Blog #2
The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman Book 2 blog review.
The Subtle Knife is the second book in the fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials.
The second book begins in another universe; in an England is much the same as ours. A 12 year-old boy named Will Parry takes care of his mentally unstable mother. He gets into lots of fights at school because of teasing form other boys. He accidentally kills a man who had attempted to steal his father’s letters from his house. His father had left along time ago because he was an explorer but he never retuned. Will runs away after killing the man and sees a cut ‘window’ in empty space that leads him into another world. In the city he and Lyra meet, they journey together through the deteriorating city of Citagazze. To Lyra’s horror she sees that Will does not have a daemon. The only inhabitants are children all the adults have left. Will fights a young teenager for a knife that can cut through the matter that holds the different universes together and make a window into a different universe he then becomes the bearer of the knife. Wills father had lost his way while journeying through worlds contrary to what the reader was meant to believe before. Will meets his father but does not get to know him because a witch kills John Parry because he once loved her and he went off with Wills mother instead. The book ends with Lyra and Will separating and vowing to find each other again.
The main theme in this book is Authority between young Lyra and Will. Will is one year older than Lyra but due to Lyra’s nature she always questions authority and there is this continual power struggle between them.
The language that was used was that of two pre-pubescent children with little knowledge of proper English just street slang. The point of view jumps back and forth from Lyra and Will. I think it was very effective.
The issues that were raised in this book were growing up, finding new friends, and trust this all has pertained to other adolescents and me.
The author could have improved his book by giving more information about Wills father and how the knife works I think that that would of made the book more interesting.
Yes, I would recommend this book to other people.
Josh Blake
Monday, November 16, 2009
The Northern Lights by Philip Pullman Book 1 blog review.
Blog #1
The Northern Lights by Philip Pullman Book 1 blog review.
Northern Lights is one of three books written by Philip Pullman following the adventures of Lyra Bacquela and here daemon Pantalaimon. The book begins in Jordan College, Oxford where Lyra is an average 11-year-old girl who likes to play with her friend Roger Parslow and has no regard for the old scholars that try to teach her Math’s, English, ect... Lyra soon becomes aware of Dust (not regular old dust) that only is attracted to adults and not children. Soon stories of children disappearing and being sent to the north by a group nicknamed ‘Gobbler’s’ because they gobble children up and take them away Roger Parslow was one of those kids. So Lyra sets out on a trip to find Roger and all the other missing children she meets her mother, goes on a trip to the north with gypsies, makes friends with a Polar Bear and frees her friend roger and the others not knowing she is putting him in more danger because of her father. The church in this world has a lot more say in politics and over all government doings.
The themes in the book that I read was Religion the church vs. science, Power Struggle between Lyra’s mother and father, and Separation from Jordan college, Roger Parslow, and her parents.
The type of language the that author use was that of a young girl and point of view that the author used was that of Lyra’s but it sometimes jumped back and forth to follow a characters description more in depth.
The issues that were raised in this book were religion, scientific development, and growing up. I think that the growing up part of this book pertains to me and other adolescents because we all have to grow up sooner or later.
I have not noticed similarities to the work we have studied in class thus far except for some rhetorical devices.
I think that the author could have improved his book if he put more description and emphasis on how polar bears learned to talk and use weapons. He could of also talked a little more about the holding camp in the north where the gobblers took all the children.
Yes, I would defiantly recommend this book to other people.
Josh Blake
The Northern Lights by Philip Pullman Book 1 blog review.
Northern Lights is one of three books written by Philip Pullman following the adventures of Lyra Bacquela and here daemon Pantalaimon. The book begins in Jordan College, Oxford where Lyra is an average 11-year-old girl who likes to play with her friend Roger Parslow and has no regard for the old scholars that try to teach her Math’s, English, ect... Lyra soon becomes aware of Dust (not regular old dust) that only is attracted to adults and not children. Soon stories of children disappearing and being sent to the north by a group nicknamed ‘Gobbler’s’ because they gobble children up and take them away Roger Parslow was one of those kids. So Lyra sets out on a trip to find Roger and all the other missing children she meets her mother, goes on a trip to the north with gypsies, makes friends with a Polar Bear and frees her friend roger and the others not knowing she is putting him in more danger because of her father. The church in this world has a lot more say in politics and over all government doings.
The themes in the book that I read was Religion the church vs. science, Power Struggle between Lyra’s mother and father, and Separation from Jordan college, Roger Parslow, and her parents.
The type of language the that author use was that of a young girl and point of view that the author used was that of Lyra’s but it sometimes jumped back and forth to follow a characters description more in depth.
The issues that were raised in this book were religion, scientific development, and growing up. I think that the growing up part of this book pertains to me and other adolescents because we all have to grow up sooner or later.
I have not noticed similarities to the work we have studied in class thus far except for some rhetorical devices.
I think that the author could have improved his book if he put more description and emphasis on how polar bears learned to talk and use weapons. He could of also talked a little more about the holding camp in the north where the gobblers took all the children.
Yes, I would defiantly recommend this book to other people.
Josh Blake
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