Reread 2019 in advance of the miniseries. (I forget when I first read it, but it was, I believe, after I'd read Sandman and American Gods but before IReread 2019 in advance of the miniseries. (I forget when I first read it, but it was, I believe, after I'd read Sandman and American Gods but before I'd read a single other Pratchett)
This is one that I don't mind re-reading because it's so dense and wonderful and fundamentally hopeful in a cynical way. Or cynical in a hopeful way? It feels balanced. One might say ineffable.
I love how they play with mythology and biblical prophesy, and I love how all the characters are rich and entertaining and well-written. I love the footnotes. Anathema Device may be the greatest character name in history. (Well, second after Bob Loblaw. Still.)
I'm not sure there's much more I can say about this one. Not that it would be spoilery (can you spoil a book about prophecies?) but because what would be the point? It's just really that good. I am jealous of Gaiman for getting to work with Pratchett, and jealous of Pratchett for getting to work with Gaiman. Mostly I'm just grateful they worked together and we have this book now....more
I had somehow forgotten that this is my favorite Austen, but I'm glad I got the audiobook to listen to while knitting and thus remembered!I had somehow forgotten that this is my favorite Austen, but I'm glad I got the audiobook to listen to while knitting and thus remembered!...more
Probably more like 3.5 but rounded up because quality writing and world building trump my personal squickedness.
I first read this book around 2007 or Probably more like 3.5 but rounded up because quality writing and world building trump my personal squickedness.
I first read this book around 2007 or so, give or take a year. Point being: I was in grad school, still relatively newly-married, and child free. I finished reading it out of sheer stubbornness, pushing past how deeply upsetting I found the activities of the Oblation Board. I was a kid who took excellent care of each stuffed animal, and did everything I could to not hurt their feelings in any way. So... yeah, even as an adult, the gobblers were *terrifying*.
Fast forward to this re-reading. Now I'm a parent. Intercission is just as upsetting, if not moreso because I find I have even more protective feelings toward the children in the book. Not to mention how much rage I have toward the adults in question.
So yeah, welcome to my baggage. I'm planning on pushing through the rest of the series, but I might need a bit of a breather first. The writing is top notch and I love Lyra's world. I also enjoy that Pullman lets the world develop naturally without too much ponderous exposition. I feel that some of the characters were shortchanged a bit (Lee Scoresby, Serafina Pekkala) but I get that there's only so much space in the narrative. Also obviously there are more books so.......more