Golden Compass part 2 I usually don't get involved in these type of
discussion, but this time I've read all of this and the book. The book
was entertaining and fun to read. In my opinion it wasn't any more
controversial than C.S. Lewis' books or the Harry Potter books or any
other fantasy book. It was a good read. I enjoyed the story--I didn't
read 'God' into it at all. I'm wondering if someone (Hollywood?) decided
that a little controversy would improve the box office and possibly the
sale of the book. Look what happened to the Harry Potter books and the
movies. With all of this going on the producers of the movie and Pullman
are going to laugh all the way to the bank. I wonder if Snopes will get
a cut? ;-) I received the warning email from my sister. I asked if she
had read the books, and of course she hadn't. I've read all three.
After seeing the claim that Pullman reportedly said that his books are
about killing God, I looked at every interview transcript I could find
that featured direct quotes from the author. None that I saw featured
that line. As a Christian, I'm still not sure why some other Christians
are threatened by works of fiction. I would think the chance to discuss
religious themes and ideas would be welcome, but maybe that's just me.I
prepared a synopsis of excerpts from several interviews, some of which
cover the religious question and sent that back to my sister. I
challenged her to forward the information to as many people as she sent
the warning. My hope is that maybe somebody will read the books and
make their own, informed decision. The excerpts are below if you're
interested. (I didn't cite sources because I thought I was only sending
the excerpts to a relative, not a professional group.) It is a middle
school and above book that can be very controversial.It is also
storytelling at it's best. Just to play the Devil's advocate (note the
intentional irony), let's say the the critics are right and the book is
anti-Christian and/or anti-religious. So what? does that mean it has
no place in a school library. I can see a Catholic school rejecting the
book, but in a public school don't atheist have a right to have their
views represented? I have the Left Behind series in my library. It is
definitely pro-Christian. It is in fact evangelical. So why not a
pro-atheist series (and one that is much better written than
LaHaye/Jenkin's series)? Pullman's defenders should stop quibbling
about whether the series is anti-Christian or anti-authoritarian or
anti-whatever and defend it as a different viewpoint on important moral
questions. His books make you think and question your beliefs and they
are great stories. I guess for some that is a very dangerous
combination, but they are worth defending. It is not my job to warn
parents. I will share the info if asked. I don't have the books in my
library. Just never got them. Probably won't bother either as I have
lots of great fantasy already and missed them when they came out. Sounds
like over reacting to me. I'm thinking most parents really won't want to
take a child to see a movie about killing God anyway. So the watered
down version will probably have a very different ending. That's what I
would do if I were making the movie. Thanks for sharing what you
received. The quote "My books are about killing God" is from a 2003
interview withthe Sydney Morning Herald. Here's the
link:http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/12/1071125644900.html I
read the snopes.com page and am anticipating my own little tempest. I
dowish that snopes had not referred to them as children's books. While
thefirst book did receive a Carnegie Medal the range of the medal gives
a falseimpression of the audience for the series. Judy Beahan, LMS
Griswold Elementary School
303 Slater Avenue
Griswold, CT 06351
jbeahan@griswold.k12.ct.us"At the moment that we persuade a child, any
child, to cross that threshold, that magic threshold into a library, we
change their lives forever, for the better." Barack Obama
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