The Amber Spyglass -- Book 3 His Dark Materials -- a Review
Philip Pullman, The Amber Spyglass: His Dark Materials Book III. New York: Yearling Books, 2000. 518 pp.
I normally review recently published books, but because Philip Pullman's trilogy has only recently come to my attention, and because of all the commotion that a movie version of the first book in the trlogy has provoked, I not only read the trilogy, but am trying to understand it's supposedly anti-religious message. So, here is a review of a book published eight years ago.
Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy comes to a close with The Amber Spyglass. In the previous two books we have encountered the two primary characters, Lyra Silvertongue and Will Parry. Coming from the Oxfords of parallel universes, these children on the cusp of adolescence have become entangled in a grand battle that centers on something called Dust – or in our world Dark Matter. In the two previous books the two children encounter each other and become allies and friends. One has the special ability to read the alethiometer (Lyra) and the other is the bearer of the “subtle knife.” One tool allows for the reading of the truth of things while the other allows for the cutting of windows between universes.
As noted in an earlier review of the first two books, the enemy is the Church and the “Authority” it serves – serves by controlling the minds and actions of humanity. Now a great battle is about to be fought between the allies of Lord Asriel – Lyra’s father – who has opened a great hole into the fabric of the multiple universes so that he might defeat God – well not really God – but “The Authority.” The Authority is merely the first angel who existed and he has taken control. In the course of this third volume we learn that he has been effectively displaced by his Regent – Metatron –an angel who was once a man – the man Enoch.
The book begins, however, with Lyra having been captured by her mother, who has placed her in a drug-induced sleep and hidden her from the very church that she serves. Mrs. Coulter will remain a despicable and diabolical character, whose trustworthiness is always in doubt until the very end – when she will choose to join with her former Lover Lord Asriel in destroying the Regent – the Authority already having been killed.
But before this all happens, the story continues with communications opened to Lord Asriel and the meeting of knew friends who will help Will and Lyra find their journeys. Among those new friends will be two angels who help him locate Lyra. Then there are two spies sent by Lord Asriel – two little creatures known as Tialys and Salmakia – who will help them find their way into the Land of the Dead and out. But before they take this journey, Will must rescue Lyra with the help of the King of the Armored Bears and a Witch. All the while they face the constant pursuit of the forces of the Church, which is seeking to kill Lyra – lest she become the new Eve. After the rescue Lyra and Will journey into the Land of the Dead – with the hope of encountering Lyra’s friend Roger and his own father. Does all this sound very complicated and very violent?
Will and Lyra will make in to the Land of the Dead, making a deal to lead the Dead out of Limbo and into the world of the living, where they dissolve into the fabric of the universe. And of course there are more battles to be fought and much pain to be experienced.
Once they emerge from the land of the Dead and they will discover a new land – where the tempter – Dr. Mary Malone – has gone from Will’s own land. Throughout this last volume we know that Mary Malone, a scientist from our own world, will be the tempter of the new Eve, but what will she tempt her about?
Before the temptation occurs, Dr. Malone makes a number of discoveries in this knew world, including the presence of a strange set of life-forms who help her see “Dust” by creating an Amber Spyglass. In the end, while the battle rages elsewhere, Will and Lyra discover something – Love. Their eyes are opened to the presence of the other as they listen to Dr. Malone recount her own story of first love.
This we discover is the temptation – to embrace their sexual natures. That this is the great sin in Pullman’s book is a clue that he has bought into the old idea that it was sex that was the cause of Adam and Eve’s fall. That is why the church frowns upon it. But Lyra and Will discover the beauty of love – though in the end they must part ways and return to their own worlds and make their own way. And what is their calling – to help build the Republic of Heaven, for the Kingdom of Heaven has fallen.
That is, in a nutshell the essence of this final book in the trilogy. To which I will offer a couple of comments.
First, while the book has a negative view of traditional religion, I doubt it will cause anyone to become an atheist. Indeed, this book really doesn’t offer an atheist vision. Rather than telling us to trust our senses, it calls us to see beyond – into a spiritual world. But this isn’t traditional Christian spirituality, it is more like pantheism.
Second, I don't recognize the "God" present in these books. This is a God who is not only capricious, but also weak and insecure. Indeed, thhis is no supreme being, but only an Angel who has lived to great age and seeks to control control human destiny through the “Church." This God is nothing like the God of the Christian or Jewish faith traditions. That observation, however, isn’t sufficient, because the conception of many Christians is that God is an insecure, jealous being who seeks to keep us from thinking for ourselves.
Third, this isn’t a children’s book, which is why I likely didn’t encounter it when first published. It is an interesting trilogy, one that should prove challenging to the faith of many, but its nothing to be feared. If you read through to the end you will find yourself sympathetic to the quest of Lyra and Will, though not necessarily to Lord Asriel, who is never painted as a very sympathetic character.
As in the Chronicles of Narnia, it is the children, who show true courage and wisdom. I will confess that while I love the Chronicles of Narnia and the Harry Potter books, I’m not a big fantasy person. I had to work at times to stay with the books – which after all weren’t written with a middle aged pastor and theologian in mind.
