Hi Path_of_one —
The concept of "demons" (animal spirits in which the soul resides) is not much different from the concept of having a familiar.
According to an interview with the author I read, he got the idea from 'Old Master' portraits which depicted the subject with a favourite pet.
It didn't seem very anti-Catholic. More like anti-authority and anti-institution. Which is great and fine, but not that exciting.
I know. The point was he used a very 'Catholic' term — Magisterium — and as it was a church, then the parallel is obvious, hence the rather unneccesary uproar. Again I think this is more media manipulation than anything else.
Maybe the books are much better? (Someone please tell me if they are.)
The main protagonist being a young girl — something Pulman repeats elsewhere — pleased my partner and daughter. I think the first is better than the second, and the second better than the third.
There just wasn't any of the depth - to the characters or to the world or to the plot - that Tolkein and Lewis have.
Agreed.
I can't imagine how it would challenge a Christian's faith, either, but maybe the books were more explicit.
I don't think so ... I think the 'challenge to faith' is a bit of a misnomer. I think the real issue for conscious Christians is the constant portrayal of Christianity in a negative light. I can't remember the last time I saw a Christian, let alone a priest, being the good guy ... it's an acceptable social stereotype, nowadays, the dog-collar becoming the sign of something wrong.
It doesn't appear as the author has any issue with Catholicism, her just doesn't believe. His grandfather was an Aglican vicar, and he had quite a well-heeled upbringinging, so no deep-rooted trauma to work through. To me it was a sign of a lack of imagination, which I think cost the books in the long run ... he had worked out his villains 'locally', but not in depth.
There's a lovely story from Sir Alec Guiness about his conversion to Catholicism. He was filming the 'Father Brown' stories in France, and used to walk the couple of k. from the film set to the house he had rented in his clerical garb. One day he met a schoolchild on the way home, and the child, assuming him to be a priest, fell in step, held his hand, and chatted away in a stream of French that sir Alec cound not comprehend. Sir Alc said he was so moved by the implicit trust of the child ... in a world full of suspicion ... it made him wonder, and set him thinking...
Anyway ... ther book is better than the film, but don't expect too much.
Thomas
