I think Pullman's not too bad, but his works are so weirdly sexualised that it's hard to separate sexual othering and objecting of his women and girls from the general tone of his novels.
Yes, it's an interesting point about Ted Walker and the way Mrs. Walker and Mrs. Blackett (who is actually a widow, so she is literally a single mother) behave. There are elements to that special father/son relationship which can be so privileged in some books - I'm thinking particularly of Secret Water, which is really fascinating because the Swallows are dropped off with a rough map and Ted suggests that they map the islands. and this becomes a HUGE deal for all of the Swallows but most of all John - he's really striving to do this thing, it's the big plot point of the book, and he's bitterly disappointed when he thinks he might fail. And it's not even that Ted would be disappointed - he doesn't expect them to have it done. It's actually quite a moving depiction of the way children behave towards parents, especially towards absent ones, and a father's role and relationships. But I like it because other novels do similar things with Mrs. Walker and Cpt. Flint (not so much Mrs. Blackett, TBH.)
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Yes, it's an interesting point about Ted Walker and the way Mrs. Walker and Mrs. Blackett (who is actually a widow, so she is literally a single mother) behave. There are elements to that special father/son relationship which can be so privileged in some books - I'm thinking particularly of Secret Water, which is really fascinating because the Swallows are dropped off with a rough map and Ted suggests that they map the islands. and this becomes a HUGE deal for all of the Swallows but most of all John - he's really striving to do this thing, it's the big plot point of the book, and he's bitterly disappointed when he thinks he might fail. And it's not even that Ted would be disappointed - he doesn't expect them to have it done. It's actually quite a moving depiction of the way children behave towards parents, especially towards absent ones, and a father's role and relationships. But I like it because other novels do similar things with Mrs. Walker and Cpt. Flint (not so much Mrs. Blackett, TBH.)