Alright, so it's no secret that the book that I am most bitter about not enjoying in this world is La Belle Sauvage. It's my most liked and commented on review on this site out of the hundreds upon hundreds that I have read and loved, liked or loathed down through the years.
That being said, I was intensely weary of reading this book. Albeit hopeful still. And now, after spending a hulking 11 days on reading this tome, I have finished. The final verdict: It was 100 times better than book one. But I still didn't love it.
My main issue, just like with book one, is that it's too long. And I'm not just saying that because it's 600+ pages. I mean that it needed to be edited down smaller. It's so bogged down with atmosphere and seemingly meaningless details, but because of the way that Pullman writes, you are forced to bog through all of it tediously, just in case it ends up being important later or so that you don't skip over a tiny paragraph that is astoundingly important.
I feel drained after reading it, and honestly, again, just like with book one, allllll those words, but not much has actually happened yet. It's still just setting us up for book three, which I will read, because I hate myself - I mean because I really, REALLY need to see if Lyra and Will get back together.
Which brings me to another thing. Fucking Will.
Pullman, you old bastard, quit teasing me with Will. Throughout this book, Will was hinted at several times, all in small ways but they showed just how important he still remains to Lyra after all these years. That leads me to believe that there's hope of my frickety fracking OTP getting together in the end. But I'm sure, after getting to know a little more about how this author's mind works after sloughing through his books, that it's all just a setup to leave us heartbroken. I bet they'll never find each other again... or if they do, Pullman will have made Will a drunken scoundrel who shoots Lyra in the face and then eats her remains.
Okay, maybe I'm going a little overboard.
Back to topic.
I found myself growing more and more bored in the beginning. Luckily, I had access to the audiobook through the library, because the excited performance of whoever the fuck read this book to me, saved it. He made it much more exciting than it really was for the most part.
I feel like I'm repeating myself now, so I'mma wrap this up soon, but I feel like there were just so many pointless parts and characters that didn't add to the story. Did I REALLY need to know how random English guy #17 takes his tea? No. I don't think so. But, I'mma use this as a lesson for my own writing, because I too tend to overwrite at times. Thank you Philip Pullman, for instilling in me the importance of editing down and killing my darlings. Now if only your own editor would be a little more strict with you.
Writing-wise though, of course it was well written. What else could we expect from one of the genius, mad scientist looking masters of the writing craft?
I feel a little, okay maybe a lot, better about this series after reading book two here, but it's still not the story that I was hoping for. That's my problem though. The author is not at all being forced to write to suit anybody but himself.
Here's to hoping book three leads me to Will and Lyra.
Bye bye now! See you in another 30 years when book three comes out. *waves*