# Philip Pullman's HIS DARK MATERIALS (spoilers likely) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 19, 2006, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-pullmans-his-dark-materials-spoilers-likely/365256 "2006-07-19T23:39:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2006, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-pullmans-his-dark-materials-spoilers-likely/365256/61 "2006-07-24T00:05:39Z")
Interesting. I’m starting to think about re-reading the first one, but not the other two. Probably I won’t, though, because the end was just too much for me–I don’t even like to look at them. I’m thinking more seriously about re-reading some of his other books. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2006, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-pullmans-his-dark-materials-spoilers-likely/365256/62 "2006-07-24T14:39:24Z")
Although I’m sure that everyone here is perceptive enough to have picked this up, I want to be perfectly clear that I was mostly joking in my last post. (We need a emoticon for the twinkle in the eye you have when you’re saying something ironic with a straight face.) However, as someone once said: To my extreme mortification, I grow wiser every day. And with particular thanks to **Skald** and **Case Sensitive** , you folks have definitely given me some food for thought about _HDM_. Even though I’ve recommended it to many people since I first picked it up, I’ve never had an extended conversation about it with anyone. So this thread has served as the seminar I never got, and I appreciate it. Even though I just picked up a couple of Elmore Leonards and a Jim Thompson for some light summer reading, I guess I’ll have to go through _HDM_ again. BTW, have any of you seen _Lyra’s Oxford_? It’s a thin little hardbound book with a little mystery featuring Lyra that’s unrelated to the main story of _HDM_. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-pullmans-his-dark-materials-spoilers-likely/365256/63 "2006-07-24T15:06:21Z")
Oh, I assumed it was a book about Oxford, like those ‘extra’ books explaining Narnia and Hogwart’s. I knew about its existence, but haven’t looked for it. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2006, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-pullmans-his-dark-materials-spoilers-likely/365256/64 "2006-07-24T20:31:36Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > However, as someone once said: To my extreme mortification, I grow wiser every day. And with particular thanks to **Skald** and **Case Sensitive** , you folks have definitely given me some food for thought about _HDM_. Even though I’ve recommended it to many people since I first picked it up, I’ve never had an extended conversation about it with anyone. So this thread has served as the seminar I never got, and I appreciate it. Then my work here is done. Thanks for the compliment. > [@](#): > > BTW, have any of you seen _Lyra’s Oxford_? It’s a thin little hardbound book with a little mystery featuring Lyra that’s unrelated to the main story of _HDM_. Yes, I’ve read it: inessential as an adjunct to the novels, but a very nice little book: beautifully presented, and some great illustrations. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2006, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-pullmans-his-dark-materials-spoilers-likely/365256/65 "2006-07-24T20:33:52Z")
PS Jim Thompson is your _light summer reading?_ What do you do when you _really_ want something brutal and depressing? ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2006, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-pullmans-his-dark-materials-spoilers-likely/365256/66 "2006-07-24T20:42:47Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > PS Jim Thompson is your _light summer reading?_ What do you do when you _really_ want something brutal and depressing? Dan Simmons’ Joe Kurtz novels. Except that I’ve never gotten up the nerve to actually read one. (I have read his _Endymion_ SF series and some of his short stories, though.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/philip-pullmans-his-dark-materials-spoilers-likely/365256.md?page=3)