I don't read so much fantasy or even sci fi as I used to, but I did enjoy this sweeping trilogy by Philip Pullman. It has a lot of elements you'd expect from such an epic tale-- intrepid young adventurers, witches, armored bears, portals to other worlds, powerful artifacts, and evil spirits-- but it also has a few unusual elements-- like particle physics, and Christianity, which turn out to be essentially related.
The writing is good, too. Pullman has a fine sense of pace, and his characters are interesting and dynamic. He resists the urge to bring in more people than the reader can keep track of, despite the trilogy's total of more than 1,000 pages. You will have to read all three, by the way, and I rate the package a solid "+".
There's no point in trying to summarize the plot. It is a complex story relying on the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, rolled together with some ideas from the Bible and some creative fantasy concepts. The heroine is easily likable-- Lyra is a scrappy 12-year-old brought up in the hallowed halls of Oxford, enjoying the run of the streets and buildings, with little love of stuffy learning. Almost without realizing it, she gets herself tangled in the greatest adventure of her life-- and one of the most significant inter-world events of history. She has an important destiny, but she can only fulfill it if she performs it in innocence. Will, her later companion, is her mirror image but also her soul mate. Together, two near-children can change the Universe.
Pullman's tale weaves together science and religion better than I've seen it done in most other attempts. (Don't worry, you don't have to know much about either one, or particularly like either one, to appreciate the books). He creates deep connections between loss of innocence, acquisition of wisdom, control of knowledge, and the practice of good deeds. The choices people make, as well as the natural path of sentient development, profoundly shape the Universe and its laws, which then feed back on human culture.
If that sounds heady, it is. And in the end, Pullman pulls it off-- all the while telling a gripping tale of two young people beating the odds in a dangerous world (or worlds, actually). I don't read books about dragons and sorcerers anymore because it's always the same story, but this tale is high fantasy that I found intriguing and in many ways fresh.
Not in all ways. I rolled my eyes a few times at the triteness. It's clear that the target demographic is younger than me. And the ending had it overly sappy moments.
But on balance, the His Dark Materials trilogy is excellent light reading when you're in the mood for something escapist. It works on many levels and I don't hesitate to recommend it even to those who are a little burned out on the genre. This series is worth it. Enjoy!
Copyright © Kim Allen 2001
