Page 1 of How do the Phillip Pullman books compare to harry potter?

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Im looking for something to read at the moment and noticed that his trilogy is in the top 21 of the BBC Big Read as is Goblet of Fire.

"The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves."

I enjoyed them a lot, but they are different from Harry Potter. Somehow I always see HP as kind of happier and lighter, though the new book is heading away from this. The Pullman books feel darker to me, but this doesn`t mean they are a depressing read. Watching the Big Read programme though, I suddenly realised I`d missed a few things (Gay angels? Oh yeah, so they were!!). :D I`ll have to get my own copy of the last two and re-read the lot.

There not as well written as the HP books but there still worth a read. It was a while ago when I read them but I remember thinking at times the plot hadn`t been thought through fully and some of the things that happened in the last book were just put in to correct things that happened in the earlier books. (quite hard to explain)

If your after any recommendations for fantasy books to read I can highly recommend the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb (Assassin`s Aprentice, Royal Assassin and Assassin`s Quest. I reading the first book again and currently trying to purchase them in Hardback as I enjoyed them so much.

And if you like them the story continues 15 years later in The Tawny Man trilogy.

"Life is like oral sex, one slip of the tongue and you`re in the 5hit" - Roy Chubby Brown

This item was edited on Sunday, 2nd November 2003, 00:26

"They`re not as well written as the HP books "

I beg to differ. I would liken the HP books to a big mac - you devour it quickly, but end up slightly dissatisfied and want more (and feel slightly guilty for liking it so much). The Dark Materials trilogy had me reading at the same frantic pace as HP, but I found them much more satisfying. When I had finished them, I wanted to go back and read them again immediately.

Don`t get me wrong, I`ve read and enjoyed all the HP books, but I found the Pullman triology to be much more interesting - a lot of thought provoking stuff, an atheist world view, and the writing is a lot more "grown up" (for want of a better phrase) than JKR`s.

Don`t want to start a flame war on the qualities of the HP books, but I would wholeheartedly recommend the Pullmans. The Book People have the Pullman trilogy available for £6.99 - utter bargain.

RichardH has got it spot on, I enjoy the HP books, but His Dark Materials is superb and definitely better written, imho. There`s much more thought and originality in them whereas JK Rowling, errrr.... "borrows" much of her material from existing folklore.

Pullman probably aimed His Dark Materials at slightly older kids than Rowling did with Harry Potter which makes them a bit less obvious and "Jackanory" (if that makes sense). Emotionally and philosophically they`re much more powerful too - I`m a 35 year old man and I was almost in tears at the end of The Amber Spyglass!!

Definitely worth a read, and if you can get all 3 for £6.99 it`s a full-on steal!

p.s. How did random username not get that the angels were gay? Camp as a row of tents, mate!!

This item was edited on Sunday, 2nd November 2003, 09:26

I know, how daft am I!! To be honest though, that sort of thing seems to pass me by until its pointed out :D I was reading them quickly, thats my excuse.

The His Dark Materials books p*** all over the Harry Potter books. From a great height. Buy them now.

Philip Pullman books in general are much better than HP.

Pullman has written loads of other fantasy type books as well as the His Dark Materials trilogy. All of which are well worth a read.

Personally the fantasy books i`d recommend most are Lloyd Alexanders Chronicles of Prydain - 5 kids books but for me they make me feel like i`m part of the story and have ever since i was a kid. I still try and read them at least once a yr.

Pullman can be quite a difficult read at times and requires some real concentration in parts of this trilogy. No bad thing though, it keeps the cells alive :)

I found aspects of the trilogy totally gripping and even at the end of The Amber Spyglass I wanted more, though I`m not sure if Lyra`s Oxford is going to satiate that.

This one (three) deserves to be near the top of The Big Read but I doubt the populist vote will see it that way at the end of voting

"Never `eard of it. Has it bin on telly/at the flicks?" The masses will ask before voting for Harry Potter. :/

The dark materials books are much darker than Harry Potter books with more graphic violence and nastier enemies with more complicated motives. If you fancy reading more fantasy aimed at the young market try Ursula K Le Guins Earthsea books (contains a college for wizards that takes a much more serious attitude to training wizards), Susan Coopers Dark is Rising series or any of Alan Garners books. Joan Aikens Wolves of Willoughby Chase series has a similar pace to the Harry Potter books but is set in an Alternative history where the Stuarts still rule and the Hanoverians plot to take the throne and theres very little in the way of magic being used