Around the Web...
My Buddhist cyberfriends in England, one of whom is fellow blogger Sujatin Johnson (lotusinthemud), were featured in a local TV news story called “A Buddhist Christmas.” Check out the video here.
Another fellow blogger, Huw, has written a very thoughtful review of The Golden Compass (the book, not the movie) that is well worth reading. He finds the world of the book to be very dark (which it is), too dark for children. I agree. Still, it’s an excellent book, and to me the trilogy as a whole (His Dark Materials – the title comes from William Blake) is not about the “death of God” but rather the death of our images of God – especially those images that are abusive and lead to oppression. Most of the things the religious right is upset about don’t happen until the 3rd novel of the trilogy. I haven’t seen the movie yet, although I plan to see it this weekend. Huw’s review is at his blog, Sarx – scroll down to the entry “The Golden Compass (Book).”
Another fellow blogger, Huw, has written a very thoughtful review of The Golden Compass (the book, not the movie) that is well worth reading. He finds the world of the book to be very dark (which it is), too dark for children. I agree. Still, it’s an excellent book, and to me the trilogy as a whole (His Dark Materials – the title comes from William Blake) is not about the “death of God” but rather the death of our images of God – especially those images that are abusive and lead to oppression. Most of the things the religious right is upset about don’t happen until the 3rd novel of the trilogy. I haven’t seen the movie yet, although I plan to see it this weekend. Huw’s review is at his blog, Sarx – scroll down to the entry “The Golden Compass (Book).”
Labels: Spirituality
posted by Darrell Grizzle | 10:50 AM
4 Comments:
Hi Bear,
Found you while looking up Universal Worship. I'm a cherag too. I have a blog on Blogger using the same template. I read The Dark Trilogy years ago at the recommendation of Caroline Casey an astrologer on KPFA. Great books, much better than the Harry Potter stuff. A comment re your post on sending the wrong message. Maybe you're getting the wrong message. I flirt outrageously with gay men because I can. It's safe. I love to flirt, for its own sake. Not to get anywhere. I've always had loads of gay men in my life as friends. My blog is mysteryranch.blogspot.com. Just started.
Thanks for the mention, but here, use a Direct Link to the post because I post a Lot!.
I saw the movie a couple of days ago. It was really well done... I loved Lyra's world in the book, and the film was just as I imagined it.
You're quite right about the really sticky parts being in the third book. And of course, mystics can agree with it as the death of our image of God, but it was also clear that that was not how Pullman intended it. It virtually ruined the series for me. I think though that in being reworked for the screen it may be improved...
My only gripes with GC is that it moves so fast and doesn't take the time to introduce the characters. And Lyra always knows exactly what to do, never any doubts, hardly even any vulnerablity. She doesn't even have to take a moment out to come up with one of her brilliant plans... she just has them.
She seems a bit too Daphne Taggart here. I'd really like to see Will and her treated with more depth and nuance.
You're right, Jon, I'm sure Pullman did not intend for so gracious an interpretation for his "death of Yahweh" scene. But I don't think that makes it any less valid an interpretation. Isaac Asimov once wrote about sneaking into a college class where one of his novels was being discussed and being dismayed at the professor's (mis)interpretation of his work. When he presented his own interpretation, she shot him down, not knowing who he was. Then when he introduced himself as the author, she said, "With all due respect, just because you wrote this work doesn't necessarily mean you know all of its meanings." And he realized she was right.
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