His Dark Materials Trilogy

[CraftyCath]

I have just got all 3 books from the library and will start reading them when I have finished the hunger games. I can't wait to start them.

I understand from some research Anthony that the daemon is an extension of the individuals soul; the part that lives on after death.

On thing I did read is that in North America the third book, 'The Amber Spyglass,' has some censored pages which describe Lyra's 'incipient sexuality.'

From what I can tell without reading it she is a young girl becoming a young women so she will test and question.

I don't know how much is censored but I would recommend that folk in the US check their copy before buying the third book or buy it from a non-US site if they want the full version.

 

[amethist]

I have not managed to get hold of these books yet. Crisis last week put everything on hold.

I am going to look for them on thursday, or get them through play.com

 

[CraftyCath]

I order mine from the library Amethist, no cost and you can renew them often.

I think my library is wondering why I'm reading so much teen fiction!

I didn't order 50 shades from the library though - too embarrassed! :chicken:

 

[amethist]

I would but we have a mobile library at the moment, and it is not reliable to be here on the days and times it should be.

 

[CraftyCath]

That's a real shame Amethist. I don't know what I'd do without our local library.

 

[amethist]

Just found the full set second hand on e-bay cheap, so will order them tomorrow.

 

[anthony]

Just about to start part 3, Svalbar... but I figured I should write about up until now.

OMG, talk about exciting. Lyra made it North, ended up captured by rebels and sold to the very place was looking to go in the first place. Nearly got the chop between her and Pantalaimon, though was saved by the very person she didn't really want to be near, Mrs Coulter, her mother. I was a little shocked that she didn't tell her she knew she was her mother, though I also got the point, I guess, that she had to trick and deceive if she wanted out.

Looking forward to understanding more of this, as Lyra just went to sleep and the witch is about to begin explaining things to her.

How cool are the witches? They've been like guardian angels the whole time, hovering about with the daemon talking with Lyra when possible, strategising the escape. I thought, smart girl. Brave girl. When Lyra escaped Mrs Coulter, turned on the gas and made fire and an explosion to help all the kids escape. Let alone then running blindly into the snow, freezing temperatures that a person would die in minutes if not warmed sufficiently.

WOW... I'm really enjoying reading fantasy. Who knew! :cautious: Another genre for me to throw the odd book between thrillers for something different. I like this book club stuff. Teaching me quite a lot about different genres that I would not have otherwise ventured.

Ok, ok... really excited and now I've got to read the last part. Should be back within an hour or two, done deal for book 1 of this series.

The escape is still captivating me... really impressive for a child to take on such responsibility and leadership, helping others who were struggling to continue forward in the snow, trusting herself that the rescue party was ahead.

 

[HëllaBubz]

This sounds pretty good, I just finished The Hunger Games 1-3, and The Chimera Vector, so I might go check the first book out, and see how I go.

Anthony, Me thinks you would like Raymond E Feist??

 

[anthony]

Ok, so that was actually pretty awesome. Both her mother and father are the bad guys, respectively, and it seems dust is maybe religious, something good to believe in, whether it exists or not. The mother and father want to destroy it, believing its bad, sinful phrased from the biblical text, yet the child views it as possibly a good thing. Something that exists, unseen or otherwise, though is spiritual and provides hope. I suspect the story portrays that a child can see things more easily, as they are not influenced as yet by adult teachings. Pantalaimon says, "we've heard them talk about Dust, and they're afraid of it, and you know what? We believed them, even though we could see that what they were doing was wicked and evil and wrong..."

That really summated, I guess, the perception that maybe adults were too clouded within issues to really see the fundamental truth, the simplicity, the purity!

Looking forward to book two now... a later in the week read.

 

[CraftyCath]

I dare not read what you have wrote Anthony, at least not until I catch up with you!

 

[anthony]

I'll wait for you Cath... start the second one when you do.

 

[CraftyCath]

LOL I haven't started the first one Anthony! Go right ahead I'll be along in a while. :D