I have recently found the following review on a German site. I have translated and published it here because of its beautiful explanation of the meaning of the Greek word daimon that Pullman “recycled” to use it in his story.
Only for its complexity, its tension and because it is much better written than most of what adult readers of fantasy usually get this books receives fours stars from me.
Furthermore it is a conglomeration of nice ideas, as Mrs Coulter smelling of hot metal all of the sudden, just as the devil smells of sulphur. Pullman merits a fifth star for the philosophy that stands behind the story, and for the truly fascinating way he deals with it in a modern and easily understandable way. Since the Ancient World Greek philosophers have thought about the nature of the “daimon” which accompanies men from their birth till their death. Heraklit regarded it as a quality, the essence and the cast of mind of a human. Sokrates spoke of his daimon as a warning voice and godly inspiration. Later Goethe wrote of it as the human individuality already present at the birth. Since the Ancient World men had the impression that the daimon was a person, a cross between gods and men which shows its shape the more intensely as the situation in which someone is gets more extreme. Only Christianity transformed the daimon into the evil demon, half animal, half man, as a result of the sexual act between a woman and the devil. Thus Christianity converted the godly daimon into the demon, product of sin.
Pullman conveys this matter to his readers, children as well as adults with astounishing ease by moving the inner daimon to the outsinde and giving it an easily interpretable animal shape. At the same time he asks what would happen to somebody being separated from their daimon and who would be interested in separating us from our daimon. The most amazing thing about this is that children (that is, sharp children :-) ) understand intuitively and ask their own questions. An interesting way to teach philosopy without seeming didactic.
The story has a single weak point, the scene in which Lord Asriel explains the nature of Dust and dæmons to Lyra. Here Pullman has to leave his focal plan of images and the explanation sounds very artificial. But this is only a tiny flaw in an otherwise successful novel.
0 comments - Add yours