If nothing else, these books open up an opportunity to talk with young people about their understanding of the spiritual world, God, and our freedom to make our own choices with regard to God.
From here, I intend to read the book Killing the Imposter God: Philip Pullman’s Spiritual Imagination in His Dark Materials (Jossey Bass, 2007) by Donna Freitas and Jason King. I hope they will help me better understand the intent of these books. More about it later!
As noted in an earlier review of the first two books, the enemy is the Church and the “Authority” it serves – serves by controlling the minds and actions of humanity. Now a great battle is about to be fought between the allies of Lord Asriel – Lyra’s father – who has opened a great hole into the fabric of the multiple universes so that he might defeat God – well not really God – but “The Authority.” The Authority is merely the first angel who existed and he has taken control. In the course of this third volume we learn that he has been effectively displaced by his Regent – Metatron –an angel who was once a man – the man Enoch.
The book begins, however, with Lyra having been captured by her mother, who has placed her in a drug-induced sleep and hidden her from the very church that she serves. Mrs. Coulter will remain a despicable and diabolical character, whose trustworthiness is always in doubt until the very end – when she will choose to join with her former Lover Lord Asriel in destroying the Regent – the Authority already having been killed.
But before this all happens, the story continues with communications opened to Lord Asriel and the meeting of knew friends who will help Will and Lyra find their journeys. Among those new friends will be two angels who help him locate Lyra. Then there are two spies sent by Lord Asriel – two little creatures known as Tialys and Salmakia – who will help them find their way into the Land of the Dead and out. But before they take this journey, Will must rescue Lyra with the help of the King of the Armored Bears and a Witch. All the while they face the constant pursuit of the forces of the Church, which is seeking to kill Lyra – lest she become the new Eve. After the rescue Lyra and Will journey into the Land of the Dead – with the hope of encountering Lyra’s friend Roger and his own father. Does all this sound very complicated and very violent?
Will and Lyra will make in to the Land of the Dead, making a deal to lead the Dead out of Limbo and into the world of the living, where they dissolve into the fabric of the universe. And of course there are more battles to be fought and much pain to be experienced.
Once they emerge from the land of the Dead and they will discover a new land – where the tempter – Dr. Mary Malone – has gone from Will’s own land. Throughout this last volume we know that Mary Malone, a scientist from our own world, will be the tempter of the new Eve, but what will she tempt her about?
Before the temptation occurs, Dr. Malone makes a number of discoveries in this knew world, including the presence of a strange set of life-forms who help her see “Dust” by creating an Amber Spyglass. In the end, while the battle rages elsewhere, Will and Lyra discover something – Love. Their eyes are opened to the presence of the other as they listen to Dr. Malone recount her own story of first love.
This we discover is the temptation – to embrace their sexual natures. That this is the great sin in Pullman’s book is a clue that he has bought into the old idea that it was sex that was the cause of Adam and Eve’s fall. That is why the church frowns upon it. But Lyra and Will discover the beauty of love – though in the end they must part ways and return to their own worlds and make their own way. And what is their calling – to help build the Republic of Heaven, for the Kingdom of Heaven has fallen.
That is, in a nutshell the essence of this final book in the trilogy. To which I will offer a couple of comments.
First, while the book has a negative view of traditional religion, I doubt it will cause anyone to become an atheist. Indeed, this book really doesn’t offer an atheist vision. Rather than telling us to trust our senses, it calls us to see beyond – into a spiritual world. But this isn’t traditional Christian spirituality, it is more like pantheism.
Second, I don't recognize the "God" present in these books. This is a God who is not only capricious, but also weak and insecure. Indeed, thhis is no supreme being, but only an Angel who has lived to great age and seeks to control control human destiny through the “Church." This God is nothing like the God of the Christian or Jewish faith traditions. That observation, however, isn’t sufficient, because the conception of many Christians is that God is an insecure, jealous being who seeks to keep us from thinking for ourselves.
Third, this isn’t a children’s book, which is why I likely didn’t encounter it when first published. It is an interesting trilogy, one that should prove challenging to the faith of many, but its nothing to be feared. If you read through to the end you will find yourself sympathetic to the quest of Lyra and Will, though not necessarily to Lord Asriel, who is never painted as a very sympathetic character.
As in the Chronicles of Narnia, it is the children, who show true courage and wisdom. I will confess that while I love the Chronicles of Narnia and the Harry Potter books, I’m not a big fantasy person. I had to work at times to stay with the books – which after all weren’t written with a middle aged pastor and theologian in mind.
If nothing else, these books open up an opportunity to talk with young people about their understanding of the spiritual world, God, and our freedom to make our own choices with regard to God.
From here, I intend to read the book Killing the Imposter God: Philip Pullman’s Spiritual Imagination in His Dark Materials (Jossey Bass, 2007) by Donna Freitas and Jason King. I hope they will help me better understand the intent of these books. More about it later!
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