I think what might have put me off is that it was presented to me then, like it sort of was here, as a better alternative to Harry Potter.
So it's got a kid protagonist and magic. That's about the only similarity. The whole presentation and concept of the book is much more serious and at the same time _more_ fantasy magic than Potter. Potter treats both the magic and the story with whimsy and I guess that's what I found missing for me in the Pullman book. That's not to say that it may not be good, just not what I was looking for. I used to read a lot of serious fantasy (heh), but it just doesn't seem to appeal to me right now. But hey, I know a lot of people who do like it and it's been recommended to me a few times. I'm probably the odd duck. Scratch that. I'm _obviously_ an odd duck. No bill, no webbed feet... -Kevin > -----Original Message----- > From: Will Swain [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2003 7:39 AM > To: CF-Community > Subject: RE: Harry Potter Puts a cap in e-commerces rump! > > > Each to their own. Plenty of people would probably agree with > you I guess. > > will > > -----Original Message----- > From: Kevin Graeme [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 26 June 2003 13:37 > To: CF-Community > Subject: RE: Harry Potter Puts a cap in e-commerces rump! > > > Oh hey, I read the first one of those! I didn't think it was > all that good though. Ah well. > > -Kevin > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Will Swain [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2003 3:33 AM > > To: CF-Community > > Subject: RE: Harry Potter Puts a cap in e-commerces rump! > > > > > > Hello Dana, > > > > Sorry for the delay. > > > > Re the Pullman books. > > > > Book One: Set in a parallel world, almost like ours but slightly > > different. Lyra, a girl, and her deamon, Pantalaimon, set out on a > > journey to rescue Lyra's freind, who has been captured. > Along the way > > she meets a variety of characters, including a talking, armour clad > > polar bear, an american aeronaut, an evil (step) mother, witches, > > gypsies and many others. > > > > Basically, lots of discussion about the nature of spirituality, > > sexuality, the role of the church, the loss of innocence, > growing up, > > etc etc. It's all done really well, Pullman is an excellent writer > > IMHO, unlike Rowling (again IMHO). I suppose the Pullman books are > > designed to appeal to an older audience than the first Harry Poter > > book, to be fair. > > > > I won't go into too much detail about the next two books as > that would > > give too much of the story away, other than to say that I > don't mind > > admitting that I cried at the end of the last book. > > > > I can;t recommend these books enough. The first one is > called Northern > > Lights, or The Golden Compass in the States apparently. Buy > them, read > > them. > > > > will > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Dana Tierney [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: 24 June 2003 17:58 > > To: CF-Community > > Subject: Re: Harry Potter Puts a cap in e-commerces rump! > > > > > > I'm sorry, I should have been more specific. I meant the Pullman > > books. This is a reasonable summary of the Harry Potter > books though > > for anyone that hasn't read them... > > > > Dana > > > > William Bowen writes: > > > > > oi, now this is getting confusing... > > > > > > I'll try to stay away from spoilers... > > > Book One: Harry Potter, orphaned boy, lives with awful > > uncle and aunt > > > in somewhat awful working class neighborhood. On (or about) his > > > birthday he gets a message by owl (the preferred messenger > > service for > > > non-muggles); > > he > > > is to join his classmates at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and > > > Wizardry. Doesn't know he is a wizard, takes it in > > stride... Meets new > > > friends, witches, wizards, trolls, has adventure. Saves the day, > > > defeating all powerful evil wizard "destroyed" many years ago. No > > > other wizard/witch apparently has the power to do this, everyone > > > happy. > > > > > > Book Two: Hmmm... Awful aunt and uncle still awful; > Harry's birthday > > again, > > > time to go back to Hogwarts; new adventure; more > friends...defeats > > > evil wizard again (still no one else seems capable...) > > > > > > Book Three: uuhhh...read description of book one and > two...Dementors > > (wizard > > > prison guards) added for extra fun... > > > > > > Book Four: Main difference here is that it takes something on the > > > order of > > a > > > Tom Clancy sized book to tell the story this time... > > > > > > That about sums it up... > > > > > > will > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Dana Tierney" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2003 9:33 AM > > > 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.html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >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
