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104-478: His Dark Materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman consisting of Northern Lights (1995; published as The Golden Compass in North America), The Subtle Knife (1997), and The Amber Spyglass (2000). It follows the coming of age of two children, Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry , as they wander through a series of parallel universes . The novels have won a number of awards, including

208-454: A multiverse , moving between many parallel worlds. In Northern Lights , the story takes place in a world with some similarities to our own: dress-style resembles that of the UK's Edwardian era ; the technology does not include cars or fixed-wing aircraft, but zeppelins feature as a mode of transport. The dominant religion has parallels with Christianity . The Church (governed by the "Magisterium",

312-652: A subordinationist doctrine of Christology that regarded the Son as secondary to the Father and as God's "great Vice-regent" (5.609). Milton's God in Paradise Lost refers to the Son as "My word, my wisdom, and effectual might" (3.170). The poem is not explicitly anti-trinitarian , but it is consistent with Milton's convictions. The Son is the ultimate hero of the epic and is infinitely powerful—he single-handedly defeats Satan and his followers and drives them into Hell. After their fall,

416-415: A child's puberty, their dæmon "settles" into a permanent form, which reflects the person's personality. When a person dies, the dæmon dies too. Armoured bears, cliff ghasts, and other creatures do not have dæmons. An armoured bear's armour is his soul. One distinctive aspect of Pullman's story is the presence of " dæmons " (pronounced "demon"). In the birth-universe of the story's protagonist Lyra Belacqua ,

520-431: A cornerstone of literary and theological discourse. The poem follows the epic tradition of starting in medias res ( lit.   ' in the midst of things ' ), the background story being recounted later. Milton's story has two narrative arcs , one about Satan ( Lucifer ) and the other about Adam and Eve . It begins after Satan and the other fallen angels have been defeated and banished to Hell , or, as it

624-475: A heroic figure, but also as a greater sinner than Eve, as he is aware that what he is doing is wrong. After eating the fruit, Adam and Eve experience lust for the first time, which renders their next sexual encounter with one another unpleasant. At first, Adam is convinced that Eve was right in thinking that eating the fruit would be beneficial. However, they soon fall asleep and have terrible nightmares, and after they awake, they experience guilt and shame for

728-417: A heroic role in the poem, Blake himself described Satan as the "state of error", and as beyond salvation. John Carey argues that this conflict cannot be solved, because the character of Satan exists in more modes and greater depth than the other characters of Paradise Lost : in this way, Milton has created an ambivalent character, and any "pro-Satan" or "anti-Satan" argument is by its nature discarding half

832-412: A human individual's inner-self manifests itself throughout life as an animal-shaped "dæmon" that almost always stays near its human counterpart. During the childhood of its associated human, a dæmon can change its animal shape at will, but with the onset of adolescence it settles into a fixed, final animal form. Pullman has identified three major literary influences on His Dark Materials : the essay On

936-522: A land populated by strange sentient creatures called Mulefa . There, she comes to understand the true nature of Dust, which is both created by and nourishes life that has become self-aware. Lord Asriel and the reformed Mrs Coulter work to destroy the Authority's Regent Metatron . They succeed, but themselves suffer annihilation in the process by pulling Metatron into the abyss. The Authority himself dies of his own frailty when Will and Lyra free him from

1040-508: A legendary Saxon or British king like the legend of King Arthur . Leonard speculates that the English Civil War interrupted Milton's earliest attempts to start his "epic [poem] that would encompass all space and time". In the 1667 version of Paradise Lost , the poem was divided into ten books. However, in the 1674 edition, the text was reorganized into twelve books. In later printing, "Arguments" (brief summaries) were inserted at

1144-531: A manner reminiscent of Odysseus or Aeneas . After an arduous traversal of the Chaos outside Hell, he enters God's new material World, and later the Garden of Eden . At several points in the poem, an Angelic War over Heaven is recounted from different perspectives. Satan's rebellion follows the epic convention of large-scale warfare. The battles between the faithful angels and Satan's forces take place over three days. At

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1248-463: A nuanced or sympathetic character. Romanticist critics in particular, among them William Blake , Lord Byron , Percy Bysshe Shelley , and William Hazlitt , are known for interpreting Satan as a hero of Paradise Lost . This has led other critics, such as C. S. Lewis and Charles Williams , both of whom were devout Christians, to argue against reading Satan as a sympathetic, heroic figure. Despite Blake thinking that Milton intended for Satan to have

1352-521: A number of acrostics in the poem. In Book 9, a verse describing the serpent which tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden spells out "SATAN" (9.510), while elsewhere in the same book, Milton spells out "FFAALL" and "FALL" (9.333). Respectively, these probably represent the double fall of humanity embodied in Adam and Eve, as well as Satan's fall from Heaven. Satan , formerly called Lucifer ,

1456-505: A physicist who is researching dark matter, which is analogous to Dust in Lyra's world. Lyra encourages Dr. Malone to attempt to communicate with the particles, and when she does they tell her to travel into the Cittàgazze world. Lyra's alethiometer is stolen by Lord Boreal alias Sir Charles Latrom, an ally of Mrs Coulter who has found a way to Will's Oxford and established a home there. Will becomes

