Is "His Dark Materials" a good book series?

Question

I'm reading the first one (The Golden Compass) and its really long, as are the other two books. I want to know: is it worth reading all of them? Are they really good books?

Answer 1

DO NOT SEE A MOVIE B4 READING THE BOOK WHERE IT CAME FROM!!! THEY NVR SAID ANYTHING THE SAME AS THE BOOK!!!

they are actually FANTASIC books!!! my sis friend read all 3 in a day! she convinced my sis and 2 read it and i bought them all!!! i didnt want to read it either because of the length but up 2 ch. ill say... 4? i got HOOKED!!! enjoy!!! it is sooooooooooo... worth it!!!

Answer 2

I enjoyed the first of the three, but couldn't get into the second one. i stopped about halfway through  = )

Answer 3

Like the first answerer, I really enjoyed the first book. I liked the characters and the strange new world(s) they were in. I could "see" much of it and got very involved.

I read much of the second and liked it as well, but by the third I was reading/skimming to find out what happened.

I believe they're well written and I often recommend them. When I first started the series I thought I'd found another group of fantasy books to read (and I'm always looking). Maybe it's because they are so symbolic that I finally got tired of them. Instead of getting into the story, I was starting to wonder what the author was trying to say.

If you want to read more about the series and the controversies, the wikipedia article looks pretty good.

Answer 4

yeah, his dark materials is a good series, but i've always thought that the first one is the best. maybe that's because i kind of rushed through the last two...the ending's really bittersweet though.

*celebrindal*

Answer 5

It's one of my favorite series. I can give you 101 reasons why I love the series, but I will only give you my top two:

1.) Pullman captured my interest with his words. His words are like the Proverbs to me. He used very creative and descriptive words that will make you imagine the scenery just how he was viewing it.

2.) Being a Catholic myself, I was amazed by how Pullman gave the readers a challenge to test their faith. Atheism? Maybe, a little. But the story of Metatron and the Angels just made me realize that there is more to religion than meets the eye - and it really did test my faith. Very similar after reading Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, I finished the novel by having a stronger faith rather than losing it.

Answer 6

First, let me get this out of the way: The Golden Compass movie sucked!

The books are really good, and they get better as it goes along. The first one is probably the slowest moving of the three. If you can get through about the first half of the first book you will probably love the rest of the series. It just takes the author a little while to get things moving.

They are a perfect counter point to CS Lewis's Christianity-based Narnia series.  

Answer 7

I enjoyed the first book, and the books got progressively worse as I went though them all.  I did hear the interview of the author and I disliked his reason for putting out the book.  I don't agree with using a story to persuade children in a theological mater (that is the parent's right only).  I realize that often books try to influence readers, but to intentionally try to bend the mind of children to one theology,.. or lack thereof, is just not right unless it is CLEARLY noted on the jacket or in the preface.

Some of the ignorant argue that the series "The Chronicles of Narnia"  does this, but you would never see the similarities between the stories and religion unless you knew about Christianity.  "Dark Materials" series was intended to influence young people toward Atheism, and the author indicated such in at leas one interview that I saw.

Answer 8

I loved the whole series! People will tell you that the books are trying to destroy Christianity.

1. I am a Christian; the books were good. I didn't offend me or make me drop my faith.

2. People have yet to learn the difference between reality and fiction; read the books anyway.

3. He failed to destroy anything. Ignore those radicals and just read the books.

Answer 9

The first one was really long and boring.

The second one was really good (until the ending)

The third one was just a waste of my time.