[Lyta_Underhill]

And remember who he is, a member of the British Chattering Classes, and one thing they Do Not Like is Fantasy. To do what Pullman has done and produce a work, nay, a trilogy of fantasy novels is tantamount to heresy.

Thanks, Lal, for enlightening this backwoods Tennessee-American about an important aspect of Pullman's personality in a cultural context. I haven't really followed the brouhaha concerning the author himself that much, but I did enjoy the books quite a lot. I think every country and culture has a version of these "Chattering Classes." My own father disparages my tendency to base many of my moral values and spiritual truths on things I read in Lord of the Rings. Truth is everywhere, whether it be nestled in Fangorn Forest or hiding in the particles of Dust along a fantastic Northern Bridge. I enjoyed LOTR, Narnia AND His Dark Materials, all for different reasons. It doesn't matter what the authors think of other authors, what personal conceits underlie a writer's personality, or what political strategems are employed by writers to cater to a niche. The words speak for themselves; the worlds shine through the words, and Pullman did accede to the idea that the story lives in the interface between reader and author. There is no critic who can stand in this realm if one truly reads the words on the page. Second-guessing by authorial temperament seems to be a dangerous business, doesn' it?