| Title | : | Lyras Oxford (His Dark Materials, #3.5) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0375828192 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780375828195 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 64 |
| Publication | : | First published October 28, 2003 |
Lyras Oxford (His Dark Materials, #3.5) Reviews
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(B) 74% | More than Satisfactory
Notes: Accomplishes its purpose as a solid 'bonus' story, but is too thin, both figuratively and literally, to be anything more. -
This is a delightful short story with Lyra, Pan, and Malcolm set two years after The Amber Spyglass. Wonderful prose, magical story, and some deeper thoughts. Excellent addition to His Dark Materials books!
The book is also illustrated and has an interesting map of Oxford.
2023 Reading Schedule
Jan Alice in Wonderland
Feb Notes from a Small Island
Mar Cloud Atlas
Apr On the Road
May The Color Purple
Jun Bleak House
Jul Bridget Jones’s Diary
Aug Anna Karenina
Sep The Secret History
Oct Brave New World
Nov A Confederacy of Dunces
Dec The Count of Monte Cristo
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“Everything has a meaning, if only we could read it.”
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Lyra's Oxford is a lovely addition to His Dark Materials trilogy. Neat and fast-paced it's another great adventure for Lyra and Pan. A must-read for Pullman's fans.
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Estaba interesante pero el relato presentó una falla: Finalizó.
En realidad 2,2
A pesar de que El Oxford de Lyra es un relato corto de 61 páginas, creí que la historia sería un poco más extensa. Lo sé, suena extraño pero esa es la realidad. Recuerdo que cuando leí la trilogía de La materia oscura en 2019, sentí que leía muchos sucesos en pocas páginas por lo que esperaba algo parecido en este pequeño relato, pero eso no ocurrió. Sí, es una lectura agradable y acompañar a Lyra y a Pantalaimon en sus andanzas siempre será un placer; el problema es que cuando tomamos un libro ansiamos vivir una aventura completa, pero aquí eso no sucede porque esta historia es inconclusa, no tiene un argumento de mucha calidad y podría ser catalogada simplemente como un capítulo de un libro que nunca existió, y nada más que eso. La idea pudo desarrollarse mejor, ser más extensa e incluso convertirse en el cuarto libro de la saga, pero la realidad es otra desafortunadamente. Fue un texto que no logró resolver las incógnitas que se desarrollaron, que no es imprescindible leerlo y que finalizó tan precipitadamente que su lectura se asemeja a acercarnos a un precipicio sin enterarnos, y caer al abismo en el momento menos esperado. Esa particularidad me deja un poco confundido porque no sé si lo que acabo de leer me ha gustado o no.
Sin embargo, lo que sí quiero destacar son las ilustraciones que se incluyen en este texto. Puede que no tengan un aspecto muy especial, pero ver este tipo de documentos en un mundo de fantasía nos hace entender lo inmerso que está el autor con su propia historia, así como su intento para que el lector se sienta igual que él. Asimismo, la narración es muy destacable y a pesar de que el 70% de la historia está dedicado a las conversaciones entre Lyra y su daimonion, esto nunca se convierte en un problema por la genialidad de ambos personajes.
Por la narración, personajes y entorno le daría a este libro una calificación de cuatro estrellas, pero si pienso exclusivamente en el argumento tendría que calificarlo con una estrella. Sin embargo, los aspectos positivos son los mismos que los presentes en la trilogía de La materia oscura, por lo que realmente esta historia no tiene un punto de innovación importante. Por esa razón he decidido calificarlo con 2,2 estrellas. Ahora, mi próximo destino es iniciar la trilogía de El libro de la oscuridad, saga donde nos cuentan más historias de este fantástico mundo creado por Philip Pullman. -
I'd enjoy reading Pullman's grocery list, so my rating isn't to be trusted at all here.
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"Everything means something," Lyra said severely. "We just have to find out how to read it."
I finished His Dark Materials (maybe better known as The Golden Compass trilogy) this summer for the second time and finally turned to this short story sequel, set in Lyra’s home after her travels, Oxford. The book is small, and packaged beautifully, with wonderful engravings and a map of Lyra’s Oxford. It also includes a cruise brochure, pages from Baedecker’s guide to Oxford, a post card from Mary Malone, and an epigraph from that suggests that Oxford is a place where “windows open up to other worlds.”
The story is entitled Lyra’s Oxford but the subtitle within is, and on every page, appears, “Lyra and the Birds,” which made me think that this story just might be the opening of this big book that he says he is writing, The Book of Dust, set in the Gold Compass world.The pace of it is slow as if it were the beginning of a novel, though things here also happen quickly, finally, and somewhat satisfyingly, which is to say the writing is wonderful but not very much actually happens.
