I think I’d also note that Pullman isn’t really even writing children’s fiction, but more teen fiction. He uses all sorts of themes that probably wouldn’t be either appropriate or understood by even juniour highers (things like terrible violence and subtle sexuality and intrigue and religious zealotry and science). And once you hit the kind of themes he’s using, you might as well read actual literature (or regular fantasy, if you really feel the need for a fantasy novel).

I’d certainly give Pullman an award for world building (at least for Lyra’s world), but the overall story (if we include Subtle Knife and Amber Spyglass) really just wasn’t that compelling. I imagine a more competent author (and perhaps a more engaged editor) could have taken the direction of Pullman’s story but crafted something honestly engaging, but The Subtle Knife was just boring (with brief glimmers of inspiration) and The Amber Spyglass has just been painful as it moves from uninteresting storyline to uninteresting storyline (with brief glimmers of inspiration). And the especially contrived that makes up the last 300 pages of book three… oy.

I agree that his prose is often childish and melodramatic. He can be rather ridiculous, tedious, and, as Rich said, “preachy.”

The books, however, have won numerous literary awards in Children’s fiction, and I tend to agree with those awards that he has done a masterful job of creating a world and an overall story that is compelling and attractive.

I am very far from thinking Rowling’s stuff is the best out there, but even her work is leagues ahead of Pullman. One wishes that he had more interest in Tolkien or Lewis, because then, even if he disagreed with their worldviews, he may have learned a thing or two about writing.

The Golden Compass was acceptable if a little flat, but the latter two books are painful to get through. They’re trash fiction, meant to be read while you’re on the pot. And honestly, there’s much more worthwhile reads to occupy “throne time.”

I was sold a bill of goods by all the people who kept on about how good these books were despite their atheism (I’m looking at you Overstreet and Mohler). I have ninety pages to go in the last book and if I finish it, I’m going to hate myself for wasting the lunch break it’ll take me to finish it.