Sandwich Joe
In The Secret Commonwealth, Pullman trades the intimacy of Oxford and the frozen wonder of the North for a sprawling, politically charged journey across Europe, the Near East, and Central Asia… and it works. This installment feels like a mature evolution of His Dark Materials: a world still threaded with Dust and dæmons, but one wrestling with modern realities and the pain of getting older.
Lyra, now grown and disenchanted, experiences a second fall, one not from innocence, but from belief. The sense of loss is profound, but so is the beauty of her search to recover faith in the unseen.
Others have noted some of the rougher aspects of the novel, so I won’t go into those. I’ll just say that this is a rich, mature, and deeply philosophical entry in the series: less adventure, more pilgrimage. Even in its darkness, it never loses the wonder that makes Lyra’s world so unforgettable. I can’t wait for the final chapter later this week.
In The Secret Commonwealth, Pullman trades the intimacy of Oxford and the frozen wonder of the North for a sprawling, politically charged journey across Europe, the Near East, and Central Asia… and it works. This installment feels like a mature evolution of His Dark Materials: a world still threaded with Dust and dæmons, but one wrestling with modern realities and the pain of getting older.
Lyra, now grown and disenchanted, experiences a second fall, one not from innocence, but from belief. The sense of loss is profound, but so is the beauty of her search to recover faith in the unseen.
Others have noted some of the rougher aspects of the novel, so I won’t go into those. I’ll just say that this is a rich, mature, and deeply philosophical entry in the series: less adventure, more pilgrimage. Even in its darkness, it never loses the wonder that makes Lyra’s world so unforgettable. I can’t wait for the final chapter later this week.
Discontent by Beatriz Serrano reminds me a lot of My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh. I found myself hating the narrator, yet at the same time seeing uncomfortable reflections of myself in her. Marisa’s love of Ativan, her hatred of corporate jargon, her love of YouTube, her hatred of group activities… I understand her like a best friend. Supporting this sense of familiarity, Serrano’s prose feels fresh and biting. It leads into the absurdity of work life with humor that cuts close to the bone.
Mara Faye Lethem’s translation is fantastic—smooth and readable in English, while still preserving that uniquely Spanish rhythm and flavor.
Discontent by Beatriz Serrano reminds me a lot of My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh. I found myself hating the narrator, yet at the same time seeing uncomfortable reflections of myself in her. Marisa’s love of Ativan, her hatred of corporate jargon, her love of YouTube, her hatred of group activities… I understand her like a best friend. Supporting this sense of familiarity, Serrano’s prose feels fresh and biting. It leads into the absurdity of work life with humor that cuts close to the bone.
Mara Faye Lethem’s translation is fantastic—smooth and readable in English, while still preserving that uniquely Spanish rhythm and flavor.
Updated a reading goal:
Read 100 books by December 31, 2025
Progress so far: 132 / 100 132%
I can’t say I would have read this novella if I hadn’t already been familiar with The Expanse novels. I was a little disappointed with this origin story, even though Amos is one of my favorite characters.
🎧 A fine production. I do wish the narrator had been a bit more expressive, though.
I can’t say I would have read this novella if I hadn’t already been familiar with The Expanse novels. I was a little disappointed with this origin story, even though Amos is one of my favorite characters.
🎧 A fine production. I do wish the narrator had been a bit more expressive, though.