The story begins with Lyra Silvertongue and her daemon Pantalaimon watching a flock of birds from which emerges someone’s daemon. The daemon tells Lyra that it needs to find a local alchemist and Lyra decides to help. That happens, and there is some reflection on the complex nature of meaning.
As a story it may not warrant four stars, but the package is cool, and to go backin such an elegant way, yay. I still have to read the short story prequel he wrote, Once Upon a Time in the North. More!! -
A delightful short read, full of beautiful illustrations in this iteration of the book that really bring the Oxford of His Dark Materials to live
Everything has a meaning, if only we could read it
A good old fashioned adventure that made me long for
His Dark Materials. Lyra is sought out by a daemon in the form of a bird and with a connection with a witch. And the birds in the city in general are acting weird.
The length of this work worked so much better than
The Secret Commonwealth did, even though it has similar themes (besides Lyra being depressed and at odds with her daemon) and a bit of foreshadowing towards the Book of Dust in it. Let's hope
Philip Pullman gets back to his initial trilogy level with the last book of the new series! -
Another lavishly beautiful book by Philip Pullman. Again, this little volume is cloth-bound and contains a number of illustrations along with these:
The story takes place 2 years after the end of the trilogy His Dark Materials and tells of Lyra watching a flock of starlings when they suddenly attack a witch's daemon (it has to be a witch's daemon because it is alone). She saves the daemon and then lets him persuade her to find a man who supposedly can help him save his witch, who is ill. The man they seek is supposed to be able to help because he is the last alchemist.
There is quite a bit of a treasure hunt and even a fight, followed by a relevation. Because everything has meaning according to Lyra.
I won't say any more of the plot as that would give away too much (it is only a short story after all). Suffice it to say that I was delighted to be back in this world one more time (I won't count the new trilogy as that takes place before Lyra's time). Lyra was vivid as usual and in perfect sync with Pantalaimon. The story had several layers, a nice twist, as well as the usual wonderful feeling about it.
Not to mention the slight promise (at least I read it that way) that there is still a connection between the worlds of the multiverse.
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"Everything means something," Lyra said severely. "We just have to find out how to read it."
Lyra the little liar is back in full force. she gets to use her special power of super-lying at least twice, so it's clear that despite the amazing and horrible and life-changing adventures of the preceding trilogy, some things will never change. a witch and an alchemist cameo, and naturally her daemon Pantalaimon remains by her side. all is well in Golden Compass Land, at least for this reader. things are actually especially well, now that I know the author is working on a couple follow-up books that promise to be elephantine in size and scope. yay for elephantine! and yay for little liars and adorable little daemons who are quite handy at sneaking up on other daemons and quickly grabbing them so that Lyra can do some impromptu interrogation.
yay for Philip Pullman too. he really is the best. it's great how a slim children's book like this one is able to cast such an all-encompassing spell on its reader so quickly. the combination of idiosyncratic heroine and perfectly chosen details of her Oxford world all worked out just right. plus some sweet bonuses such as a map and snippets of a catalog, a guidebook, a postcard, etc. overall this was a trifle, but such an appealing one.
oh and the moral of the tale: see first paragraph. -
This is a novella following the events that occur during His Dark Materials series and featuring central character, Lyra Belacqua, falling into more mischief whilst she is at school in Oxford. Events here occur during Lyra's teenage years and, whilst unrelated to the previous story-line, do produce new mysteries, and pose questions for Lyra's future adventures.
My only wish for this short story was that it was longer. It measured in at under 50 pages and packed secrets, mysteries, and an abundance of action scenes throughout it. I also adored how the Lyra featured was just as wild and independent as the Lyra from
Northern Lights, and was glad not to have to witness the loss of her free-spirited nature as she matured.
This beautiful little hardback book also came with illustrations peppered throughout and some mock documents at the close of it, including a postcard from a character not featured here and travel advertisements unrelated to the current setting. Very intriguing! -
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 you can read the whole story in under half an hour, it's a pleasant thing to find. -
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, because other books happen and time with them, but this was a great reminder of a world I - if I have any - keep in my soul. -
Lyra y Pantalaimon están de vuelta en su Oxford natal con una nueva aventura, con brujas, alquimistas y por supuesto Daimonions.
Me gusto esta pequeña historia, pero tiene el problema, de que deja más preguntas que respuestas, es como el primer episodio de una serie, que sabes que podría llegar a gustarte mucho, porque tiene las cosas que ti te gustan, pero, por ser solo el principio quedas algo perdido en la trama y quieres saber más, mucho más.
Así me encantaría que Pullman desarrollara mas esta historia, y que sacara más libros con Lyra, Will y los Daimonions
Si quieres saber más sobre la trilogía original de La Materia Oscura, puedes ver mis reseñas
Luces del norte
aquí
La Daga
aquí
EL Catalejo lacado
aquí -
This was way too short! I wanted it to be much longer than it was. We get to catch up with Lyra who is now at Oxford studying. She and Pan (remember Pan?) get caught up in a plot that ends with them winning the day.
