My Bookshelf: The Subtle Knife
Posted by Kate on March 25th, 2009. Filed under: My Bookshelf.The Subtle Knife (Book 2 in the His Dark Materials trilogy)
by Philip Pullman
Read: March 2009
Description:
In this sequel to The Golden Compass, Lyra finds herself in another world, Cittagazze, where soul eating Specters stalk the streets, children roam freely without an adult in sight, and wingbeats of angels sound against the sky. It is here Lyra meets twelve-year-Old Will Parry, a boy from our world fleeing for his life after taking another’s, who has also stumbled into this strange new world. On a perilous journey from world to world, Lyra and Will uncover a deadly secret: an object of extraordinary and deadly power. And with every turn, they move closer to an even greater threat — and the shattering truth of their own destiny.
My Thoughts:
The Subtle Knife lived up to my expectations as the second book in this thrilling trilogy. With the introduction of a young boy from our world who becomes Lyra’s companion and a more in-depth look at characters such as Lee Scoresby and Serafina Pekkala who played minor roles in The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife has an all together different feel to it than the first book. This originality brings a freshness that I was not expecting, but happy to encounter.
Of the many themes throughout this book, the one that particularly caught and help my attention was the theme of sacrifice. Faced with difficult and sometimes insurmountable challenges, each of the characters makes sacrifices for each other and for what they believe is “good.” The characters are in the midst of a war in which line between good and evil is blurred and everyone has their completely rational reasons for choosing the side they take.
I did have one regret while reading the book. I feel as though I should have re-read parts of the Old Testament before jumping into Philip Pullman’s second book. Pullman’s references and parallels to The Fall and other events in the first books of the Old Testament were very intriguing, but it has been quite some time since I have read the Bible so my recollections of the Old Testament are a bit hazy. I would have had a better understanding of the allusions and paralells if I had taken a few days to re-read a few of the stories from the Old Testament.