1560-493: A radical, mostly because of his republican political views and heterodox theological opinions. One of Milton's most controversial arguments centred on his concept of what is idolatrous, a subject which is deeply embedded in Paradise Lost . Milton's first criticism of idolatry focused on the constructing of temples and other buildings to serve as places of worship. In Book XI of Paradise Lost , Adam tries to atone for his sins by offering to build altars to worship God. In response,

1664-462: A reference to the alethiometer, a compass -like device that features prominently in the books. Pullman eventually settled on the titles His Dark Materials for the series and Northern Lights for the first book, but the American publishers disliked the latter title and chose to use The Golden Compass instead. In Jordan College, Oxford , 11-year-old Lyra Belacqua and her dæmon Pantalaimon witness

1768-431: A relationship where the husband and wife (here, Adam and Eve) depend on each other and, through each other's differences, thrive. Still, there are several instances where Adam communicates directly with God while Eve must go through Adam to God; thus, some have described Adam as her guide. Although Milton does not directly mention divorce, critics posit theories on Milton's view of divorce based upon their inferences from

1872-538: A romantic and sexual relationship while still being without sin . They have passions and distinct personalities. Satan, disguised in the form of a serpent, successfully tempts Eve to eat from the Tree by preying on her vanity and tricking her with rhetoric . Adam, learning that Eve has sinned, knowingly commits the same sin. He declares to Eve that since she was made from his flesh, they are bound to one another – if she dies, he must also die. In this manner, Milton portrays Adam as

1976-530: A snake, deprived of limbs and unable to talk. Thus, they share the same punishment, as they shared the same guilt. Eve appeals to Adam for reconciliation of their actions. Her encouragement enables them to approach God, and plead for forgiveness. In a vision shown to him by the Archangel Michael , Adam witnesses everything that will happen to Mankind until the Great Flood . Adam is very upset by this vision of

2080-480: A structure in the name of God, the best of intentions can become immoral in idolatry. The majority of these similarities revolve around a structural likeness, but as Lyle explains, they play a greater role. By linking Saint Peter's Basilica and the Pantheon to Pandemonium—an ideally false structure—the two famous buildings take on a false meaning. This comparison best represents Milton's Protestant views, as it rejects both

2184-452: A time to work in different parts of the Garden. This allows Satan to deceive her while she is alone. To tempt her to eat the forbidden fruit, Satan tells a story about how he ate it, using the language of Renaissance love poetry. He overcomes her reason; she eats the fruit. The Son of God is the spirit who will become incarnate as Jesus Christ , though he is never named explicitly because he has not yet entered human form. Milton believed in

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2288-486: A way to travel between worlds. Cittàgazze's reckless use of the technology has released Spectres which destroy adult souls but to which children are immune, rendering the world empty of adults. Here Lyra meets and befriends Will Parry , a twelve-year-old boy from our world's Oxford. Will, who recently killed a man to protect his ailing mother, has stumbled into Cittàgazze in an effort to locate his long-lost father. Venturing into Will's (our) world, Lyra meets Dr. Mary Malone,

2392-604: Is a remastered and remixed collection of his 2011 mixtapes House of Balloons , Thursday , and Echoes of Silence . Creators of trilogies may later add more works. In such a case, the original three works may or may not keep the title "trilogy". Paradise Lost Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The first version, published in 1667, consists of ten books with over ten thousand lines of verse . A second edition followed in 1674, arranged into twelve books (in

2496-461: Is also called in the poem, Tartarus . In Pandæmonium , the capital city of Hell, Satan employs his rhetorical skill to organise his followers; he is aided by Mammon and Beelzebub ; Belial , Chemosh , and Moloch are also present. At the end of the debate, Satan volunteers to corrupt the newly created Earth and God's new and most favoured creation, Mankind. He braves the dangers of the Abyss alone, in

2600-558: Is less often applied to music. One example is the Berlin Trilogy of David Bowie , which is linked together by musical sound and lyrical themes, all having been recorded at least partly in Berlin, Germany. Another example can be found in the Guns N' Roses songs " November Rain ", " Don't Cry " and " Estranged ", whose videos are considered a trilogy. The Weeknd 's 2012 compilation album Trilogy

2704-591: Is one of "mutual dependence, not a relation of domination or hierarchy". While the author placed Adam above Eve in his intellectual knowledge and, in turn, his relation to God, he granted Eve the benefit of knowledge through experience. Hermine Van Nuis clarifies, that although there was stringency specified for the roles of male and female, Adam and Eve unreservedly accept their designated roles. Rather than viewing these roles as forced upon them, each uses their assignment as an asset in their relationship with each other. These distinctions can be interpreted as Milton's view on

