Northern Lights: Bolvangar

by Philip Pullman

With the gyptians, Lyra travels to the bleak splendour of the North, bearing a truth-telling compass, she goes in search of Roger and the other lost children - to Bolvangar.

For children/juvenile

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook, Young Adult, Science Fiction

Audio Cassette

Published December 1, 1999

About the author

Sir Philip Nicholas Outram Pullman is an English writer. His books include the fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials and The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, a fictionalised biography of Jesus. In 2008, The Times named Pullman one of the "50 greatest British writers since 1945". In a 2004 BBC poll, he was named the eleventh most influential person in British culture. He was knighted in the 2019 New Year Honours for services to literature.
Northern Lights, the first volume in His Dark Materials, won the 1995 Carnegie Medal of the Library Association as the year's outstanding English-language children's book. For the Carnegie's 70th anniversary, it was named in the top ten by a panel tasked with compiling a shortlist for a public vote for an all-time favourite. It won that public vote and was named all-time "Carnegie of Carnegies" in June 2007. It was filmed under the book's US title, The Golden Compass. In 2003, His Dark Materials trilogy ranked third in the BBC's The Big Read, a poll of 200 top novels voted by the British public.

Reviews

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Qué difícil es ver la frontera entre infantes, jóvenes y adultos, especialmente para autores y editores-.

Género. Narrativa fantástica.

Lo que nos cuenta. Lyra, una encantadora niña demasiado revoltosa para el estricto ambiente académico del Jordan College de un Oxford y una Inglaterra muy diferentes a los que conocemos, comienza a recorrer el sendero de la aventura que le llevará a descubrir algunos los secretos del mundo en el que vive, a tratar de averiguar quién está haciendo desaparecer a los niños del país y a saber más sobre los padres que nunca conoció. Primer libro de la serie “La materia oscura”.

¿Quiere saber más del libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Snufkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible trilogy, Pullman creates a wondrous alternate world and it's absolutely delightful, magical and gripping. And this first book is NOT called 'the golden compass' (stupid movie!!) it's Northern Lights!!!

[Krishnan Mangalath · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book. Even though this is a very exciting and nice story, I thought that the book chapters were a little too long and would make you feel boared to read always for a long time.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

FROM TIA:
His Dark Materials. Radio 4 Extra. First Broadcast on BBC Radio 4 - The Saturday Play
by Philip Pullman, dramatised by Lavinia Murray

Dramatisation of Philip Pullman's epic worlds trilogy.

1 - Northern Lights. 4 November 2017. First Broadcast 4 January 2003
2 - The Subtle Knife. 11 November 2017. First Broadcast 11 January 2003
3 - The Amber Spyglass. 18 November 2017. First Broadcast 18 January 2003

The epic worlds trilogy begins with Lyra delving into the mystery of 'Dust'.

https://archive.org/details/hisdarkma...

[Jeanie Blyth · Rating 3 out of 5]

These 3* don’t necessarily indicate a mediocre read, more that YA isn’t my preferred genre, and I did vague out in the darker battle scenes because the subject matter disturbed me. ( I couldn’t read The Handmaids Tale)
That said, I wished I‘d had access to this at a younger age.

It’s truly valuable when writer births a character whose challenges in some ways mirrors ones own, and in the creative evocation of alternative modes of managing, offers new possibilities.
I couldn’t engage with the Harry Potter phenomenon, and now I know why. I needed a female hero. This is sophisticated and smart.

Despite my personal dissonance, ( which is explicable to me, and not unwelcome...just uncomfortably informative ) I persisted, and towards the end I really appreciated this authors scope and vision. I’m looking forward to the next instalment.

[Allyt_hobart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve just spent a week or so immersed in this fabulous trilogy and cannot believe I missed reading them all those years ago.
A richly imagined alternate universe with incredibly strong and interesting lead characters and a fascinating cast of extras.
I loved the moral and ethical questions posed (and answered) and desperately want my own daemon.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will read the rest of this trilogy as I have bought all the books, however this did not give me a 'you can't leave it there' moment at the end of the book. Parts of it were very good but there was a lot of long discourse, which was probably unnecessary and detracted from the action. I liked Lyra, a feisty individual, but even she got a little boring at times.

