Click HERE to see this thread with all of the graphics, features, and links.

This Trilogy, by Phillip Pullman, is freakin amazing! If you've read them (or even if you haven't), chat to me here. Let me know your opinion on Northern Lights, how you felt about The Subtle Knife, and what you thoght of The Amber Spyglass, I want to know!

er sorry i never read them

I think the first one was the best, but as a whole, they're quite good.

I thought the first one was called "The Golden Compass?" (Maybe that's the U.S. version).

Yeah, The Golden Compass is the US name for Northern Lights. They're great books if you guys haven't read them... really unique sci-fi fantasy stuff, so if you're looking for something to read after LotR or HP, definitely check out His Dark Materials. It goes pretty deep at times into religion and morality, and the story is a lot darker than HP or most of LotR, but it's an amazing story.

There's a movie version coming out in 2005 (roughly), which New Line is taking on now that LotR is over. Tom Stoppard (Enigma, Empire of the Sun, Shakespeare in Love) is writing the screenplay, so it's expected to be pretty good. Sam Mendes was rumored to be a possible director candidate, but they haven't picked anybody yet.

A movie? That'll be awesome (hopefully)!

I thought the subtle knife was the best the northern lights then the amber spyglass. I didnt really like the amber spyglass. there was just something i didnt like aboot it, though i dont know what

The Amber Spyglass was wrapped up a little too neatly--I liked the innocence portrayed in the first two, but I guess what happened in the Amber Spyglass was inevitable. I didn't like Mary Malone's part too much.

I love His Dark Materials -- an excellent series. I liked The Golden Compass/Northern Lights the best of the three, myself...but all three are excellent books and I'd recommend them to anyone who likes Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings.

As for the movie, I'm all for it, so long as they stay true to the book

I dont want to see them make a film out of it.
Will spoil it :/

I dont know about you, but i prefer armoured bears and tiny little people on dragonflies kept in my imagination.

But i loved the books drool

Im on a downer, i finished them cry



The ending is amazing, not the 'they all lived happily ever' kind but its so sad weep

I read Northern Lights and I'm through the second one now
they are great, I love the way he writes

Northern Lights is a much more complete and well paced book - but for some reason I have a huge soft spot for the subtle knife. I expect it's because I was waiting for it to be published like I was going out of my MIND!

I'm not so sure about the movies - but the stage version they did here last Xmas was amazing.

Any book about the overthrow of God has to be good... I recommend that you get hold of a copy of The Book of Enoch.... the Catholic Church got rid of it from the Bible a few hundred years ago( despite God saying not to, but thats another story...) and it has vague and tantalising hints that the "ruler" in Heaven is not the creator, and that "God" did not win the war in Heaven..... it was abig influence on both Paradise Lost an His Dark Materials....

Probably the best series of books I've read, just blends everything you love about books into one setting.

omg i love these books! i dont have a favourite one but if i have to choose maybe the northen lights. (ive read it years ago first time and then i didnt even know that it had more parts. but then i learnt it and i reread the northern lights and then the other two.)

i love the whole story with mary malone and all.
the movie will be interesting....i hope they wont screw it up

Northern Lights was by far the best; The Amber Spyglass was by far the worst. The conclusion was lower than anticlimactic, serving us a revolting example of puppy love and a cat fight between Metatron and the gruesome twosome. The demise of the Authority is not even worth mentioning.

Question to the more scholarly members (if any): do you think it correct of Amazon to point out that though Pullman scorns religion, his idea that individuality is something to be overcome is reminiscent of that theme in Eastern religions?

yes i agree i think...
anywho... this series ruled. the best character was easily iorek the armored bear. damn he rocked. lol. i actually liked the idea of overthrowing god. *chuckle*. although it did annoy a few overzealous chistians that i know

I absolutly loved these books. Everything fitted together, made you think, was very philosophical in tons of ways. The battle scenes and scenes where Lyra is captured (eg By the ' Gobblers') are very captivating.

Theres another book being released, called ' The book of Dust' which will take on the fours years after the happenings of The Amber Spyglass. Charaters will include Lyra (obviously) Serafina a few others. Cant wait

I LOVED THOSE BOOKS

they are great

these books are the best its a same that after lyras oxford there are no more books but they are supposed to be making a movie out of the trilogy

we know

This is one of the best trilogys i've ever read i love all of the Philip Pullman books

they are great i need to read Lyras oxford

good books, ive read them all multiple times

lyra's oxford is good its just a same it costs so much for so little

when ever i need some thing to ready they are the first books i turn to those and darren shan

does any one have the extension on the scientific reasons behind the trilogy if you do is it any good

nope

So I bought new copies of all three books the other day, and I just finished rereading The Golden Compass (it's been a couple years since I've read them)...

...and I had forgotten just how much I love this trilogy. It's amazing.

Info about the movie
I really enjoyed these books, they were fantastic; Phillip Pullman write really well. I think my favourite was probably the Subtle Knife, but the Amber Spyglass dragged on a bit, it had some unnecessary detail.
I don't want them to make the movies, how are they going to do the mulefa (was that the right name?)? It's all too surreal to make into films

Yeah I'm really sceptical about the film... I think turning books into films can just suck all the magic out of them (i.e The Harry Potter franchise :-() But hey, I'll give it a chance like...

Just started reading the northern lights...

Reading the Amber Spyglass! pretty good series.

thought i'd bump this up from the depth seen as the movie version is on the horizon

Originally posted by Syren
This Trilogy, by Phillip Pullman, is freakin amazing! If you've read them (or even if you haven't), chat to me here. Let me know your opinion on Northern Lights, how you felt about The Subtle Knife, and what you thoght of The Amber Spyglass, I want to know!

This trilogy remains my favourite work to this day. Incredible books. Subtle Knife wasn't quite as good as Northern Lights, but I think Amber Spyglass more than redeemed the entire trilogy. Incredible books.

Not at all bad but not at all that good either.

is the golden compassES. it doesnt refer to the altheometer, the movie was kinda crappy and rushed{reminescient of eragon}. these books are GOOD.

compass is different from compasseS as you noted. many people think the golden compass refers to the altheometer, which isnt true.

Originally posted by leonheartmm
compass is different from compasseS as you noted. many people think the golden compass refers to the altheometer, which isnt true.

Please feel free to elaborate. What does it actually refer to? I'm going to be PO'd if its just a metaphor- the internal compass is a way overused metaphor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_golden_compass

I assume that you are reffering to this:


Notice, that it does not specify what the rationalization behind 'The Golden Compass' (singular) is. The American title is never "officially" rationalized, so the title can refer to whatever the reader wants. In America the meaning has been left to personal interpretation.