Review: The Amber Spyglass

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Oh my ducking God! I should say this is the book that succeed the most in failing categorically the expectations it set over the course of previous volumes in a series.

Ohk, the good things first. I liked the ideas that author tried to communicate, and I've huge respect and admiration for him for this. And all the stars I gave in my rating are for this and for this alone. The way he tried to communicate how religions, particularly a few, try to demonize the very things that make us human. And this is an idea that needs as much prime time as it can get, what with people feeling guilty for having fun and being happy. With many young people feeling stained for the their natural thoughts of sexuality and pleasure. I too felt this way at one point in my life, when I was deeply religious. Some institutions have successfully, through society ad hence through the parents were able to inflict such mindsets on their kids. So I can't stress the importance of the ideas presented in this book.

Another idea I like is the why, to be a good human, one should surrender to some sort of authority. Who gave the authority his/her superiority. Why should we waste our time singing his/her hymns. Why the duck should we not live our lives morally in the way that we see fit. What makes the authority morally superior to us. Why he/she gets to decide what's right and what's wrong? After all it's his or her perspective, just another opinion of which there are many.

I wish more people would read this book and debate the ideas discussed and lead to a world that is accepting of healthy debates, where anyone has right to question anything without any fear. I salute the author for boldly putting forth such ideas.

But coming to the story, I didn't like it one bit. I can't even give more than one meh to the story, because if I do that would elevate the story more than it deserves. Story get lots weirder, rushed, chaotic and confusing. It goes from a nice-makes-sense story to this-is-fantasy-anything-can-happen story, just like that. I at least liked the language of the first book.

My main beef is with the way the origins of Spectres is explained. Like why would that happen. Why would they function, most conveniently, inline with the authority's / regent's ideas.Like why the duck would that happen that way in relation to the portals into different worlds. Almost as if all the worlds and universes are so keen on exacting revenge for cutting them. Are all the worlds collectively so jobless to spring forth such abominations. Ohk even if that makes Spectres spring forth, why is that they feed on human consciousness, it's not even like they get anything out of it. How would that be nourishing? And how the duck are ghosts able to fight these Spectres, when there is nothing to kill them as such. And to make this one of the pivotal point towards the melancholic ending. Ugh! Although to give credit where it is due, I think this is where DC got the idea for the Time Wraiths in flash. Or is it the other way around?

Also given the vast number of worlds, I don't see why not just one more window can't exist. Given that even 1 and 2 are almost same and orders of magnitude lesser compared to the billions of worlds that exist. I almost feel as if the author studied the lesson 'kill your hero' a little too many times. Well if not kill make him/her suffer so much that it almost amounts to killing.

I'd still call this book a must read for a couple of reasons: one, the ideas that author tried to communicate are of a great import. two, anyway you've invested a lot of time reading the first two volumes, it's better to finish this volume too and have that sense of closure.

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