Philip Pullman

[CarlottaVonUberwald]

maybe the northern lights is a more neglish term for it...although i doubt it you nevcer know

 

[purple_kathryn]

Very true. Why do they give the books different titles in different countries if they are both English speaking?

Presumably for the same reason that they changed HP & the Philosphers Stone to Socerers Stone and dropped the III from the Madness of King George? Because they don't think that the American audience will *get* it. (Personally I think that's a little unfair btw).

Saying that I believe I read/heard that Pullman prefers the Golden Compass as a title and it does fit in better with the other titles (ie they're all objects)

maybe the northern lights is a more neglish term for it...although i doubt it you nevcer know

If anything you could argue that it's more confusing for us Brits because for me Northern Lights suggests Blackpool

 

[CarlottaVonUberwald]

only if your stupid

i was actually thinking as there official name isnt the northern lights maybe the americans or some americans wouldnt use that particular term.


ALSO the others are all objects that are of great importance to the plot..whilst i get the golden compass thing it isnt as suitable to the book as the other titles are to thei respective stories

 

[ZoeRat]

only if your stupid

i was actually thinking as there official name isnt the northern lights maybe the americans or some americans wouldnt use that particular term.


ALSO the others are all objects that are of great importance to the plot..whilst i get the golden compass thing it isnt as suitable to the book as the other titles are to thei respective stories

Haha, well I am American, and we learned about the Northern Lights in elementary school, so I would have understood it just fine. It's just kind of amusing that publishers go to the trouble of giving it a different name. Probably some cort of cultural thing like you said.

 

[purple_kathryn]

We should start a campaign!

 

[CarlottaVonUberwald]

lol i not being american wouldnt know if you called them northern lights though lol

 

[ZoeRat]

lol i not being american wouldnt know if you called them northern lights though lol

Oh, lol. What do you call them?

 

[purple_kathryn]

Oh, lol. What do you call them?

Aurora Borealis of course

 

[ZoeRat]

Aurora Borealis of course

Well that's a much more creative name than "Northern Lights," haha. I think I'll start calling them that instead.

 

[Mouse]

I love Phillip Pullman's books, he's done the Sally Lockhart detective series which are quite good too, they're being made into a tv show soon!

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

In fact, for those who are interested and live in the US, a dramatization of Pullman's The Ruby in the Smoke (the first of the Sally Lockhart books, if memory serves me) is going to be shown on PBS early next month.

Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, it will be on Masterpiece Theater, Sunday, February 4th.

I'm looking forward to it.

 

[aarti]

In fact, for those who are interested and live in the US, a dramatization of Pullman's The Ruby in the Smoke (the first of the Sally Lockhart books, if memory serves me) is going to be shown on PBS early next month.

Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, it will be on Masterpiece Theater, Sunday, February 4th.

I'm looking forward to it.

I was just coming here to say the same thing! I have this book, but haven't read it yet. Perhaps before it airs. But probably not.

 

[Lenny]

If it's the one with Billie Piper as Sally, then that was shown on BBC1 over Christmas here in England.

It was a pretty good adaptation - they did well to fit it all into an hour and a half without it feeling rushed. It's fast paced and full of all the quirky twists and turns of the book... though I think they could have explored everything a little deeper had they made it a two-parter.

Still, it was thoroughly enjoyable. And Julie Roberts character is amazingly well played!

 

[The Ace]

To be Honest, I read "His Dark Matireals," and wasn't overly impressed, it always seemed that he could have done better.

 

[Nesacat]

I read them in one sitting and liked them very much. They were different and had many unique angles. Much darker and more bittersweet than most of the books being written for a young adult audience. Pullman's work is a little like GP Taylor's as they both show a much darker side of human nature, especially it's dealings with children.

For me at least Pullman's books are three of the better ones to have been written recently for young adults. It does not ramble on and on. It's got a fairly tight plot, is well written and has some very memorable characters. He does attempt to give it a sugar candy, all tied up in a bow happy ending either, which was one of the things I really liked.

What I have been curious about since the book first came out is why the Daemon's are all opposite in gender to the people they are with.

 

[Lenny]

Although I liked His Dark Materials, I think that a lot of The Amber Spyglass was far too 'soppy' and 'luvvy-duvvy'. The first was dark, the second the same, and the third was quite dark... then he brought in all the love and I think it spoiled it. I've only ever read The Amber Spyglass once, and I don't plan to read it again any time soon.

 

[HoopyFrood]

I agree with Nesa, that His Dark Materials certainly are some of the better books that have been written for young children. I enjoyed them a lot when I read them and I liked how Pullman goes into a much greater depth with what seems like an epic plot, rather than the usual "Small child against the evil bad guy" story. Northern Lights is probably my least favourite of the three, but it's been so long since I read them, I can't really distinguish between the latter two...They were still bloody good, though

 

[Allegra]

I liked His Dark Materials. But an article I once read about how Pullman attacked C S Lewis viciously somehow effected my respect to the writer.

 

[Ljomi]

I have read them in both Icelandic aswell as English and as for most of the time translations just don't match the original language used in the writing [just a note].

But as for the series, there is that element of anti-religion that Pullman somehow managed to fit in without attacking any specific religion/-sub branch of a specific religion which is a huge part in it's popularity because these days people are finding themselves doubting the church more and more. As for how he advances the plot, the emotional factor is always there to capture the reader which is best explained by how we, as humans, find emotions easy to relate through and for fantasy literature it's essential to keep us on the ground.

Didn't exactly answer the question there but it's great literature and I think all who consider themselves fantasy fans ought to take some time to read them as it's only three books.

 

[red_temple]

So far, I have read the first one and enjoyed it. I found it to be a little dark for a YA novel, but I would have no problems letting my kid read it when she gets to be the appropriate age.

Pullman is certainly not without controversy, though. The books put religion in a bit of a harsh light (and that's saying it mildly). I don't really have a problem with that, though I know a lot of parents that do, which is a shame.