2808-482: Is one of the most complex and debated characters in literary history, particularly for his perceived heroism by some readers. The poem's portrayal of Adam and Eve emphasizes their humanity, exploring their innocence before the Fall of Man and their subsequent awareness of sin. Through their story, Milton reflects on the complexities of human relationships , the tension between individual freedom and obedience to divine law, and

2912-522: Is pulled into a conflict between the oil tycoon Larsen Manganese, the corrupt mayoral candidate Ivan Poliakov, and his longtime enemy from the Dakota Country, Pierre McConville. The story tells of Lee and Iorek's first meeting and of how they overcame these enemies. A short story originally released exclusively as an audiobook by Audible in December 2014, narrated by actor Bill Nighy . The story refers to

3016-431: Is sweet, death bitter, virtue lovely, and children or gardens delightful." According to Lewis, Milton would have expected readers to not view Satan as a hero at all. Lewis argues readers far in the future romanticizing Milton's intentions is not accurate. Adam is the first human created by God. Adam requests a companion from God: Of fellowship I speak Such as I seek, fit to participate All rational delight, wherein

3120-553: Is the first major character introduced in the poem. He is a tragic figure who famously declares: "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven" (1.263). Following his vain rebellion against God he is cast out from Heaven and condemned to Hell. The rebellion stems from Satan's pride and envy (5.660ff.). Opinions on the character are often sharply divided. Milton presents Satan as the origin of all evil, but some readers interpret Milton's Satan as

3224-698: Is the leader of the Gobblers, and that it is a project secretly funded by the Church. Lyra flees to the Gyptians , canal -faring nomads , whose children have also been abducted. They reveal to Lyra that Asriel and Mrs Coulter are actually her parents. The Gyptians form an expedition to the Arctic with Lyra to rescue the children. Lyra recruits Iorek Byrnison , an armoured bear , and his human aeronaut friend, Lee Scoresby . She also learns that Lord Asriel has been exiled, guarded by

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3328-449: Is uncertain when Milton composed Paradise Lost . John Aubrey (1626–1697), Milton's contemporary and biographer, says that it was written between 1658 and 1663. However, parts of the poem had likely been in development since Milton was young. Having gone blind in 1652, Milton wrote Paradise Lost entirely through dictation with the help of amanuenses and friends. He was often ill, suffering from gout , and suffering emotionally after

3432-564: Is written in blank verse , meaning the lines are metrically regular iambic pentameter but they do not rhyme . Milton used the flexibility of blank verse to support a high level of syntactic complexity. Although Milton was not the first to use blank verse, his use of it was very influential and he became known for the style. Blank verse was not much used in the non-dramatic poetry of the 17th century until Paradise Lost . Milton also wrote Paradise Regained (1671) and parts of Samson Agonistes (1671) in blank verse. Miltonic blank verse became

3536-462: The Iliad , Odyssey , and Aeneid as heroes for their military strength and guile, which might go hand in hand with wrath, pride, or lust. Milton attributes these traits instead to Satan, and depicts the Son as heroic for his love, mercy, humility, and self-sacrifice. The poem itself therefore presents the value system of classical heroism as one which has been superseded by Christian virtue. The poem

3640-585: The Carnegie Medal for children's fiction in the UK in 1995. In 2007, the judges of the CILIP Carnegie Medal for children's literature selected it as one of the ten most important children's novels of the previous 70 years. In an online June 2007 poll, it was voted the best Carnegie Medal winner in the 70-year history of the award, the Carnegie of Carnegies. The Amber Spyglass won the 2001 Whitbread Book of

3744-515: The Carnegie Medal in 1995 for Northern Lights and the 2001 Whitbread Book of the Year for The Amber Spyglass . In 2003, the trilogy was ranked third on the BBC 's The Big Read poll. Although His Dark Materials has been marketed as young adult fiction , and the central characters are children, Pullman wrote with no target audience in mind. The fantasy elements include witches and armoured polar bears ;

3848-670: The Lady Salmakia , he rescues Lyra from the cave where her mother has hidden her from the Magisterium, which has become determined to kill her before she yields to temptation and sin like the original Eve. Will, Lyra, Tialys and Salmakia journey to the Land of the Dead, temporarily parting with their dæmons to release the ghosts from their captivity. Mary Malone , a scientist from Will's world interested in "shadows" (or Dust in Lyra's world), travels to

3952-466: The Master attempt to poison Lord Asriel , Lyra's rebellious and adventuring uncle. She warns Asriel, then spies on his lecture about Dust , mysterious elementary particles . Lyra's friend Roger is kidnapped by child abductors known as Gobblers. Lyra is adopted by a charming socialite, Mrs Coulter . The Master secretly entrusts Lyra with an alethiometer, a truth-telling device. Lyra discovers that Mrs Coulter

4056-559: The Wayfarers trilogy by Knut Hamsun , the Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz , The Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy , and His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman . A pivotal example is J. R. R. Tolkien 's The Lord of the Rings (1954–1955), which was written as a three-volume novel but published (for economic reasons) as a trilogy, thus helping to popularize the trilogy format. The term

