Why was it banned?
“The Subtle Knife” was banned because it was believed to be anti-God, anti-Catholic and anti-religion. I personally think that it should not be banned because it I believe that what it really encourages is the need for people to think for themselves. Throughout the books the characters have their lives governed by the rulers or governors of their particular world. The rulers even go so far as to try and force children to be obedient by using special machines that actually takes away their souls or essence. What I think this means is that if we allow others to decide what we do, how we live, and who we can be friends with we are killing our souls. We need to think for ourselves instead of being mindless drones, which is what the children become when they are put into the machine. This is just my thoughts on it though. What do you think?
Title: The Subtle Knife
Author: Philip Pullman
Source: Bought
Paperback: 326 pages
Publisher: KNOPF (2001)
Synopsis:
Here is the highly anticipated second installment of Philip Pullman's epic fantasy trilogy, begun with the critically acclaimed The Golden Compass. Lyra and Will, her newfound friend, tumble separately into the strange tropical otherworld of Cittàgazze, "the city of magpies," where adults are curiously absent and children run wild. Here their lives become inextricably entwined when Lyra's alethiometer gives her a simple command: find Will's father. Their search is plagued with obstacles--some familiar and some horribly new and unfathomable--but it eventually brings them closer to Will's father and to the Subtle Knife, a deadly, magical, ancient tool that cuts windows between worlds. Through it all, Will and Lyra find themselves hurtling toward the center of a fierce battle against a force so awesome that leagues of mortals, witches, beasts, and spirits from every world are uniting in fear and anger against it.
My Thoughts
Capturing your attention from the first page “The subtle Knife” is destined to become a classic. The second installment in Philip Pullman's trilogy "His Dark Materials" does not disappoint introducing new characters and showing growth in older ones. This book has some really strong characters and the detailed descriptions help to capture the very essence of the character’s otherworldly destinations. Lyra soon finds out that if she is to accomplish her goal and save her friend she must grow up fast and learn to trust others. Though this character has certainly undergone some changes because of her experiences she is still the same sneaky, clever, and mischievous girl we remember from “The Golden Compass”. A new character that plays a big role in this trilogy is Will. From an entirely different world than Lyra that is more similar to our own Will knows nothing of the mysterious substance known as “dust” nor does he care. Unfortunately he is inadvertently thrown in the middle of this war after happening upon one of the holes in his universe and comes upon Lyra. Will is almost the complete opposite of Lyra. He is loyal, hardworking, and trustworthy. So it is somewhat amusing at times to see how these two characters learn to not only work together, but develop a kind of friendship. For a thrilling new read with mystery and adventure be sure to pick up “The Subtle Knife” by Philip Pullman.
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