trying to get myself to read more again!
5/5 recent pick-up from an indie bookshop. honestly i just wanted something self-contained and idk literary? slam dunk, what a great story. i love how it slowly started taking shape with each new mentioned crumb of info, like the looming dread of a tragedy. and then how neatly and satisfyingly it all snapped into place. i lack the proper words for the nuances of grief, the parallels, overlaps. like... a house haunted with mirror reflections down long hallways. reflections upon reflections. also - great structure, felt almost like a Good Meal.
5/5 a re-read! i haven't yet managed to finish the first trilogy, only ever got two books in, but i'm feeling good about this attempt. i love the world-building and the fairy-tale feel of it juxtaposed with the idk brutality of being a child, religious fanaticism etc. probably would've been obsessed if i'd actually read it as a child, alas - never heard of it at the appropriate age. also even after i heard of "his dark materials" - that just doesn't sound like a cool fantasy series, more like edgy porn?? but i'm very happy my appalled friend lent me their copies at the beginning of the pandemic. got my own book now (3 in 1), hope it /delivers/. (also, as before, reading about the alethiometer makes me want to dip back into lenormand!)