4160-556: The 100 best novels. Time magazine in the US included Northern Lights ( The Golden Compass ) in its list of the 100 Best Young-Adult Books of All Time. In November 2019, the BBC listed His Dark Materials on its list of the 100 most influential novels . His Dark Materials has occasioned controversy, primarily among some Christian groups. Cynthia Grenier, in the Catholic Culture , said: "In

4264-599: The Arctic explorer Stanislaus Grumman, who years before entered Lyra's world through a portal in Alaska. Scoresby finds him living as a shaman under the name Jopari and he turns out to be Will's father, John Parry. Parry insists on being taken through the opening into the Cittàgazze world in Scoresby's balloon, since he has foreseen that he should meet the wielder of the Subtle Knife there. In that world, Scoresby dies defending Parry from

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4368-499: The Authority draws Lyra, now 15, into a trap. Birds mysteriously rescue her and Pan, and she makes the acquaintance of an alchemist, formerly the witch's lover. This 2008 novella serves as a prequel to His Dark Materials and focuses on the Texan aeronaut Lee Scoresby as a young man. After winning his hot-air balloon, Scoresby heads to the North, landing on the Arctic island Novy Odense, where he

4472-496: The Christian God as his "Heav'nly Muse" (1.1). Other classical epic conventions include an in medias res opening, a journey in the underworld, large-scale battles, and an elevated poetic style. In particular, the poem often uses Homeric similes . Milton repurposes these epic conventions to create a new biblical epic, promoting a different kind of hero. Classical epic heroes like Achilles , Odysseus , and Aeneas were presented in

4576-407: The Church believes Dust is the basis of sin , and plans to visit the other universes and destroy its source. He severs Roger from his dæmon, killing him and releasing enough energy to create an opening to a parallel universe. Lyra resolves to stop Asriel and discover the source of Dust for herself. Lyra journeys through Asriel's opening between worlds to Cittàgazze , a city whose denizens discovered

4680-695: The Fall in the first place. Michael is an archangel who is preeminent in military prowess. He leads in battle and uses a sword which was "giv'n him temperd so, that neither keen / Nor solid might resist that edge" (6.322–323). God sends Michael to Eden, charging him: from the Paradise of God Without remorse drive out the sinful Pair From hallowd ground th' unholie, and denounce To them and to thir Progenie from thence Perpetual banishment. [...] If patiently thy bidding they obey, Dismiss them not disconsolate; reveale To Adam what shall come in future dayes, As I shall thee enlighten, intermix My Cov'nant in

4784-426: The Father is the creator of Heaven, Hell, the world, of everyone and everything there is, through the agency of His Son. Milton presents God as all-powerful and all-knowing, as an infinitely great being who cannot be overthrown by even the great army of angels Satan incites against him. Milton portrays God as often conversing about his plans and his motives for his actions with the Son of God. The poem shows God creating

4888-549: The Magisterium who has learned of the prophecy identifying Lyra as the next Eve . A pair of angels, Balthamos and Baruch, tell Will that he must travel with them to give the Subtle Knife to Lyra's father, Lord Asriel , as a weapon against The Authority . Will ignores the angels; with the help of a local girl named Ama, the Bear King Iorek Byrnison , and Lord Asriel 's Gallivespian spies, the Chevalier Tialys and

4992-765: The Marionette Theatre by Heinrich von Kleist , the works of William Blake , and, most important, John Milton 's Paradise Lost , from which the trilogy derives its title. In his introduction, he adapts a famous description of Milton by Blake to quip that he (Pullman) "is of the Devil's party and does know it". Critics have compared the trilogy with C. S. Lewis 's The Chronicles of Narnia , which Pullman despises, and also with such fantasy books as Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson and A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle . The first volume, Northern Lights , won

5096-467: The Mulefa – must be closed to prevent the loss of Dust, because with every window opening, a Spectre would be created and that means Will must never use the knife again. They must also be apart because both of them can only live full lives in their native worlds. During the return, Mary Malone learns how to see her own dæmon, who takes the form of a black Alpine chough . Lyra loses her ability to intuitively read

5200-427: The Son of God tells Adam and Eve about God's judgment. Before their fall the Father foretells their "Treason" (3.207) and that Man with his whole posteritie must dye, Dye hee or Justice must; unless for him Som other able, and as willing, pay The rigid satisfaction, death for death. (3.210–212) The Father then asks whether there "Dwels in all Heaven charitie so deare?" (3.216) and the Son volunteers himself. In

5304-595: The UK and included a performance in Pullman's hometown of Oxford; Pullman made a cameo appearance. Trilogy Most trilogies are works of fiction involving the same characters or setting, such as The Deptford Trilogy of novels by Robertson Davies , The Apu Trilogy of films by Satyajit Ray , The Kingdom Trilogy of television miniseries from 1994 to 2022 by Lars von Trier . Other fiction trilogies are connected only by theme: for example, each film of Krzysztof Kieślowski 's Three Colours trilogy explores one of

