Philip Pullman's "His Dark Matter"

Books Forum

This is a thread to discuss Philip Pullman's trilogy "His Dark Matter". I found this book fascinating and didn't at all look at it as a children's book. Share your opinion about it here!

There's something that's bothering me about the book, so tell me what you think. In Subtle Knife (i think) when Will Parry and Iorek Byrnison were travelling on a ship, Will told Iorek that he can't open a "window" while they're moving. Well, the Earth is moving all the time in the space, so wouldn't it make impossible to open "windows"? I mean, when Will opens a window, doesn't the Earth already move from it?
Well, it's not that important, but I just can't get over it.

Do you think Pullman should/will write another book about Lyra, Will and the others? And, does anyone know about similar books by Pullman or other authors that they can recommend? Hop in folks...

Great to see someone else is a fan of Pullman's work Maja! First of all, I hate to be picky but I think that the correct title is 'His Dark Materials', unless the title varies internationally like that of the first installment. In regards to the question, when he's talking about not being able to open a window when moving, I think he's talking about moving relative to the earth. However, since the window is supposed to breach time and space, the rotation of the earth should also be a constraint. I've found a bit of a hole as well; the land of the Mulefa and Citagazzé (sp?) are two separate universes, yet towards the end of the third book, they sail across the sea from one to the other without mention of any kind of window. Perhaps Pullman avoided describing how Will made a boat-size window in the ocean.

OOOPs, the original title is His Dark Matter, i just translated it literally from Croatian as 'Materials'...... Fool me...

Hmmm, how did they sail from mulefa world to Cittágazze (spelling)? Maybe there's something on the sea, some kind of a hole like the one in the North Pole of Lyra's world which opened when Lord Asriel opened his window. But that's pretty far-fetched..... On the other hand it's a rather large slip if Pullman didn't do it on purpose. And I can hardly think he did do it on purpose to spare himself of explanation, because otherwise he was developing a pretty complicated story so well! Oh... but no one's perfect.

But Pullman's still great! Just look at his topics - he tells children about homosexual angels, God dying, Eve bringing liberty and not sin to the world. And then Eminem calls himself 'the first king of controversy'?? *Pullman* is the king... oh, well, one of the kings.

That's one of the things I love about the book (the combined three volumes); how it appeals to such a wide audience. Young people can appreciate the fantasy and atmosphere, while slightly more wisened people will realise just how controversial and cutting-edge some of the material and its themes are.

i think that the books are deffernatly for a combined audience, it has the aspects that children would like, but is two high a reading level for many, and there are some story lines and 'scenes' that only an adult wopuld proberbly understand. i enjoyed the book at 15 and i enjoy the book now at 18 i still think its a good book.

there is a kind of 'after book' its called "Lyra's Oxford" its just a short story, and has a fold out map of Lyra's oxford, where you can fiollow the story.

i'm not sure weather a story could really continue after the end of amber spyglass, i mean there is no way for will to get back to lyra, as he destroyed the knife, and lyra cant get to will.

just a question, do you think that lyras world was the past of will's, i mean didn't they go to a museum in one of the books, and lyra noticed something from her world in one of the exibits?

These books are absolutely amazing. But there won't be anymore because they're finished, end of story. I don't think he could write anymore. And about Lyra's world being the past of Wills - I think what he was saying with the books in the museum was that sometimes the world's have had similar pasts, but sometimes they've split. It wasn't the past, that's no the way it worked

I have just read that they havebeen makeing a film about it, called "His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass" ... the golden Compass being the US name of the version "Northern Lights" (UK) ...

Yeah, I heard ages ago about there being a film, apparently New line Cinema bought the rights, but I never heard anything else. It would be so great!

It should be out 2007 ... so i hear