The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
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The final installment in the 'His Dark Material' trilogy brings together religion: original sin, the afterlife, God; and science: quantum physics, chaos theory; together with theology: man is the maker of his own destiny and ultimately therefore his destruction, in a cataclysmic finale that is as gripping as it is heart-wrenching. Lyra must travel to the Land of the Dead to once again rescue her friend Roger, whilst Will must first rescue her from the clutches of Mrs Coulter. It is during this rescue attempt that the subtle knife is broken and it is Iorek Byrnison that must repair it, but at what price? Lord Asriel continues to wage war on The Authority who it now appears is a senile old man, over thrown by his right hand angel Metatron. A great war is brewing and it is upon her arrest by the Magisterium, who have lost all faith in Mrs Coulter, that she aligns herself with with Lyra's father in the battle to overthrow the church and preserve the true purpose of Dust. Whilst these events unfold it is the character of Mary Malone, a scientist from Will's world that Lyra enlists to help in her continuing search for the meaning of Dust, who travels through the original window Will found in The Subtle Knife, and after a long journey finds herself in the land of the Mulefa.
It is here that she fashions a basic telescope from tree resin and bark and the Amber Spyglass is borne and she learns the Dust, which can be clearly seen though it, seems to be leaving not only the Mulefa's dying world, but all worlds.
Iorek Byrnison: The Amber Spyglass
A brilliant conclusion to the 'His Dark Materials' trilogy that kept me entertained throughout, except possibly I read it so greedily I missed the answer to some questions I felt certain would be given in this final book. What was the metallic smell emanating from Marissa Coulter whenever she was displeased? Was this Dust? Why was she able to be parted from her Daemon over longer than normal distances? Was she a witch? Is this why she looked so young for her years? Oh some of us are never happy. Please don't let my preoccupation with one character put you off, this is an excellent book and a worthy winner of the 2002 Whitbread Prize. The Land of the Dead makes for an extremely exciting story line as does the final battle with Metatron .I also love that Will gets to meet is own daemon and therefore it makes this a possibility that we all can. I did find it hard to click with the Mary Malone character and the Mulefa and must admit I read these chapters with a small degree of annoyance as I felt it took me away from the real action but as Mary Malone does actually create the Amber Spyglass I suppose her part is rather important, she just came across a little....well...wet. I must remember though that I am an adult reading a children's book and therefore my character assassination may be a tad unfair and again, I don't want to dwell on what are overall minor things on what was an altogether enjoyable read. The ending of the book, was bittersweet but so sensitive and true to the characters that it brought a tear to my eye. Wonderfully engrossing and so packed full of of explosive plot lines that you'll find it difficult to put down.
The Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials) (Amazon.co.uk)
Author: Philip Pullman
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 368
Publication date: 2007-03-05
Publisher: Scholastic
RRP: £8.99
Lowest new price: £2.46
Lowest used price: £0.01
Philip Pullman brings The Amber Spyglass to the spellbinding His Dark Materials sequence, which dazzles everyone who reads it, children and adults alike. After the original Northern Lights, he kept up the quality in The Subtle Knife, the second title in the trilogy. Now he brings the series to an extraordinary conclusion. Will and Lyra, the two children at the heart of the books, have become separated amidst great dangers. Can they find each other, and their friends? Then complete their mysterious quest before it's too late? The great rebellion against the dark powers that hold Lyra's world, and many others, in thrall is nearing its climax. She and Will have crucial parts to play, but they don't know what it is that they must do, and terrible powers are hunting them down.
The pace of the book is compelling, the writing powerful. Pullman's plotting is intricate and cunning, surprising the reader again and again. Perhaps what is most striking of all, however, is the depth of the characterisation. Lord Asriel, Mrs Coulter, Iorek Byrnison the king of the armoured bears, a host of minor characters, most of all Will and Lyra themselves: the book is a library of beautifully drawn, remarkably convincing characters walking in worlds of marvels.
In this volume the cosmic dimensions of the story become more prominent, as a great conflict across many universes comes to a head--how well the narrative sustains such immensely weighty resonances is a question critics may well disagree on. The author's beliefs also come more into the open, and with them a polemic anti-religious theme that will please some readers and alienate others.
Philip Pullman's writing commands immense respect; more than that, it is raising the profile of the best children's books among adults, as demanding critics of all ages fall in love with this remarkable trilogy. --David Pickering
Amazon.co.uk Review
THE AMBER SPYGLASS : ( His Dark Materials Trilogy #3 ) (Amazon.com)
Author: Philip Pullman
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 368
Publication date: 2007-01-01
Publisher: Scholastic
RRP:
Lowest new price:
Lowest used price: $0.01
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