his dark materials
you might recognize the first book in this trilogy called “the golden compass”. if you don’t mind outright atheism, then this is a lovely selection. the atheism doesn’t get really gory until the last book. i couldn’t put this series down if not for the sheer fact of wanting to see how the heck it ends–the story steps all over hallowed ground so you may find yourself holding your breath and trying to look away.
his dark materials
fantasy aspect gets an A++. there’s also a lot of physics stuff in there that gave the geek in me some heart palpitations. ahem, just be opened minded when it comes to the religious stuff (don’t worry, it’s not preachy–things just sort of are the way they are). it’s a really great adventure but i thought it ended on a very sad and lonely note. and i don’t think i would have felt so lonely if there had been a stronger, more just perception of God or religion–and i’m not even a really religious person.
movie notes: it’s such as shame that they’re not going to make the last two. i read somewhere that the church had so many people boycott the golden compass which caused it to tank at the box office which led to the last two movies not being made, boooooooo! i don’t know how much truth there is in that, but it sure would have been super to at least see the other two. humph!
the bookend. 