[Fereshteh · Rating 4 out of 5]

اول داستان اونقدر جذاب نبود به نظرم ولی روند داستان هرچقدر میرفت جلو جذاب تر میشد, توصیفاتش خوب بود ولی عالی نبود , دنیاش اونقدرا با دنیای ما متفاوت نبود و چیز زیادی برای کشف نداشت ولی آخر داستان همه ی این کمبودارو بر طرف کرد, طرفدارای کتاب های فانتزی حتما میپسندنش

[Avery Line · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are books I read that are fun and engaging, and I have a vaguely positive recollection of them years later without recalling much detail. Then there are books that worm their way directly into my brain stem, coil around it, and stay there for life. This book is the latter.

No matter how many times I read it, I am still amazed at what Pullman does with scene setting and characterization. He has access to the same dictionary I do, but his writing somehow transcends the words. His prose is both immediate and spiritual. Gripping and philosophical.

The tension never wanes, but it does wax at points--and those scenes stick with me for decades. The discovery of daemons is so compelling and rich that when things go wrong with human-daemon duos, it is truly horrific.

There are many battles in this book, and none of them are casual throwaways. All of them are foreshadowed, prepared for, led up to, and fought desperately, to the point where the outcome is never a given. Achieving even one of the action scenes in this story would be a triumph for most writers, but Pullman does it over and over and over.

The heart of this story is Lyra, and she kept me captivated from her first illicit foray into the cupboard all the way to the Northern Lights. She's a multilayered, problematic, endearing handful who never stops. She could so easily have become a one-dimensional pinball careening through the plot, but she interacts with each character so deeply and individually that I was drawn into her point of view. Whoever Lyra is focused on in a scene temporarily becomes the main supporting character, and the cast is large and varied.

This story is escapism at its finest, with some true observations on religion that bring a fresh perspective to the table.

[Diane Fordham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was handed this book on loan from a friend, and did not actually realise that it is classed as a child’s book until I finally settled down to read it. I proceeded with caution but was pleasantly surprised. The plot was intriguing and moved fast, with lots of twists and turns and constant movement. Mr Pullman’s imagination is extraordinary and his ability to touch on adult subjects in such an age appropriate way was amazing. I’m not sure that I would go out of my way to get hold of the remaining books in the trilogy, but neither would I shy away either. Maybe a whole new genre waiting for me.

[Romana Toson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is not to love! Daemons, Gyptians, Polar bears, Witches. A wonderful cast of characters that you grow to care about and a story-line that encompasses the battle for good and evil on the grandest scale. This book and the trilogy it belongs to is one of my favourite books.

[Rory L'Estrange · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world building in this book is astounding, the way that Pullman creates characters, his use of descriptors and antiquated words add another dimension that translates really well to the reader. I am not usually a fan of fantasy but couldn't put this book down.

[Tor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great adventure for adults and preteens. Exciting and griping. Looking forward to the next instalment

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wasn’t sure about reading this, someone’s choice in a book club but it was a marvellous read from start to finish. It’s part of a trilogy so look forward to reading the other two.

[Corinne Aisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending was a little unfinished.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! An exciting adventure full of twists and interesting characters, and as an adult it reawakened my inner child's imagination :)

[Aidan Gall · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing fiction book.

[R22 · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME

[Sally O'wheel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am amazed i have never read this fabulous book. What a great set of characters!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I struggled the first time to read this but got into on the second attempt, inspired to read by the BBC drama adaptation of it. It was good.

[John Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though a children's novel - teen - it is clever, fun, witty, imaginative and gripping. And better than the excellent TV series. Looking forward to #2 A Subtle Knife.

