Hi everyone, I’m back!

I’m taking a break from reviewing Eragon for a while so I can start a fresh spork. This time, it’s going to be a lot more contraversial, since I understand that the book in question (The Amber Spyglass, by Philip Pullman) is quite popular with this community. If you have any objection to my criticisms of it, don’t be afraid to raise them.

Comment

  1. Marquis De Carabas on 27 July 2010, 21:57 said:

    Oh, yes…

    This was my least favorite of the His Dark Material trilogy. The fantasy became nonsensical. The messages were so blindingly blatant. And I just thought the ending was so badly mishandled.

  2. Durandalski on 27 July 2010, 23:16 said:

    I must come out of obscurity to say, that you are an absolute genius at these reviews. Your observations and comedic timing are excellent. Keep em rolling. :)

  3. Artimaeus on 27 July 2010, 23:40 said:

    Hey, a book I like. This should spark some interesting discussion.

  4. Puppet on 27 July 2010, 23:51 said:

    I haven’t watched the video yet, but I’ll agree with Marquis. The Amber Spyglass was by far my least favorite book in the series. I think with each following book it just got worse and worse.

  5. lookingforme on 28 July 2010, 04:39 said:

    I’m sorry if I offend anyone, but I never understood why these books were so popular—the first two were tolerable, if a little slow for my tastes, but the third one…I sped through it as fast as possible. The only reason I even finished it was because I’d promised a friend I would read it. It was even slower than the others, the characters were even more one-dimensional, and God…don’t even get me started on that!

    Anyways, nice work, and I hope to see more!

  6. SMARTALIENQT on 28 July 2010, 11:51 said:

    Honestly, I didn’t like His Dark Materials. I knew Lyra was supposed to be a strong woman or whatever, but she just came off as bratty to me. Don’t ask me why, she just gave off a vibe or something. And I liked Will, but I like almost all the male love interests in books, so that isn’t much of a yardstick. And the anti-Church thing was almost as bad as the environmentalist message in The Final Warning. Yes, some anvils need to be dropped, but not so heavily as to cause serious concussion.

  7. falconempress on 28 July 2010, 15:19 said:

    Huh. Interesting. I tried reading His Dark Materials but I guess I was a bit out of the intended demographic by the time I found my way to the books. While there are authors who can write books for younger audiences the older crowd can enjoy as well, I have to say I was not that thrilled, but I found Golden Compass to be an okay read. Subtle Knife was not so subtle is the message it was trying to get across, which I just could not get over since there are very few things I hate more than being lectured, especially in fantasy books, and never read the Amber Spyglass. It is interesting to see that it takes the turn for the worst, at least, if your review is anything to judge by.

  8. Snow White Queen on 28 July 2010, 16:38 said:

    I really liked The Golden Compass, but I didn’t like the subsequent books as much. However, I’m glad I did read the series. For whatever other flaws it might have had (The ending was a wallbanger for me), the world it created was very interesting.

  9. Nate Winchester on 28 July 2010, 16:40 said:

    I lost any desire to read the books when John Wright pointed out that the narrative fails by betraying its own premise.
    http://www.scifiwright.com/2007/11/phillip-pullman-on-the-other-hand-is-no-hero-of-mine/
    http://www.scifiwright.com/2007/12/golden-compass-points-in-no-direction/

  10. Zephronias on 28 July 2010, 17:41 said:

    Hehehe, is it bad that I giggled when you said “I shit you not”?

    Ecxellent scathing review. Interesting, accurate, and quite funny.

    “You broke my heart!” Snicker

  11. Chant on 28 July 2010, 18:56 said:

    “Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s my respect for Philip Pullman flying out the fucking window!”

    XD I love it! I actually remember enjoying the trilogy when I read it, but that was back in 6th grade… guess I should add it to my re-reading list. I love the points you bring up, though…. and I’m so glad I’m not the only one who thinks putting quotes from the bible/classic literary works at the beginning of a novel is unbearably pretentious.

  12. The Drunk Fox on 28 July 2010, 19:32 said:

    Having never read the series, I can’t really say much either way, except for one thing:

    AND THUS, PURPLE PROSE CAT MAKES ITS TRIUMPHANT RETURN! [dramatic pose!]

  13. Ashley on 29 July 2010, 13:43 said:

    You know, when I first tried reading this series (in…5th(?) grade), I got as far as halfway through the Subtle Knife before deciding that the books were far too symbolic and philosophical for me to understand them properly. Fast forward to 11th grade, when I tried again. I finished the series, but reading the third book reminded me of that all-too-familiar 5th grade sensation, though I currently believe that everything not turning out the way it was “supposed to”, prophecies and all, was some deeper meaning about how nothing really mattered.

    Or something like that.

    …Maybe.

  14. Steph (what is left) on 15 August 2010, 12:28 said:

    Uhm… nut jobs? Komedic, I like your series, and your River Song spoiler alert but… please. I can’t answer for the right-wingers, but there are Christians who frequent this site. Could you be a little more sensitive?

  15. Komedic on 27 August 2010, 13:30 said:

    I wasn’t calling Christians or conservatives “nutjobs,” I was actually defending them by highlighting the hypocricy of supposedly “tolerant” liberals treating that people who don’t share their religious, social, or political views as morally and intellectually inferior.

    Sorry if I offended anyone.