The not-so-Subtle Knife
Partway through the second book, and while replying to comments on the previous post about the first book, I realized that my shifting opinion on His Dark Materials stemmed from having expected Christopher Hitchens and instead gotten John Milton. Though, as 
stultiloquentia pointed out, not an especially profound Milton. More like those action movies where a vengeful angel or devil shows up with an apocalyptic plan. Critique from within the system. There is a God, there are angels, people have souls, unquestioned, evidence-based. Fury and rebellion, but not agnosticism or atheism. Less my cup of tea.
At least I knew going in that theology would be the main theme, unlike, say, when I watched the remake of Battlestar Galactica. Still, I can't help but wonder things like: Is there room for people of a non-Christian faith -- or non-Judeo-Christian, I suppose, although only the Church seems to exist -- in the His Dark Materials universe? Do people of differing belief systems, or of non-belief or who are questioning, not have daemons? Or if they have daemons, do they have different beliefs about what their daemons are or what they mean? Different customs and taboos? Something to look up in reviews, thinkpieces, fic, etc. when I'm finished reading.
Also, there is a lot of explicative monologuing. Like, a lot. Characters have largely stopped speaking like actual human beings.
All that said, though, I'm still enjoying the story. Even with pacing and repetition issues in The Subtle Knife. The Golden Compass was better. We'll see tomorrow+ what The Amber Spylgass is like.
Originally posted at http://bironic.dreamwidth.org/340139.html, where there are
comments.
stultiloquentia pointed out, not an especially profound Milton. More like those action movies where a vengeful angel or devil shows up with an apocalyptic plan. Critique from within the system. There is a God, there are angels, people have souls, unquestioned, evidence-based. Fury and rebellion, but not agnosticism or atheism. Less my cup of tea.
At least I knew going in that theology would be the main theme, unlike, say, when I watched the remake of Battlestar Galactica. Still, I can't help but wonder things like: Is there room for people of a non-Christian faith -- or non-Judeo-Christian, I suppose, although only the Church seems to exist -- in the His Dark Materials universe? Do people of differing belief systems, or of non-belief or who are questioning, not have daemons? Or if they have daemons, do they have different beliefs about what their daemons are or what they mean? Different customs and taboos? Something to look up in reviews, thinkpieces, fic, etc. when I'm finished reading.
Also, there is a lot of explicative monologuing. Like, a lot. Characters have largely stopped speaking like actual human beings.
All that said, though, I'm still enjoying the story. Even with pacing and repetition issues in The Subtle Knife. The Golden Compass was better. We'll see tomorrow+ what The Amber Spylgass is like.
Originally posted at http://bironic.dreamwidth.org/340139.html, where there are
comments.