Mythic Unities in The Lord of the Rings

[Lalwendë]

Interesting point about Lies and stories. If you want to read what one writer has to say about Lies, try His Dark Materials.

Note, may be a plot spoiler here so don't read if you don't want the books ruining for you (though its not a big spolier)!

In The Amber Spyglass Lyra feels compelled to go to the Land of the Dead, a horrible place ruled over by the Harpies; this is where all the dead people go and they are effectively stuck here. Lyra tries to tell the Harpies stories, but they attack her. This is because although she has told them stories, she has told them lies. The deal is that if Lyra tells them stories which are true, then she will be shown the way out, and what's more, if anyone else who goes there tells the Harpies True Stories then they too will be allowed to leave (and to finally be free).

What Pullman is saying here is on one level that we should all make sure to live our lives to the full and to have plenty of stories to tell at the end of it all, but he's also saying that the very best stories are True. In the world he creates, lies at first help Lyra, help her find her way out of a whole lot of trouble (hence her nickname Silvertongue), but when it comes to the most serious of situations, she learns that lies are wrong, and that they do not make for good stories; very interesting in the context of a lie 'tearing' the fabric of reality, considering all the cutting between worlds which happens in these books!