RE Miss EA Moralee's letter about the film, The Golden Compass (HAS, Dec 10), and Eric Gendle's reply (HAS, Dec 15). Mr Gendle seems to be saying children should encounter as wide a range of religious and philosophical points of view as possible, so as to be able to make an informed choice as to which suits them best.
Leaving aside the absurdity of supposing children to have sufficient maturity to make such a choice, and returning to Miss Moralee's concerns about possible effects of this film on children, I would say with most of them it will go down like a lead balloon.
I understand the plot is incomprehensible, the dialogue unintelligible and the acting mediocre. Far from being corrupted, most children will want to leave long before the end.
Apparently the film is based on a book in which Philip Pullman tries to present an atheist alternative to the Christian Narnia stories of CS Lewis. To mention Lewis, one of the 20th Century's greatest writers, in the same breath is an absurdity.
The collected Narnia stories would make an ideal gift for any child and, for teenagers and adults, so would his non-fiction work, Mere Christianity - an object lesson in clarity of thought and expression, and immensely entertaining.
Tony Kelly, Crook, Co Durham.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article