The Secret Commonwealth – The Book of Dust volume 2

After the huge crush I had on La Belle SauvageIt wasn't even a question: I had to read the second one. Which I did with my lover. We read aloud, each one a paragraph. The dream. Even if this second volume left us a little more mixed.

Summary

Things are bad between Lyra and Pantalaimon. Their relationship did not emerge unscathed from Lyra's heartbreaking decision to abandon Pantalaimon so she could join her friend Roger in the realm of the dead at the end ofHis Dark Materials. So inseparable before, they are now unable to stand each other. Their biggest source of disagreement is Lyra's new interest in two authors, a philosopher and a novelist, both of whom praise reason above all else.

Pantalaimon has taken to taking long walks at night, without Lyra. During one of his walks, he witnesses the strange murder of a man who, with his last breath, confides in him a secret whose ramifications extend much further than they can imagine. Pantalaimon and Lyra will therefore embark on a quest, separately, to unravel a mystery that is bigger than they are.

Impressions

It was not easy to write a summary of this book, and this is one of my main criticisms: the story is very complicated. We follow half a dozen characters in their respective quests, all connected in ways that are not always clear, which makes it hard to follow. And there were two of us paying attention.

Pantalaimon's quest left me particularly confused. Since he believes that Lyra has lost her imagination, he goes looking for her. I didn't understand what he meant by that or how he was going to do it, and I found the complications far too severe and frequent for this somewhat esoteric goal.

This volume is still interesting and worthwhile, I don't want to imply otherwise: Lyra's universe acquires an unexpected depth. The author has really grown with her readers. If the trilogy His Dark Materials and La Belle Sauvage convenait à absolument tous les âges, à partir du Secret Commonwealth, we change the tone. It is much more violent, more graphic, darker. Lyra is not at all pampered by life, and we feel her despair. The adventure is a little less thrilling and fluid, it is more political, more black, and more difficult for the reader.

This volumn wasn't a favorite for us, but you have to read it anyway. Anyway, who would do otherwise? If we got there, it's because we're fans, and we know we'll go to the end.