His dark materials

[Nuala]

Merlinssister

I also love the books. The Subtle Knife is my favourite because it seems to have the best balance story wise. My favourite characters are the witches and Will.
I don't understand why the books are in the 8 to 11 age group of most book shops. At that age you can follow the story but unless you're a very smart 8 year old you wouldn't get all of the religious references which make the book more interesting. It'd be interesting to find out what age people were when they read the books and whether that had an impact on how much they understood them.

They're largely in the 8-11 category in the US?

Seriously?

Here in the UK, they're often still on a prominent display all to themselves, but they're always amongst the 12+ sort of area.

I know that there're some smart primary/elementary school kids out there (I don't mean to blow my own trumpet by saying that I read The Lord of the Rings when I was 10, but the sheer scale of the darned thing - let alone the richness of all of the allegorical content - would most likely be totally lost on that age group without someone to take them through it.

I can't believe that the books're being misrepresented and sold short like that. eek  

[laaalalalalalalalalas]

that is distressing news! eek we should write the people who do those categories and tell them to change it  

[Merlinssister]

I'm also in the UK, England to be precise xd . It seems to be in some Waterstones mostly. The children's classics copy of Lord of the Rings is in the same age section. I think which category a book is in is up to the people who work in the shop although I don't know. Maybe the head people at book shops decide where to put them?  

[laaalalalalalalalalas]

maybe they think it will encourage children to read intelligent books at an early age...then they will grow up and be intelligent....hopefully  

[xpumkynxmonkiex]

yea. we do need more smart people, but smart people w/ a sense of life. That's probally why i liked His Dark Materials so much. They started off somewhat carefree, and through the books, they grew up, but learned to apreciate the small things in life. (like sitting a particular bench at a particular time on a particular day)  

[laaalalalalalalalalas]

GO SMART PEOPLE xd but i see what your saying 3nodding  

[Merlinssister]

I think most younger people who want to read anything smarter go to the teen reading bit anyway (I hope). Defintitely yay for smart people who did understand it when they were 11 though 3nodding  

[xpumkynxmonkiex]

i read it when i was in...err...*thinks hard*...six grade? yes. sixth grade. since then, i have re-read it several times, and each time i have understood the book more and more. I also finally understood the religious comments when i was in 8th.  

[laaalalalalalalalalas]

i dont remember age but i thonk it was seventh grade when i read it i remember my dad was saying the books i wanted were below my grade level so i was like 'screw this' and picked the thickest book in sight. also a friend of mine had been reading it and told me it was good  

[sabriel111]

I think the Golden Compass was my favorite because it had a lot of traveling and adventure in it and when Lyra started going to the other worlds it got a little complicated. What was the thing about making Will and Lyra fall in love they're like twelve but it was touching though it would it would have been better if they were older.  

[x.Marsh[mel]low.x]

Absolutley loved it. Not only was it an original plot line, it had structured societies, was historically correct, and it's good to see something different than "so remember kids, respect the almighty God or you sould is damned!". I thought it was good, colorful, original... but the romance SUCKED. It blows. It needs to GO. I dont CARE what everyone likes, if that even is romance because half the romances you find complaints about, the romance needs to go.  

[laaalalalalalalalalas]

i agree but i thought the romance made it all the more heartbreaking at thge end when they had to say goodbye and all the more touching when they sit on the same bench in different worlds and think of eachother. (but you would love the book im writing....no romance to speak of)  

[x.Marsh[mel]low.x]

Dare to share? Send? Give a summary? I always (well... mostly) enjoy reading other people's material. If you send me a bit, I'd look at it ^^

... as long as you have decent grammar and you have some realism eliments.  

[xpumkynxmonkiex]

Mel_Darkflame

was historically correct

what do you mean by that?  

[LotesseElf]

I read the Dark Materials a few years ago, actually only a few days after its publishing. I loved them because they had an interesting plot and especially liked the daemons.

Yes, It was a good read. It would make an even better movie. Go and get the book.