Honestly the book was just a nice sneak peek at what Lyra has been up to since "The Amber Spyglass." It's been I think two years since the events of that book and Lyra is learning how to read the alethiometer. What I did like was this sounds like something that will come into play I think in some later stories. We find out that there are some special friends keeping an eye on Lyra which I got a kick out of while reading. I read that Pullman is planning to put out more stories from His Dark Materials series.
I wish I could have downloaded the illustrations in this book. They were beautiful. My Kindle did a great job of allowing me to blow up certain things and I got to take a look at Lyra's Oxford.
We also get some excerpts at the end of things mentioned throughout the other books (His Dark Materials #1-#3) too.
I am still salty that Lyra and Will cannot be together. Seriously. Still salty. -
I re-read this to see if there were any Easter eggs about
The Secret Commonwealth that I missed last time I read it.
It's a very middle of the road novella, nice to be back with Lyra in this universe but not a lot of substance. -
I loved being back in Lyra’s Oxford (*waves to an early appearance of Malcolm*) but it’s a little pricey for such a teeny-tiny book!
“Everything has a meaning, if only we could read it.” -
”Everything means something”
I wondered how Lyra would come across after the events of the first trilogy and her being two years older. As it happens, she is still so easy to follow. Pantalaimon too and his chosen form...
Nice short story that tintillates the reader while promising the hint of the future, especially with all the extra features in the book, such as maps, postcards, ads, etc. I’ll keep this in mind when reading Pullman’s Book of Dust trilogy, in case there are indeed clues :0) -
A very enjoyable addition to His Dark Materials. I do love that world.
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Divan dodatak poslednjem delu trilogije, koji u priču (pored svega što je Pulman već savršeno upleo) uvodi i alhemiju, te i misteriju koja nam približava Lajrin i Panov svet, kao i posledice događaja iz finala “Njegovog mračnog tkanja”.
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This is a strange little book, basically a beautifully bound short story set in the world of "His Dark Materials" and amongst the sleeping spires of Oxford, Lyra's Oxford that is.
The book I will admit was picked up on my travels and at a fraction of the cost (I would have baulked at the idea of paying what it was listed at) anyway the book really is just a short story however there is a sub-text "everything has a story to tell" which helps put a interesting twist to the book. The introduction or possibly explanation of the book hints at this but its not till you find the further hints buried in the book do you fully realise it.
I think its a nice little addition - i would not call it a twist but it gives the book an extra depth the story alone I feel lacks. This book (along with "Once Upon a tile in the north") are side pieces to the original trilogy but they do give depth and character to that world. So if you are a fan I would highly recommend these books. -
What is there is very charming (and hints of future events, eh?) but the volume is so thin it's hard to rate it higher.
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Terminé de leer La Materia Oscura (quizás mejor conocido como la trilogía de La Brújula Dorada) al inicio de este año, justamente el día de hoy me entere de esta serie de relatos por lo que me puse a leerlos al instante, ambientada en la casa de Lyra después de sus viajes en Oxford. El libro es pequeño y está bellamente empaquetado, con maravillosos grabados y un mapa de Lyra en Oxford. También incluye un folleto de cruceros, páginas de la guía de Baedecker a Oxford, una tarjeta postal de Mary Malone, y un epígrafe de eso sugiere que Oxford es un lugar donde "las ventanas se abren a otros mundos".
Su ritmo es lento como si fuera el principio de una novela, aunque las cosas aquí también suceden rápidamente, finalmente, y de manera un tanto satisfactoria, lo que significa que la escritura es maravillosa, pero en realidad no sucede mucho.
La historia comienza con Lyra Silvertongue y su daemon Pantalaimon viendo una bandada de pájaros de la cual emerge el daemon de alguien. Este le dice a Lyra que necesita encontrar un alquimista local y Lyra decide ayudarlo. Eso sucede, y hay una cierta reflexión sobre la naturaleza compleja del significado.
Como una corta historia, no puede garantizar cinco estrellas, pero el libro es genial, y volver atrás de una manera tan elegante, ¡fue estupendo! Todavía tengo que leer la historia corta que escribió, Once Upon a Time in the North. ¡¡Lo necesito!! -
The setting is Oxford University about two years after the end of His Dark Materials trilogy. It's a very short story about Lyra Silvertongue, and hardly satisfies the multitude of fans patiently waiting for Pullman's follow up novel to his successful trilogy. Maybe this year or next he says.
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3.5 stars
"'Everything means something,' Lyra said severely. 'We just have to find out how to read it.'"
