Philip Pullman trilogy

[Tim Regan]

Hi All,

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter Eloise wrote:
> I *listened* to the trilogy on tape - I used to do a lot of long 
> school runs and having an audio book on the go stopped the 
> natives getting too restless. I also often find it easier to get 
> into something by 

I so agree with this. It's enabled me to enjoy books (e.g. 
Joyce's "Ulyses", Milton's "Paradise Lost", and Eco's "Focaults 
Pendulum") that there is no way I'd have been able to stick with if 
I had been reading them.

The Pullman audio books are fantastic. They are unabridged, and read 
by a cast including Pullman himself as narrator. Here are the links 
to them on Amazon (though I got mine cheap on ebay):
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0807281808
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0807281859
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0807282375

Dave mentions the BBC Radio adaptation. I didn't listen to this so I 
cannot really comment. Only to say that it is abridged, and they did 
add things (I think, but may be wrong, that they name Mrs Coulter's 
daemon while the books don't). If you are a BBC Radio 4 fan it's 
worth noting that several of the cast members in the tapes I 
listened to were also characters from the long running Radio 4 
soap "The Archers". Here's the mapping:

Alison Dowling
= Mrs Coulter (HDM)
= Elizabeth Pargetter (The Archers)

Garrick Hagon
= Lee Scoresby (HDM)
= Simon Gerrard (The Archers)
http://www.garrickhagon.com/

Tim Bentinck
= Joachim Lorenz (HDM)
= David Archer (The Archers)
http://www.bentinck.net

Jane Collingwood
= Kirjava (HDM)
= Emma Carter (The Archers)

Hayward Morse
= The Chaplain/Fra Pavel/Oliver Payne/Basilides (HDM)
= Lester Nicholson aka Nick (The Archers)

> The trilogy has left a deep impression; it's the atmosphere 
> and some of his characters and inventions that have stayed 
> with me. 

> I identify strongly with Mary Malone, the ex-nun turned 
> research physicist. 

Wow, yes. She is such a fantastic character. I think that's why I 
didn't find the third book disappointing: because there's so much of 
her in the book. And romance, I am a sucker for a bit of romance. I 
was so impressed with Dr. Mary Malone that I took up reading the I 
Ching on her recommendation! Those who know me will realise just how 
unlikely that is.

> This probably isn't a good forum in which to compare the 
> deaths portrayed in his books with those in HP, but I am 
> afraid that for me at least, Pullman wins hands down on 
> that particular score.

Sure it is. But if you do get into the Pullman books and want some 
discussion online there's a great forum you can try at 
http://www.darkmaterials.net/forum/
(as well as OTChatter, of course). That's the forum associated with 
http://www.bridgetothestars.net/
which is a great resource. There are some Yahoo groups too but they 
are too quiet to be that useful.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/oxford2/
is worth note as it is where Sophie aka `Daja' posts. She's the girl 
who threatened to hurt a cute squirrel if he didn't finish the third 
book!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?
xml=/arts/2002/01/29/bopull27.xml
(or try http://tinyurl.com/tvbf if that gets squidged)

> I am certainly looking forward to his next foray into Lyra's 
> world - and hoping that this is not the only world in his 
> universe that the next book visits.

It's out already :-) Check out
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375828192
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0807219967
It's a short story with some interesting additional paraphernalia 
(maps, pages from other books, a postcard from Mary to a friend 
etc). It's a great read. It was originally going to be part of "The 
Book of Dust" which he is writing at the moment, but he decided to 
release it now as a taster/teaser.

They are also doing a film (same production company as LotR with Tom 
Stoppard writing the script), and a play:
http://www.nt-online.org/?lid=6102
http://www.nt-online.org/?lid=6107

So, do persevere with the Pullman books. They are well worth it 
IMHO. I also realy enjoyed reading his short book "I Was A Rat" to 
the kids. "The White Mercedes" (called "The Butterfly Tatoo" in the 
USA) was another good Pullman. That's for teenagers. He certainly 
writes great female roles.

Cheers,

Dumbledad.