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5408-562: The Year award, the first time that such an award has been bestowed on a book from their "children's literature" category. The trilogy came third in the 2003 BBC 's Big Read , a national poll of viewers' favourite books, after The Lord of the Rings and Pride and Prejudice . On 19 May 2005, Pullman attended the British Library in London to receive formal congratulations for his work from culture secretary Tessa Jowell "on behalf of

5512-469: The alethiometer and determines to learn how to use her conscious mind to achieve the same effect. All humans in Lyra's world, including witches, have a dæmon . It is the physical manifestation of a person's 'inner being', soul or spirit. It takes the form of a creature (moth, bird, dog, monkey, snake, etc.) and is usually the opposite sex to its human counterpart. The dæmons of children have the ability to change form - from one creature to another - but during

5616-486: The angel Michael explains that Adam does not need to build physical objects to experience the presence of God. Joseph Lyle points to this example, explaining: "When Milton objects to architecture, it is not a quality inherent in buildings themselves he finds offensive, but rather their tendency to act as convenient loci to which idolatry, over time, will inevitably adhere." Even if the idea is pure in nature, Milton thought it would unavoidably lead to idolatry simply because of

5720-467: The audience of the Pullman plays at the National Theatre is vastly encouraging". Pullman and Williams took part in a National Theatre platform debate a few days later to discuss myth, religious experience, and its representation in the arts. The 2003 novella Lyra's Oxford takes place two years after the timeline of The Amber Spyglass . A witch who seeks revenge for her son's death in the war against

5824-626: The bearer of the Subtle Knife, a tool forged three hundred years before by Cittàgazze's scientists from the same alloy used to make the guillotine in Bolvangar . One edge of the knife can divide subatomic particles and form subtle divisions in space, creating portals between worlds; the other edge easily cuts through any form of matter. Using the knife's portal-creating powers, Will and Lyra are able to retrieve her alethiometer from Latrom's mansion in Will's world. Meanwhile, in Lyra's world, Lee Scoresby seeks out

5928-484: The bears on Svalbard . Near Bolvangar, the Gobbler research station, Lyra finds an abandoned child who has been cut from his dæmon; the Gobblers are experimenting on children by severing the bond between human and dæmon, a procedure called intercision. Lyra is captured and taken to Bolvangar, where she is reunited with Roger. Mrs Coulter tells Lyra that the intercision prevents the onset of troubling adult emotions. Lyra and

6032-424: The beginning of Paradise Lost and throughout the poem, there are several references to the rise and eventual fall of Solomon's temple. Critics elucidate that "Solomon's temple provides an explicit demonstration of how an artefact moves from its genesis in devotional practice to an idolatrous end." This example, out of the many presented, distinctly conveys Milton's views on the dangers of idolatry. Even if one builds

6136-492: The beginning of each book. Milton's previous work had been printed by Matthew Simmons who was favoured by radical writers. However he died in 1654 and the business was then run by Mary Simmons . Milton had not published work with the Simmons printing business for twenty years. Mary was increasingly relying on her son Samuel to help her manage the business and the first book that Samuel Simmons registered for publication in his name

6240-525: The biblical Adam, before Milton's Adam leaves Paradise he is given a glimpse of the future of mankind by the Archangel Michael, which includes stories from the Old and New Testaments . Eve is the second human created by God. God takes one of Adam's ribs and shapes it into Eve. Whether Eve is actually inferior to Adam is a vexed point. She is often unwilling to be submissive. Eve may be the more intelligent of

6344-547: The bonfire than Harry Potter") was written in the context of parents in South Carolina pressing their Board of Education to ban the Harry Potter books. Pullman expressed surprise over what he considered to be a relatively low level of criticism for His Dark Materials on religious grounds, saying "I've been surprised by how little criticism I've got. Harry Potter's been taking all the flak... Meanwhile, I've been flying under

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6448-433: The bounds of all creation: Then staid the fervid wheels, and in his hand He took the golden compasses , prepared In God's eternal store, to circumscribe This universe, and all created things: One foot he centred, and the other turned Round through the vast profundity obscure... — Paradise Lost , Book 7, lines 224–229 Although Pullman did not intend it as such, the American publishers interpreted this title as

6552-461: The brute Cannot be human consort. (8.389–392) God approves his request then creates Eve. God appoints Adam and Eve to rule over all the creatures of the world and to reside in the Garden of Eden. Adam is more gregarious than Eve and yearns for her company. He is completely infatuated with her. Raphael advises him to "take heed lest Passion sway / Thy Judgment" (5.635–636). But Adam's great love for Eve contributes to his disobedience to God. Unlike

6656-540: The children are rescued by Scoresby, Iorek, the Gyptians, and Serafina Pekkala 's flying witch clan. Lyra falls out of Scoresby's balloon and is taken by the panserbjørne to the castle of their usurping king, Iofur Raknison . She tricks Iofur into fighting Iorek, who arrives with the others to rescue Lyra. Iorek kills Iofur and takes his place as the rightful king. Lyra, Iorek, and Roger travel to Svalbard, where Asriel has continued his Dust research in exile. He tells Lyra that

