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Philip Pullman

The Amber Spyglass

The Amber Spyglass is the final book in Philip Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy. I felt that it continued the trend away from the action of the first book, towards a Miltonesque saga, which leaves me even more confused as to who the readership of the books is supposed to be. Possibly Pullman expected his readers to grow up as the books were published, so the first is more (although not totally) suitable for children. That is all very well, but now that they are all available, it makes it hard to recommend the trilogy as a whole (which is how it needs to be read) to any particular readers.

The book is slower to get started than the previous two, with multiple threads to follow, but there's still plenty of Pullman's unique inventiveness, and his mixing of magic and science. Finishing off a trilogy like this is no easy task, and I thought that Pullman did pretty well, although I was a bit confused about Mary Malone and Lyra's temptation, which seemed to be what the book was leading up to. I would say that if you like a good story and don't mind Pullman's strange take on various subjects then you should give these books a try.

Amazon.com info

Paperback 544 pages
ISBN: 0440418569
Salesrank: 327559
Weight:0.75 lbs

Published: 2003 Yearling

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Paperback 544 pages
ISBN: 043999358X
Salesrank: 63910
Weight:1 lbs

Published: 2001 Scholastic Point

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Paperback 544 pages
ISBN: 0440418569
Salesrank: 73539
Weight:0.75 lbs

Published: 2003 Yearling

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Product Description
The Amber Spyglass brings the intrigue of The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife to a heart-stopping end, marking the final volume of His Dark Materials as the most powerful of the trilogy. Along with the return of Lyra, Will, Mrs. Coulter, Lord Asriel, Dr. Mary Malone, and Iorek Byrnison the armored bear, come a host of new characters: the Mulefa, mysterious wheeled creatures with the power to see Dust; Gallivespian Lord Roke, a hand-high spymaster to Lord Asriel; and Metatron, a fierce and mighty angel. So, too, come startling revelations: the painful price Lyra must pay to walk through the land of the dead, the haunting power of Dr. Malone's amber spyglass, and the names of who will live--and who will die--for love. And all the while, war rages with the Kingdom of Heaven, a brutal battle that--in its shocking outcome--will uncover the secret of Dust. Philip Pullman deftly brings the cliff-hangers and mysteries of His Dark Materials to an earthshattering conclusion--and confirms his fantasy trilogy as an undoubted and enduring classic. From the Hardcover edition.

Product Description

The Amber Spyglass brings the intrigue of The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife to a heart-stopping end, marking the final volume of His Dark Materials as the most powerful of the trilogy.

Along with the return of Lyra, Will, Mrs. Coulter, Lord Asriel, Dr. Mary Malone, and Iorek Byrnison the armored bear, come a host of new characters: the Mulefa, mysterious wheeled creatures with the power to see Dust; Gallivespian Lord Roke, a hand-high spymaster to Lord Asriel; and Metatron, a fierce and mighty angel. So, too, come startling revelations: the painful price Lyra must pay to walk through the land of the dead, the haunting power of Dr. Malone's amber spyglass, and the names of who will live--and who will die--for love. And all the while, war rages with the Kingdom of Heaven, a brutal battle that--in its shocking outcome--will uncover the secret of Dust. Philip Pullman deftly brings the cliff-hangers and mysteries of His Dark Materials to an earthshattering conclusion--and confirms his fantasy trilogy as an undoubted and enduring classic.

From the Hardcover edition.

Very bad ending of what could have become great trilogy *
Really, only thing that could be said of this book that would pose some kind of justice to it is - Oh! My! God! And don't be mistaken. Those are not shouts of joy or praise. Now, I'm not a religious person, at least not in any conventional way, and I like more than anything intelligent bashing of any kind of organized religion, but this doesn't even come close to it. And what is even worse, it sucks at storytelling. Now, for those of you who have read first two installments of this series this may come as a surprise. It sure did come that way to me. First two books are excellent fiction, excellent storytelling and one of the better examples of writing in contemporary prose, but third book is something entirely opposite. It almost seems like Pullman casted aside story and started on a voyage of polemic arguments against religion. Which wouldn't be so bad if there were any argument present. It seems like this book is consisted of nothing more than angry, illogical phrases and events that serve only one purpose - to piss catholic Church off. And, as far as I can tell, it does very good job at it. But this attack actually does something else. It deals a heavy blow to every independent thinker out there who battles with fundamentalism of any kind. In a way that if Pullman novel is best what atheist thinker and novelist can offer, why trouble yourself with it. It isn't even worth disputing with. And, following the mysterious trail of analogy, and strange logic of one that stands for all, we can easily discard any argument against religion. What Pullman does is huge misunderstanding of faith, theology, religion and concept of existence of God. And hey, it would be okay (so to say we could easily discard this as a fictional representation) if it isn't for the fact that Lyra and Will somehow got lost inside this debate. Not to mention huge change of Miss Coulter character (which, beside being illogical kinda makes you puke), trashy ending, liberation of the dead and "heart-breaking" conversations in underworld and all kinds of endeavors like those which make entire novel very high on throw-it-in-the-volcano-never-to-see-it-again list. I guess one must make a slip at some point when writing the epic, and Pullman did it in third chapter. What started as a great adventure with lot of potential became a squishy mass of soap-opera dialogues and events that will be hard to swallow even for those with stomachs much tougher than mine. I suppose that if you're already reading this series and you've come this far, you have to finish it. But be warned, it doesn't pay off. You'll do better with imagining an ending of your own.

