Once Upon a Time in the North - Philip Pullman

56%
17.02.18

A mini-tale of the wonderful Lee Scoresby and Hester, presumably to give them a little life before their memorable deaths. This being Pullman, it's exquisitely written and produced, but ultimately a little too much is going on in the background to give it a relevant focus.

La Belle Sauvage - Philip Pullman

73%
30.12.17

There's no better way to round off the year with master storyteller Pullman's new novel eclipsing all others, carrying readers away into his vivid world like the engulfing flood in the book. It's not really for children, I think - though kids would do well to absorb the obvious political and social commentary here. My only criticisms would be the surprising upholding of traditional gender roles (compared with Lyra's later heroism) and the open-ended, slightly unfocused nature of the story, setting it up for the two sequels.

The Amber Spyglass - Philip Pullman

60%
06.03.07




Perhaps I shouldn't have read them again - I would have kept them as a benchmark for a wonderful set of novels. But second time round only 'Northern Lights' was any good - 'The Amber Spyglass' descends into chaos - too many characters, too many worlds and, worse, a sentimental, nonsensical ending. Last time I read these, I was amazed by the story but now the plot seems too dependent on coincidence and novelty. The real strong point is the richly imagined alternative universes, and the examination of spirit, lust, greed and power. By any other standards, the trilogy is excellent, but the bar is set too high.

The Subtle Knife - Philip Pullman

59%
25.02.07




The second in the trilogy isn't remotely as good as first - or last. All I remembered was the moving death of Lee Scoresby (spoiler!) but had forgotten the sudden high body count in the final chapters, and absence of strong characters from previously. It loses its focus by moving between worlds, and loses its realism by including 'our' world and the self-righteous Will. Moves the story along for the big ending, though.

Northern Lights - Philip Pullman

76%
16.02.07




This made a big impression on me when I first read it 6 or 7 years ago. I was afraid that, as this month's reading group choice, it would be disappointing. It wasn't - the details, the characters, and most of all the relentless, subversive storyline, are hard to criticise, although this time round the coincidences and sentimentality grated a little. But it beats almost any other adventure story out there - up with 'The Lord of The Rings' in the serious fantasy stakes.

Lyra's Oxford - Philip Pullman

n/a
30.12.03




Again, it doesn't seem appropriate to give this rather odd Christmas-market book a grade. An interim story with reference to His Dark Materials, it's more a beautifully presented cash-in than any useful contribution to the series. The story isn't even all that interesting. But at least the book looks nice.