Book description
The Amber Spyglass: A Triumphant Catastrophe
Philip Pullman's finale to the His Dark Materials trilogy arrives like a literary fireworks display - spectacular, overwhelming, and slightly chaotic. After the methodical world-building of The Golden Compass and the philosophical meandering of The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass decides to throw caution to the wind and become everything at once.
The audiobook format actually serves Pullman's ambitious mess quite well, since narrator Simon Vance can convincingly deliver everything from angelic choirs to philosophical treatises without making the listener question their sanity. Will, our knife-wielding protagonist, stumbles through plot points with the same bewildered determination he brings to everything else, while Lyra disappears and reappears with the reliability of a British weather system.
Pullman's greatest strength - his ability to make quantum physics and metaphysics accessible to teenagers - remains intact. His greatest weakness - thinking that adding more plot threads will solve narrative problems - reaches its zenith here. The book contains multitudes, possibly too many multitudes. Angels, witches, severed souls, parallel dimensions, and a journey to the land of the dead all compete for attention like overeager dinner guests.
The irony is delicious: Pullman spends three books building toward grand theological statements, then delivers something that feels simultaneously profound and absurd. His angels are both cosmic beings of immense power and remarkably petty bureaucrats. His resolution to the age-old problem of good versus evil involves... well, let's just say it involves some surprisingly practical solutions to metaphysical problems.
Despite its structural flaws and occasional tendency to lecture rather than entertain, The Amber Spyglass succeeds because Pullman genuinely believes in his ideas. Even when the plot threatens to collapse under its own philosophical weight, the audiobook carries listeners along through sheer audacious ambition. It's like watching someone attempt to build a cathedral while explaining quantum mechanics - impressive, exhausting, and utterly unforgettable.
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Playing a wide variety of audio formats
Works on all devices with iOS 13 and newer
Huge amount of features for a small price
Frequent updates to add new features and improve existing ones
Advanced playback controls
Live sound processing
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice and noise reduction
Translated into more than 20 languages
If you love listening to fiction audiobooks, ListenBook has features to make the process easier.
Edit book data: title, author, cover
Use equalizer to make the sound comfortable for you
Adjust the playback speed
Enjoy dark and light app themes
Supported formats: MP3, M4B, AWB, FLAC, OGG audio files and many more (must be DRM free)
Auto-Bookmarks make it easy to find your place
AirPlay support allows redirection of audio output.
VoiceOver support
Dark mode for night owls
Convenient bookmarking system helps you mark the most important places.
Unlimited bookmarks for each audiobook
Put your own cover on the wager
Share your audiobook with friends
Lock-screen control
Customise app with extensive options
Sleep timer with shake to reset, set custom notification sounds, and a few unique options
Auto rewind depending on paused time, customize rewind times to your liking
Removing background noise from recordings made in classrooms and meetings
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice for a better listening experience