Very bad ending of what could have become great trilogy *

Really, only thing that could be said of this book that would pose some kind of justice to it is - Oh! My! God! And don't be mistaken. Those are not shouts of joy or praise. Now, I'm not a religious person, at least not in any conventional way, and I like more than anything intelligent bashing of any kind of organized religion, but this doesn't even come close to it. And what is even worse, it sucks at storytelling. Now, for those of you who have read first two installments of this series this may come as a surprise. It sure did come that way to me. First two books are excellent fiction, excellent storytelling and one of the better examples of writing in contemporary prose, but third book is something entirely opposite. It almost seems like Pullman casted aside story and started on a voyage of polemic arguments against religion. Which wouldn't be so bad if there were any argument present. It seems like this book is consisted of nothing more than angry, illogical phrases and events that serve only one purpose - to piss catholic Church off. And, as far as I can tell, it does very good job at it. But this attack actually does something else. It deals a heavy blow to every independent thinker out there who battles with fundamentalism of any kind. In a way that if Pullman novel is best what atheist thinker and novelist can offer, why trouble yourself with it. It isn't even worth disputing with. And, following the mysterious trail of analogy, and strange logic of one that stands for all, we can easily discard any argument against religion.

What Pullman does is huge misunderstanding of faith, theology, religion and concept of existence of God. And hey, it would be okay (so to say we could easily discard this as a fictional representation) if it isn't for the fact that Lyra and Will somehow got lost inside this debate. Not to mention huge change of Miss Coulter character (which, beside being illogical kinda makes you puke), trashy ending, liberation of the dead and "heart-breaking" conversations in underworld and all kinds of endeavors like those which make entire novel very high on throw-it-in-the-volcano-never-to-see-it-again list.

I guess one must make a slip at some point when writing the epic, and Pullman did it in third chapter. What started as a great adventure with lot of potential became a squishy mass of soap-opera dialogues and events that will be hard to swallow even for those with stomachs much tougher than mine. I suppose that if you're already reading this series and you've come this far, you have to finish it. But be warned, it doesn't pay off. You'll do better with imagining an ending of your own.

Review by Page from One Book At A Time ***
I wish I could say that this was one of the best series I had ever read. Sadly it isn't. And I had such high hopes for it. I watched the movie of The Golden Compass first and it intrigued me. So I looked into the book and discovered it was a triology. I really like that first book, but it's been downhill since then. First and foremost, The Amber Spyglass was long. And the funny part is I'm not really talking about the number of pages, because I've obviously read much longer. There just seemed to be too much of everything in this book. Too many characters to keep track of along with too many worlds that seemed to be interacting. And the story was too complex even for me. I've noticed that people seem to love or hate this book, but I'm firmly in the middle. I don't dislike it for the reasons that most people do. I don't think it's anti-god or anti-religion. I just found some of the ideas presented in the final novel to be way out of the realm of reasonable thought. And, I would love to talk to a preteen who has read these and understood them. These books don't present the same way the say The Harry Potter Series does.

Review by Page from One Book At A Time ***

I wish I could say that this was one of the best series I had ever read. Sadly it isn't. And I had such high hopes for it. I watched the movie of The Golden Compass first and it intrigued me. So I looked into the book and discovered it was a triology. I really like that first book, but it's been downhill since then. First and foremost, The Amber Spyglass was long. And the funny part is I'm not really talking about the number of pages, because I've obviously read much longer. There just seemed to be too much of everything in this book. Too many characters to keep track of along with too many worlds that seemed to be interacting. And the story was too complex even for me. I've noticed that people seem to love or hate this book, but I'm firmly in the middle. I don't dislike it for the reasons that most people do. I don't think it's anti-god or anti-religion. I just found some of the ideas presented in the final novel to be way out of the realm of reasonable thought. And, I would love to talk to a preteen who has read these and understood them. These books don't present the same way the say The Harry Potter Series does.

