jordana hall-stellpflug

The series is interesting, but for those that think this keeps to the spirit of the novels--I don't agree. One of the more interesting aspects of His Dark Materials is how very interesting Lyra is (her wildness and willingness to lie--or tell stories as she sees it--is what marks her as a "silvertongue" AND what makes others, especially children, willing to follow her. The world of children, that Pullman notes is as politically complex as an adult world though in different ways, is non-existent in this series). The series makes her "wild" in the most traditional of ways that young heroines are represented and it takes away her playfulness and her quick turns to temper that mark her as passionately devoted and loyal to all that is "right" according to her world view. This Lyra is simply less interesting. Not in that the actress doesn't do well, I can tell by the music that accompanies it that it was a tone choice for the story, and I think it takes a huge element away from the world (including the role of the gobblers play in the imagination of children and in relation to the Gyptians and the other political elements in the story, which rips away the dichotomy between child and adult that also continues to make the fantasy world so interesting in a lasting way). Second, all of the parents are good parents. Clearly they are facing challenges, but their level and investment and care in the kids is ALWAYS obvious. His Dark Materials worked because most of the adults were morally challenged. The mystery was Lyra working out what was right and wrong about Dust because she couldn't trust the adults around her. They all sucked. Asriel cared, but he was an awful "parent figure" and knew it. The same for every other adult in Lyra's life (I'll avoid spoilers here). She could only every rely on those that society would see as most unreliable. She recognized that, and it made her special. This is not the same world or the same Lyra, and that's disappointing as a fan of the novels.