Daemon Voices by Philip Pullman – Essays 2 through 4
Philip Pullman’s Daemon Voices is a nonfiction book featuring thirty-two essays on storytelling. This is the second post in the series on Daemon Voices covering Essays 2 – 4 (The Writing of Stories, Heinrich von Kleist: On the Marionette Theatre, and Paradise Lost).
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Lisa of Troy with a decent GoodReads following and average about 200 books per year. Based on my forays into literature, I have a few ideas about storytelling. I’m also Philip Pullman’s #1 fan (just full disclosure). The Daemon Voice series is designed to be more of a conversation with Philip Pullman’s insights as well as my own instead of a traditional blog post.
The Writing of Stories
“One thing I’m very bad at is literary criticism.”
– Philip Pullman in Daemon Voices
Oh, Pullman, seriously? Is this a humble brag? Because you could not be more wrong.
Last year, I read The Last Battle, the last book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, authored by C.S. Lewis. While reading the book, I discovered that there were certain elements that I found disturbing. Additionally, there is an end-of-the-world scenario, an epic good versus evil battle, and I was noodling on how it could have been written better. Immediately, The Amber Spyglass came to mind.
I wanted to explore if anyone else put this connection together so I typed in “Philip Pullman” and “CS Lewis” into Google. And I found some great stuff!
In regards to the Chronicles of Narnia books, Pullman states, “..a peevish blend of racist, misogynistic and reactionary prejudice; but of love, of Christian charity, [there is] not a trace.” Additionally, in regards to CS Lewis, he states, “As a critic…I rate him very highly, but I do detest what he was doing in his fiction.”
Taking on a classic children’s author requires bravery, and Pullman paves the way for others to come forward and call out sexist and racist ideas. I greatly value Pullman’s literary criticism, and I think that he is phenomenal, brave, and a literary powerhouse.
“Every sentence I write is surrounded by the ghosts of the sentences I could have written at that point, but chose not to.”
– Philip Pullman in Daemon Voices
This concept is so apparent in The Imagination Chamber, a short book of His Dark Materials ideas. Pullman has so many rich characters with interesting backstories, and he is currently in the midst of writing the last book in the series, The Book of Dust. Who will make it into the last book of the trilogy? Whose story will be left behind? For an author, these choices are incredibly difficult.
“But it’s a stronger ending than if they’d stayed together.”
– Philip Pullman in Daemon Voices
Couldn’t agree more, Pullman! Long live unhappily ever after! I’m so sick of cliché happy endings. They don’t feel realistic, and they give readers the idea that long-term relationships are easy and uncomplicated. Nothing could be further from the truth!
What Pullman Does Not Address
How does Pullman decide which direction to go in? How does he pick which of his many characters’ stories to tell? After leaving us with Lyra in The Golden Compass/Northern Lights, why does Pullman start off The Subtle Knife with Will? How does Pullman “write it down”? Does he have a daily word count?
Heinrich von Kleist: On the Marionette Theatre
“I loved and revered William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience.”
– Philip Pullman in Daemon Voices
Oh no. I have actually read Songs of Innocence and Experience, and it is terrible. I did everything to make it a fun experience – I listened to a recording, and I followed along in a beautiful set of colorful illustrations to go along with the poems.
The poems are so boring that they inspired me to write the following poem:
William Blake
Is not my mate.
His poems can put me to sleep
Although that can be neat.
Most of them are about religion
But I would rather stare at a pigeon.
Boring and old
To read these again, I would need some gold.
Paradise Lost
Pullman discusses his love for John Milton’s epic poem, “Paradise Lost.” Although I am an avid reader, I have not yet had the pleasure of reading “Paradise Lost.” Although I am going to read it out loud when I do….
Pullman speaks openly about his love of Milton and Blake. However, does he ever read American authors (Thoreau, Fitzgerald, Hemingway)? Or is that intentional?
Check out Lisa of Troy’s homepage for more thoughts on the essays included in Daemon Voices and be sure to pick up your copy! If you missed the post covering the Introduction and Essay One, click here.