Philip Pullmand His Dark Materials Book 3 ****
I have already watched the movie The Golden Compass. I also read the first two books the Golden Compass, and The Subtle Knife. I thought the amber spyglass would have a different plot other then following along with the Subtle Knife book two. I felt sorry for the two kids that grew up together and then could not live together and watch each other grow old. I was glad to find a papper back copy for only 0.01 cents plus shipping charges 3.99. I did feel that I got my monies worth out of the book. I would not have liked to pay $7.00 for a new book. I did not feel that the book deserved such a price. I thought the 4.00 I paid a good price for such a disappointing read.

Philip Pullmand His Dark Materials Book 3 ****

I have already watched the movie The Golden Compass. I also read the first two books the Golden Compass, and The Subtle Knife. I thought the amber spyglass would have a different plot other then following along with the Subtle Knife book two. I felt sorry for the two kids that grew up together and then could not live together and watch each other grow old. I was glad to find a papper back copy for only 0.01 cents plus shipping charges 3.99. I did feel that I got my monies worth out of the book. I would not have liked to pay $7.00 for a new book. I did not feel that the book deserved such a price. I thought the 4.00 I paid a good price for such a disappointing read.

Truly one of the great fantasy works ever written *****
Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy is easily one of my all time favorite fantasy series. This is despite recognition that it resorts to some pretty weak storytelling techniques at way too many places (more of that later). But the books' weaknesses are overwhelmed by wonderfully sketched characters, almost endless imagination in creating worlds that astound and delight, and a wonderful and engrossing story. Pullman's story is also amazingly unique and refreshing, completely unlike any other fantasy stories of recent decades. C. S. Lewis wrote that one of the joys of reading is that it pulls you into worlds of which you previously knew nothing. That is certainly the case here. My complaint with most fantasy novels is that they provide endless repackagings of Middle Earth-like worlds. At this point I'm suffering from pretty serious Middle Earth imitator fatigue, which is one reason that I've read less and less sword and sorcerer kinds of fantasy as the years have gone by. But the multiple worlds explored in Pullman's trilogy are both unique and delightful, and fantastically refreshing (yes, pun intended) after so much dreck out there. Many of my fellow Christians detest these books because of their explicitly anti-Christian bent. I mean, seriously. People are afraid that a fantasy novel trilogy is going to threaten their faith? Moreover, I honestly believe that both the cosmopolitan (if Old School and decidedly orthodox) C. S. Lewis and the ultra reactionary pre-Vatican II Catholic J. R. R. Tolkien (who thankfully kept his reactionary religious beliefs out of his fantasy fiction) would both have loved this series of novels. Yeah, Pullman hates Christianity. So what? I found his antireligious stance trite and Pullman's depiction of God really had nothing to do with my God. I can't express how much I love these books despite some really serious flaws. I refer to the Dei ex machine. Yep, the plural. Over and over and over Lyra and/or Will or other characters are saved by the miraculous intervention of one or another hero. The degree of coincidence is nothing short of incredulous. Many writers utilize coincidence, but Pullman is almost without shame in going to that well over and over. So repeatedly characters get in dire circumstances and someone shows up at the most crucial moment to rescue them. The only other complaint that I have with the book is the resolution of the prophecies about Lyra. She is part the new Eve and part Christ figure. The latter role is played out in her emptying hell. In some Christian mythology (it is not orthodox theology since it is based on tradition rather than Scripture) Jesus after his death storms the gates of hell. Lyra performs that function before she goes on to become the new Eve. I enjoyed the freeing of hell part of the book, but it isn't clear precisely how the new Eve part fulfilled in any significant way acts that fulfilled the great prophecies made of her. But the strengths of the book dwarf the book's undeniable weaknesses. It is, in fact, a testimony to the trilogy's strong points that you can forgive them because there is so much in the book to love and enjoy. Frankly, this is one of my all time favorite fantasy series, right up there with LORD OF THE RINGS, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, and the Harry Potter books. Comment \| Permalink

Truly one of the great fantasy works ever written *****

Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy is easily one of my all time favorite fantasy series. This is despite recognition that it resorts to some pretty weak storytelling techniques at way too many places (more of that later). But the books' weaknesses are overwhelmed by wonderfully sketched characters, almost endless imagination in creating worlds that astound and delight, and a wonderful and engrossing story. Pullman's story is also amazingly unique and refreshing, completely unlike any other fantasy stories of recent decades.

C. S. Lewis wrote that one of the joys of reading is that it pulls you into worlds of which you previously knew nothing. That is certainly the case here. My complaint with most fantasy novels is that they provide endless repackagings of Middle Earth-like worlds. At this point I'm suffering from pretty serious Middle Earth imitator fatigue, which is one reason that I've read less and less sword and sorcerer kinds of fantasy as the years have gone by. But the multiple worlds explored in Pullman's trilogy are both unique and delightful, and fantastically refreshing (yes, pun intended) after so much dreck out there.

