Dear Philip Pullman,
I recently finished reading The Golden Compass, the first book in your famous trilogy. What a book! I almost couldn't put it back down on the coffee table where it lived. You've got such a unique writing style, and a real imagination to pull very colourful characters from.
Firstly, I like your idea of daemons. It's a very intriguing idea, for most people, to have an animal companion or soul mate that follows you everywhere, speaks to you, and knows your thoughts. And the fact that some of the main daemons in your book can change forms makes it even more fascinating. It's what every child really wants, is to have their very own pet lion or tiger or bear, and I'll admit, I think most adults wouldn't mind one occasionally either! So it really appeals to most people, as well as being a great way to add to or reveal some of the plot, help get characters out of tight situations, and give us more insight into what your characters are really like.
I also quite like the way that you invented words to fit your needs, but which made sense. I particularly liked Panserbjorne and Bolvangar. Panserbjorne conjures up the image of this living tank with claws, which makes sense, given the word Panser is most commonly heard with reference to the World War Two German tank divisions in North Africa. Bjorne sounds like bear, but also gives you an image of the far North, places like Norway. And Bolvangar, although it has no relation to any actual word that I know of (this is another clear demonstration of your powerful imagination), has this sound to it that emanates evil and malice. It doesn't sound like a nice place to be! Gyptian is also a very well crafted word, which produced an image of these characters for me somewhere in between Gypsies and Egyptians (although they ended up looking and sounding more like English farmhands for me!)
You write in a flowing, easy to read style that conveys your world and visions of the events within it very well. Not once did I have to reread a sentence to try and understand it. Perhaps that has more to do with it being a children's book, but if that's the case then I think children have a better idea of how to read than adults!
I look forward to continuing the trilogy, and already have a copy of the Subtle Knife sitting on the coffee table also.
All the best in the New Year,
Will Barton
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Blog #5 - Book of Choice: The Golden Compass
LYRA BELACQUA:
"Finally, and almost simultaneously, the children discovered what it was like to be drunk.
'Do they like like doing this?' asked Roger, after vomitting copiously.
'Yes,' said Lyra, in the same condition. 'And so do I,' she added stubbornly."
This quotation, taken from the part early in the story when Roger and Lyra venture into the Jordan College wine cellars, finds the two children sitting against the cellar wall in an inebriated state, amused by their daemons rapidly changing gargoylesque shapes. The author, Philip Pullman, reveals two traits about Lyra in these few lines: her intense curiosity, and her dearest wish to be grown up. She is so curious about why the grown ups like to drink wine that she convinces Roger to try it with her. The result was as one would expect when young children begin drinking well aged hooch, and Lyra is determined that if adults like this sensation, then she does too.
IOREK BYRNISON:
"'I must work till sunset,' he said. 'I gave my word this morning to the master here. I still owe a few minutes' work.'
'The sun's set where I am,' she pointed out, becuase from her point of view it had vanished behind the rocky headland to the southwest.
He dropped to all fours.
'It's true,' he said, with his face now in shadow like hers. 'What's your name, child?'
'Lyra Belacqua.'
'Then I owe you a debt, Lyra Belacqua,' he said."
One of Iorek Byrnison's traits that is shown in this particular quotation is his unfaltering sense of duty. Even though he has been told where his armour is being hidden, and he describes as being like a daemon for a bear, he still feels bound to work until his time is up, and finish the job that is expected of him. It also displays his sense of gratitude. He says he owes Lyra a debt when she shows him that by getting lower to the ground, the sun sets a few minutes earlier, and he can therefore leave work ealier in order to recover his armour from the priest's basement, which shows he is grateful for her help, as well as loyal.
LEE SCORESBY:
"Sitting on the bear's armour with one ankle resting on the opposite knee was the long-limbed for of Lee Scoresby, and in his hand was the longest pistol Lyra had ever seen, casually pointing at the ample stomach of the sysselman.
'Seems to me you ain't taken very good care of my friend's armour,' he said conversationally. Why, look at the rust! And I wouldn't be surprised to find moths in it, too. Now you just stand where you are, still and easy, and don't anybody move till the bear comes back with some lubrication. Or I guess you could all go home and read the newspaper. 'S up to you.'"
Revealed in this qoutation is not only Lee Scoresby's previous acquaintance with Iorek Byrnison, but also his loyalty to the bear, and his belief that the bear's armour and life, and the Gyptian expedition is worth fighting for. Scoresby is much like a bear in the sense that he is dutiful and loyal, but he also doubts, which a bear does not. Scoresby displays his loyalty, but he acknowledges his concern for his own well-being later on, while talking to the witch Serafina Pekkala. This concern, however, does not interfere with his dedication to getting the task at hand completed.
FARDER CORAM:
"'What's it do, Farder Coram?' said John Faa. 'And how do you read it?'"
This particular quotation shows that Farder Coram is very wise. To have the leader of the Gyptians put so much trust in you as to ask how a mysterious and unknown, possibley magical or dangerous device works, is clearly an indicator of your reliability and how trustworthy you are. It is mentioned later that Farder Coram has travelled all over the world, had many adventures and encounters with different groups and tribes of peoples, and is the wisest and most knowledable of the Gyptians. Following this quotation, Farder Coram explains what he knows about the aleithometer, which advances the plot and our knowledge of the so far alien truth machine.
