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| Author: Philip Pullman
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Category: Book
List Price: £9.99
Buy New: £6.27
You Save: £3.72 (37%)
New (29) Used (10) Collectible (12) from £4.19
Avg. Customer Rating:  17 reviews
Sales Rank: 583
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 112
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 4.6 x 0.8
ISBN: 0385614322
EAN: 9780385615235
ASIN: 0385614322
Publication Date: April 4, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 16-17 of 17 | | « PREV | | |
 A delight for any His Dark Materials fan April 12, 2008
46 out of 51 found this review helpful
What a joy this book was to behold!
"Once Upon a Time in the North" has the feel of a Cowboy Western story set in the Arctic (perhaps in homage to Sergio Leone's "Once Upon A Time In The West"). It tells the tale of how the 23-year-old Lee Scoresby (already equipped with his unique charisma we have come to love) first encountered his life companion Iorek Byrnison. As an ardent fan of His Dark Materials, it was delightful to notice some happenings here and there that later formed details in the main trilogy - such as the circumstances in which Lee took Iorek onto his balloon, or how he acquired his balloon and rifle. At the end, we also get the briefest of insights into what Lyra is up to after her adventure, which was a nice touch and lures us to further speculation.
The presentation and layout of this novella can also only be described as a delight. The cloth-backed cover and the engraved illustrations are striking, reminiscent of a regal and deluxe 19th Century collectors' edition; meanwhile the fold-out board game and other snippets of authentic-looking media tickle your imagination. It's a type of book where you cannot help but feel tenderness and love for.
Pullman's writing here is once again masterful: there are passages of flowing description, juxtaposed with tension and a quick unfolding of events. Not one word seems unnecessary or out of place. While people may say it was not long enough, I believe that the book's compactness and self-containedness makes the reading of this book a far more fulfilling experience than "Lyra's Oxford" (which at times felt loosely constructed and meandering). It is not intending to be the fourth book in the trilogy and should not be treated as such; rather, it is simply a small treat to enrich our knowledge of Lyra's remarkable world.
While we eagerly await Pullman's meatier and more substantial "The Book of Dust", "Once Upon a Time in the North" is a superb 'snack' to keep us going. If you are a His Dark Materials fan, do not hesitate to buy!
Joyous but short April 2, 2008
140 out of 149 found this review helpful
First things first, let's get the rating out of the way. I give this book four stars simply because it isn't long enough. And I was a little disappointed when I'd finished it because I just didn't want it to stop. Perhaps that's a sign of how good the book actually is.
But to take off that star, one has to consider the reasons why it deserved the full five in the first place. The title should give things away just a little; this is essentially a western short story. And a rollicking good one too, because this is the tale of how Lee Scoresby the aeronaut and the bear Iorek Byrnison first met. The events take place a full thirty-five years before the climax of His Dark Materials Boxed set (His Dark Materials), when Lee is but a young man of 24 and newly introduced to the balloon he has recently won in a poker game. As a result his flying is best described as inexpert.
So it is that Lee (and his daemon Hester) arrive in the town of Novy Odense and become involved in a stand-off between a put-upon sailor named van Berda and the power of corporate privilege. After meeting a shady figure from his past, Lee decides he must choose a side, which is how he comes across Iorek.
As you'd expect from something written by Pullman, the story reads with an effortless grace and is beautifully and finely observed and constructed. The extras, like Lyra's Oxford before it are in turn intriguing and useful, including documents and artefacts connected to the narrative itself, as well as a board game, 'Peril At The Pole'.
The last couple of pages are especially curious and relate to Lyra and her correspondence with a minor character from book one.
As with Lyra's Oxford, the slight disappointment is that there isn't more to read but it seems as if, for the moment, this is the way Pullman will realise this world: in fits and starts, and I suppose this is better by far than nothing at all.
An essential purchase for fans of His Dark Materials.
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