Many of my fellow Christians detest these books because of their explicitly anti-Christian bent. I mean, seriously. People are afraid that a fantasy novel trilogy is going to threaten their faith? Moreover, I honestly believe that both the cosmopolitan (if Old School and decidedly orthodox) C. S. Lewis and the ultra reactionary pre-Vatican II Catholic J. R. R. Tolkien (who thankfully kept his reactionary religious beliefs out of his fantasy fiction) would both have loved this series of novels. Yeah, Pullman hates Christianity. So what? I found his antireligious stance trite and Pullman's depiction of God really had nothing to do with my God.

I can't express how much I love these books despite some really serious flaws. I refer to the Dei ex machine. Yep, the plural. Over and over and over Lyra and/or Will or other characters are saved by the miraculous intervention of one or another hero. The degree of coincidence is nothing short of incredulous. Many writers utilize coincidence, but Pullman is almost without shame in going to that well over and over. So repeatedly characters get in dire circumstances and someone shows up at the most crucial moment to rescue them.

The only other complaint that I have with the book is the resolution of the prophecies about Lyra. She is part the new Eve and part Christ figure. The latter role is played out in her emptying hell. In some Christian mythology (it is not orthodox theology since it is based on tradition rather than Scripture) Jesus after his death storms the gates of hell. Lyra performs that function before she goes on to become the new Eve. I enjoyed the freeing of hell part of the book, but it isn't clear precisely how the new Eve part fulfilled in any significant way acts that fulfilled the great prophecies made of her.

But the strengths of the book dwarf the book's undeniable weaknesses. It is, in fact, a testimony to the trilogy's strong points that you can forgive them because there is so much in the book to love and enjoy. Frankly, this is one of my all time favorite fantasy series, right up there with LORD OF THE RINGS, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, and the Harry Potter books.
Comment | Permalink

What's the hype about? *
People aren't going to like me for not liking this series, but though I normally really love big thick books, this trilogy has more problems than I can list here, the main one being how boring it is, first one is 0k, second one takes forever and a lot of the plot points don't make a great deal of sense when you think about it, why is she explicitly attracted to murderers, for example (that's a little creepy to be honest). First book is 0k action-wise, but highly prejudiced and ever-ready to caricature, the second and third are the same, but overlong, very slow, and very boring with little in the way of good action, to the point that I barely finished them, I'm not sure what the hype is about really, controversy couldn't make Dan Brown a good author, but he's still better than Pullman, who seems to hate rather a lot of people in a way I can only describe as xenophobic. Mild Spoilers: In the second book her original friend, who she travelled half way round the world for, is discarded, with hardly a thought, for her new, and more-or-less identical, companion (I noticed that an awful lot of the characters feel copy-pasted, most of the white bears are paper-thin and all the antagonists seem to run on bile with no real convincing motive or personality). The final battle, as well as all the action, feels distant and rather mellow-dramatic, as did everything in the second book. The trilogy doesn't seem to end as much as peter out, I left this series feeling unsatisfied and slightly puzzled, to be honest I've put it in a box upstairs and will probably forget about it totally. The characters and plot were unmemorable, nobody really seemed motivated to do anything, but did it anyway (Which is roughly how I felt when I finished the book). Overall, this averages out as one of the most boring trilogies I have read.

What's the hype about? *

People aren't going to like me for not liking this series, but though I normally really love big thick books, this trilogy has more problems than I can list here, the main one being how boring it is, first one is 0k, second one takes forever and a lot of the plot points don't make a great deal of sense when you think about it, why is she explicitly attracted to murderers, for example (that's a little creepy to be honest).

First book is 0k action-wise, but highly prejudiced and ever-ready to caricature, the second and third are the same, but overlong, very slow, and very boring with little in the way of good action, to the point that I barely finished them, I'm not sure what the hype is about really, controversy couldn't make Dan Brown a good author, but he's still better than Pullman, who seems to hate rather a lot of people in a way I can only describe as xenophobic.

Mild Spoilers:

In the second book her original friend, who she travelled half way round the world for, is discarded, with hardly a thought, for her new, and more-or-less identical, companion (I noticed that an awful lot of the characters feel copy-pasted, most of the white bears are paper-thin and all the antagonists seem to run on bile with no real convincing motive or personality).

The final battle, as well as all the action, feels distant and rather mellow-dramatic, as did everything in the second book. The trilogy doesn't seem to end as much as peter out, I left this series feeling unsatisfied and slightly puzzled, to be honest I've put it in a box upstairs and will probably forget about it totally. The characters and plot were unmemorable, nobody really seemed motivated to do anything, but did it anyway (Which is roughly how I felt when I finished the book).

Overall, this averages out as one of the most boring trilogies I have read.

