Once Upon a Time in the North

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It's a hit!

I would love to hand all of Philip Pullman's detractors a copy of this book and dare them not to fall in love with his prose, his universe, and his... (show more)

I would love to hand all of Philip Pullman's detractors a copy of this book and dare them not to fall in love with his prose, his universe, and his efficiency: not many writers can deliver a novel's worth of story in 100 pages. Fantastic stuff. (show less)

 

 

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No, it's a flop!

Perhaps I'd just left it too long after reading His Dark Materials, or perhaps it was just a bit too action-centric for my liking, but I couldn't r... (show more)

Perhaps I'd just left it too long after reading His Dark Materials, or perhaps it was just a bit too action-centric for my liking, but I couldn't really get into it. A bit of a shame, really. (show less)

 

 

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  Phillip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" series offers more thrills and insight than any reader has the right to expect. While Pullman's young heroine Lyra generally steals the show and occupies a well-earned place in the hearts of millions, Pullman's universe is chock-full of fascinating characters who may be "supporting" characters in Lyra's story but are full-fledged heroes in their own right.

  Lee Scoresby, gentleman of fortune and hot-air balloonist ("aeronaut&q... (show more)

  Phillip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" series offers more thrills and insight than any reader has the right to expect. While Pullman's young heroine Lyra generally steals the show and occupies a well-earned place in the hearts of millions, Pullman's universe is chock-full of fascinating characters who may be "supporting" characters in Lyra's story but are full-fledged heroes in their own right.

  Lee Scoresby, gentleman of fortune and hot-air balloonist ("aeronaut") is one such character. A good-hearted Wild Bill Hickock, Scoresby serves the "beloved uncle" figure in Lyra's story and offers some of the most exciting and poignant scenes in the entire series. Along with his daemon, a hare named Hester, Scoresby also inject a scruffy, semi-profane, rough-and-tumble element into a pantheon of rather noble heroes.

  This novella provides some necessary back-story for Scoresby and Hester. Set decades before Lyra is born, "Once Upon a Time . . ." explains how Scoreby became such close friends with the polar-bear-king-in-exile Iorek Byrnison. Scoresby arrives in an Arctic town in the midst of a political power struggle as sinister corporate interests move in to seize the reins. These interests have retained the "services" of a stone-cold murderer from Scoresby's past, and it's no secret where Scoresby's loyalties will lie in this exchange.

  As with most prequels, a lot of the drama is lost (you know Scoresby's going to survive, after all). But Pullman manages to bring in enough danger and mystery to the brief tale that the book is darn hard to put down anyway. Not an easy task, to be sure.

  This is a must-read for die-hard fans of "His Dark Materials." I only use four stars instead of five to separate this novella from the five-star ratings for the longer books in this series. A fun, enjoyable read. (show less)

   

   

  by Scott Schiefelbein on Apr 24, 2009 at 04:35PM

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  This book was super. We all loved it and anticipated its release. Once again I read it aloud for my 8 and 10 year old children! It is a Prequel to the Phillip Pullman series Golden Compass/Subtle Knife Etc and focuses on Lee Scorsbee when he is a young man along with his deamon Hester who is a hare. It gives some background and tells how Lee and Hester meet Urik Burnegnson (spelling is probably wrong) the king of the bears and how the trouble started between the bears and the humans in th... (show more)

  This book was super. We all loved it and anticipated its release. Once again I read it aloud for my 8 and 10 year old children! It is a Prequel to the Phillip Pullman series Golden Compass/Subtle Knife Etc and focuses on Lee Scorsbee when he is a young man along with his deamon Hester who is a hare. It gives some background and tells how Lee and Hester meet Urik Burnegnson (spelling is probably wrong) the king of the bears and how the trouble started between the bears and the humans in the north. There is action, adventure, and even some romance! It is a very good book and it along with Lyra's Oxford are much recommended companions for the His Dark Materials Trilogy! Phillip Pullman rocks. Also check out his Count Karlstein or his Sally Lockhart series or The Scarecrow and his Servant or Spring Heeled Jack which are all excellent! Also The Book of Dust is due out in 2009! (show less)

   

   

  by Erin Marie Minnick Garcia on Feb 11, 2009 at 03:31AM

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