Pullman rips on LOTR, others

[Child of the 7th Age]

Does PP have a problem with his characters being together? Happily ever after doesn't seem to appeal to him...

Tell that part about "happily ever after" to Frodo! The poor hobbit doesn't even have the memory of such a relationship, unless we are to believe the many trash fanfictions that exist on the internet. Surely we can't condemn Pullman for his inability to supply a wholly happy ending given the concluding chapter of LotR. There is a "sacrifice" made in both books.

Like Lalwende, I have considerable admiration for Pullman's books, despite the fact that the author's world view is leagues from my own. I gobbled up each of the hardcovers when they first came out (still have the first printings with a signed bookplate tipped in.) Pullman is not on the same level as Tolkien, but I do see his work and that of Lewis as similar in many respects, and I enjoy both HDM and Narnia. (If I only enjoyed books that closely mirrored my own world view, I would probably only have a total of two or three to read!) However, I could do without Pullman's bombastic manner in interviews. He certainly does not have the public grace that Tolkien had.

The movie Golden Compass was a real disappointment. I don't expect to see later installments. But then the same thing happened with Tolkien. The earliest film adaptations were very flawed, and we had to wait a long time to see something better. OK, so maybe that latter statement is debatable! But the basic idea is that there's no sense judging a book on a film adaptation. Someday, somewhere, some filmaker will try again with Pullman, if the books continue to appeal to readers, and I believe they will.