THIS BOOK MADE ME CRY AND I NEVER CRY!!! WELL DONE PULLMAN! *****
THIS BOOK MADE ME CRY!!!!!! WELL DONE PULLMAN This book is so detailed and so BRILLIANTLY written. This was the first book that made me cry!!!If you haven't read the first one then click here Northern Lights (Golden Compass) (His Dark Materials) and here's the second one-The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials): His Dark Materials 2.To buy the film then click hereThe Golden Compass [DVD] [2007] If you haven't read this book or your halfway through it-LOOK AWAY NOW!!! The journey they went on together-to the world of the dead and to the green world. They went through so much together and the fact that they would never see each other again until they die and that they'll fall in love with somebody else made me cry SO much. They'll also have to wait extra long to see each other because they've got extended lives. Phillip Pullman is a brilliant writer. If he had written the last few chapters any differently, I wouldn't of felt so emotional.WELL DONE!!

THIS BOOK MADE ME CRY AND I NEVER CRY!!! WELL DONE PULLMAN! *****

THIS BOOK MADE ME CRY!!!!!! WELL DONE PULLMAN This book is so detailed and so BRILLIANTLY written. This was the first book that made me cry!!!If you haven't read the first one then click here Northern Lights (Golden Compass) (His Dark Materials) and here's the second one-The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials): His Dark Materials 2.To buy the film then click hereThe Golden Compass [DVD] [2007]

If you haven't read this book or your halfway through it-LOOK AWAY NOW!!!

The journey they went on together-to the world of the dead and to the green world. They went through so much together and the fact that they would never see each other again until they die and that they'll fall in love with somebody else made me cry SO much. They'll also have to wait extra long to see each other because they've got extended lives.

Phillip Pullman is a brilliant writer. If he had written the last few chapters any differently, I wouldn't of felt so emotional.WELL DONE!!

A Novel of Ambition *****
After being amazed by Northern Lights but underwhelmed by the The Subtle Knife, I wasn't sure what to expect. It is, in fact, a novel of extraordinary ambition, following the desperate paths of 5 key figures from Northern Lights and The Subtle Knife and introducing several more. The action moves between several worlds, as each of the protagonists seeks to achieve their aims. Although published as a children's novel, the themes covered are far from childish - the use (and abuse) of free will, personal sacrifice, the redeeming power of love and how we treat the world around us are but four. Nor is Pullman afraid to confront death head on with several characters (over the course of the trilogy) meeting their ends with what happens after death a key theme in The Amber Spyglass. The ambition of the novel - and indeed all three books - is largely achieved. That said, I did feel that some of the dialogue in the third book was a bit clunky where some of the more complex concepts were being explained. My biggest concern with the book was the unashamedly anti-catholic stance taken. This is not because I wish to defend Catholicism or organised religion - I just feel the metaphor should have been allowed to stand on its own terms. Minor niggles aside, however, this was a satisfying read which left enough to merit a future reading - from which I'm sure I shall glean more. I will be thoroughly recommending the trilogy to all who ask and many that don't.

A Novel of Ambition *****

After being amazed by Northern Lights but underwhelmed by the The Subtle Knife, I wasn't sure what to expect. It is, in fact, a novel of extraordinary ambition, following the desperate paths of 5 key figures from Northern Lights and The Subtle Knife and introducing several more. The action moves between several worlds, as each of the protagonists seeks to achieve their aims.

Although published as a children's novel, the themes covered are far from childish - the use (and abuse) of free will, personal sacrifice, the redeeming power of love and how we treat the world around us are but four. Nor is Pullman afraid to confront death head on with several characters (over the course of the trilogy) meeting their ends with what happens after death a key theme in The Amber Spyglass.

The ambition of the novel - and indeed all three books - is largely achieved. That said, I did feel that some of the dialogue in the third book was a bit clunky where some of the more complex concepts were being explained. My biggest concern with the book was the unashamedly anti-catholic stance taken. This is not because I wish to defend Catholicism or organised religion - I just feel the metaphor should have been allowed to stand on its own terms.

Minor niggles aside, however, this was a satisfying read which left enough to merit a future reading - from which I'm sure I shall glean more. I will be thoroughly recommending the trilogy to all who ask and many that don't.

Too much preaching *
My word. Philip Pullman wanted to get a lot off his chest here. His strongest character Lyra, hero of the original book, spends most of this one unconscious. There's a lot about a very strange race of creatures with a connection to wheels (you'll realize if you read it) that have zero relevance to the story - they're completely excised from the stage play and rightly so - and we're left with very little empathy for any of the characters. It's a sad end to a trilogy that began brightly. And, by the end, it's become a theology book rather than an adventure story that children might read.

Too much preaching *

My word. Philip Pullman wanted to get a lot off his chest here.

His strongest character Lyra, hero of the original book, spends most of this one unconscious. There's a lot about a very strange race of creatures with a connection to wheels (you'll realize if you read it) that have zero relevance to the story - they're completely excised from the stage play and rightly so - and we're left with very little empathy for any of the characters. It's a sad end to a trilogy that began brightly. And, by the end, it's become a theology book rather than an adventure story that children might read.

