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117th out of 221 books
—
248 voters
Lyra's Oxford (His Dark Materials #3.5)
Lyra's Oxford begins with Lyra and Pantalaimon spotting a witch's daemon. Lyra shelters the daemon from the pursuit of a frenzied pack of birds, and then attempts to help by guiding the daemon to the home of an alchemist living in a part of Oxford known as Jericho. The journey through Oxford reveals more dangers than Lyra had anticipated.
Hardcover, 64 pages
Published
October 28th 2003
by Knopf Books for Young Readers
(first published 2003)
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Phillip Pullman lite. Treat either as an amuse bouche for those who are yet to read His Dark Materials but want a little hint of the tone and content of the sub-oxfordian world of little girls and their daemons or, for those au fait with the excellent His Dark Materials trilogy this is a little unexpected extra.
A short story complete with pages of ephemera and published to look a little like an old skool Baedecker guide, the look of the thing is perhaps more of a joy than the short story but, as...more
A short story complete with pages of ephemera and published to look a little like an old skool Baedecker guide, the look of the thing is perhaps more of a joy than the short story but, as...more
Is there such a thing as literary roots? If so, this series is part of mine.
This particular story is an easy, short and very enjoyable read - that is, if you've formerly enjoyed His Dark Materials books (and why wouldn't you have? they're fantastic).
Perhaps this short story (novella?) isn't deserving of 4 stars in itself, but it filled me with nostalgic longing and I was reminded of the immense love I have for this series and how much it still means to me. We forget these things sometimes, bec...more
This particular story is an easy, short and very enjoyable read - that is, if you've formerly enjoyed His Dark Materials books (and why wouldn't you have? they're fantastic).
Perhaps this short story (novella?) isn't deserving of 4 stars in itself, but it filled me with nostalgic longing and I was reminded of the immense love I have for this series and how much it still means to me. We forget these things sometimes, bec...more
A quick glimpse back into the world of His Dark Materials. No need for a book mark, this can be achieved in one sitting.
I really liked this book, short as it was, though I know many didn't. They expected Lyra to have gone unchanged over the two years since her last adventure. But even in the final book of the trilogy, she'd changed. She'd lost some of her abilities as she matured. So I didn't expect anything less.
It still amazes me that Pullman knows his world so well that he throws in the most...more
I really liked this book, short as it was, though I know many didn't. They expected Lyra to have gone unchanged over the two years since her last adventure. But even in the final book of the trilogy, she'd changed. She'd lost some of her abilities as she matured. So I didn't expect anything less.
It still amazes me that Pullman knows his world so well that he throws in the most...more
Lyra's Oxford is a short story that continues, albeit briefly, Lyra's adventures. A map of Lyra's Oxford, a cruise brochure, and a postcard from Mary Malone are also included. In the introduction, Pullman writes that these items "...might be connected with the story, or they might not; they might be connected to stories that haven’t appeared yet. It's difficult to tell."
A witch's daemon named Ragi is being attacked by birds when he is rescued by Lyra and Pan. The daemon begs Lyra to take him to...more
A witch's daemon named Ragi is being attacked by birds when he is rescued by Lyra and Pan. The daemon begs Lyra to take him to...more
I hate when authors don't know when to end something. His Dark Materials trilogy is OVER. We get that you're a sell-out, Philip Pullman (judging by the movie previews.. oh man).. just leave it alone. You wrote some great books. Now hush.
Oct 22, 2011
Simon
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Only Pullman / HDM fans
Shelves:
kindle-books,
fantasy
The main problem with this book is the issue of EXPECTATIONS.
If you read and liked His Dark Materials, you expect something good, even though it's a short story, you expect Lyra's Oxford to provide some kind of additional insight, some kind of additional information, or, at the least, to describe Lyra and Oxford 2 years since the events of The Amber Spyglass.
None of that happens. This is basically a novella, a short story that was written, it seems, to allow Pullman to make a bit more money off...more
If you read and liked His Dark Materials, you expect something good, even though it's a short story, you expect Lyra's Oxford to provide some kind of additional insight, some kind of additional information, or, at the least, to describe Lyra and Oxford 2 years since the events of The Amber Spyglass.
None of that happens. This is basically a novella, a short story that was written, it seems, to allow Pullman to make a bit more money off...more
Este livro é uma pequena e simples história protagonizada por Lyra e Pan. E Lyra foi uma personagem que deixou saudades! Se você gostou dos três principais livros de Fronteiras do Universo, provavelmente vai gostar deste livro. Mas tenha em mente a simplicidade do livro. Não espere uma continuação de A Luneta Âmbar nem nada grandioso. Este livro está mais para um colecionável. Ou como passei a vê-lo, um pequeno presente para aqueles que sentem falta da Lyra da Lingua Mágica.
