Has anyone finished reading "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman? (spoilers)?

Question

I got so sad at the ending, and I want your thoughts on the book.

Also, does anyone know if Philip Pullman will be expanding his universe with more books, because you never know what Will and Lyra's daemons did when they were alone. And Will and Lyra don't have a happy ending where they live together forever (they'll meet up in the land of the dead someday though...)....

Answer 1

I love these books, I love it even more that you don't get your perfectly happy ending. It had to be that way. Lyra and Will may not have liked how things ended up but that was the sacrifice they both willingly made. To give up one life together so that all may live again.

Philip Pullman has written one other book that I know of, it's called Lyra's World. I haven't read it yet so I can not tell you what it is about.

Answer 2

Hi Neurotoxiny,

It is a bit heart-wrenching that Lyra and Will can't be together in the end, but it had to be this way for a good reason:  Philip Pullman wrote the "His Dark Materials" trilogy (that's the three books ending in Amber Spyglass) as an atheist's answer to John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost, which told the story of Adam and Eve's banishment from Eden.  Lyra and Will's story parallels Adam and Eve's story - although in a very abstract way.  Just as Adam and Eve were banished from Eden, Lyra and Will are banished from their own version of paradise - which is anywhere that they can be together.  I found that knowing about Pullman's interpretation of Paradise Lost helped me to understand why Lyra and Will couldn't be together; maybe it will help make their separation more meaningful for you, too.  (By the way, "His Dark Materials" is actually a line from Paradise Lost.)

Pullman has done some other works related to Lyra and Will.  One of them is called "Lyra's Oxford" (not Lyra's World).  Another is called "Once Upon a Time in the North," which follows Lee Scorsby.  See the links below.  Pullman has written other great books besides the His Dark Materials series, including the Sally Lockhart mystery series set in Victorian England.  Enjoy!

Answer 3

I read all three books in one week and I was upset with the endings in all three of the books, but mostly with 'The Amber Spyglass' I really expected Will and Lyra to be together forever and how they ended up not being with each other bothered me. But the books were good, I was just disappointed with the ending.

I haven't heard if Philip Pullman will be writing anymore books, but I doubt it, because he tied everything up and left the rest to our imagination. So I don't think there will be any other books.

Hope this helps!