I only read the first one but I didn't especially enjoy it. I really like the Harry Potter books, and a few people had recommended the Pullman ones to me, but I was really disappointed. I just found it very hard to get into and didn't especially like the style. Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood.

I also liked Harry Potter, but I think it has little to do with how much I disliked His Dark Materials. I didn't like ANY of the characters. Not a single one. Pullman's a good writer; I was able to finish the trilogy despite being annoyed with almost everybody who graced its pages. It must be his style of writing that makes the characters seem distant, cold, and unrelateable to me. I can't put my finger on what it was about them. I never bought the books so I can't pinpoint the problem. **Spoilers** I should add that I might not remember things very well. The third book especially bothered me because it got so bizarre. Creatures that figured out the wheel but no real defensive strategies? How does something like that even survive for as long as they did? I only read the books to find out what Dust was, but I think it stays a mystery at the end. What was the point? Maybe it was revealed and it disappointed me, so I blocked it out. I don't know. The first book was okay, but I thought the girl would grow up in the next book and become more likeable. Nope. I really didn't like this trilogy at all, which is sad because it had some very promising ideas.

I really enjoyed them. Now I have a terrible memory for something I've only read once, so I can't explain in detail why, but Pullman created a detailed imaginative world, and I enjoyed the main characters. There were parts that didn't seem to fit as smoothly as the others, and I'm a much bigger fan of the Harry Potter series, but I'm glad I read Pullman's trilogy.

Contrary to the other answers, I absolutely loved it! For me it was thrilling, with great characters and left me wanting to be part of that world with my own daemon. I wanted to know Iorek and found the concept of the alethiometer incredible! It was fantastic, some of the better books I've read!!

I LOVE them!!! I'm not quite finished but almost I've only got about 200 pages left of the last one. I think Pulman is an extremly talented author and makes you really feel what the characters are going threw. I haven't gotten to see the movies yet but I've heard they really wrecked them I hope that's not true!!!