O livro acontece dois...more
O livro acontece dois...more
*Worum geht's?*
Die kurze Nebengeschichte spielt etwa zwei Jahre nach den Geschehnissen der Trilogie: Lyra und Pan genießen ihre freie Zeit auf den Dächern des Jordan College, bis plötzlich ein Schwarm wildgewordener Vögel auftaucht; sie verfolgen den Daemon einer Hexe. Nach einer erfolgreichen Rettung bittet Ragi, der Daemon, Lyra um Hilfe: Er sucht einen Alchemisten namens Makepeace, da nur dieser das Heilmittel für Ragis totkranke Hexe Jelena Paschez kennt. Obwohl Lyra Listenreich ein ungutes...more
Die kurze Nebengeschichte spielt etwa zwei Jahre nach den Geschehnissen der Trilogie: Lyra und Pan genießen ihre freie Zeit auf den Dächern des Jordan College, bis plötzlich ein Schwarm wildgewordener Vögel auftaucht; sie verfolgen den Daemon einer Hexe. Nach einer erfolgreichen Rettung bittet Ragi, der Daemon, Lyra um Hilfe: Er sucht einen Alchemisten namens Makepeace, da nur dieser das Heilmittel für Ragis totkranke Hexe Jelena Paschez kennt. Obwohl Lyra Listenreich ein ungutes...more
I've given this a mediocre rating. It was a nice little story about Lyra and Pan, but didn't feel particularly necessary. Either there's very little substance here, or Pullman is being so clever (and the included postcard, maps etc etc certainly imply he's trying to be clever) that I don't get it. I'm left feeling a bit disappointed, stupid or possibly both.
I liked the story about Lyra, but the thing we learned from this short tale doesn't seem worth the effort. Yes, it might be important, but...more
I liked the story about Lyra, but the thing we learned from this short tale doesn't seem worth the effort. Yes, it might be important, but...more
Lyra's Oxford is a small publication, a short story essentially, which can be easily read in one sitting. It is after the events of His Dark Materials trilogy and features the familiar duo of Lyra Silvertongue and her daemon, Pantalaimon. Both are stationed at Oxford, when a witch's daemon arrives, begging Lyra to help him find a person who's unknown to her...
To say more would spoil the book, since it is so very short. And that's my complain. While it is certainly enjoyable, and Pullman's writin...more
To say more would spoil the book, since it is so very short. And that's my complain. While it is certainly enjoyable, and Pullman's writin...more
I found this recently in a bargain bin in Warehouse and had never heard of it before, having read the Dark Materials books a few years back. Read widely spaced in time and with mild reluctance after not really enjoying the first one I grew to love them by the end.
This short story focussing on Lyra two years after the events of the trilogy is intriguing, comforting and slightly frustrating all at the same time. The entire world portrayed in Northern Lights is quickly re-established and that's a g...more
This short story focussing on Lyra two years after the events of the trilogy is intriguing, comforting and slightly frustrating all at the same time. The entire world portrayed in Northern Lights is quickly re-established and that's a g...more
I found this little delight in a charity shop the other day and read it on my commute today (it’s quite short). I loved the Dark Materials trilogy, and have a special affinity with Northern Lights because I bought it after quitting my job at British Gas (I walked out and didn’t go back) before taking it to the roof garden café of David Morgans where I stayed reading it until 8 o’clock at night.
I started reading this story and it didn’t take me long to remember how magical the first books were. I...more
I started reading this story and it didn’t take me long to remember how magical the first books were. I...more
That was cute, and I loved reading more about Lyra. This story (Lyra and the Birds) really made me think about our own perceptions of ourselves. Towards the end of the story, it says, "Oh, how stupid she could be when she was being clever!" about Lyra. What this means is that when Lyra thought she was being smart, she was really just doing someone else's bidding.
What is this saying about the world? Does it imply that there is always someone else controlling what we do every day? I think that a m...more
What is this saying about the world? Does it imply that there is always someone else controlling what we do every day? I think that a m...more
Aug 04, 2009
Young Lightning in Dark Sky
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People who enjoy Philip Pullman/Neil Gaiman, and want a quick read
Recommended to Young Lightning in Dark Sky by:
Becca
Shelves:
enlightening-stories-to-memorize-an
This was a very quick read-sixty pages at the most, though I'm not sure, and I knocked it out in about half an hour. This one will surely be a re-read though-I was doing some extreme multitasking.