6760-455: The crystal prison wherein Metatron had trapped him, able to do so because an attack by cliff-ghasts kills or drives away the prison's protectors. When Will and Lyra emerge from the land of the dead, they find their dæmons. The book ends with Will and Lyra falling in love but realising they cannot live together in the same world, because all windows – except one from the underworld to the world of

6864-525: The early death of his second wife, Katherine Woodcock, in 1658, and their infant daughter. The image of Milton dictating the poem to his daughters became a popular subject for paintings, especially in the Romantic period. The Milton scholar John Leonard also notes that Milton "did not at first plan to write a biblical epic". Since epics were typically written about heroic kings and queens (and with pagan gods), Milton originally envisioned his epic to be based on

6968-540: The early life of Mrs Coulter and is set in the senior common room of an Oxford college. The story was released by Penguin Books as a physical book in September 2022. The Book of Dust is a second trilogy of novels set before, during and after His Dark Materials. The first book, La Belle Sauvage , was published on 19 October 2017. The second book, The Secret Commonwealth , was published on 3 October 2019. A novella that

7072-473: The evidence. Satan's ambivalence, Carey says, is "a precondition of the poem's success – a major factor in the attention it has aroused". C. S. Lewis argues in his A Preface to Paradise Lost that it is important to remember what society was like when Milton wrote the poem. In particular, during that time period, there were certain "stock responses" to elements that Milton would have expected every reader to have. As examples, Lewis lists "love

7176-582: The festival in Athens in 458 BC. The three Theban plays , or Oedipus cycle, by Sophocles , originating in 5th century BC, is not a true example of a trilogy because the plays were written at separate times and with different themes/purposes. Technical changes in printing and film in the mid-to-late 20th century made the creation of trilogies more feasible, while the development of mass media and modern global distribution networks has made them more likely to be lucrative. Examples of trilogies in modern fiction include

7280-500: The final battle, the Son of God single-handedly defeats the entire legion of angelic rebels and banishes them from Heaven. Following this purge, God creates the World , culminating in his creation of Adam and Eve. While God gave Adam and Eve total freedom and power to rule over all creation, he gave them one explicit command: not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil on penalty of death. Adam and Eve are presented as having

7384-501: The final book a vision of Salvation through the Son is revealed to Adam by Michael. The name Jesus of Nazareth, and the details of Jesus' story are not depicted in the poem, though they are alluded to. Michael explains that "Joshua, whom the Gentiles Jesus call", prefigures the Son of God, "his name and office bearing" to "quell / The adversarie Serpent, and bring back [...] long wander[e]d man / Safe to eternal Paradise of rest". God

7488-452: The first time. Realising that they have committed a terrible act against God, they engage in mutual recrimination. Meanwhile, Satan returns triumphantly to Hell, amid the praise of his fellow fallen angels. He tells them about how their scheme worked and Mankind has fallen, giving them complete dominion over Paradise. As he finishes his speech, however, the fallen angels around him become hideous snakes, and soon enough, Satan himself turns into

7592-414: The forces of the Church, while Parry succeeds in reuniting with his son moments before being murdered by Juta Kamainen, a witch whose love John had once rejected. After his father's death, Will discovers that Lyra has been kidnapped by Mrs Coulter, and he is approached by two angels requesting his aid. At the beginning of The Amber Spyglass, Lyra has been kidnapped by her mother, Mrs Coulter , an agent of

7696-592: The former archbishop of Canterbury (spiritual head of the Anglican Communion ), who argued that Pullman's attacks focus on the constraints and dangers of dogmatism and the use of religion to oppress, not on Christianity itself. Williams also recommended the His Dark Materials series of books for inclusion and discussion in Religious Education classes, and stated that "To see large school-parties in

7800-414: The future, so Michael also tells him about Mankind's potential redemption from original sin through Jesus Christ (whom Michael calls "King Messiah "). Adam and Eve are cast out of Eden, and Michael says that Adam may find "a paradise within thee, happier far". Adam and Eve now have a more distant relationship with God, who is omnipresent but invisible (unlike the tangible Father in the Garden of Eden). It

7904-558: The government". On 25 May 2005, Pullman received the Swedish government's Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for children's and youth literature (sharing it with Japanese illustrator Ryōji Arai ). Swedes regard this prize as second only to the Nobel Prize in Literature ; it has a value of 5 million Swedish Kronor or approximately £385,000. In 2008, The Observer cites Northern Lights as one of

8008-425: The importance of mutuality between husband and wife. When examining the relationship between Adam and Eve, some critics apply either an Adam-centered or Eve-centered view of hierarchy and importance to God. David Mikics argues, by contrast, these positions "overstate the independence of the characters' stances, and therefore miss the way in which Adam and Eve are entwined with each other". Milton's narrative depicts

8112-515: The latest Serpentine , (2020). A new trilogy, also set in the same universe as Northern Lights , titled The Book of Dust , with the first novel La Belle Sauvage was published on 19 October 2017; the second book, The Secret Commonwealth , in October 2019; and in November 2023, Pullman announced that the concluding, as yet untitled, novel would be published in 2024. The trilogy takes place across