Profound beyond words. *****
The ending makes this book. Sure, the rest of it is amazing - but I don't think I've ever been as moved by the conclusion to any book as I was with this one. I won't spoil it for people who haven't read it, but it's most unexpected how Pullman decided to end. "And they lived happy ever after...". Hmmm.

Profound beyond words. *****

The ending makes this book. Sure, the rest of it is amazing - but I don't think I've ever been as moved by the conclusion to any book as I was with this one.

I won't spoil it for people who haven't read it, but it's most unexpected how Pullman decided to end.

"And they lived happy ever after...".

Hmmm.

Rather boring end. *
People aren't going to like me for not liking this series, but though I normally really love big thick books, this trilogy has more problems than I can list here, the main one being how boring it is, first one is 0k, second one takes forever and a lot of the plot points don't make a great deal of sense when you think about it, why is she explicitly attracted to murderers, for example (that's a little creepy to be honest). In this book her original friend, who she travelled half way round the world for, is discarded with hardly a thought for her new, and more-or-less identical, companion (I noticed that an awful lot of the characters feel copy-pasted, most of the white bears are paper-thin and all the antagonists seem to run on bile with no convincing motive or personality). The final battle, as well as all the action, feels distant and rather mellow-dramatic, as did everything in the second book. The trilogy doesn't seem to end as much as peter out, I left this series feeling unsatisfied and slightly puzzled, to be honest I've put it in a box upstairs and will probably forget about it totally. The characters and plot were unmemorable, nobody really seemed motivated to do anything, but did it anyway (Which is roughly how I felt when I finished the book). First book is 0k action-wise, but highly prejudiced and ever-ready to caricature, the second and third are the same, but overlong, very slow, and very boring with little in the way of good action, to the point that I barely finished them, I'm not sure what the hype is about really, controversy couldn't make Dan Brown a good author, but he's still better than Pullman, who seems to hate rather a lot of people in a way I can only describe as xenophobic.

Rather boring end. *

People aren't going to like me for not liking this series, but though I normally really love big thick books, this trilogy has more problems than I can list here, the main one being how boring it is, first one is 0k, second one takes forever and a lot of the plot points don't make a great deal of sense when you think about it, why is she explicitly attracted to murderers, for example (that's a little creepy to be honest).

In this book her original friend, who she travelled half way round the world for, is discarded with hardly a thought for her new, and more-or-less identical, companion (I noticed that an awful lot of the characters feel copy-pasted, most of the white bears are paper-thin and all the antagonists seem to run on bile with no convincing motive or personality).

The final battle, as well as all the action, feels distant and rather mellow-dramatic, as did everything in the second book. The trilogy doesn't seem to end as much as peter out, I left this series feeling unsatisfied and slightly puzzled, to be honest I've put it in a box upstairs and will probably forget about it totally. The characters and plot were unmemorable, nobody really seemed motivated to do anything, but did it anyway (Which is roughly how I felt when I finished the book).

First book is 0k action-wise, but highly prejudiced and ever-ready to caricature, the second and third are the same, but overlong, very slow, and very boring with little in the way of good action, to the point that I barely finished them, I'm not sure what the hype is about really, controversy couldn't make Dan Brown a good author, but he's still better than Pullman, who seems to hate rather a lot of people in a way I can only describe as xenophobic.

Brilliant and disappointing ****
This book, the last of the "His Dark Materials" trilogy, was disappointing in that it didn't, to me, show the big picture clearly. However, the smaller stuff - Mary's back story, Will meeting Iorek - was excellent and just having finished the book, I can say that I will remember the characters for a long time.

Brilliant and disappointing ****

This book, the last of the "His Dark Materials" trilogy, was disappointing in that it didn't, to me, show the big picture clearly. However, the smaller stuff - Mary's back story, Will meeting Iorek - was excellent and just having finished the book, I can say that I will remember the characters for a long time.