Philip Pullman's writing style draws me in, and envelopes me in worlds that no other author aside from Neil Gaiman can seem to put me in. The dark illustrations really iced this chocolate cake, and I found this book full of plot, with characters full of unique personalities, interesting scenes, and the...more
Philip Pullman's writing style draws me in, and envelopes me in worlds that no other author aside from Neil Gaiman can seem to put me in. The dark illustrations really iced this chocolate cake, and I found this book full of plot, with characters full of unique personalities, interesting scenes, and the...more
The world created in His Dark Materials could be home to some great short stories, unfortunately Lyra’s Oxford isn’t one of them. Ignoring the fact the book 40 page* book and costs the same amount as The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass, nothing really interesting happens. Philip Pullman introduced just enough new things to make people feel compelled to read it before his starting his upcoming The Book of Dust. Lyra’s Oxford isn’t bad it is just really unsatisfying and doe...more
Early on in this short story, Philip Pullman hints that its significance may not be entirely clear. "Everything means something. We just have to find out how to read it." The sentiment is quite true of this book, which, on the surface, relates an incident in Oxford that takes place two years after the events in His Dark Materials left off. At first, the tale feels slight, but it does raise issues that will make Pullman's next HDM project very exciting indeed. For example, who are the witches who...more
I devoured this greedily in one afternoon and enjoyed the other bits and pieces as well as the story.
At a recent Cardiff bookcrossing meet several non-readers of fantasy discussed why we could cope with some but not most: it's to do with there being a consistent universe which, while different from ours, obeys a coherent set of physical and social rules. The additional material in this little volume supports and extends the world of His Dark Materials. I had good fun comparing the names of the O...more
At a recent Cardiff bookcrossing meet several non-readers of fantasy discussed why we could cope with some but not most: it's to do with there being a consistent universe which, while different from ours, obeys a coherent set of physical and social rules. The additional material in this little volume supports and extends the world of His Dark Materials. I had good fun comparing the names of the O...more
When I finish a good book, it can take ages for me to stop thinking about a character, a scene, a feeling I got from the book. After consuming the His Dark Materials trilogy in the span of only a few weeks, I was a little fixated on Lyra.
Lyra had courage and an adventurous spirit that I admired. My husband is reading The Golden Compass now and I am truly jealous of him as he gets to meet Lyra for the first time. And if I haven't been able to shake Lyra, what of the author, Philip Pullman?
When...more
Lyra had courage and an adventurous spirit that I admired. My husband is reading The Golden Compass now and I am truly jealous of him as he gets to meet Lyra for the first time. And if I haven't been able to shake Lyra, what of the author, Philip Pullman?
When...more
The pages in this book disappeared way too fast. It left with me regret; wishing that it was longer, or that I wasn't such a fast reader. But it was impossible to economize the few pages and save them for later, when I first began reading it I simply couldn't stop.
It was so wonderful to be reunited with some of my favorite characters. Lyra and Pan was such a huge part of my childhood, that this felt like a beautiful revival of an old and dear friendship formed ages ago, when I was just a little...more
It was so wonderful to be reunited with some of my favorite characters. Lyra and Pan was such a huge part of my childhood, that this felt like a beautiful revival of an old and dear friendship formed ages ago, when I was just a little...more
Sep 02, 2011
Wolfman
added it
Although it's been quite a few years, I've read His Dark Materials twice, so this little addition to the story brought me back to familiar places and characters for an hour or so. I don't know if this story could stand on its own or if it depends on the reader knowing all of Lyra's previous story, and I can't help but feel that the multigenre nature of this story (maps, postcards, etc.) lends itself to a mystery I haven't fully picked up on or solved. Are we just revisiting some of the character...more
After re-reading The Amber Spyglass, I was not quite ready to put Pullman's world back on the shelf. I've had this small book for some time, but had never gotten around to reading it before now. It was nice to see Lyra's story continuing, and to find out how she was doing two years after the events of the series. In some ways, she has reverted back to her old self, from before her adventures began, but she is more grown up, and has learned many things which inform her actions here. There is much...more
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This was a quick little read. The setting is a few years after the events of the His Dark Materials trilogy. It's a one-off adventure, maybe 60 pages long. The story is not overly intriguing on its own. It's in the same writing style as the other books, though, and it features Lyra and Pan, which I enjoyed. My favorite thing about the book is the presentation. It's hardcover, but with the dimensions of a small paperback. I like the materials used; it feels old fashioned. There's cool woodblock a...more
