Great books: His Dark Materials
Discussion
If you have an active imagination. And above all if you like to read a fantastic story, beautifully written, then I recommend you read the trilogy "His Dark Materials" by Philip Pullman.
I read a LOT of books, but I have to say that these are the best written books I have read in a long time.
"Northern Lights", " The Subtle Knife" and "The Amber Spyglass" make up the trilogy.
They cover subjects as diverse as Quantum physics and sub atomic particles, the eternal story of good vs evil, involve fantastic imaginary worlds and travelling between universes. It is a story about children becoming adults, mothers and fathers, and finding courage through adversity.
Better than Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and much more absorbing. The trilogy is also controversial in some circles, because the villains, the organisation that represents what is bad and corrupt in the world, is the Church.
I can't recommend these books highly enough. The most amazing, fantastic things are described and yet somehow you can find these things believable.
Read the books and you will believe in angels, witches, ghosts and spectres. You will imagine of armoured bears, and cutting a doorway through the sky and entering another world, like our own but different.
Even if you hate fantasy, even if you don't normally like this kind of thing, try them. They are the best written books I have encountered in a long time.
One postscript: Hollywood is eyeing the books up as the next "Lord of the Rings". Sadly however in this ultra-conservative era, they want to take out all the religious references. Which rather makes the whole thing pointless...
Also, make sure you get the adult versions. A childrens version is also available, but some of the darker stuff is absent.
I read a LOT of books, but I have to say that these are the best written books I have read in a long time.
"Northern Lights", " The Subtle Knife" and "The Amber Spyglass" make up the trilogy.
They cover subjects as diverse as Quantum physics and sub atomic particles, the eternal story of good vs evil, involve fantastic imaginary worlds and travelling between universes. It is a story about children becoming adults, mothers and fathers, and finding courage through adversity.
Better than Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and much more absorbing. The trilogy is also controversial in some circles, because the villains, the organisation that represents what is bad and corrupt in the world, is the Church.
I can't recommend these books highly enough. The most amazing, fantastic things are described and yet somehow you can find these things believable.
Read the books and you will believe in angels, witches, ghosts and spectres. You will imagine of armoured bears, and cutting a doorway through the sky and entering another world, like our own but different.
Even if you hate fantasy, even if you don't normally like this kind of thing, try them. They are the best written books I have encountered in a long time.
One postscript: Hollywood is eyeing the books up as the next "Lord of the Rings". Sadly however in this ultra-conservative era, they want to take out all the religious references. Which rather makes the whole thing pointless...
Also, make sure you get the adult versions. A childrens version is also available, but some of the darker stuff is absent.
Now, I like my Sci-Fi/Fantasy.
But these just didn't work for me.
Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the time I spent reading them, and they're better than 95% of the stuff out there;
But they're just not, I don't know.....
...if I knew, I could write them.
Well worth a read though, as I'm the only person I know that thinks that way.
But these just didn't work for me.
Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the time I spent reading them, and they're better than 95% of the stuff out there;
But they're just not, I don't know.....
...if I knew, I could write them.
Well worth a read though, as I'm the only person I know that thinks that way.
I am afraid you are not unique Mr E 
The writing is superb, the story is inventive but I just did not get into these books either. I think I got half way through the 2nd one and simply was not that fussed about the characters any more...shame really...
On a different note... Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan ROCKS!
Ace-T
The writing is superb, the story is inventive but I just did not get into these books either. I think I got half way through the 2nd one and simply was not that fussed about the characters any more...shame really...
On a different note... Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan ROCKS!
Ace-T
Ace-T said:
I am afraid you are not unique Mr E
The writing is superb, the story is inventive but I just did not get into these books either. I think I got half way through the 2nd one and simply was not that fussed about the characters any more..
Should have pushed on into the 3rd one - the best of them all.
I now know what quantum entanglement is. And I still find it mind boggling....
Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff