New Book Challenge 2008 - 1/52 - Review - The Amber Spyglass
Okay - as detailed here. I'm going to attempt to read at least 52 new books this year (52 books is easy, but I'm a terror for re-reading things...). To make me think about what I'm reading, I'm going to post my thoughts - probably not a proper review. But I'll call these entries that.
The third book in Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy focuses on Lyra and Will as they attempt to find Roger and John Parry in the Land of the Dead, among other things. Although there's been a lot of criticism about the anti-religious stance of this book, and the other two in the trilogy. Northern Lights and The Subtle Knife, I personally feel that the message of the book is less about defying religious authority, and more about the redeeming power of Love. It is Marisa's Love for Lyra (and possibly to a lesser extent, Asriel), that gives her the courage to defy the Magisterium, and join with Asriel in the destruction of Metatron. And it is the blossoming Love of Lyra and Will that stops the drift of the dust, and in the end, they have to sacrifice that Love so that the many Universes will stabilise. I'm not sure I can look on a book which has a message of Love and Sacrifice as something anti-religious...
The next review will be for either EBD's Jean of Storms, or MZB's Black Trillium, whichever I finish first...
The third book in Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy focuses on Lyra and Will as they attempt to find Roger and John Parry in the Land of the Dead, among other things. Although there's been a lot of criticism about the anti-religious stance of this book, and the other two in the trilogy. Northern Lights and The Subtle Knife, I personally feel that the message of the book is less about defying religious authority, and more about the redeeming power of Love. It is Marisa's Love for Lyra (and possibly to a lesser extent, Asriel), that gives her the courage to defy the Magisterium, and join with Asriel in the destruction of Metatron. And it is the blossoming Love of Lyra and Will that stops the drift of the dust, and in the end, they have to sacrifice that Love so that the many Universes will stabilise. I'm not sure I can look on a book which has a message of Love and Sacrifice as something anti-religious...
The next review will be for either EBD's Jean of Storms, or MZB's Black Trillium, whichever I finish first...