Dust!

Ugh. So. I’ve been relishing “The Secret Commonwealth”, Phillip Pullman’s latest entry in the follow-up trilogy to the His Dark Materials series. I loved those books when I was about 11, and I vividly recall the bittersweet ending that served to metaphorize childhood’s end.

My next visit to that world was in that awkward teenage period where I briefly felt at a complete loss from my child self. That’s when I read the short story about teenage Lyra in her new situation. At that point, I think my general sense of existential dysphoria would have hindered my ability to enjoy “The Secret Commonwealth” this much.

It really explores that bittersweet feeling I associated with the finale of the original trilogy, but since my own personal growth has gone beyond the phase of Lyra’s life that’s on focus in “Commonwealth”, I’m able to enjoy it more fully. What I’m seeing in it is the kind of dissociation from the childhood self that can hamstring development into a contented adulthood. It’s showing the mistakes that can be made along the way and the idea that those mistakes don’t define the person you are or the one you will be. As Lyra’s daemon tries to guide her away from those missteps, she ignores him. But as I moved past my own bad decisions, she begins to pay more heed to her daemon’s guidance.

Honestly, I haven’t finished yet, but I’m eager. Even without that extra metaphor sauce, it’s an awesome read.

Bonus Question!

Any chaser?

At the same time, I’m finally watching “Cardcaptor Sakura”, which has some tonal resonance to the very opening of “The Golden Compass”, wherein a young girl alongside her adviceful and excitable familiar is introduced to a grander and more fantastical world.