Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #34550 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-05
• Released on: 2007-11-05
• Number of discs: 12
• Format: Audiobook
• Binding: Audio CD

Amazon.co.uk Review
Philip Pullman brings The Amber Spyglass to the spellbinding "His Dark Materials" sequence, which dazzles everyone who reads it, children and adults alike. After the original Northern Lights, he kept up the quality in The Subtle Knife, the second title in the trilogy. Now he brings the series to an extraordinary conclusion. Will and Lyra, the two children at the heart of the books, have become separated amidst great dangers. Can they find each other, and their friends? Then complete their mysterious quest before it's too late? The great rebellion against the dark powers that hold Lyra's world, and many others, in thrall is nearing its climax. She and Will have crucial parts to play, but they don't know what it is that they must do, and terrible powers are hunting them down.

The pace of the book is compelling, the writing powerful. Pullman's plotting is intricate and cunning, surprising the reader again and again. Perhaps what is most striking of all, however, is the depth of the characterisation. Lord Asriel, Mrs Coulter, Iorek Byrnison the king of the armoured bears, a host of minor characters, most of all Will and Lyra themselves: the book is a library of beautifully drawn, remarkably convincing characters walking in worlds of marvels.

In this volume the cosmic dimensions of the story become more prominent, as a great conflict across many universes comes to a head--how well the narrative sustains such immensely weighty resonances is a question critics may well disagree on. The author's beliefs also come more into the open, and with them a polemic anti-religious theme that will please some readers and alienate others.

Philip Pullman's writing commands immense respect; more than that, it is raising the profile of the best children's books among adults, as demanding critics of all ages fall in love with this remarkable trilogy. --David Pickering

Synopsis
Philip Pullman's thrilling fantasy comes alive in a BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation. The award-winning "His Dark Materials" trilogy is a breathtaking epic adventure spanning a multitude of worlds. In "The Amber Spyglass", the third and final instalment, the war between good and evil reaches a shattering conclusion. Lyra and Will are helped by friends old and new as they continue their perilous journey.The great armoured bear Iorek Byrnison reappears, as does Dr Mary Malone, creator of the amber spyglass. Then there are the tiny, dragonfly-riding Gallivespians, and the wheel-borne Mulefa with their ability to see the mysterious substance Dust. As childhood slips away from them, Lyra and Will face new dangers - including the daemon-destroying Spectres and a journey into the world of the dead. The pair must play their part in the climax of a war for the future of all worlds. "The Whitbread Book of the Year 2001", "The Amber Spyglass" is now an exciting full-cast drama starring Terence Stamp, Ray Fearon, Emma Fielding and Philip Madoc.

Customer Reviews

Overrated
Although I generally enjoyed the trilogy there was a steady decline as you read each book. Whereas the first book is excellent the reader may get sidetracked by Pullman's strong atheist views which start to get on your nerves. I feel he should have concentrated more on the story rather than his viewpoint. Saying that there are some nice parts in this last book and the ending is a good one for the trilogy.

eventual satisfaction
Some of the reviews of 'His Dark Materials' seem to show disappointment that a promising Potter-esque fairytale concludes with a fractured essay on existence. For me, it has the opposite effect. 'Northern Lights' was OK, but it never really grabbed me. I kept going because I trusted that the series would eventually say something, and it did.

'The Amber Spyglass' is a wonderful meditation on the nature of life. It is healthily anti-theist without ever making its message obvious and preachy. The chapters concerning Mary Malone's stay in a bizarre parallel world could have been an irritating diversion, but they're the most beautiful, convincing passages of the whole trilogy. If they ever get round to filming it, they'll have a tough job converting it into a family-friendly Christmas movie.

Easily the most satisfying book of the three.

A great disappointment
I have just finished reading this final book in the trilogy & frankly I feel cheated at the abrupt and unsuprising ending! I enjoyed the first book & agree with other comments that it is best read as a stand alone novel. The second book is merely a middle section, but unfortunately this final novel does not really draw a satisfactory conclusion after the build up of the 3 books! I do not agree with others that the love between Lyra & Will was a suprise as it had been obvious to me since their meeting. However after the entire story had been built around these two pivotal characters I had at least expected a spectacular conclusion which tied together the many threads of the story. Unfortunately it appears that the author simply ran out of ideas and after fighting many insurmountable obstacles our hero & heroine simply bow out like little lambs. It seems a shame that after all the complex themes of the book the ending was such an anti-climax