The Subtle Knife

by Philip Pullman

Assignment: #4 of narrative annotations
Publication info.: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997. 331 p.
Genre & Format: Fantasy; Novel

Awards/Reviews: Horn Book, Booklist

Grades: 7 and up

Summary: This is the second book, following The Golden Compass, in the His Dark Materials trilogy. Lyra Belacqua, our protagonist, meets Will Parry in the middle world that she has stepped into on her quest to find the meaning of Dust. The Golden Compass tells her that she has a greater quest related to Will, and so she must follow that path first and foremost. In this episode the witches return, as well as other familiar friends and foes to do evil and good. Angels make their first appearance, solidifying the religious nature of the text, but overall this book is very dark, with few light spots of hope. It only makes it that much more intriguing to see how it will all play out in the third book, The Amber Spyglass.

Comments: I could not put it down! It would be pointless to read this book without reading the first book in the trilogy first. Pullman does a great job of referring back to characters or events from the first book without burdening readers with the feeling that you are being told the first book all over again. Brilliant. The religious aspects are fascinating as I am constantly trying to create an allegory of how his tenets fit into what I know about Christianity (not enough, as I am an agnostic). This would not be a good read as a whole class for obvious concerns of some parents, but great to offer in the library.

Booktalking ideas: Describe the idea of there being a Chicago or a New York that belongs to a different time or place. It is familiar, but different. When I read about Lyra’s Oxford in The Golden Compass, I keep looking for her to mention the familiar parts for me to latch on to. Well, in the second book we revisit that idea, but with a whole new middle world connected between the two. So what do you think is in that world?

VOYAesque Rating: 5Q 4P