The Phillip Pullman books are difficult to describe, but I'll have a go :) They are about a young girl from an alternative universe/dimension very similar to ours but with some significant differences, one of which is everybody has a "demon", a bit like an external soul which takes the form of an animal. The second book adds another two universes (including ours) and the third book moves between many (including the underworld/afterlife).
The central theme is Religion, and the fight against it by the forces of good. No, I haven't got that wrong by the way, this isn't a book for people who don't like to see Christianity portrayed as the bad guy. Personally I consider the series to be far better than Harry Potter (although I love those too and just finished the latest), and even better than Lord of the Rings. The imagination shown is breathtaking - there is no way you will guess what's going to happen from page to page, and as a writer and storyteller Pullman is superb. I think this readers review from Amazon says it well: "For those readers who have completed the Harry Potter books, and are looking for something of the same kind (as I was when I began reading this trilogy), I'd advise you to drop any pre-conceived notions about how 'young adult' fiction is written - these books have bite. Main characters are subject to questionable morals, the plots are truly labyrinthine, the whole Christian notion of the nature of the Universe is picked apart almost in disgust, and characters that you find yourself caring about do die. To compare this trilogy to Harry Potter (which I enjoyed) is to compare wine to fruit juice." http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0439994799/ref=sr_aps_books_1_1 /202-2180392-2778202#product-details > -----Original Message----- > From: Dana Tierney [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 24 June 2003 16:34 > To: CF-Community > Subject: Re: Harry Potter Puts a cap in e-commerces rump! > > > can you give me an idea what the books are about without > spoling it for will? > > Dana > > William Bowen writes: > > > hrmmm... maybe my interspersing them with LeCarre and Eco > wasn't such > > a good idea after all... > > > > ;-) > > > > I mostly didn't like the feeling, when I was reading the > Potter books > > (especially after the first), that I had "read this all before" > > somewhere... > > > > Trying to slog my way through A Game of Thrones right > now...I saw the > > Pullman books at my neighbor's house, might have to try them. > > > > will (still) > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Will Swain" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2003 9:02 AM > > Subject: RE: Harry Potter Puts a cap in e-commerces rump! > > > > > > > Not the only one William. I've read all of them, excepting the > > > newest one, and I was completely underwhelmed by them. > > > > > > Mind you, I was reading the Phillip Pullman His Dark Materials > > > trilogy at the same time, which is fiction ostensibly for young > > > adults but very appealing to adults too, and THAT is good > > > literature, IMHO. > > > > > > will (too) > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: William Bowen [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Sent: 24 June 2003 16:43 > > > To: CF-Community > > > Subject: Re: Harry Potter Puts a cap in e-commerces rump! > > > > > > > > > I sometimes think I must be the only adult in the world that does > > > not like the Harry Potter books... > > > > > > ...sigh... > > > > > > will > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Nick McClure" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Sent: Monday, June 23, 2003 1:54 PM > > > Subject: RE: Harry Potter Puts a cap in e-commerces rump! > > > > > > > > > > From what I understand, it is very well written, and reads well > > > > for most ages, even adults. > > > > > > > > I know a number of adults that like the books. > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > > From: Harkins,Patrick [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > Sent: Monday, June 23, 2003 4:44 PM > > > > > To: CF-Community > > > > > Subject: RE: Harry Potter Puts a cap in e-commerces rump! > > > > > > > > > > It's a kid's book with a world that is very > well-imagined, from > > > > > what I gather - not having read it yet! Probably the > most fully > > > > > imagined > > since > > > > > Lord > > > > > of the Rings though this is probably the worst place to say > > > > > that! On a less subjective note, I heard that Harry > Potter was > > > > > on the > > adult's > > > > > bestseller list for so long that it became an > embarassment and > > > > > that is what prompted them to create the children's > books lists! > > > > > Patrick > > > > > > > > > > >-----Original Message----- > > > > > >From: William Wheatley [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > >Subject: Harry Potter Puts a cap in e-commerces rump! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >> http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/06/23/potter.amazon.ap/index.ht > > >ml > > > > > > > > > > > >Ok wtf is the big deal about this book? I thought it > was just a > > > > > >kids thing? I mean thats a shit load of books lol. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=5 Signup for the Fusion Authority news alert and keep up with the latest news in ColdFusion and related topics. http://www.fusionauthority.com/signup.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
