With the Harry Potter series done and read, I was in desperate need of a new children's literature series. My friend Theresa first recommended the His Dark Materials trilogy to me years ago, claiming that it was even better than HP (let's not get too crazy here) and then last year, the high school kids I work with all agreed. And then of course, they went and turned the first installment into a movie staring Nicole Kidman (which I never got around to seeing)...so one day when browsing in Borders, I came across the entire trilogy in one fat volume, and I could resist no longer. The Golden Compass stars Lyra, who like all proper children's protagonists is an orphan. She lives in a world (England, but most certainly in another time) in which all humans have a companion called a "daemon" which takes the form of an animal - in children the daemon can change shape depending on its (or the child's) mood. Once the child reaches a certain age, the daemon takes on a permanent shape. In some ways the daemons appear to have minds of their own, conversing with their human counterparts, and even enlightening them at times. But, there is no question that the daemon is a part of the human (its soul) and the idea of being separated from one's daemon is so unimaginable that the mere suggestion can result in physical pain. Then suddenly, children begin disappearing from Lyra's neighborhood - kidnapped by "Gobblers" and taken North to unknown lands and for unknown purposes. Lyra, with the help of a little golden compass, finds herself compelled to rescue these children from a fate she cannot quite understand but knows she must confront. The Golden Compass appears to be written for an audience slightly older than HP (assuming that HP is supposed to be read by 8-10 year olds). This is probably more appropriate for a 12-14 year old who is intrigued by the solar system and the idea of other worlds in a more science-fiction than fantasy way. The story is told in a straight-forward chronological fashion, and there are many likeable characters along Lyra's journey - including armored bears, witches, and a pirate like band of untouchables. But, Lyra herself is at times a bit too whiney for my tastes, and she comes about her inexplicable powers a bit too easily. She does not seem particularly clever in terms of working out problems - rather the answers just seem to come to her. The book lacked a wise elder (read: Dumbledore) to assist Lyra from afar, though there are many who reveal snippets of her history here and there. It is impossible for me to read this series without making comparisons to HP - some of this is just a basic evaluation of all the components I think are necessary for a good children's book (and which I think Rowling has mastered) and some of it is just that it will be a very long time before I can relinquish the space in my reading heart that I reserve for Harry, Ron, and Herminone. Ultimately, I could not shake the feeling that Pullman was merely disgusing his theology (anti-theology) lesson in a children's story - but like The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - I try to ignore such things even when I am being hit over the head with them - and try to enjoy the superficial story. I'm interested in seeing how the next two installments unfold.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials #1) - Philip Pullman
With the Harry Potter series done and read, I was in desperate need of a new children's literature series. My friend Theresa first recommended the His Dark Materials trilogy to me years ago, claiming that it was even better than HP (let's not get too crazy here) and then last year, the high school kids I work with all agreed. And then of course, they went and turned the first installment into a movie staring Nicole Kidman (which I never got around to seeing)...so one day when browsing in Borders, I came across the entire trilogy in one fat volume, and I could resist no longer. The Golden Compass stars Lyra, who like all proper children's protagonists is an orphan. She lives in a world (England, but most certainly in another time) in which all humans have a companion called a "daemon" which takes the form of an animal - in children the daemon can change shape depending on its (or the child's) mood. Once the child reaches a certain age, the daemon takes on a permanent shape. In some ways the daemons appear to have minds of their own, conversing with their human counterparts, and even enlightening them at times. But, there is no question that the daemon is a part of the human (its soul) and the idea of being separated from one's daemon is so unimaginable that the mere suggestion can result in physical pain. Then suddenly, children begin disappearing from Lyra's neighborhood - kidnapped by "Gobblers" and taken North to unknown lands and for unknown purposes. Lyra, with the help of a little golden compass, finds herself compelled to rescue these children from a fate she cannot quite understand but knows she must confront. The Golden Compass appears to be written for an audience slightly older than HP (assuming that HP is supposed to be read by 8-10 year olds). This is probably more appropriate for a 12-14 year old who is intrigued by the solar system and the idea of other worlds in a more science-fiction than fantasy way. The story is told in a straight-forward chronological fashion, and there are many likeable characters along Lyra's journey - including armored bears, witches, and a pirate like band of untouchables. But, Lyra herself is at times a bit too whiney for my tastes, and she comes about her inexplicable powers a bit too easily. She does not seem particularly clever in terms of working out problems - rather the answers just seem to come to her. The book lacked a wise elder (read: Dumbledore) to assist Lyra from afar, though there are many who reveal snippets of her history here and there. It is impossible for me to read this series without making comparisons to HP - some of this is just a basic evaluation of all the components I think are necessary for a good children's book (and which I think Rowling has mastered) and some of it is just that it will be a very long time before I can relinquish the space in my reading heart that I reserve for Harry, Ron, and Herminone. Ultimately, I could not shake the feeling that Pullman was merely disgusing his theology (anti-theology) lesson in a children's story - but like The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - I try to ignore such things even when I am being hit over the head with them - and try to enjoy the superficial story. I'm interested in seeing how the next two installments unfold.
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If you are looking for a next good children's lit series, try the "So You Want to be a Wizard" series by Diane Duane. I think there are 8 books in all... Doesn't have a overall plot arc like HP -- each story is fairly self contained, but the characters develop and decisions in one book lead to consequences in others. Probably right at the same age group as HP, but later books deal with more mature subjects like cancer and autism.
I enjoy the series enough I reread it occasionally. This series was my HP before HP came along =)
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