Besides being wonderfully entertaining sagas pitting good against the darkest of forces, both of these series shared some pretty BIG themes, many of which parallel those that form the doctrine of the Christian faith. These have been thoroughly discussed and examined by academics for decades, so I will let that sleeping dog be.
In his wildly popular trilogy "His Dark Materials", Philip Pullman has also created a rousing adventure rich with characters and page-turning action, resting on a foundation of the most classic of conflicts: Good vs. Evil. However, it is here that Pullman becomes more Dan Brown than C.S. Lewis, as the antagonists are no other than the organization of the Church, loosely disguised by the title of "the Magistrate", and the faulty "God" they serve, known as "The Authority".
Do I have a problem with this? Not at all. The past and present abuses of the Church and crimes committed in the name of religion are well documented in history and sales of this trilogy and the novels of Dan Brown are unprecedented. Nevertheless, Church bashing and conspiracy theories seem to be a modern phenomena and I have to wonder how the attack on the secular aspects of religion in these novels with stack up in the long run against the "high road" taken by Lewis and Tolkien.
Collectors of first editions seem to agree. While Lewis and Tolkien signed firsts are astronomical in price ($100,000 plus!!), the much more recently published book "The Golden Compass" can still be had for a more earthly sum of around $6,000. Still, not a bad little investment for a book costing under $30 in 1995, eh?
What about Harry Potter? Don't even get me started.
Having said all that, of the three series, I found Pullman's to be the most entertaining - complex enough to engross adults, while remaining accessible for the teens. I recommend reading book one, "The Golden Compass", before renting the recently released movie. While the movie is good, there have been many changes to key facts and it ends at a point several chapters from the end of the book. I can only assume the next movie will pick up from where the last left off.
But be warned, the books are very much intertwined, so if you do start with book one, you may feel compelled to press on without interruption to the end of book three. So, you may as well save some money and buy the entire set now.
