Is this the greatest book ever written?

[patc7641]

The Amber Spyglass, this book is a literary giant and will go on to become legendary. As part of the Dark Materiala trilogy, this 3rd chapter in the series takes a hyper leap of imagination, sprirt and fantasy. I dont read fiction very often, however I read this a few years ago, dont know what made me buy it but it has stuck with me ever since. It sounds daft but this book has tocuhed me in an almost spiritual way and has affected my outlook on life. I cant explain why, its bizarre. I am concerned that it is being made into a book and will lose that mysticism. BTW I am a 40 year old male who normally devours biographies on rock musicians and the movie business.

[jake-the-peg]

I'm quite a fan too

Don't think the Catholioc herald agrees they wanted it burnt.

Rather disturbingly it sounds as if the film version (I think that's what you meant) is having God references edited out

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/4077987.stm

Bl**dy Hollywood

[lynlockwood]

I'm sorry, but I don't agree-it's strange- I love Northern Lights and I love children's fiction in general but I found TAS pushed my patience-when he started to write about those animals with wheels for legs I nearly gave up. But I'm glad you are so moved by it and I think thousands of people would agree with you!Don't worry about the film version-I'm sure it will be good.

[kazza12345]

personally, i preferred the subtle knife and northern lights, and thought tas was the weakest of the 3, and infact, skim read large chunks because i was a bit bored. a bit of a cop-out ending, and i still dont really understand how they dfeated evil (probably due to skim reading a lot of it now i come to think of it) the bit where they went to the land of the dead left me profoundly sad for a few days, and made me cry for about 3 hours, musing on the nature of loss etc!

having said all of that, what a great trillogy - it made me want to run in the street and tell everybody i meat to read it. I go past the top of the banbury road once a week, and i always look out in case there is a doorway to another world (same as i regularly check new wardrobes for other worlds in the back of them)

Actually on another point, is anyone else fed up of narnia being advertised with the tagline The story begins ..... because i always want to shout, no it dosent, it begins with the magicians nephew, which help to explain why there is a world at the back of such an improbable thing as a wardrobe!!!!!

[agnabeya]

The trilogy did nothing for me I'm afraid.
I normally love such literature - but this left me absolutely cold.

I cared nothing for Lyra or anyone else in the books -
I didn't care about what happend ultimately - and thought the whole premise of the book was pointless.

I forced myself to finish all three books- but I couldn't escape into them at all. For me - if I can't lose myself in a book - it hasn't worked for me.

I LOVE the Sally Lockhart books by Philip Pullman though -
I just found the Amber Spyglass trilogy was all hype and no substance.

Nonetheless - I can appreciate that some people love this story - and I am disturbed if any church is censoring a book that people love, and want to see on film.

I imagine the whole story would entirely lose it's meaning for those who love it if the references to 'God' are removed?