Northern Lights

The assignment was to recommend a book, when, of course, what I’m really doing here is recommending the entire His Dark Materials trilogy, a set of fantasy books that I must have read at least three (if not four) times, totally swept away by the scope of Pullman’s imagination and daring.

The ill-fated lovers in this book are Lyra and Will, two teens from two parallel universes going to war over the right to think, feel, desire, and be. That’s epic.

I read this first book of the trilogy: His Dark Materials, when another scribbler gave me the set with a promise of: You’ll love this.

I wondered if I was being offered a children’s story as the protagonist is a twelve-year-old girl. Not only was I quickly drawn into Lyra’s parallel world but also captivated by the characters: children, adults, and daemons (like souls with the manifestation of animals). 

I’m not a fan of anthropomorphism but such is Philip Pullman’s writing skill, I was soon totally immersed in the beautifully-crafted characters, humans and otherwise. Including a wholly-believable polar bear.

I… show more.

I first read Philip Pullman’s incredible world-hopping trilogy when I was working in a bookshop, and when I realised the ambition of what he was attempting in what is, ostensibly, a children’s book, I shouted out loud in front of the book-buying public.

Northern Lights, and the other two books, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass feature a truly terrifying female villain in the double form of Mrs Coulter and her golden monkey dæmon.

At school, the teacher who took care of me when I was sent away from home was also called Mrs. Coulter. Though my Mrs.… show more.