HP readalikes - for the young and young at heart (long)

kempermentor kempermentor at yahoo.com
Tue Apr 24 20:29:46 UTC 2007


> Katherine wrote:
> There have been several suggestions that people try the Pullman  
> books.  I'd just like to drop my two cents in the bucket and let 
you  
> know that I don't think there are many similarities between the  
> Pullman books and the Potter books.
> 
> Pullman's stories lack the heart and humour of Rowling's.   They 
seem  
> to be very dark and bitter in comparison.  I think they have a lot 
of  
> spillover readers because they are essentially fantasy, but I don't  
> think they're the same type of book in any other aspect.


Kemper now:
Katherine is of course right.  But there is not comparison to 
Rowling's work regardless of author.

Pullman's His Dark Materials series may lack humor, but it's not 
trying to be funny.  The subject matter seems more serious.  It is 
definitely more an action/adventure series then it is a mystery series 
(as I see the HP books to be).  

I agree that the series is dark but not bitter.  Maybe bittersweet or 
melancholy would be better terms.

And again, no book is the same type of book as the Potter series.  The 
other books that lend themselves to the style/type/genre are empty and 
forgetful.  Pullman's series is neither empty nor forgetful.

Kemper






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