More quintessence of Dust
I've finished reading volume II of His Dark Materials, and my mind is generally blown.
Somewhere around 10-15 pages from the end of this book I cursed out Phillip Pullman, in the sense that he is a brilliant genius who is heartlessly cruel to his characters in the best possible way.
I love the writing, and would get distracted sometimes because I'd have to stop and re-read this or that paragraph or sentence, like the words were candy to be rolled around in my brain. There's something cruel about his prose as well as his plotting. His prose is heartaching yet sharp as the knife Will has to carry. This is a harsh fictional world, the kind of place where suffering is necessary for a greater good and characters aren't really allowed to be content. They're allowed to be happy, in a sort of dizzying heights sort of way. But ordinary contentment doesn't happen. Sometimes there's hints of it. Will and Lyra cooking omelettes maybe, but that's near the beginning and it's all downhill from there.
Lyra hasn't yet gotten what she needs and wants from her parents. Will gets what he needs from his father ultimately but not in the way he needed it. That scene near the end just ripped my heart out, and the abruptness of how that ends is just a kick in the stomach. Yet it didn't leave me feeling empty or like Will didn't get what he was looking for. Pullman writes Will's fight with his father in a way that it seems like his father is finally holding Will, and after the fight he gives Will the approval Will was craving. If you've read these already, then you'll know why right after that scene I was literally shaking the book going OMGWTF! (and if you haven't read these books yet, why are you reading these comments anyway? Seriously, you do not want these books spoiled for you. Shoo!)
It was interesting how right after that, Lyra's missing and Will seems totally floored and devastated by it. Almost like getting the encounter with his father has allowed him to shift focus, now his concern is for Lyra (that's a little bit Freudian there, I know). Which actually brings Will back to the role of protector he had with his mother, in a way.
The "Paradise Lost" parallels are coming through more clearly now. Also much as I liked Lee Scorsby in the first book I felt like his character didn't come through as strongly as it did in this one. Just when I was really starting to like him, again OMGWTF! The effect will bleed backwards and when I reread book one again, I think I'll be more attuned to his character. This really feels like one long single novel rather than 3. In fact I wonder if it really is, and the publisher just made him cut it into 3 at certain points, anyone know? None of those cuts are really good places to end a novel, they're just raw ends like Will's lost fingers and we either need balm or the next volume.
Just reread over my own comments on The Golden Compass. Following up on the theme of Lyra being half asleep, in this one Lyra seems to be awake and aware. It's Will who is frequently having nightmares or is half-asleep. Ironically towards the end he can't sleep or be still, even though he's beyond exhaustion. But my impression is this book has less of the sleepy to it.
On the subject of Lyra's role as an actress and lying, I thought it was fascinating when she thinks how much harder it is to tell lies in Will's (i.e. pretty much the "real") world. More on the morality question was her promise to Will to stop using the Alethiometer just for her own curiosity and start using it to a purpose. In Book I Lyra got very used to just trying to survive with Pantalaimon. It's not that she had no help or guidance other than her demon or the Alethiometer, but she was mostly alone in her journey and had to consult the Alethiometer as a matter of staying alive. In Book II, now she has a sort of spear-bearer in Will and becomes aware that it isn't just herself (and her soul) vs. the world alone, there's Will as well, and she needs to use the tool in a more focused way and not overuse it.
One of the most amazing moments in the series so far, is when Will is crying and Pantalaimon turns into a dog and licks his hand to comfort him and Lyra is shocked and astounded, as is the reader, because Pullman succesfully set up that taboo. I loved that Lyra and Pantalaimon know how important this is but Will is oblivious. Will is oblivious about a lot of things. It's not that he's dumb, but he seems to be the hand and Lyra the brains.
I'd have to go back and check but it seems to me in Book I was there were people forcibly touching someone else's demon and it was horrifying, and there were demons touching other demons, and it was either sensual or just friendly, or their battling each other. Book II has more of the demons touching demons sexual subtext (always with Mrs. Coulter, isn't it? Sex is her weapon?). But now for the first time we have a demon touching another person for comfort and it's not horrifying, it's kindness, except it's horrifying just in the shock of violating the taboo.
I had other stuff to read but now I guess I'll plunge onward to The Amber Spyglass while I'm in that headspace. If you haven't read these books yet, I recommend them highly.