His Dark Materials

[Zee.]

Curious to how you found the series. When I read books, one of the things that seems to makes them good ( to me at least ) is a sort of charisma that they seem to possess. Sorry to bring up the series "that must not be named" ( due to never ending chatter about it ) but I found that "Harry Potter" also possessed this. Some books just have a certain feeling of "magic" about them. I found this with His Dark Materials and i'm curious to hear the views of others about the series + your opinion on books you've come across that also possess this "charisma" i'm writing about.

... If that makes any sense at all. :eek2:

[Adagio]

I think that the "charisma" and "magic" you are talking about is, in other words: the atmosphere (something I particularly love).

Some books just have a certain feeling of "magic" about them.
This feeling is probably evoked by the atmosphere of the novels. I mean if we look at Harry Potter the storyline is filled with little details such as a magic map; ghosts that walk the halls; prophetic talking hats; secret passage ways; potions class and so on. These details are within a mysterious plot and an atmospheric setting. What I have always found with a rich atmoshpere is that it fuels the book's charm. It also helps create a very exciting and gripping read - perhaps this "charisma" is also that the plot, until the end, keeps you guessing.

Alot of novels - which are not fantasy - have, I'd say, this "charisma" found in the Potter books, some a more mature and refined kind of charisma. Take for instance Hugo's novels, they are very fantastical and atmoshperic. Hugo is, in my opinion, the better Dickens. He creates memorable characters with such charisma but doesn't push them too much, in a sense, to make them ridiculous - you also get a decent psychological insight with his characters. His plots contain that little touch of magic and are very uplifting and moving. The romantic atmosphere he creates with medieval Paris and Cosette's poor upbringing can be compared to the romantic and magical atmoshpere found in Rowling's books. Other books that have this kind of magical atmosphere are ones such as Jane Eyre - Bronte's depiction of English weather and that creepy hall are hauntingly atmospheric. The places I'd say that this sense of magic is common are areas such as gothic literature and romanticism. However, it can be found in alot of works. Have you read The Shadow of the Wind? if not, I highly recommend! :)

Also, I found His Dark Materials to actually lack a decent atmosphere and charm. Odd that.

[Pryderi Agni]

Hey, shouldn't this be in the Fantasy section?

[Zee.]

Uhh...


no.

[a_little_wisp]

I agree, Lima! I was absolutely enthralled by the series. I felt the books were very, very mature, and the worlds to be very interesting. Certainly, the atmosphere of the worlds didn't seem as thick - or tangible - as the Harry Potter world, but then with each book Pullman introduced he introduced a new world (rather than sticking with and building upon the same world for the whole series). I would've liked to have seen a broader and deeper picture of each of the places he presented, but I felt with what he had to work with, he did just well enough (the Land of the Dead was particularly frightening to me). And yes, the charisma bit does make sense. I think the most charismatic part of the series were the relationships between the characters, and of course, the characters themselves (even the minor characters are fantastic). The whole magic, mystery, and wonder of the idea of 'dust' only enhanced that. His Dark Materials is one of my favorite series to this day. :D

[Zee.]

I thought the series was incredibly smart. The way it appealed to children and adults, and the whole issue surrounding "dust", it was extremely well planned and executed. Very, very clever

[Joreads]

I also loved this series but I have to say that the last book left me feeling a little flat I felt that the ending was a little rushed and maybe there could have been a 4th book (wishfull thinking maybe?). I loved the worlds that were created by Pullman and I had no trouble imagining them in my head. One of my top ten for sure.