I can't believe how bad these books tore my heart up.

[Sodoom]

When Mr.Scoresby died I actually wept. Me. A 30 year old man. Mind you i read all the Harry Potter & Narnia books, and even the most emotional parts there did not hit me as bad at HDM. The end of AS was so heart wrenching. OMG. Well that's all for now.

FitNotE

[Charon]

Mr. Scoresby's death was dramatic and sad, but it's nothing compared to the end of TAS.

[TheKnifeBearer]

I thought I was strange because the end of TAS delt such a blow to me.
At least after I found this forum I know now I'm not the only one

[Redzin]

I thought I was strange because the end of TAS delt such a blow to me.
At least after I found this forum I know now I'm not the only one

Exactly how I felt too... was like a relief to find out other people had felt the same way.

[Sodoom]

I'm new to the books. I finished them just 2-3 days ago. The emotion in these books is incredible. I truly feel that the death of Mr. Scorsby, and the end of TAS broke my lil 'ol heart. Mr. Pullman is such an incredible writer.

[Blossom]

I've always thought it's weird how I never cried at all in these books, when I cry so easily at anything. I just don't think Pullman's writing reached me in the right way. And I really do cry at the stupidist stuff. I was sad, just not sad enough to cry. But perhaps I'd learned my lesson after the Wind on Fire trilogy launched me into the second-biggest depression of my teenage years...

[Will's.Lost.Fingers]

I believe I cried only when Lee died and when Pantalaimon and Lyra fought the Bolvangar guys when they tried to separate them.But there weren't any tears running down my face actually.

[Sodoom]

I'll put it to you folks like this, I drive a school bus for a living, and to pass the time i hear podcast/music(rarely)/Audio books. I was doing fine well into book where he dies.
When the set up happens (Him vs 20-25 men) i was thinking "ok maybe he can make it...with alot of luck". I was thinking this because this character just "clicked" with me. As soon as he takes the first bullet i was getting the feeling that this might not end well at all for the poor aeronaut. When PP wrote "and then they died" (forgot exact quote), there i was on my way to pick up my next batch of kids...i had to pull over to weep. I was gutted. Never has a book dont this to me. It was great. lol.

Mod Edit: subsequent discussion of sad video games has been split into a new topic, here.

[Australis]

It never ceases to amaze me how two people can read the same passage; one just glides over it and another will be deeply moved. Give them another passage and the reverse may happen. Not everybody finds the death of Lee and Hester or particularly the end of TAS heart wrenching, but enough do to confirm the opinion that PP can draw the reader deeply into his story and make his characters live. It's a strange experience for many of us to know in your head that these are completely fictional creations, and at the same time in your heart to be so moved by their predicaments.

[themanontherun]

No lie: just as I was finishing the book, my friend's iTunes was playing in the other room on his speakers; the song? "I Will Always Love You," by Whitney Houston. Laughing at the irony, and being pissed at Phillip Pullman, were the only things that kept me from choking up.

[Vicinity of Obscenity]

No lie: just as I was finishing the book, my friend's iTunes was playing in the other room on his speakers; the song? "I Will Always Love You," by Whitney Houston. Laughing at the irony, and being pissed at Phillip Pullman, were the only things that kept me from choking up.

Similar experience....when I finished the series my roommate's computer was playing Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol. Depressing song for an equally depressing ending.Though that was the second time I went through the series but still...the second time was in reality worse for me. Blah!

[MojaveByrd]

I read the books for the first time last December. I had just seen the movie but had never heard of the books before that. I borrowed them from my sister and couldn't put them down once I started them. Well, it was around 2:30 in the morning on a Saturday and I had just gotten to where Lyra leaves Pan on the dock in the LoD, about halfway through TAS. It tore me apart. I was too tired to read any further and had to get some sleep but I cried myself to sleep that night. The following morning, I got up, grabbed a cup of coffee and got back into bed with the book again. I read the rest of the book as fast as I could - I had to find out what happened with Pan - that's all I wanted to know - is how that was reconciled. I finished it in a couple of hours. Little did I know at the time that the end of the book would devastate me even more. I couldn't stop crying. Well, I reread the last book again about 2 weeks ago. I had to - I read it so fast the first time, I missed a lot of important things and wasn't sure what was going on. Reading it the second time certainly filled in some of the things I missed, but it sure didn't it make it any easier to deal with the ending. And I know it won't be any easier the next time I read them, too. I have a hardbound set on order and also a couple of books about the trilogy. It's been a very long time since a book has grabbed my interest like this (last time was LOTR many years ago). I hope this trilogy can be spread more widely than it already is, in spite of the tears.