This book was short and sweet. His Dark Materials trilogy is one of my favorites ever, so I have been meaning to read this for awhile and finally did (in about 30 minutes-it's that short). If you haven't read His Dark Materials series, I'm not sure you would appreciate it. And I can't quite figure out how to describe it. It's almost like a short cautionary tale but it also left me wanting him to write more so I could see what was going on in Lyra's life and what other mysteries of life she is un...more
Maybe this doesn't deserve four stars on its own. It's short as all hell, and, unless it's leading up to something else, pointless. (I presume it might lead to something else, because of all the ephemera.) At the same time, stupid reviews of this little volume (people complaining that it didn't meet their expectations and thus sucked, people trying to claim that they are more important in determining whether writing more books in a series is 'allowed', that sort of thing) mean that I'm giving it...more
Lyra's Oxford is a really good short story that skips forward two years after the end of the Dark Materials trilogy and finds Lyra still in Oxford, studying. It is nice to see her back in the environment where we first found her in The Northern Lights. Her ordinary seeming world is disturbed with the arrival of a witch's daemon, but what does he want? I love Philip Pullman's writing style and this really reminds me of the first of his trilogy which is the one I enjoyed the most. A great short st...more
Sep 18, 2009
Jan
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who has read His dark materials series
I just finished the His Dark Material series and loved them. This short story is a sequel and "bridge" to the next promised book in the series "Dust".
I enjoyed the short, short book because it featured the main character of the series, Lyra and her demon. It made reference to the other stories and help with finished series withdrawal symptoms. It gave me a glimmer of Lyra's life and how she is doing yet was a little tease of things to come.
This is very, very short and can't be compared to the ot...more
I enjoyed the short, short book because it featured the main character of the series, Lyra and her demon. It made reference to the other stories and help with finished series withdrawal symptoms. It gave me a glimmer of Lyra's life and how she is doing yet was a little tease of things to come.
This is very, very short and can't be compared to the ot...more
See this review and more on The Moonlight Library!
Lyra’s Oxford is the pocket-sized book containing the short story Lyra and the Birds, and it a sequel to His Dark Materials, taking place roughly two years after the events in The Amber Spyglass. The book also contains other material that is somewhat relevant – a postcard from Mary Malone, advertisements and pages from a glossary among others . In the short story, Lyra now splits her time between her school St Sophia’s, where she is learning to r...more
Lyra’s Oxford is the pocket-sized book containing the short story Lyra and the Birds, and it a sequel to His Dark Materials, taking place roughly two years after the events in The Amber Spyglass. The book also contains other material that is somewhat relevant – a postcard from Mary Malone, advertisements and pages from a glossary among others . In the short story, Lyra now splits her time between her school St Sophia’s, where she is learning to r...more
Set after the end Pullman's Northern Lights Trilogy, this is a story that may or may not have happened, a little gift from a possible future. Lyra is living and teaching as a postgraduate student back in Oxford. Sitting on the roof of her college she and her daemon Pantalaimon see a flock of starlings acting strangely, and realise they are attacking a bird, a witch's daemon who is in search of an alchemist living in Oxford.
The story is beautifully packaged in a little red fabric bound hardback...more
The story is beautifully packaged in a little red fabric bound hardback...more
I rarely find books that bring out the kid in me, but everything I've read by Pullman manages to do that. Despite the fact that this book is merely a short story, Pullman manages to tie it in with His Dark Materials in a mysterious and tantalizing way. Included are a map, an excerpt from a journal, a postcard, and advertisement for a cruise liner. Each of these items provides a glimpse into a new adventure for Lyra, which I can only hope is printed in the near future. I suspect that this journey...more
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from his official website:
"I was born in Norwich in 1946, and educated in England, Zimbabwe, and Australia, before my family settled in North Wales. I received my secondary education at the excellent Ysgol Ardudwy, Harlech, and then went to Exeter College, Oxford, to read English, though I never learned to read it very well.
"I found my way into the teaching profession at the age of 25, and taught...more
More about Philip Pullman...
"I was born in Norwich in 1946, and educated in England, Zimbabwe, and Australia, before my family settled in North Wales. I received my secondary education at the excellent Ysgol Ardudwy, Harlech, and then went to Exeter College, Oxford, to read English, though I never learned to read it very well.
"I found my way into the teaching profession at the age of 25, and taught...more
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“Everything means something.”
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