Praise: His Dark Materials

[ENG] I remember claiming I would do critical review of books but this was the best thing ever! It took me so long to read this but I believe this is a must read of middle grade fiction, I wish I had the chance to read it when I was younger. There is so much to talk about, so I decided to pic three important topics that excelled in the novel.

Lyra: Oh Silvertong, you were a pretty good one… Lyra has to be one of the best protagonists I read in a while. Fearless and irreverent, she takes on adventures without looking back. This trilogy is the story of Lyra becoming a teenager and all the turbulence that comes with that period. It’s also her realization that the world has no easy answers to give, but if you strive to be a decent person you can make it a better place. And in the end that is a beautiful message.

Fanaticism: This is a big aspect of the book. You really can’t miss this one, the horrible actions that are justified from the authorities of the church to “save” the Dust. I liked the use of Catholicism imagery, because it made it easier for me to connect the dots. Growing up surrounded by these stories and symbols, I was able to pick the message a lot faster.

The prophecy is also a big criticism to what I mentioned before. While handled with a lot of mysticism from a lot of characters, as a reader you noticed it’s just the normal process of growing up. It was going to happen in the end, Lyra was approaching the age of 13 as the final events take place. This comes to show even more brilliantly that the things that make us human can be distorted for any purpose, as long as it fits an agenda.

That is the sucker punch right there, if you let yourself get taken by the narratives of delusions and extrapolations it will never live up to reality. It takes you further away from the truth.

Imagination: One of the best aspects of the novel. The ability of creating amazing worlds and creatures are amazing. I don’t have much to add other than it left me in awe. I was extremely happy with being taken in an amazing journey.

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2 thoughts on “Praise: His Dark Materials”

I absolutely adored this trilogy and cannot recommend it enough. It is a great “coming of age” work, even though I was also a full grown adult when I read it. I loved Lyra and the whole idea of having a daemon attached to you. The last book was really powerful and the depiction of death stuck to me. On the whole, I agree with you, these are cracking books. 🙂