The Temptation of Lyra SPOILER ***
I thought I agreed with everyone that this last book in the series was a complete disappointment. BUT....hear me out, I'm sure I'm not the only one that put down the book in order to really think for a moment(or threw it, as seems to be the case in many reviews since it seems to abrubtly stop without a hint of resolution). Perhaps the last book is so subtle compared to the first two and Pullman actually has a point that isn't spelled out and repeated over and over as many of his ideas in the writing are (the diamond shaped bodice of the mulefa....seriously, did any of you NOT miss that point? ). So, here is what I have deciphered as a coherent meaning to the end of The Amber Spyglass: Mary Malone's role with the Mulefa IS important because it helps her to regain that feeling that she once had as a child falling in love (through her experimentation and understanding of Dust). She is led to the opening for the dead and is reminded to "tell them stories" which leads her to share this notion with Lyra. Lyra in turn has a "door open inside of her that she never knew existed" which causes her to acknowledge her love for will. That moment becomes the pebble that changes the course of the river (or whatever metaphor you prefer) and Dust, as a concious substance, uses that moment in time as a foothold to save itself. Shaky, yea...but it works. As for the whole "fall" comparison....Just as Adam and Eve are cast out of Eden at the realization of themselves to a life committed to finding a way back into Heaven, Will and Lyra are unable to stay in their "Eden" (being together) after their realization of love and are cast back into their worlds to a life committed to building the Republic of Heaven. Now, I must say that this is by far a disappointment when compared to the other two books, but only in the sense that where Pullman has been anything but vague or subtle anywhere in the first two books; all of a sudden when you are expecting this amazing battle and armageddon, the death of the creator, resolution, etc. There's silence. Instead, he gives us a moment. One moment that this entire trilogy builds to. Over and over we are reminded that the different worlds exist because at one time when something happened in one, chances caused something different to happen in another and by that moment, caused another world to come into existence. The moment where Will and Lyra fall in love seems like a complete disappointment when in fact it is the only act that changes the course of everything. Anticlimatic, you bet. Annoying, to me at least. Pullman, however, does manage to end things and not leave you hanging you just have to read a little deeper than you had been. So, I still think the book was a complete disappointment, but only because I desperately wanted a different ending. I wanted more of the characters I had grown to love, I wanted an amazing battle, resolution between Lyra and her parents, Will and his mother, etc. The book itself could never stand alone, yet you need to read it to come to your own terms about the trilogy.

The Temptation of Lyra *SPOILER* ***

I thought I agreed with everyone that this last book in the series was a complete disappointment. BUT....hear me out, I'm sure I'm not the only one that put down the book in order to really think for a moment(or threw it, as seems to be the case in many reviews since it seems to abrubtly stop without a hint of resolution). Perhaps the last book is so subtle compared to the first two and Pullman actually has a point that isn't spelled out and repeated over and over as many of his ideas in the writing are (the diamond shaped bodice of the mulefa....seriously, did any of you NOT miss that point? ). So, here is what I have deciphered as a coherent meaning to the end of The Amber Spyglass:

Mary Malone's role with the Mulefa IS important because it helps her to regain that feeling that she once had as a child falling in love (through her experimentation and understanding of Dust). She is led to the opening for the dead and is reminded to "tell them stories" which leads her to share this notion with Lyra. Lyra in turn has a "door open inside of her that she never knew existed" which causes her to acknowledge her love for will. That moment becomes the pebble that changes the course of the river (or whatever metaphor you prefer) and Dust, as a concious substance, uses that moment in time as a foothold to save itself. Shaky, yea...but it works. As for the whole "fall" comparison....Just as Adam and Eve are cast out of Eden at the realization of themselves to a life committed to finding a way back into Heaven, Will and Lyra are unable to stay in their "Eden" (being together) after their realization of love and are cast back into their worlds to a life committed to building the Republic of Heaven.

Now, I must say that this is by far a disappointment when compared to the other two books, but only in the sense that where Pullman has been anything but vague or subtle anywhere in the first two books; all of a sudden when you are expecting this amazing battle and armageddon, the death of the creator, resolution, etc. There's silence. Instead, he gives us a moment. One moment that this entire trilogy builds to. Over and over we are reminded that the different worlds exist because at one time when something happened in one, chances caused something different to happen in another and by that moment, caused another world to come into existence. The moment where Will and Lyra fall in love seems like a complete disappointment when in fact it is the only act that changes the course of everything. Anticlimatic, you bet. Annoying, to me at least. Pullman, however, does manage to end things and not leave you hanging you just have to read a little deeper than you had been.
So, I still think the book was a complete disappointment, but only because I desperately wanted a different ending. I wanted more of the characters I had grown to love, I wanted an amazing battle, resolution between Lyra and her parents, Will and his mother, etc. The book itself could never stand alone, yet you need to read it to come to your own terms about the trilogy.

A huge disappointment *
I loved the Golden Compass and the Subtle Knife but this book disappointed me terribly. I was outraged. To much ranting about Dust, 'we have to seal all the holes' 'oh but then we cant see each other any more' really, who cares!? Lyra and Will falling in love was terrible, ruined the plot with nonsense

A huge disappointment *

I loved the Golden Compass and the Subtle Knife but this book disappointed me terribly. I was outraged. To much ranting about Dust, 'we have to seal all the holes' 'oh but then we cant see each other any more'
really, who cares!? Lyra and Will falling in love was terrible, ruined the plot with nonsense