Lyra's Oxford is pretty short, but it was nice to get back into this world for a quick visit with Lyra and Pantalaimon. My favourite part was definitely when Lyra channelled Will to feel brave. It was a sweet homage to their connection lasting beyond their forced separation.
All of the alchemy stuff was a strange misdirect from the rest of everything that happened in the His Dark Materials series. I know it's a novella, but it only makes sense if this is the setup for something else moving forward. Maybe the Book of Dust series? I'm not entirely sure how this fits into the bigger picture, but I guess (or at least hope) we'll find out eventually, and I loved the chance to hang out with Lyra and Pan again, even if it was only for this short story.
Review originally posted
here on Britt's Book Blurbs.
Other books in the His Dark Materials series:
#0.5:
Once Upon a Time in the North ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#0.6:
The Collectors ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#1:
Northern Lights ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#2:
The Subtle Knife ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#3:
The Amber Spyglass ⭐⭐⭐
#3.6:
Serpentine ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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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 read the originals over ten years ago now and the memories flooded back. It was great to be back in Lyra and Pan’s company, if only briefly. Future story ideas are alluded to, though if Pullman wants to create a universe mythos in the H.P. Lovecraft/Neil Gaiman style then he’ll have to write faster! The Book Of Dust sounds awesome, but when will it come out?
This episode, though, deals with Lyra. The main story in the book is entitled Lyra and the Birds. It starts with Lyra watching a flock of birds from which emerges someone’s daemon. The daemon tells Lyra that it needs to find a local alchemist and Lyra decides to help. It’s a very short story so I can’t really say much more without giving away plot points but it is very rich. As usual there is the mix of old magics and new sciences that worked so well in the trilogy and, as I said earlier, the hints at future stories are tantalising.
Added to all this is the beautiful presentation of the book. Bound in red cloth, it comes with a foldout map, postcards and adverts from Lyra’s universe; this is more an experience than a book. Lovely. -
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 writing is as good as it was in His Dark Materials, it's just a short story. Obviously not as massive in scope as the trilogy, it is just a pleasant teaser of a larger book which Pullman has been writing for some time now, called The Book of Dust. It was fun seeing Lyra and Pan again, as they reminded me of their adventures in Northern Lights, and I hope to meet them again one day. Bonus features of this slim volume are pretty cool: A postcard from Mary Malone, a map of Oxford and even a cruise brochure. But the story itself is like a bonus chapter which is sometimes included in novels; a preview of next in the series, or a new book by the author. And this is exactly it: a preview of things to come, hopefully soon. -
See my review on my book blog:
http://quirkyreader.livejournal.com/2... -
Is it cheating to add this shortie as my last book of 2020 so I hit my reading goal? Maybe. Do I care? Absolutely not.
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It’s been a few years since I’ve read Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, but I remember it as being absolutely phenomenal reading: adventurous, philosophical, spiritual with wonderfully complex characters and the delightful heroine, Lyra, and her daemon, Pantalaimon. I had completely forgotten that the novels take place in Oxford and so when I traveled there last month I was thinking of Tolkien writing his novels in this university city, but not of Pullman. While wandering around waiting for my tour of the Bodleian Library to begin, I stumbled onto Blackwell’s, the famous Oxford bookstore. I didn’t spend as much time in the shop as I had wished (so many books!) but I did purchase this slim Philip Pullman book, Lyra’s Oxford. It’s a beautifully bound hardcover with black ink illustrations and a pull-out map on heavy paper (linen?). The map is a condensed view of Oxford with the Oxford Colleges identified and labeled, as well as other buildings of interest. Like the book, it is elegantly drawn and beautiful to look at.
In Lyra’s Oxford, we revisit Lyra and her daemon, Pantalaimon. The events of this book take place after the His Dark Materials trilogy. However, it is not necessary to read those books to enjoy this one. Lyra and Pantalaimon are sitting on the roof of Jordan College watching the starlings fly nearby in their intricate pattern. They notice that the starlings are attacking a bird, a bird they recognize as a witch’s daemon. They save the bird who tells them that he is on a desperate mission to save his witch from a terrible illness and must find a man named Sebastian Makepeace who lives in Oxford. Despite their suspicions, Lyra and Pantalaimon agree to help the bird and in doing so, put their lives at risk.
This is short tale, but it’s delightful. Again, there is a certain thrill in reading a book that casually mentions places I’ve been and the characters trod the same roads I did. I found Oxford to be an atmospheric, wonderfully ancient city of diverse people and loaded with history and interesting architecture. Reading this little tale brought the city alive again for me, as well as reminded me of the magic of Pullman’s prose. If you’ve never read Pullman’s trilogy (or any of his books), Lyra’s Oxford is a pleasant way of dipping your toe into his literary waters. I highly recommend it and His Dark Materials trilogy.
