Nevertheless, she smiled.

[exsequar]

*sniffles quietly*

I just finished the last book of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, for what must be the fifth or sixth time. And once again, I was swept away, uplifted, dashed to pieces, and then oh so tenderly put back together. This story is exquisite, epic, daring, unique, wonderful.... I haven't the words to do it justice. If you've read it, I hope you know what I mean; if you haven't, you should.

I'm a little bit apprehensive of this becoming a trilogy of movies. The first one will be exciting and fun, but the second and more so the third get into such subtle and achingly beautiful themes of loyalty and love and goodness and right and wrong and truth that I can scarcely imagine them in a loud, flashy Hollywood movie. This story grabs my heart and tugs like nothing else (I am in floods every time; this time was absolutely no different) and it's hard to imagine that depth translating to screen. Especially since it rests on the shoulders of two 13 year old children to convey that depth, that power... I don't know. I want them to be amazing, but I have my doubts. Especially if, as rumored, they're taking the religious aspect out of the movies... because that is so fundamental to the books, but in a way that turns traditional religion on its head and questions every assumption it makes. That's why they're taking it out, because wouldn't want to ever offend anybody, oh no! *scoffs* So yeah. I'm holding back on judging prematurely, but I am worried.

Um. I didn't mean to take this post to bitch and doubt. I just needed to say something. Finishing this book is always so... profound.

*ponders quietly*

Comments

[foreverseenstar.livejournal.com]

Seriously, just best books evar. Everytime I try to explain to people why they should read them, I also am at a loss for words. It's just so so... well, you know clearly.

Last I heard someone said that they weren't taking all the religious stuff out of the movie, but they are doing something in an attempt to get people to not freak out about it. Good luck with that. But yeah it's just so important that it has me slightly worried. The trailer looks amazing though.

[exsequar.livejournal.com]

*flails quietly* Yes and more yes. There are no words.

Oh I'm glad to hear that, though what that "something" could be also makes me nervous. They should just suck it up and shove the movie in all its truth and beauty in the face of the world. Because it carries the most necessary and fantastic message about where we go wrong and how we could do better. Gah. So much love.

What a beautiful icon!

[benvolio-daemon.livejournal.com]

Oh oh oh. ♥ This is perfect, because I'm re-reading the first book right now (for the umpteenth time). I know exactly what you mean about the books - reading them really is such a profound experience, as you said.

I'm trying not to freak out too much about the movies. The first one looks pretty amazing, but I almost wish it didn't - if it had been different enough from my vision of the book, I could have just ignored it. *sigh* Ah, well. I'll just have to have faith that a big Hollywood movie can't change something as meaningful as HDM is to me. *holds books close*

[exsequar.livejournal.com]

I think the trailer does look fantastic, and I'm really really excited to see it. I half hope that they stop there, though, but they obviously won't since we live in the Land of Franchise. I've always thought of book 1 as almost a separate story though, because it's not until the worlds open up and Lyra meets Will that things really begin to unfold. So even if movie one is AWESOME, I'll still be worried about the second. Oh my god, they have to cast Will PERFECTLY. *worries*

I'm so glad you're rereading them too! So amazing.

[jamesinclair.livejournal.com]

I read the 3rd book as soon as it came out, but never again. I enjoyed the first two much more.

Have they even announced films 2 and 3 though? Its not like Lord of the Rings, or Pirates 2 and 3 which are filmed together. Having a magically older Lyra might be a tad strange, unlike Harry Potter where theyre supposed to age.

[snuffkin.livejournal.com]

Especially if, as rumored, they're taking the religious aspect out of the movies... because that is so fundamental to the books, but in a way that turns traditional religion on its head and questions every assumption it makes.

Uh... WHAT? I mean it's not like the religious stuff is a sub-plot. The whole book focuses on religion... how can they leave that out without turning it into ... something entirely else ? *hmpf*

If you've read it, I hope you know what I mean
Yes! And the beautiful thing? It's the same everytime you read it ♥ (even though I think I could do without crying so much over the ending)

[jamesinclair.livejournal.com]

The church is being replaced by "the company" or something along those lines.

[exsequar.livejournal.com]

...

I might kill someone if that's true.

[snuffkin.livejournal.com]

Hmpf ... Now I'm not that exited anymore :( But maybe it will turn out okay...

[candidlily.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a worthwhile read... but what's it about?

[exsequar.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh, what ISN'T it about? And that's a serious question. It's such an all-encompassing book, about human nature and greater powers and everything fundamental to our lives.

But at its root, it's the story of a young girl, Lyra Belacqua, who has been raised at a college full of male scholars who have no idea what to do with this spitfire child. Her uncle, Lord Asriel, is a great explorer of the Arctic, and while hiding in a closet during a presentation he gives at the college, she finds out about a mysterious concept called Dust. Later, a beautiful woman, Marisa Coulter, comes to take Lyra into her care, and so Lyra is taken into the outer world. But she eventually runs away, and she gets swept away on a grand adventure into the North, making many and sundry friends along the way - gyptians, a Texan aeronaut, witches, armored bears. Her goal is to rescue her friend Roger, who was kidnapped by a mysterious group of people called the Gobblers and taken to the icy reaches of the North.

The coolest thing about the first book, I find, is that the world Lyra lives in is a lot like ours... but tilted at an angle. She lives in Oxford, England, but a lot of other names are slightly different (there's Corea, and Svedan, and the Muscovites) and she uses the word "anbaric" instead of "electric," "chocolate" instead of "chocolatl," and it's wonderfully fascinating to catch all the little differences between her world and ours.

Hee, so I guess that's my advertising pitch - for the first book! But like I said above, I regard the first book almost completely separate from the other two - the story spreads out and becomes much more epic and thematic in the second and third. Just trust me - read these books. You won't regret it!

[candidlily.livejournal.com]

I'll add it to the books-to-buy list! :D