r/hisdarkmaterials

I’ve seen this book recommended to Phillip Pullman fans and after reading it I totally agree with the comparison

Babel is set in an alternate Earth with silver bars that provide magic and they are powered by translation.

HDM is set in an alternate Earth too.

It is also set at Oxford and features themes of rebelling against British colonialism that Oxford is complicit in.

It reminds me of HDM’s anti religious themes.

Babel is also set in a post industrial England.

Like is Northern Lights a rebuttal of The Lion Witch and the Wardrobe, Subtle Knife of Prince Caspian, and Amber Spyglass of Dawn Treader? Also, is the Book of Dust a rebuttal of The Magicians Nephew, A Horse and His Boy and The Silver Chair?

I ordered all six books and I am curious to know, as it would be interesting to read through after my Narnia re-read is done

*TSC and LBS spoilers ahead*

I just finished TSC and I was instantly revolted by the blossoming romance between Malcolm and Lyra. I have no objection to the age difference; I am disturbed by Malcolm's transformation from caretaker to lover. I read LBS right after I had a baby and was super invested in the save baby Lyra plotline, even if the book itself was meandering and questy. I love the way Pullman writes children with such complexity and agency. But this new relationship felt like a violation. Malcolm stayed at Oxford and taught Lyra as a child. When did he start developing feelings for her? Is the awkwardness that Lyra remembers as his student because she can tell he's attracted to her as a child?

The fact that Pullman was an Oxford scholar himself adds a layer of lechery to this. It feels like Malcolm is a proxy for him - cultivating this little girl into a woman until it is socially acceptable to make a sexual object of her. Am I the only one reading it this way? Is their relationship resolved in any sort of satisfying way - considering my take above - in TRF?

I want to read it. I'm still very interested in the thematic explorations of the soul and afterlife, in the criticism of organized religion, and of the ways early adulthood challenges your sense of self. I want to see Lyra come into her own again, but after reading TSC I find myself resentful of the fact that the only way I can access her is through a writer who has positioned himself as somewhat of a dirty uncle and a voyeur.

For those who have read TRF, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I've been waiting for the paperback edition of The Rose Field, and it's finally released in a couple of weeks time.

It's been a while since I read Le Belle Sauvage and The Secret Commonwealth, so was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of something that will get me back up to speed with all the details I've forgotten before I start the new book. A YouTube video or podcast would be ideal, but a week written concise yet comprehensive article would also be handy. I could always just read the Wikipedia plot synopsis, but thought there might be something a bit more interesting available.

TW
Ive been listening to TSC audio book at work, and i already know about the horrible train scene. I started this book with the intentions of skipping it after the jump scare of poor alice in LBS. (I had no idea, it was very uncomfortable to process that in the middle of my shift) I was hoping someone could tell me the chapter, or even the time stamps if possible, so I know when to skip. I already know enough of what happens, i’ve read most of the cliff notes on this book while deciding if it was worth listening to.

Has there been anything about Pullman's reaction to the negative reviews/feedback on The Rose Field? I'd be interested to know whether he gives a shit that so much of his dedicated fan base hated it and is quite angry at him about a lot of it.

I will literally never get around to reading it if I don't have some positive motivation so please, those who liked tell us why!

I've certainly no issue with gender swaps on principle, but Miss Coulter's whole backstory is predicated on the bitterness that comes with her being unable to be recagnised for her work in the society she lives in.

Dr. Cooper, as a woman of about the same age, not only working alongside but UNDER Marisa, being not only a scholar but holding a full-blown Doctorate, sorta undermines that, no? As far as I can tell it's a straight up plot-hole- cause I don't ksow vhan you're talking about discrimination Marisa, youl underling is one of the highest-qualified scholars on the show!

It also makes Lyra's suprise at meetinh Mary strange, as she's already (recently!) met Cooper at that point.

Aside from keeping them male, perhaps ttey should have changed Dr. Cooper's title- 'Supervisor Cooper' or whatnot. Could even have been character building- maybe she too was an unrecognised scholar, and in a rare act of sympathy Miss Coulter took Coopor under her wing as a kundred spirit? Would explain why anyone would choose to wonk at Bolvangr!

• The Golden Compass: Alright guys, the plan is super simple: we go to the North Pole, rescue my best friend, steal an armored bear and dip. Quick 20-minute adventure, nothing can go wrong lol.
• The Subtle Knife: Quick update: my best friend died, but I already got a new one. Also we found a knife that cuts through the fabric of the multiverse, but whatever, nothing out of this world lol.
• The Amber Spyglass: Alright fam, new objective: we’re gonna kill God. (Readers: WTF?) Okay, just hear me out— (Readers: WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!) ...Guys, chill for a sec and let me explain.

Okay, this is totally pointless but I find it really fun so I wanted to share. I adored the HDM series in high school, and I realized something lately. I have two daughters. One has cancer so she has no hair right now, but the other has very curly, dark blondish hair like the main of a lion, blue eyes and… yep, she’s Lyra. Looks exactly like her, especially the Subtle Knife cover illustration of her with Will and Pan as a cheetah. I’ve even taken some photos of her in a fur lined coat and it’s uncanny. There aren’t even that many kids that look like that, how she’s described in the book.

The thing is, she looks exactly like my husband. I think I met him and recognized a male version of the face I had seen on the covers i read like 1000 times and was subconsciously like- i know you!

Just finished TRF and was as disappointed as everyone else here seems to be. I love HDM and LBS though (TSC was alright) and I'm wondering if it's worth reading any of Pullman's other books. Opinions?

Am I the only one who thought that the alkahest would turn out to be the subtle knife when it was first referred to as the “universal solvent/destroyer of bonds”?