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Love it, hate it, or..., Tell us how you liked this book |
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 Mar 22 2008, 07:54 AM
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Rudius Hagrid's SmartCookie - With Ninja!Brain Power
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Oh, goodie - the first vote 
Well, I've just finished reading it and I'm really glad that I did that. I'm certainly going to read the rest of the series. I saw the Golden Compass movie first and got interested to learn more details. So, I decided to read the book, and I think, it's great My favourite things in the book are Lyra's character and the concept of daemons.
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Mar 22 2008, 09:12 AM
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Waiting for Wednesdays
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I've read this book a couple of times from the teacher's point of view. So it was refreshing to read it just to enjoy it.
Once I started I had to read the entire series! 
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avatar by The Rockin Leaky Staff
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Mar 22 2008, 09:21 AM
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Exclusive distributor of The Dungbomb Protection Kit
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I just finished the book for the second time, and I have to say I don't like it all that much. I'm still trying to puzzle out exactly why I don't like it, and at the moment I think it is the overall tone of the book. I don't find much joy in it, it seems to have a very oppressive feel. Maybe that is what the author is going for, but it doesn't appeal to me. I do plan on reading the rest of the trilogy, and I am glad to have read it because I like to judge a book for myself, rather than relying on someone else's say-so.
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Mar 22 2008, 11:57 AM
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Leaky Cauldron Napkin Folder
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I loved Northern Lights! The books were incredible! It was my second favourite of the series, following The Amber Spyglass. I love the entire concept of dæmons. I think they are wonderful, and fascinating!! I love the way Pullman writes, and I love the characters that he's created... Lyra, Pan, Iorek, Will, Lee, and everybody!
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Mar 22 2008, 01:35 PM
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WhizzHard Books Copy Editor
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QUOTE(Pyxis @ Mar 22 2008, 02:21 PM)  I just finished the book for the second time, and I have to say I don't like it all that much. I'm still trying to puzzle out exactly why I don't like it, and at the moment I think it is the overall tone of the book. I don't find much joy in it, it seems to have a very oppressive feel. Maybe that is what the author is going for, but it doesn't appeal to me. I do plan on reading the rest of the trilogy, and I am glad to have read it because I like to judge a book for myself, rather than relying on someone else's say-so.
I really enjoyed reading this book for the most part, it starts of really well, and we have interesting characters and a good plot but there comes a point once they are up in the north where things dont seem to fit properly for me. I found it to be very jarring the way that the bears and to a certain degree (although not as much) the witches where introduced. the witches seem to just about work in pullmans world for me but seeing as how apart from the daemons we havent really had any exposure to talking animals in lyras world the bears and thier whole society just dont work for me. I always enjoy the first half of the book but find it gets a bit 'silly' towards the end. I went on to read the rest of the series after studying northern lights, but im not sure whether i would reread and reread them as i have some of my other books. i reread northern lights before the film came out and may do so with the other two for their films but they are not books id choose to reread without reason.
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Mar 23 2008, 07:39 AM
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Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes' best customer
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I got hooked on the first of the series straight away. I did find a fair few things that annoyed me, on the hoovering on a minute point for so long. It was too much at points. I didn't like the sequel, but enjoyed the last part very much. I can't explain the magic in the books, I mean, I don't recognise much in the books, except for the Dutch in Nothern Lights  . I loved the witches! Also in the movie, which was a great disappointment.
I recommend it to Potter Fans, but more to the literary obsessive than to the magic fanatic.
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*Sometimes the most important questions are the ones we decide not to ask*
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Mar 23 2008, 12:25 PM
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Official Singer of the Sorting Hat Song
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The books are very rich from a mythological/psychological point of view. The story isn't as upbeat as Harry Potter, but that's because there is much more a sense of the loss of innocence. And I suppose that has more to do with the governing genre. Whereas HP is a heroic adventure where Harry is someone akin to Tom Jones, Lyra is more akin to Voltaire's Candide. I'd say Harry is closer to comedy, while Lyra is closer to tragedy. And I think that, in that sense, we can see the two series as complementary.
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Come the words that bubble
Up through broken laughter,
Sweeter than spring-water,
"Gods, I am so happy!"
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Mar 23 2008, 03:06 PM
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Being Eaten by the Pea Soup
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Overall I enjoyed the series and the farther into it I read, the faster I read, and the less able I was to put it down. A friend requested that I read Northern Lights before the film came out. I did, and we enjoyed the film immensely. I was so disappointed in the morning of the release date when the reviews were 2 stars, but we went anyway at 7pm to a very empty big screen theater. We loved it. I still do. I went again. All of the weak points in the book, lags, unnecessary details, were fine tuned to a fluid film that was understandable even to a virgin audience. After that, I picked up book 2 and was surprised at the change of direction, but it is done wisely. Every time you start reading a new scene you first wish the previous chapter would continue, but very soon wish this one would continue on, and it switches back. Some things left me a bit sad when it was so comparable to HP, such as dementors (in where TGC books were written first). I think I have not read enough scifi to see how many similar creatures are in various novels. So overall I would say I liked the first book. I am not planning on reading it for a second or third time (or the dozen I have with all my beloved HP books), but I am glad that I read them.
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