|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
Lyra overcomes these strange terrors, only to find something yet more perilous waiting for her - something with consequences that may even reach beyond the Northern Lights..
The daemons, which are basically parts of people's souls in the form of an animal, who can't be seperated from their person, and who know their thoughts and talk with them, are an inventive idea. In some books, the idea would just be wasted, but it is done full justice. One of the best things about this book is that it isn't about the daemons or the different world that the story takes place in, per se, despite being integral to the plot.They are part of the story without the story being there to showcase them.
The parallel universe is cleverly constructed. They can be difficult to create without oversimplifing them, Mr Pullman avoids this. A nice touch is the different names for things like electricity, although that scientific names would differ and the rest of the language be the same as ours isn't entirely plausable. In the context of this story it can be excused on the grounds of any story being told in language the readers will understand, but when characters come to our world in The Subtle Knife there appears to be no difference in everyday language. Also, the characters don't have any trouble talking English to most people, even armoured Bears and other Northern characters. That these small flaws are the only ones readily obvious reflects on the quality of the book.
I can't exactly like Lyra, considering her rather wild nature. Pantalaimon (Pan), her daemon, provides a nice counterbalance. All the characters seem well defined. The bears are interesting in this respect, since despite not being human a lot of them try to be like humans. Iorek Burnison is somewhat like a human, but not tame in any way.
One of the good aspects of the story is how it gradually and inevitably draws to the icy North. The focus is firmly on Lyra throughout just about all of the story. While she is progressing, she is getting nearer to the North and vice versa. The story seems very well balanced between being self contained in itself, but also part of the trilogy. The first act is over, and we are now ready to move on with Lyra to the new universe and to a new book.
Above all, it is intelligent. There are thought-provoking ideas and concepts that are thought out and interesting. Ideas such as original sin pop up, and it is far more satifisying to read than the exploits of Harry Potter ever could be, or many books of his intellectual candy floss ilk.
A near classic.