[Sally · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my style

[Anai Alvelino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

[Geert Daelemans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome to Lyra's magical world

In a world, not that different from ours, lives an 11-year-olf girl with the name of Lyra Belacqua. Like every human in that world she possesses a personal daemon that protects and guides her through life. As an orphan she was taken under the guidance of Lord Asriel, who did send her to Jordan College in Oxford for her education. But something is clearly amiss when she secretly witnesses a special gathering in which Lord Asriel plays a remarkable role. Although Lyra does not understand what they are talking about, she is overwhelmed by curiosity to find out more about the main topic of that meeting: the Dust. When later children start to disappear, Lyra starts to suspect that it might all be linked to the Dust.

Northern Lights is the first part of the His Dark Materials-trilogy and this becomes very obvious while reading the book. The story-line in itself is mainly the glue that holds together the introduction of the characters and the description of the remarkable universe they're living in. But in no way does this hinder the enjoyment of the book. Philip Pullman overwhelms the reader with such a fantastic narrative that it is hard to stop reading. It is a real treat to find yourself cut of from all daily troubles and to dive into the beautiful and unforgettable magic of Lyra Belacqua.

Not yet having read the second part of His Dark Materials, I am sure that in that part the story will get up to speed and the thrill of Lyra's quest will be even more enthralling. Needless to say that that book is already lying on my nightstand.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that the main character in this book is a spirited, clever and strong young girl called Lyra. With an unconventional upbringing -raised in the grounds of Jordan College, Oxford, she overhears a meeting between her father Lord Asriel and his colleagues (the faculty) where he is looking for funding to prove the existence of other worlds. I loved the idea that everyone in Lyra's world have a daemon - an animal which represents the person's soul and is their best friend, which can change form until the child reaches puberty then it takes on a fixed animal form. This book is pure fantasy - a magical world of daemons, parallel universes, witches, armoured bears, alethiometers and child snatchers. Highly recommended - first of three books and even though not the best of the three still an excellent read!

[Elah Hirschberg]

I enjoyed this book very much! It's genre is mystery, and adventure. In the book the main character (Lyra) and her demon (Pantalaimon) live a simple life in a College filled with Scholars. Her main friends are her demon, and the staff, such as the kitchen boy Roger. When Roger is kidnapped by "the Gobblers", Lyra sets herself a mission to find roger, and save all the kids that were kidnapped with him. Her curiosity, bravery, and sense for adventure, send her to the far, cold north where she meets armored bears, wicked witches, and ghosts. On the way she learns important survival skills, life skills, and about her family.

[Vania Liberoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Algo maravilloso creó Pullman aquí. La introducción de un mundo fantástico donde las personas tienen a sus Daimonionns fuera de su cuerpo.
Esto es algo muy filosófico, pues todos los seres humanos tenemos un Daimonion en nuestro interior: es esa voz dentro de uno que te va guiando y te va diciendo qué está bien y qué está mal, como la conciencia quizás. ¿Se imaginan poder interactuar con ese Daimonion de manera directa?
Se mete mucho con la institución de la iglesia, y hay mucho tema religioso, pero presentado como incógnitas de la vida del ser humano.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was skyping a friend back in dear old Blighty and I found myself gushing and reminiscing about my Pullman experience and how bloody brilliant it was. The first of His Dark Materials series, Northern Lights sets up the magic, theology and astounding characters for a fantasy series that will take your socks, load them with dynamite and blow them to kingdom come; and it isn't even the best in the series! Oh be prepared, my friend, be prepared-you'll be naked and sobbing by the end of it all!

[Ellie Rolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The whole trilogy was incredible, have read them all several times and get the same huge amount of emotion for the characters each time. The books are so psychological and honestly once you've read them the story stays with you forever .

[Shelley Ashkowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really my choice of subject matter so I wasn't enthralled by it. However, I was very impressed with the quality of the character description and the visualising of the fantasy world. The story was quite compelling, although slightly formulaic.