tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1948420587779787298.post3074099422098517421..comments2023-06-16T05:25:55.741-07:00Comments on Elliptica: Religious and anti-religious themes in 'His Dark Materials'Lynethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06357023675142716573noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1948420587779787298.post-16952199077352191592007-11-18T19:54:00.000-08:002007-11-18T19:54:00.000-08:00EXACTLY Lynet! You do the ones you want. Pick and...EXACTLY Lynet! You do the ones you want. Pick and choose. You pick them up used from Amazon or be like me and get them at the library. Just tell Ex that I talked you into it. He'll be SO impressed with me. :)John Evohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10868904051881865159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1948420587779787298.post-60346238427642697632007-11-18T18:45:00.000-08:002007-11-18T18:45:00.000-08:00I initially didn't join the Literati because I was...I initially didn't join the Literati because I wasn't sure I'd get through every book (or be able to get hold of every book cheaply) -- but since it looks to be a comfortingly sloppy affair, I guess I <I>will</I> join :-)Lynethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06357023675142716573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1948420587779787298.post-83811015898631850262007-11-16T23:09:00.000-08:002007-11-16T23:09:00.000-08:00Non-fiction done well can have that strength, too....Non-fiction done well can have that strength, too... but it's a lot harder, and it can seem rambling if there's no overarching point. Unlike any other form of expression, fiction allows delving into extreme depths of character psychology and sociology. Among forms of non-fiction, only philosophy approaches the depths of literature, and even it is stilted and incomprehensible as often as it is insightful.Alon Levyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12195377309045184452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1948420587779787298.post-46166955882278663472007-11-16T21:24:00.000-08:002007-11-16T21:24:00.000-08:00The only reading of fiction that I have done this ...The only reading of fiction that I have done this decade is my recent reading for The Non-Believing Literati (you're invited to join us Lynet - contact the Exterminator) and I'm completely unfamiliar with Pullman's works. I didn't know anything about this until Ordinary Girl recently posted about the coming movie. After watching the trailer, my gut feeling was "why would a religious person take exception to a movie that seems to give credence to the supernatural"? Of course, with a moments thought, I realized EXACTLY WHY such a person would take exception.<BR/><BR/>That said, I personally greatly enjoy movies about the supernatural despite my conviction that it's all non-sense. Movies are inherently "non-sense" so it matters not to me if the subject is "supernatural", and I only care that it's a well done story, excellent acting, with a great underlying point. This LOOKS like it could be such (who knows from a trailer?), and things I've read from people like you lead me to believe it might beJohn Evohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10868904051881865159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1948420587779787298.post-22139784735817904732007-11-16T11:08:00.000-08:002007-11-16T11:08:00.000-08:00religious systems are generally rob people of any ...religious systems are generally rob people of any opportunity to be honest with themselves, so it's a good thing for Pullman to make people question what they believe as far as i'm concerned. if God is God, he would encourage honest questioning (seeking)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1948420587779787298.post-15521912835175061322007-11-15T19:07:00.000-08:002007-11-15T19:07:00.000-08:00In a way, I think it's one of the strengths of fic...In a way, I think it's one of the strengths of fiction that, if done well, it won't provide a prescriptive viewpoint. Instead, it shows you something (hopefully something believeable) and lets you draw your own conclusions. You can have a much greater effect on people by giving them that sort of room to think for themselves. I guess the drawback is that you can't be sure what conclusion they will come to.Lynethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06357023675142716573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1948420587779787298.post-43829833698201381262007-11-15T15:35:00.000-08:002007-11-15T15:35:00.000-08:00There's another point to be made here, which is th...There's another point to be made here, which is that it's very hard to make a coherent political point in fiction. An attack on religion can thus be read as an affirmation of true religion as opposed to false religion.<BR/><BR/>What fiction is good at is making observations about character, or general attitudes. You can read Crime and Punishment and reject the idea that Christianity is necessary for salvation, but not so much the idea that people who think they're superhumans aren't.Alon Levyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12195377309045184452noreply@blogger.com