MA COSTA:
"'Well, what have you done with him, you half-arsed pillock?'
It was a mighty voice, a woman's voice, but a woman with lungs of brass and leather. Lyra looked around for her at once, because this was Ma Costa, who had clouted Lyra dizzy on two occasions and given her hot gingerbread on three, and whose family was noted for the grandeur and sumptuousness of their boat."
Ma Costa, who we later find out was once Lyra's surrogate mother, is just and fair, as demonstrated by the part of this quotation that reads ".. this was Ma Costa, who had clouted Lyra on two occasions and given her hot gingerbread on three .." This shows that Ma Costa is capable of being impartial. The first line also indicates to us that she can have a temper on occasion, although this time it is understandable, as she is yelling at the man who was looking after her son, Billy, when he was taken by the Gobblers.
"Finally, and almost simultaneously, the children discovered what it was like to be drunk.
'Do they like like doing this?' asked Roger, after vomitting copiously.
'Yes,' said Lyra, in the same condition. 'And so do I,' she added stubbornly."
This quotation, taken from the part early in the story when Roger and Lyra venture into the Jordan College wine cellars, finds the two children sitting against the cellar wall in an inebriated state, amused by their daemons rapidly changing gargoylesque shapes. The author, Philip Pullman, reveals two traits about Lyra in these few lines: her intense curiosity, and her dearest wish to be grown up. She is so curious about why the grown ups like to drink wine that she convinces Roger to try it with her. The result was as one would expect when young children begin drinking well aged hooch, and Lyra is determined that if adults like this sensation, then she does too.
IOREK BYRNISON:
"'I must work till sunset,' he said. 'I gave my word this morning to the master here. I still owe a few minutes' work.'
'The sun's set where I am,' she pointed out, becuase from her point of view it had vanished behind the rocky headland to the southwest.
He dropped to all fours.
'It's true,' he said, with his face now in shadow like hers. 'What's your name, child?'
'Lyra Belacqua.'
'Then I owe you a debt, Lyra Belacqua,' he said."
One of Iorek Byrnison's traits that is shown in this particular quotation is his unfaltering sense of duty. Even though he has been told where his armour is being hidden, and he describes as being like a daemon for a bear, he still feels bound to work until his time is up, and finish the job that is expected of him. It also displays his sense of gratitude. He says he owes Lyra a debt when she shows him that by getting lower to the ground, the sun sets a few minutes earlier, and he can therefore leave work ealier in order to recover his armour from the priest's basement, which shows he is grateful for her help, as well as loyal.
LEE SCORESBY:
"Sitting on the bear's armour with one ankle resting on the opposite knee was the long-limbed for of Lee Scoresby, and in his hand was the longest pistol Lyra had ever seen, casually pointing at the ample stomach of the sysselman.
'Seems to me you ain't taken very good care of my friend's armour,' he said conversationally. Why, look at the rust! And I wouldn't be surprised to find moths in it, too. Now you just stand where you are, still and easy, and don't anybody move till the bear comes back with some lubrication. Or I guess you could all go home and read the newspaper. 'S up to you.'"
Revealed in this qoutation is not only Lee Scoresby's previous acquaintance with Iorek Byrnison, but also his loyalty to the bear, and his belief that the bear's armour and life, and the Gyptian expedition is worth fighting for. Scoresby is much like a bear in the sense that he is dutiful and loyal, but he also doubts, which a bear does not. Scoresby displays his loyalty, but he acknowledges his concern for his own well-being later on, while talking to the witch Serafina Pekkala. This concern, however, does not interfere with his dedication to getting the task at hand completed.
FARDER CORAM:
"'What's it do, Farder Coram?' said John Faa. 'And how do you read it?'"
This particular quotation shows that Farder Coram is very wise. To have the leader of the Gyptians put so much trust in you as to ask how a mysterious and unknown, possibley magical or dangerous device works, is clearly an indicator of your reliability and how trustworthy you are. It is mentioned later that Farder Coram has travelled all over the world, had many adventures and encounters with different groups and tribes of peoples, and is the wisest and most knowledable of the Gyptians. Following this quotation, Farder Coram explains what he knows about the aleithometer, which advances the plot and our knowledge of the so far alien truth machine.
MA COSTA:
"'Well, what have you done with him, you half-arsed pillock?'
It was a mighty voice, a woman's voice, but a woman with lungs of brass and leather. Lyra looked around for her at once, because this was Ma Costa, who had clouted Lyra dizzy on two occasions and given her hot gingerbread on three, and whose family was noted for the grandeur and sumptuousness of their boat."
Ma Costa, who we later find out was once Lyra's surrogate mother, is just and fair, as demonstrated by the part of this quotation that reads ".. this was Ma Costa, who had clouted Lyra on two occasions and given her hot gingerbread on three .." This shows that Ma Costa is capable of being impartial. The first line also indicates to us that she can have a temper on occasion, although this time it is understandable, as she is yelling at the man who was looking after her son, Billy, when he was taken by the Gobblers.
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