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Tuesday, October 10, 2000 By Karen MacPherson, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
Three years ago, author Philip Pullman left his readers at the edge of a literary precipice, concluding his book "The Subtle Knife" with the kidnapping of one main character and the utter confusion of another.
Loyal Pullman readers held on, however, knowing that "The Subtle Knife" was the second book in a suspenseful young-adult trilogy that the author planned to wrap up over the next few years.
Today, that reader loyalty is rewarded as Random House releases "The Amber Spyglass" ($19.95). It's the final volume in the rather ominously named "His Dark Materials" trilogy that Pullman began seven years ago with his best-selling book, "The Golden Compass."
"The Golden Compass" and "The Subtle Knife" continue to be best sellers.
As the final volume in the trilogy, "The Amber Spyglass" more than fulfills the high expectations of readers waiting to see how Pullman would end his gripping saga pitting the magnetic young Lyra Belacqua and her friend Will Parry against the forces of both heaven and hell.
While the first two books of the trilogy have been praised for their masterful storytelling and unforgettable characters, "The Amber Spyglass" takes those elements several notches higher.
The result is a novel that is audacious in its vision and astonishing in its narrative power. Like its two predecessor volumes, "The Amber Spyglass" teems with the creative fruits of Pullman's imagination, from ferocious angels to friendly wheeled creatures to tiny, hand-high spies.
But "The Amber Spyglass," like the other two books in the trilogy, isn't a volume that can be read separately or out of sequence. Readers must begin with "The Golden Compass" and follow up with "The Subtle Knife" before they can begin to understand the power and glory of "The Amber Spyglass."
Although Pullman's trilogy often is classified as "fantasy" and does contain some elements of that genre, it has the depth and energy of a richly realized classic novel.
One important note: Unlike the "Harry Potter" series, Pullman's trilogy really is best read by older readers, at least ages 10 up, and maybe even 12 up, because of its philosophical depth. For his trilogy, Pullman draws his inspiration from many sources, most notably the biblical story of creation. In fact, Pullman turns the creation story on its head and then uses the result as the underlying architecture of his series.
Pullman uses his complex, complicated trilogy to pose essential questions of our existence: Can good triumph over evil? If so, how? Why are we here? What is consciousness? Is there a heaven?
In a phone interview last week from his Oxford, England, home, Pullman talked about one of the trilogy's main philosophical ideas, the notion of a "Republic of Heaven."
Pullman, 53, added that he's long been fascinated by the story of creation, but sees it very differently from, for example, C.S. Lewis, whose "Narnia Chronicles" are infused with his Christian beliefs. Lewis saw heaven as the ultimate home for humans, while Pullman believes that we should make our own "Republic of Heaven" here on earth.
"The notion is that heaven is our responsibility," Pullman said. "We can't rely on heaven to be created for us when we die. We are here on this earth, and our job is to make it as kindly, safe and friendly a place as we can."
"The whole point of the Republic of Heaven is that it includes everyone, there's no one authority to dominate or control."
That's why Dust, a mysterious radiant substance, plays such an important role in the entire trilogy. For Pullman, Dust "is a way of picturing human consciousness, the most mysterious thing in the universe."
In fact, "His Dark Materials" trilogy revolves around Lyra's quest to understand the secret of Dust, a substance that has provoked great controversy among the church scholars, who worry that it could somehow bring down the Kingdom of Heaven and even God.
In her quest, Lyra meets Will Parry, who joins forces with her to search for Dust. Lyra also befriends witches, armored bears and gypsies, and battles against the soul-sucking Specters and the human "Gobblers," who kidnap children for deadly experiments designed to destroy Dust.
Lyra and Will are guided by two essential tools: a golden compass that Lyra uses to advise her, and a unique knife with which Will can open windows into new worlds. The two children will need these tools, their wits and all their courage as they unknowingly head into the last battle of the universe.
It is that battle that forms much of the structure of "The Amber Spyglass." Fleeing from avenging angels and heavily armed church officials, Lyra and Will make a perilous journey into the land of the dead. The journey ends with Lyra's temptation and the fateful choice she must make toward the establishment of a Republic of Heaven.
As in the two previous books of the series, there is layer upon layer of meaning, loads of rich details and descriptions, and a large cast of wonderful, one-of-a-kind characters.
Perhaps the most thrilling example of Pullman's fertile imagination in this trilogy are "daemons," animal-like beings that are an outward manifestation of a person's soul. In Lyra's world, each person has a daemon.
Children's daemons have no fixed shape and can instantly transform from a cat to a butterfly to a raven, depending on the situation. As children mature, however, their daemons eventually settle into one shape, indicative of the type of person they are.
Lyra's daemon, named Pantalaimon, or "Pan" for short, plays a major role in the books. One of the many pleasures of "The Amber Spyglass" is finally discovering what animal "shape" Pan settles on, as Lyra moves toward adulthood.
"It's really the best idea I've had as a writer," Pullman said of the daemons. "Right up to the end of 'The Amber Spyglass,' I was discovering things about them. It's really a very good way of picturing the characteristics of people we know."
People in Lyra's world can't choose what shape their daemon settles on. But Pullman guesses his daemon would probably be "one of those scruffy, scrappy birds, like a rook or a crow or a jackdaw."
"They're always looking for bright shiny things to take back to their nests, just as a storyteller is always looking for bits of life to put into a story."
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