It all started with one little girl, Lyra in the book called Northern Lights - part of a trilogy by Philip Pullman. By the time I was almost done with the second book in this fantastic trilogy, I looked back and was able to see how far she had come. Lyra, whose backstory was described in the first book as having fun in her home ‘Jordan College’ went on later to undertake a huge mission in hostile terrain, with only her fiery spirit of defiance to back her up. She does not know that she is the child mentioned in a certain prophecy, and there lies the whole story.
This trilogy consists of ‘The Northern Lights’, ‘The Subtle Knife’, and ‘The Amber Spyglass’. While reading the books, I noticed that the author hasn’t defined any character as completely good or evil ( black or white). The characters are full of layers and shades of grey. One fitting example was Mrs. Coulter - her sly behaviour and attractiveness made her look like a manipulative, criminal mastermind. She was portrayed as a survivor who could fend for herself. However, I felt that her true intentions were always clouded until the end. She seems to have a few good qualities behind the merciless shroud of lies.
Philip Pullman used the multiverse theory as a core idea in his book.
He made out that there were infinite worlds out there and tweaked this theory creatively. By adding magical and phantasmagoric items such as the ‘subtle knife’ - a very valuable and mysterious tool - he has made the books far more intense to read. Each book is more complex than the other, so while I was reading I found the last book hard to grasp. This was due to the constant shift in the setting. The author had based the story on many ‘worlds’, so it was tough to remember everything that was happening in every world. And since this book is a mixture of science, fiction, fantasy, religion and politics, many things are happening simultaneously across the book.
I found that the trilogy, which seems to have only magical adventures, also has a human aspect to it. In Lyra’s world, people exist along with their ‘daemons’ who are part of their souls and share an unbreakable bond with each other. Lyra and her daemon often reassure themselves when they are nervous or in a sticky situation. I believe the author meant for us to understand that talking to one’s daemon is like having an inner conversation with oneself or examining a thought inside one’s head. This is what I think the author has tried to do in a most creative, imaginative and thought-provoking manner.
This trilogy was a great read and I am looking forward to reading more from Philip Pullman’s other books such as the Sally Lockhart series.
Hi H
Interesting