I'll just say that it was disappointing because the first two books give you the impression Pullman had it All Planned Out, and the third book suggests otherwise.
I re-read the trilogy in rapid succession a year ago, and it's relatively clear that, about halfway through the second book, Pullman is beginning to realize that the foreshadowing/hints/etc. he'd set up previously weren't going to work. So, yes: it's a series that changes shape (if not intent or direction) halfway through. For example, I'm pretty sure he didn't know that Dust was going to be a good thing, rather than a bad thing, till he started writing the second book; and every conversation between Asrael and Mrs. Coulter is a retcon of the previous one.
I love the third book. I probably wouldn't have read the first two if I hadn't read a review of the third, though; I was in it for the polemic.
Hee. That's the only thing tempting me toward the third, to be honest.
For example, I'm pretty sure he didn't know that Dust was going to be a good thing, rather than a bad thing, till he started writing the second book; and every conversation between Asrael and Mrs. Coulter is a retcon of the previous one.
Yep. The Asrael/Coulter stuff is particularly maddening, especially in the third book, where he starts directly contradicting stuff in the first book. As far as Dust goes, I think he had some idea about that because one of my favorite parts of TGC is Lyra working out that Dust must be good if all the adults think it's bad.
Curse y'all for introducing me to Library Thing. I was only able to get one of my bookshelves in before I used up all the space on the free account.
that site is
eeeeevillll!
I'm being very picky so far with LibraryThing. buffista authors, heyer, deLint and cookbooks.
I just wanna see how big I can get it to write William Shakespeare in the Author Cloud.
I broke down and bought a lifetime membership within a day or so of signing up...
Bibliophil.org is pretty similar to Librarything, except it's free (though he certainly welcomes donations).
[link]
deLint
Oh I completely forgot about him! I scarfed down three of his books and then he totally slipped my mind. Ooh I can't wait 'til I find my next book.
From the Bibliophil site, which has a list of the 100 Most Challenged Books of 1999-2000 -- how on earth is Maurice Sendak's In the Night Kitchen objectionable?
Reading a new YA novel by a new author -- Betwixt by Tara Bray Smith. I'm loving it so far.