[eggnostic]

I hope this trilogy can be spread more widely than it already is, in spite of the tears.

and because of the tears.

I read the books when I was very young and they really transformed the way in which I thought, about love, about life, about death. But to me it can never be as sad as the first time. I guess because while reading I know whats coming and can prepare myself for it. After you have gotten over the initial shock at the cruelty of Lyra and Will's separation the over-lying hope of the books shines through. We will all become One in the end.

[MojaveByrd]

My hardbound set arrived in the mail today along with "Lyra's Oxford" which I read in about 1/2 an hour - maybe less. Also two books ABOUT the books which I will read first. Then I'll reread the trilogy and probably cry at least as much as the first time around.

[Barney]

Only registered like 20minutes ago and already I've come across the perfect discussion. First time I finished AS I didn't cry or anything, I just put down the book and couldn't pick up anything else for almost a month (and when I did... it was NL). I actually felt pretty empty inside, like it was really happening to me, was absolutely amazed that a book could have that much effect on me - not that I don't read much - I read lots, it's just that I've never connected that much with a book before. And yeah, Scoresby was bad, real bad, but nothing on the end.

Anyone got any info about the Lantern Slides edn or the 10th anniversary? Got the definitive guide (by Laurie Frost, well worth it) the other day and it says: "The last Lantern Slide in The Amber Spyglass describes 18-year-old Lyra working her way through reference books until she sees patterns in the sequence of symbols of an alethiometer reading. Her report of the breakthrough is tantalizingly noted as "the second thing she said to Will next day in the Botanic Garden."" It's killing me not knowing what that's about.

As my signature says, I'm doing my dissertation on HDM and, obviously, I keep nedding to read snatches and I find it almost impossible not to just read them over and over again

Edit: Oh yeah, forgot a bit sorry... When Lyra leaves Pan on the shore and he turns into... what is it now? "Will could hardly tell. He seemed to be so young, a cub, a puppy, something helpless and beaten, a creature so sunk in misery that is was more misery than creature"

Gets me every time

[Zealous Monk]

Although Lee dieing was sad it didn't hit me very had, on the other the hand the end of TAS hit me like a rock, I didn't cry but I did just mope around my house for the rest of the day listening to my music and felling like . This feeling persisted for the next couple of days whenever i thought about the Trilogy.

[MojaveByrd]

I actually felt pretty empty inside, like it was really happening to me, was absolutely amazed that a book could have that much effect on me -

Oh, I understand that completely. Empty I guess is a good way to describe it. Sometimes holding the tears back if I think of a particular line is hard - like when Hester and Lee died. Or, when Lyra left Pan on the dock. Even when the Gallivestpians died. I kinda liked them and their dragonflies. Not to mention the ending. I just finished a book called "The Science of His Dark Materials" - very interesting. And I'm in the middle of another one about it. Then I'll be rereading HDM again in the next week or so. I must be a masochist.

[themanontherun]

When Lee died, my first thoughts were, "wow, I'm surprised, I'm gonna miss him."

This was followed right away with, "what a terrific badass, there is no better way for him to end up in the series."

[Charon]

As my signature says, I'm doing my dissertation on HDM

Hahaha, that's so hardcore. I'm guessing you're an English major?

[Barney]

As my signature says, I'm doing my dissertation on HDM

Hahaha, that's so hardcore. I'm guessing you're an English major?

Yeah, started off just thinking it'd be fun to do my dissertation on a series I love and now it's getting all deep and complicated. Still loving it though. I'm only focusing on the religious side (which is where the big two influences, Blake and Milton come in) but there's just so much behind it. Always knew (obviously) it was deep and intelligent, just never saw this depth coming, and all these tiny little references that're just like one line, or part of a sentence. When you start getting them and seeing more and more, it's actually slightly scary... In a good way