I always get excited about books that are controversial (ie, Harry Potter, banned books) but this was a bit of a letdown. I guess that's what I get for reading a controversial book for the sake of controversy.
Here's the controversy (this book is bad news, man): he states that God was created as an angel out of Dust (which represents Original Sin) and became the "Authority" by telling all the angels created after that he had created them. He set himself up in the Kingdom of Heaven as a fraud posing as God. Pullman states that God is a metaphor, however, he calls God by name in the books: "The Authority, God, the Creator, the Lord, Yahweh, El, Adonai, the King, the Father, the Almighty—those were all names he gave himself. He was never the creator. He was an angel like ourselves—the first angel, true, the most powerful, but he was formed of Dust as we are, and Dust is only a name for what happens when matter begins to understand itself. Matter loves matter. It seeks to know more about itself, and Dust is formed. The first angels condensed out of Dust, and the Authority was the first of all. He told those who came after him that he had created them, but it was a lie. One of those who came later was wiser than he was, and she found out the truth, so he banished her. We serve her still. And the Authority still reigns in the Kingdom, and Metatron is his Regent." --The Amber Spyglass
Not that I think anyone is going to read this book and take it as the gospel truth. It's clear it's meant to be a work of fiction and nothing more. It's just a bit scary that anyone has the audacity to make such claims. I'd be a little scared of being struck with lightening or something. But, I guess if you don't believe in God, or that he's nothing but a "metaphor" you don't really have anything to worry about.
For a pretty good interview, click here.
To be honest, the book is poorly written in my not so humble opinion. It was just plain boring and I had a really hard time finishing it. The ending is anticlimactic and doesn't really wrap things up properly.
On a side note, READ, PEOPLE! I never would have found The Catcher in the Rye if it hadn't been for the ALA's Banned Books List.
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