intertext

I know what you mean. To me, as well, there is definitely something "off" about them, and I'm not exactly sure what it is... I'm not a practising Christian, so I don't object on principle to the basic premise that the Fall as it occured in our universe was a mistake, rectified in the quest undertaken in his trilogy. It's unfortunate, in fact, that often to be seen to be opposing Pullman's attacks on C.S Lewis is perceived as aligning oneself with the fundamentalist Christian Right. There is a lot to admire in their imaginative power - I love the concept of the daemons, and there are some amazing visual "set pieces" that stay with me, such as the flight of the witches from the north, and the fight of the polar bears. But. I've never quite understood the way that the books seem to have been seized upon so immediately as "masterpieces," and by the serious critical readership as well as overheated publishers. I too have definitely read better books.