Northern Lights [Hardcover]

Philip Pullman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1995

This is the first in a trilogy in which a new universe has been created. A world where daemons swoop and scuttle along the streets of Oxford and London, where the mysterious Dust swirls invisibly through the air, and where one child knows secrets the adults would kill for.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Trade; Eleventh impression edition (January 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590541781
• ISBN-13: 978-0590541787
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,461,452 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best, January 25, 2004

By 

Review Lover "ReviewLover" (At a place...) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Northern Lights (Hardcover)

Adult fans of young-adult fiction have had something of a Garden of Eden lately, with such wonderful novels as the Harry Potter series, Artemis Fowl etc. crossing the line between the genres of young adult and adult. Somewhat less well-known (and, in my opinion, more deserving of credit and praise than either Harry or Artemis) is this series of books by hitherto-unknown Philip Pullman - the 'His Dark Materials Trilogy', the first book of which is this, 'The Northern Lights'.

To synopsise: Lyra is a strange orphan girl living in a version of London not-unlike our own. She accidentally uncovers a plot to rid people of their Daemons (spirit-like creatures that accompany everyone everywhere, like an extension of one's soul) and sets out to rescue her friends from the clutches of a sinister church-based organisation. Along the way she makes some unusual friends and discovers that her ultimate goal will take her far beyond the reaches of her own world.

What I can't praise enough about this book is the imagination and originality with which it is written. A comparable revalation in terms of ingenuity would have been the original release of the JRR Tolkien novels. However, unlike Tolkien, Pullman has imbued his characters and worlds with such a lack of pretension and sense of dry wit that we can't help but become totally enthralled by the events that shape their lives. For the first fifty pages you won't understand what's happening, so different is Lyra's world from our own - but then all becomes much, much clearer, and quite unapologetically, Pullman uses insanely clever puns and vivid imaginative descriptions to force us to draw our own conclusions about the strange world occupying this book.

His characters are wonderfully-realised. Lyra is a tough, spare little thing, but the clever inclusion of Daemons is Pullman's unique way of illustrating her humanity and little-girlness to us. Mrs. Coulter is menacing and terribly cold, the Gyptians are a beautifully-concieved and su[erbly-executed race of people. It's impossible to touch on each amazing character, suffice it to say that Pullman's imagination is given free reign, tempered with his uncanny knack to edit his own ramblings into something convincing and captivating.

The first in a trilogy of books, I can only advise you to buy all three together, as each one finishes rather abruptly, leaving you gasping for more. You won't be able to escape Pullman's imagination, and more importantly, you won't want to. 'Harry Potter' is the paste-jewelry, 'Northern Lights' is the Hope Diamond. I can't recommend this highly enough.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nothern lights- a book for stary-eyed readers, October 22, 2003

By 

Hannah (manchester, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Northern Lights (Hardcover)

I read Northern lights, because my aunty who is a school librarian told me how good the book was. She certainly was not wrong. This book offers drama, action, love, hate and a gripping storyline.
The book is all about Lyra, a 12-year-old girl who goes on an amazing adventure up in the north to rescue her friend Rodger and her uncle Lord Asriel. I think this book has a brilliant story line, because as the book goes on new adventures unfold for Lyra that keeps any reader with an imagination involved in this delightful fantasy book.
Throughout the book you join Lyra through her adventures to save the world from original sin. I thought that the clever twist in the book really makes it interesting and an enjoyable race against time to see whether the world shall be destroyed or saved. You will have to read the book to find out, because I am not going to tell you!
Phillip Pullman is a very clever and talented writer and deserves much appreciation from his readers that have discovered a whole new universe inside a little book.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good fantasy read and something to stimulate your imagination.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book to Cherish, October 18, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Northern Lights (Hardcover)

Philip Pullman's Northern Lights, first book of His Dark Materials trilogy, is an absolutely astounding book. It is centred around a girl called Lyra with a distinct personality. Readers will immediatly be drawn to her spicy attitude to life. She is made to leave her normal life with curiosity of the fact she will travel with Mrs Coulter, who seems to Lyra like an interesting person, despite her odd thoughts about `Gobblers' and the mysterious disappearances going on.It is revealed Lyra has special powers.
You will be pulled face-first into Lyra's world. There are many mysteries that you will want to ponder too. If you like fantasy or adventure books, and that appeals to most people, read this book because it will thrill you the whole way through.