Pullman Trilogy

Well, this was depressing.

It started out so well - I really liked "La Bell Savauge". I enjoyed "The Secret Commonwealth". (There was plenty of weirdness, but it was interesting weirdness that was well within the parameters of the story). But then, the inconsistencies and illogical things kept piling up.

By the time I was half-way through "The Rose Field" - I really could not tell if I was missing the point, if my book was missing pages, if the author got bored of the whole thing, if I was stupid and just wasn't "getting it", or if the whole grand finale was just a pool of unresolved goo that I was drowning in. 

Also, Malcolm and Lyra, romantically interested in one another? No, thank you.

And what's the whole point of that angel creature being wrong about the whole thing with Will and Lyra not allowed to ever see each other, or about only being able to meet in their imagination? OK, so that I can sort of buy into - say, even if you loose a loved one, they are still there in your hear/mind/soul, etc, etc.

But what about having to separate from daemon before entering the Red Building? What was the point of that? And what happened to the guards, at the very end? And what in the world happenned to that woman who was cleaning up and experimenting in the lab?

Look, I am all for "open-ended" endings, where things are not spelled out, and you have the freedom to interpret things as you wish. 

But at the end of this trilogy, there are just so many things piling up that are illogical, disconnected, and make no sense.

Stories - especially long long stories - especially long stories that have multiple books - they need internal logic that the author sticks to. Otherwise, it's a betrayal of reader's trust.

There were moments of brilliance. There was a sense of adventure. There were fascinating characters. And then it just all went to pieces.

Ah, well.

Note to self: beware of sequels.

Also, Mr. Pullman, the whole thing about needing to look sideways in order to see "the truth", or "the secret commonwealth", or what not - it was all said already in "The Litle Prince." To paraphrase: That which is truly important cannot be seen with one's eyes.

I am going to re-visit thinking about "The Book of Dust" in a few months. Perhaps, time away will give me a better perspective.

Dear Reader: What are your thoughts on "The Book of Dust" trilogy?