8216-504: The legal status of Native Americans under U.S. law. Trilogies—and series in general—are common in speculative fiction . Trilogies ( Ancient Greek : τριλογία trilogia ) date back to ancient times. In the Dionysia festivals of ancient Greece , for example, trilogies of plays were performed followed by a fourth satyr play . The Oresteia is the only surviving trilogy of these ancient Greek plays, originally performed at

8320-414: The manner of Virgil 's Aeneid ) with minor revisions throughout. It is considered to be Milton's masterpiece , and it helped solidify his reputation as one of the greatest English poets of all time. The poem concerns the biblical story of the fall of man : the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden . At the heart of Paradise Lost are

8424-403: The nature of humans. That is, instead of directing their thoughts towards God, humans will turn to erected objects and falsely invest their faith there. While Adam attempts to build an altar to God, critics note Eve is similarly guilty of idolatry, but in a different manner. Harding believes Eve's narcissism and obsession with herself constitutes idolatry. Specifically, Harding claims that "under

8528-493: The poem and from his tracts on divorce written earlier in his life. Other works by Milton suggest he viewed marriage as an entity separate from the church. Discussing Paradise Lost , Biberman entertains the idea that "marriage is a contract made by both the man and the woman". These ideas imply Milton may have thought that both man and woman should have equal access to marriage and to divorce. Milton's 17th-century contemporaries by and large criticised his ideas and considered him

8632-502: The political ideals of the French Republic ( liberty, equality, fraternity ). Trilogies can also be connected in less obvious ways, such as The Nova Trilogy of novels by William S. Burroughs , each written using cut-up technique . The term is seldom applied outside media. One example is the " Marshall Trilogy ", a common term for three rulings written by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall from 1823 to 1832 concerning

8736-506: The possibility of redemption . Despite their transgression, the poem ends on a note of hope, as Adam and Eve leave Paradise with the promise of salvation through Christ . Milton's epic has been praised for its linguistic richness, theological depth, and philosophical ambition. However, it has also sparked controversy, particularly for its portrayal of Satan, who some readers interpret as a heroic or sympathetic figure. Paradise Lost continues to inspire scholars, writers, and artists, remaining

8840-408: The radar, saying things that are far more subversive than anything poor old Harry has said. My books are about killing God". Others support this interpretation, arguing that the series, while clearly anticlerical, is also anti-theological because the death of God is represented as a fundamentally unimportant question. Pullman found support from some other Christians, most notably from Rowan Williams ,

8944-530: The same name as the authority of the Catholic Church ) exerts a strong control over society and has some of the appearance and organisation of the Catholic Church , but one in which the centre of power had been moved from Rome to Geneva, moved there by Pullman's fictional "Pope John Calvin" ( Geneva was the home of the historical John Calvin ). In The Subtle Knife , the story moves between our own world,

9048-464: The serpent's influence, Eve's idolatry and self-deification foreshadow the errors into which her 'Sons' will stray". Much like Adam, Eve falsely places her faith in herself, the Tree of Knowledge, and to some extent the Serpent, all of which do not compare to the ideal nature of God. Milton made his views on idolatry more explicit with the creation of Pandæmonium and his allusion to Solomon's temple . In

9152-471: The standard for those attempting to write English epics for centuries following the publication of Paradise Lost and his later poetry. When Miltonic verse became popular, Samuel Johnson mocked Milton for inspiring bad blank verse imitators. Alexander Pope 's final, incomplete work was intended to be written in the form, and John Keats , who complained that he relied too heavily on Milton, adopted and picked up various aspects of his poetry. Milton used

9256-403: The themes of free will and the moral consequences of disobedience. Milton seeks to "justify the ways of God to men," addressing questions of predestination , human agency , and the nature of good and evil . The poem begins in medias res , with Satan and his fallen angels cast into Hell after their failed rebellion against God . Milton's Satan, portrayed with both grandeur and tragic ambition,

9360-413: The trilogy also alludes to concepts from physics , philosophy , and theology . It functions in part as a retelling and inversion of John Milton 's epic Paradise Lost , with Pullman commending humanity for what Milton saw as its most tragic failing, original sin . The trilogy has attracted controversy for its criticism of religion. The London Royal National Theatre staged a two-part adaptation of

9464-480: The trilogy in 2003–2004. New Line Cinema released a film adaptation of Northern Lights , The Golden Compass , in 2007. A HBO/BBC television series based on the novels was broadcast between November 2019 and February 2023. Pullman followed the trilogy with four short works set in the Northern Lights universe: Lyra's Oxford , (2003); Once Upon a Time in the North , (2008); The Collectors (2014); and

9568-548: The truth otherwise, and that God "deserved no such return / From me, whom He created what I was". Raphael is an archangel who is sent by God to Eden in order to strengthen Adam and Eve against Satan. He tells a heroic tale about the War in Heaven that takes up most of Book 6 of Paradise Lost . Ultimately, the story told by Raphael, in which Satan is portrayed as bold and decisive, does not prepare Adam and Eve to counter Satan's subtle temptations – and may even have caused

