The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman
Reviewed by: Dave Gibbons, Library Volunteer
Genre: Fantasy
Suggested Age: Adults, Teens
What is the book about?: People come and go from the trout pub, bringing with them news and gossip. Few notice young Malcolm Prescot the unassuming son of the pub’s owners, but he notices them. This sort of notice draws him into a intriguing world of spy work and espionage that comes abruptly to a head when the adventurous Lord Azrael leaves his daughter, a baby named Lyra at the local convent. Events quickly escalate as a flood tears through Malcolm’s world. Psychotic assassins, religious authorities and even the occasional obsessive witch are all trying to get the child, so it falls to Malcolm and his co-worker Alice to take the infant Lyra on a journey from their small hamlet up the flooded waters to find her father, all the while learning fragments of information about the mysterious substance called Dust.
My Review: As the first volume of a prequel to the His Dark Materials trilogy also by Pulman, this book unfortunately suffers from the problems that many prequels do. Readers essentially know the ending, so the stakes are not exceptionally high. It is also nearly impossible to build up suspense regarding Dust and the science behind it as it has already been explained in previous books. The oppressive religious authorities that were the antagonists in the His Dark Materials trilogy are further demonized in The Book of Dust, eliminating even the scantest bit of subtlety. This heavy handed injection of Pulman’s views toward organized religion becomes a distraction, pulling even those who share his views out of the story. This being said, the story is a well written and exciting adventure, the main characters and their associates are relatable, and you do come to care about them. The world itself is colorful with an air of a “dungeons and dragons” campaign about it. Unfortunately I was still left with the question ”what was the point of all that?” something I hope will be explained in future volumes.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Adventure, Rebellious, Prequel
Give This a Try if You Like… The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, and Willow by Wayland Drew, George Lucas, and Bob Dolman
Rating: 3/5
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!