| Lyra's Oxford |  | Author: Philip Pullman
Publisher: Listening Library
Category: Book
This item is no longer available
Avg. Customer Rating:  44 reviews
Media: Audio CD
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.7
ISBN: 0807219975
EAN: 9780807219973
ASIN: 0807219975
Publication Date: January 2006
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Attention all serious book collectors and fans of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. This undoubtedly beautiful package, cloth-bound in a classy red and adorned by numerous illustrations by master engraver and illustrator John Lawrence, is sure to be a must-purchase. A pint-sized pocket volume, Lyra's Oxford packages together a short story set in the same universe as his famous trilogy, a fold-out map of the alternate-reality city of Oxford which Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon inhabit, a short brochure for a cruise to The Levant aboard the SS Zenobia and a postcard from the inventor of the amber spyglass, Mary Malone. Pullman, in his introduction, suggests that the peripheral items within "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." The story, "Lyra and the Birds", begins when Lyra and Pantalaimon spot a witch's daemon called Ragi being pursued over the rooftops of Oxford by a frenzied pack of birds. The daemon heads straight for Lyra and is given shelter. The creature was given Lyra's name as somebody who might help. The daemon is seeking one Sebastian Makepeace--an alchemist living in a part of Oxford known as Jericho. Together Lyra and Pan try to guide the daemon to the home of this man, but it is a journey fraught with more danger than they had at first anticipated. Somehow, this is a book that puzzles and fascinates all at the same time. It's very sumptuous and lovingly crafted but tantalising brief. The fourth volume in Pullman's award-winning sequence is The Book of Dust and despite the author's reputation for taking his time in writing each of his longer works, it is now just too far away in the future to be funny anymore. (Age 10 and over)--John McLay
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| Customer Reviews: Read 39 more reviews...
 Where are they now? August 4, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
If you have read "His Dark Materials Trilogy" and enjoyed them you might be asking yourself the very question my title asks; where are they now?
Well... If you take a chance to read this book you will get some idea.
Here we look in on Lyra about two years after the end of the book "The Amber Spyglass".
Some people might describe this as a cheap money making ploy, but I think true fans (like myself) that were left at the end of the last book sobbing into their tissues, would enjoy this.
Yes, it might be a bit pricely, let us not forget that this short story is about the same length as a long chapter. But, we get the cool map and other paraphernalia that have fallen out between worlds into ours.
If the trilogy was nothing more than a story to you, you probably won't be all that excited about this, nor will you be very happy at paying a regular book price for a chapter long story. But, if it was more; if you fell in love with Lyra and Pan and all her friends then you should check this book out as it gives you that little bit more of a connection to that world and its magic.
It shows you that even though the trilogy is finished and all's right with the world(s), Lyra may be dealing with the aftermath for years to come!
One for the fans, but better was to come June 2, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
As someone who has recently finished reading His Dark Materials and considers it one of the best series of novels ever written, I eagerly bought both this and Once Upon A Time In The North together from Amazon and - considering them both together - I am glad I did. I love miscellanies and companion books and both of these books are both great for the serious fan, containing snippets of information deliberately out of context - the idea being to make you think and fill in the gaps with your own imagination.
But if you have only read the first book (or seen the film), I would advise buying Once Upon A Time In The North - as that is a great standalone story of reasonable length - and not this one until you have read your way to the end of the His Dark Materials trilogy.
The story in Lyra's Oxford - Lyra and the Birds - is great if you want to find out more about Lyra Silvertongue's life after the end of The Amber Spyglass, but as a standalone story it is - I have to sadly admit - a bit boring. I think Philip Pullman definitely learned a lesson from this though, because the next short story - Once Upon A Time In The North (out now) - sees him return to form with a genuinely exciting short story that requires no prior knowledge of the series to enjoy.
 Not really worth the bother June 2, 2008
This was the first of two spin-offs from the superb His Dark Materials trilogy. This is a sequel set some time after the end of The Amber Spyglass. Unfortunately, what passes for action is rather insignificant. As Pullman himself says in the foreword, the "story" (such as it is at under 50 pages) hints at other things which may happen.
Worse still, this book includes a free map of Lyra's Oxford. I want my intellect stimulated by good writing. I can use my own imagination to create where the story is set.
This is almost like Pullman entered a contest to write the opening chapter to a book, because this is no more than an opening chapter, and the mighty work that put Pullman on the map deserves better.
 Rip-off May 28, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
A complete money making exercise is all this short story is. You can dress it up all you want with fancy maps and illustrations but I think the loyal fans of His Dark Materials trilogy are being seriously ripped off with this.
Give this a miss April 15, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I totally agree with Professor Paradox's review, except that it took me only 15 minutes to read!
I loved the trilogy but somehow this book has altered my view of His Dark Materials. Probably because I feel like I've been ripped off - this book offers nothing to extend the trilogy, rather it annoyed me that it is clearly a quickly-written, no-depth-to-it, money-making venture. Disgraceful!
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