The real value of this book is not to be found as a standalone, but rather as the conclusion of an outstanding triology... ***
"The amber spyglass" is the third and last book in Phillip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" triology. It is good, but not nearly as engaging as the previous two books in the series, "Northern lights" (or "The golden compass", the name given to that book in USA) and "The subtle knife". I must say that I didn't love "The amber spyglass", but I'm glad I read it. The books in "His Dark Materials" are the kind of books that make you happy someone taught you how to read. They are full of magic, interesting characters and weird events. In a nutshell, they make you dream, and awake your imagination, whether you are extremely young or already an adult. From my point of view, that is extremely important, and that is the reason why I recommend "The amber spyglass" to you, even though I only give it 3 stars. Truth to be told, the real value of this book is not to be found as a standalone, but rather as the conclusion of an outstanding triology that is already a classic. Recommended! Belen Alcat

The real value of this book is not to be found as a standalone, but rather as the conclusion of an outstanding triology... ***

"The amber spyglass" is the third and last book in Phillip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" triology. It is good, but not nearly as engaging as the previous two books in the series, "Northern lights" (or "The golden compass", the name given to that book in USA) and "The subtle knife". I must say that I didn't love "The amber spyglass", but I'm glad I read it.

The books in "His Dark Materials" are the kind of books that make you happy someone taught you how to read. They are full of magic, interesting characters and weird events. In a nutshell, they make you dream, and awake your imagination, whether you are extremely young or already an adult.

From my point of view, that is extremely important, and that is the reason why I recommend "The amber spyglass" to you, even though I only give it 3 stars. Truth to be told, the real value of this book is not to be found as a standalone, but rather as the conclusion of an outstanding triology that is already a classic. Recommended!

Belen Alcat

Enjoyable. ****
This is the third and last book in the His Dark Materials trilogy (after Northern Lights, or The Golden Compass in the US, and The Subtle Knife). This volume starts just where the previous left off: after the conflagration on the hills near Cittàgazze, Lyra is nowhere to be found. Looking for her, Will meets two Angels, Balthamos and Baruch, who urge him to bring the Subtle Knife to Lord Asriel. He promises to help them, as soon as he's recued Lyra. Lyra is actually in another world, where Mrs. Coulter is keeping her asleep with drugs, and telling the local population that she's a holy woman and that she's trying to heal Lyra, so as to be left alone and unquestioned. Soon though, with the help of a little village girl named Ama and of two tiny spies in the service of Lord Asriel, Gallivespians known as the Chevalier Tialys and the Lady Salmakia, Will finds her again and saves her. But now the most dangerous part of the journey begins, because both children want to go to the Land of the Dead, to make amends and try to rescue Roger and Will's father. As for Dr. Mary Malone, who crossed into Cittàgazze and then in yet another world, she meets a strange people called the Mulefa. Living with them for some time, she finally learns their language, make friends and discover they also know about sraf, the Shadow particles she was studying in her laboratory, or what Lyra calls Dust. She'll build a spyglass to see sraf and understansd its purpose. Meanwhile, Father Gomez, an emissary of the Church, is on a Holy mission to kill Lyra, to prevent her from committing the original sin again. I still don't know what to think of these books. The story is sometimes very moving, with some heart-wrenching passages, but the rest is sometimes dull and not very believable. I didn't think this final book tied up all loose ends either. It was enjoyable, but I wouldn't call hid Dark Materials my favourite series.

Enjoyable. ****

This is the third and last book in the His Dark Materials trilogy (after Northern Lights, or The Golden Compass in the US, and The Subtle Knife).

This volume starts just where the previous left off: after the conflagration on the hills near Cittàgazze, Lyra is nowhere to be found. Looking for her, Will meets two Angels, Balthamos and Baruch, who urge him to bring the Subtle Knife to Lord Asriel. He promises to help them, as soon as he's recued Lyra.

Lyra is actually in another world, where Mrs. Coulter is keeping her asleep with drugs, and telling the local population that she's a holy woman and that she's trying to heal Lyra, so as to be left alone and unquestioned. Soon though, with the help of a little village girl named Ama and of two tiny spies in the service of Lord Asriel, Gallivespians known as the Chevalier Tialys and the Lady Salmakia, Will finds her again and saves her.

But now the most dangerous part of the journey begins, because both children want to go to the Land of the Dead, to make amends and try to rescue Roger and Will's father.

As for Dr. Mary Malone, who crossed into Cittàgazze and then in yet another world, she meets a strange people called the Mulefa. Living with them for some time, she finally learns their language, make friends and discover they also know about sraf, the Shadow particles she was studying in her laboratory, or what Lyra calls Dust. She'll build a spyglass to see sraf and understansd its purpose.

Meanwhile, Father Gomez, an emissary of the Church, is on a Holy mission to kill Lyra, to prevent her from committing the original sin again.

I still don't know what to think of these books. The story is sometimes very moving, with some heart-wrenching passages, but the rest is sometimes dull and not very believable. I didn't think this final book tied up all loose ends either. It was enjoyable, but I wouldn't call hid Dark Materials my favourite series.