Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman
Okay, first off, this series IS sold as "intermediate/young adult fantasy" (seeing as I've been doing some writing in this field--Elevator to the End of the World--I better know what's out there.) However, these three books: 1) The Golden Compass, 2) The Subtle Knife, 3) The Amber Spyglass, have anything but a children's plot. The first book is good. The second is okay (get's you to the third). The third book, though, (so far--half way through) fantastic. This book, the Amber Spyglass, won the Whitebread Book of the Year in England (The best book in all of England spanning all genres, children and adult alike.) The scope of these books are as epic as Tolkien.
These books are very much a precursor to Harry Potter, with an even more amazing plot. Pullman has some serious hutzpah. If you're at all religous (as scifi/fantasy types tend to be less religious than most, though not always--covering my butt) stay a way from these. A number of Christian groups shun Harry Potter. If they had a whiff of this book, they'd be raising some serious "hell".
Anyway, if you got kids of the right age, or like reading children's fantasy (Harry Potter, Wizard of Oz, Narnia, etc.) then this series should not be missed. Besides the Golden Compass has a loveable, viscious, armored, bear, and all the inhabitants have "daemons", and their's an Aeronaut from Texas, and an evil golden monkey!
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Re:Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman
Hey, thanks for this! My sister in Nottingham got my son this book for Christmas when she heard he was reading The Hobbit. I glanced through it and thought this was a little old for him (he's 9) but maybe not.
He's reading the Narnia series now, as a matter of fact.
Would you put the reading level on par with The Hobbit and Chronicles of Narnia?
I'm not a complete idiot -- some parts are missing.
Dark Materials Age
For the Golden Compass, reading wise, it is easier than The Hobbit, and about the same as Narnia. The main character is an amazing little girl named Lyra. This character and the easyness of the prose are why I think it's classified as a children's book, though there is an "adult" version without the cute bear and little girl on the front cover. Younger kids may not know everything that goes on with the plot, especially if they read all the way to the last book, but I think they can certainly handle the physical text and identify with the cast of colorful characters.
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Life is a lot like caving: Most of the time you grope around in the dark.
The Amber Spyglass
So I finished The Amber Spyglass this weekend (4/17/04), third book in the Dark Materials trilogy, and it was FANTASTIC. When I put the book down, read the last word, the story would not let me go. For the rest of my plane ride, I was forced to ponder what I had just read, and why it gripped me so much. In other words, I was moved.
The only other time I can remember getting this feeling to such a strong extent was when I reread the Lord of the Rings two years ago. When I finished that book, I didn't realize until it was over how much I had invested in Frodo and his struggle, and how I hung on every word while his fate hung on Mt Doom.
Oh sure, I could nitpick and critique a bunch of things (that's what we do in this group, right?), but at some point, you got to put down your pen, and enjoy. In the Amber Spyglass, you have a complex plot, complex characters, and imaginative settings to enjoy. Yes this is "marketed" to juveniles, but there's plenty here to enjoy for the adult too. As a friend of mine said, "Pullman uses many more literary allusions than JK Rowling has ever heard of". Pullman in a knowledgable writer, and even though I scoff at some of his prose... Nope, no negative comments.
In short, If anyone needs a good read, I would 100% unequivocably recommend this series. Even if you don't write or read much fantasy, I would still recommend this book. In fact, I would recommend The Dark Materials Trilogy over Harry Potter.
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Life is a lot like caving: Most of the time you grope around in the dark.