rules but ingrained in the entire world. Dæmons can interact and touch other dæmons, often being used to settle disputes or show affection, but it is the greatest of taboos for a person to touch someone else’s dæmon. Dæmons will talk to another human, but it is also more common for dæmons to talk to other dæmons while their humans talk with each other.

What makes dæmons iconic and masterful is not only the idea, but how impeccably Pullman has used them in this series. They are not simply just an addition to a character or a quirky entity, they have a purpose and a role, they are involved in the story on a detailed and complicated level, they are just as important as any character or plot point, and are certainly not there to simply be a plot device either.

Stelmaria (Lord Asriel)

When asked, Pullman has said his dæmon would probably be a raven, a rook, or a magpie – one of the birds from that family, mainly because she steals things, like ideas for stories, or images and phrases. But he also reminds us that you do not get to choose, you have to live with what you get.

Dæmons are a fascinating and brilliant concept that adds so much to an already intricate and rich series. In honour of the 20th anniversary, Buzzfeed have created a quiz that allows you to discover what your own dæmon would be. Now of course, Buzzfeed isn’t the greatest authority on these things, nor can they come close to doing a proper analysis of a person character and therefore proper dæmon, but it is a nice thing to see what you could possibly get.

Daemon quiz When I did the quiz I was given a goose. Reading through the comments on the page and you can see what other possibilities there could have been, and again, there are so many more varied options in Lyra’s world than what’s provided so who knows what it would have been!

You can do the Buzzfeed quiz yourself here.

The Subtle Knife (#2) by Philip Pullman

13 Jul 2015 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, His Dark Materials Tags: 20th anniversary his dark materials, fantasy, five stars, His Dark Materials, philip pullman, the subtle knife

Published: 16th October 1998
Publisher: Scholastic Point
Pages: 341
Format: Paperback
Genre: Fantasy
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

70948 Will is twelve years old and he’s just killed a man. Now he’s on his own, on the run, determined to discover the truth about his father disappearance.

Then Will steps through a window in the air into another world, and finds himself with a companion – a strange, savage little girl called Lyra. Like Will, she has a mission which she intends to carry out at all costs.

But the world of Cittàgazze is a strange and unsettling place. Deadly, soul-eating Spectres stalk in its streets, while high above, the wingbeats of distant angels sound against the sky. And in the mysterious Torre degli Angeli lurks Cittàgazze’s most important secret – an object which people from many worlds would kill to posses.

This is the second book in the His Dark Materials trilogy and Pullman begins it by changing not only points of view, but also changing worlds. The Subtle Knife begins in what is presumed to be our own world, with Will Parry the new focus. From early on Will grabs your attention and sympathy, he is a young boy trying to look after his mental ill mother, and doing everything he can to keep from drawing attention to himself for fear of being taken away and his mother institutionalised.

Will is a fierce and strong kid, he is tough as he needs to be and insistent, and has years of wisdom and cunning for his young age. Will has his own troubles and like Lyra, Pullman introduces us to him in the middle of a moment and lets us catch up. Unlike Lyra though, we are given a bit more explanation about Will’s life soon after, which builds a lot of character for Will in a short space of time. When Will meets Lyra the pair joins forces and evidently brings out the best in each other, using both their skills and cunning to help one another with what they need to do.

The Subtle Knife moves between three universes, Lyra’s, our own, and a third different again. The different worlds Pullman creates are always curious and remarkable, and this time is no different. With multiple worlds to describe Pullman gives each one depth and detail, and provides description within the narrative, keeping the flow of the story strong while making it vivid and complex at the same time. With three worlds there are a range of stories to follow, but Pullman links them all together seamlessly, and each one progresses the novel on, even when the events are not technically connected.

One thing I always notice upon reading The Subtle Knife is how much it makes me miss the world in Northern Lights. Don’t get me wrong, reading about Will, the knife, the entire adventure of finding new worlds is enjoyable and exciting, but there are moments, especially in the beginning, where I long to be back on the snow-covered landscape of the North. This feeling does pass as you become invested in Will’s story, and watch as Lyra almost takes a backseat to Will’s journey. I think having Lyra out of her element and in a world she doesn’t understand makes her seem smaller and less assured. She initially goes back to being a bit lost and a follower, instead of the brave girl who marched North to rescue her friends. But she gains confidence again and the old Lyra is clearly still there.

Pullman intricately and skillfully combines the characters of Northern Lights with new characters introduced from various worlds. Favourites from Northern Lights journey into new worlds on missions of their own and in doing so show off more about these new worlds, but also add crucial aspects to the story. Even when he appears to be telling one story, Pullman is pulling together pieces for the bigger picture, subtly and quietly in the background.

Once again Pullman is also a master at limiting obvious explanations yet still offering full understanding. Through character thoughts, conversations, and various descriptions Pullman manages to explain a lot about what is happening, whether it is the detail and appearance of a window to another world, strange beings such as angels, or the strange and mysterious Spectres. This is especially important since there are moments of great technicality, especially understanding scientific matters regarding Dust, also known as dark matter. Pullman makes these explanations appear natural and real, making readers understand things alongside characters, while also using casual remarks that have a lot of meaning behind them to answer questions and fill in gaps. Pullman puts a lot of faith in the reader to put the pieces together and understand various aspects of the story, no matter how big or important, without needing to spell it out for them.

There is a different tone in this book than the first, certainly due to the content, but there are still moments of the same excitement, suspense, mysteries and surprises that were in the first book. Pullman lays hints and clues as he goes along which make for thrilling discoveries, and seeing the mixture of characters interact with one another is enchanting. The language is intellectual but simple, and the story is thrilling to read and is marvellously written. This book is both a follow-up to the first novel and a stepping stone into the last; another step towards the grand finale we’ve been told about from the start. With intelligent writing Pullman keeps this momentum going and builds on it gradually, blending it seamlessly with the main story and managing to fill you with anticipation, captivation, and an eagerness to jump right into book number three, as is the Pullman style.

You can purchase The Subtle Knife via the following

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Book Depository | Booktopia

Bookworld | QBD

Dymocks | Kobo