Ok, this is going to be a somewhat random blog that goes along with my rather odd, yet fascinating weekend... Here goes.
First, to all those students who can read pages per minute, I utterly envy you! I made it my goal to read as much of Pullman's dark materials as I possible could this weekend. Take in mind that I worked all weekend so I could have devoted more time but I devoted as much as I could. So far, its about noon on sunday, I've read about 373 pages. I'm in the second book, The Subtle Knife, and I'm trying to figure a way I can take it to work and read there too - I'll let you know how that turns out.
This book is absolutely incredible. I am usually not a huge fan of fantasy but then again this is a kid lit class: we've been reading fantasy the whole semester and I have enjoyed it thoroughly. Therefore it didn't take me long to become entranced with His Dark Materials. Off the top of my head, one of my favorite passages is when Lyra tricks Iofur Raknison into fighting Iorek Byrinson and they have an immense battle, a battle I vividly imagined while reading.
Some other notes I jotted down include:
- When Lyra is assisted by the Costa egyptians, around pg 79, she is so innocent all she can worry about is when she stole their boat in Jordon and that the Costas might be angry still. The leaders of the egyptians get a good laugh out of this too.
- I think I found an editing error on page 104: in the second paragraph the first P in pantalaimon is missing, it kind of through me for a loop on my first reading.
- On page 122, Farder Coram tells the story about saving the witch by shooting the great red bird pursuing her. This sounds awfully familiar to Coleridge's "Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner," and the shooting of the albatross. I think both men even second guess their actions.
- On page 270 we get Roger's monologue about 'not wanting to know,' why Lyra's father/uncle gasped when the children were standing in his doorway. I liked this passage because it really displays a child's need for innocence, how we yearn to stay innocent, why it may be bad to know.
- Then on page 274 we get a direct reference about the change from innocence to experience. And the bible story.
- On page 341, Lyra 'walked around in the fog for days just eating berries and stuff.' Hmm, fog is blinding and berries sound familiar..... Rapunzel's prince wandered around blind and ate roots and berries.
- Then an Alice reference on page 361: The sleepy scholar asks Lyra, "Who are you?' I'm beginning to think Pullman's trilogy is a superb displacement of Carroll's masterpiece: a sleepy scholar and a hookah smoking caterpillar, hmmm.
When Dr. Sexson said something to the effect that 'everything connects' I believed him but not to this extent.
- And then Keats stops by to say hi too. Page 364, the scholar directly quotes Keats' theory of negative capability, 'man's ability of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.'
I enjoy being an english major more and more with every page I read.
And then I watch the movie Zeitgeist.
To those of you who have seen this movie I would love to hear your opinions. To those of you who haven't, do; though I'll warn you now it's not for the faint of heart, and it may even leave you deeply troubled or incredibly moved and motivated. A quick personal fact: even before I saw this movie I started using the phrase "money, $, for the wicked.' After I saw this movie it made sense to me how, somehow unconsciously this phrase grew on me and became extremely relevant and pertinent to nearly everything around us, right down to the dollar in your wallet or purse.
Here is a link to the movie, which you can also buy online for about 7 dollars, Zeitgeist, The Movie - Remastered / Final Edition.
The movie is a documentary that touches on history, religion, 9-11, the federal reserve system, the education system, and the entire world.
It is kind of long, two hours or so, but if you find the time it's worth every minute. Dr. Sexson, I would especially be interested as to what you think about it, whether parts of it are consistent and accurate. As far as I can tell, it is but everything always deserves criticism. That's all I'm going to say so far because I don't want to ruin it for anyone.
Go watch Zeitgeist.