9672-522: The two. When she first met Adam she turned away, more interested in herself. She had been looking at her reflection in a lake before being led invisibly to Adam. Recounting this to Adam she confesses that she found him less enticing than her reflection (4.477–480). Eve delivers an autobiography in Book 4. In Book 9, Milton stages a domestic drama between Adam and Eve, which results in Eve convincing Adam to separate for

9776-441: The warie fiend Stood on the brink of Hell and look'd a while, Pondering his Voyage; for no narrow frith He had to cross. — Paradise Lost , Book 2, lines 910–920 Pullman chose this particular phrase from Milton because it echoed the dark matter of astrophysics. Pullman earlier proposed to name the series The Golden Compasses , also a reference to Paradise Lost , where it denotes the pair of compasses with which God set

9880-567: The womans seed renewd; So send them forth, though sorrowing, yet in peace. (11.103–117) He is also charged with establishing a guard for Paradise. When Adam sees him coming he describes him to Eve as not terrible, That I should fear, nor sociably mild, As Raphael, that I should much confide, But solemn and sublime, whom not to offend, With reverence I must meet, and thou retire. (11.233–237) Milton first presented Adam and Eve in Book IV with impartiality. The relationship between Adam and Eve

9984-449: The world in the way Milton believed it was done, that is, God created Heaven, Earth, Hell, and all the creatures that inhabit these separate planes from part of Himself, not out of nothing. Thus, according to Milton, the ultimate authority of God over all things that happen derives from his being the "author" of all creation. Satan tries to justify his rebellion by denying this aspect of God and claiming self-creation, but he admits to himself

10088-533: The world of Pullman, God Himself (the Authority) is a merciless tyrant. His Church is an instrument of oppression, and true heroism consists of overthrowing both". William A. Donohue of the Catholic League described Pullman's trilogy as "atheism for kids". Pullman said of Donohue's call for a boycott, "Why don't we trust readers? [...] Oh, it causes me to shake my head with sorrow that such nitwits could be loose in

10192-614: The world of the first novel, and a third world containing the city of Cittàgazze . In The Amber Spyglass , several other worlds appear alongside those three. The title of the series comes from 17th-century poet John Milton 's Paradise Lost : Into this wilde Abyss, The Womb of nature and perhaps her Grave, Of neither Sea, nor Shore, nor Air, nor Fire, But all these in their pregnant causes mixt Confus'dly, and which thus must ever fight, Unless th' Almighty Maker them ordain His dark materials to create more Worlds, Into this wilde Abyss

10296-559: The world". In a November 2002 interview, Pullman was asked to respond to the Catholic Herald calling his books "the stuff of nightmares" and "worthy of the bonfire". He replied: "My response to that was to ask the publishers to print it in the next book, which they did! I think it's comical, it's just laughable". The original remark in Catholic Herald (which was "there are numerous candidates that seem to me to be far more worthy of

10400-446: Was Paradise Lost in 1667. Key to the ambitions of Paradise Lost as a poem is the creation of a new kind of epic , one suitable for English, Christian morality rather than polytheistic Greek or Roman antiquity. This intention is indicated from the very beginning of the poem, when Milton uses the classical epic poetic device of an invocation for poetic inspiration. Rather than invoking the classical muses , however, Milton addresses

10504-448: Was successful and was revived (with a different cast and a revised script) for a second run between November 2004 and April 2005. It has since been staged by several other theatres in the UK and elsewhere. A new production was staged at Birmingham Repertory Theatre in March and April 2009, directed by Rachel Kavanaugh and Sarah Esdaile and starring Amy McAllister as Lyra. This version toured

10608-452: Was made by RTÉ (Irish public radio ). Nicholas Hytner directed a theatrical version of the books as a two-part, six-hour performance for London's Royal National Theatre in December 2003, running until March 2004. It starred Anna Maxwell-Martin as Lyra, Dominic Cooper as Will, Timothy Dalton as Lord Asriel, Patricia Hodge as Mrs Coulter and Niamh Cusack as Serafina Pekkala, with dæmon puppets designed by Michael Curry . The play

10712-406: Was published on 28 April 2022. BBC Radio 4 broadcast a radio play adaptation of His Dark Materials in 3 episodes, each lasting 2.5 hours. It was first broadcast in 2003, and re-broadcast in both 2008-9 and in 2017, and was released by the BBC on CD and cassette. Cast included Terence Stamp as Lord Asriel and Lulu Popplewell as Lyra. Also in 2003 a radio dramatisation of Northern Lights

10816-474: Was released in October 2020. Set after the events of The Amber Spyglass and before The Secret Commonwealth , Lyra and Pantalaimon journey back to the far North to meet with the Consul of Witches. In January 2022, Pullman announced the release of the book The Imagination Chamber: Cosmic Rays from Lyra's Universe , which would include new scenes set during the events of His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust . It

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