I love Philip Pullman. The books of the His Dark Materials trilogy are among the best I've ever read, period, so you'd think that when Lyra's Oxford came out in 2003 or whenever it was, I would have scooped it up right away. However, it was in hardcover and it's really short and I just couldn't convince myself to spend $18 on a book I could read in an hour or less.
I've been resisting all these years, hoping someone would buy me the damned book but no one ever did (*sob*). I finally broke down last week and bought it (in soft cover for only $10) because I was buying Pullman's new book, Once Upon a Time in the North, which is about Iorek and Lee Scoresby - I really couldn't wait for that one to also hopefully fall into my lap someday. And I know that Pullman is busily writing away at The Book of Dust (which will be gigantic) and I have to be prepared for the day it's is released. That's a pretty convincing string of justifications, I think, for buying books that I can read over a lunch break.
Anyway, about Lyra's Oxford: it was sweet and enjoyable and just good enough to leave me desperate for something more substantial about these characters. I've got a few things to read first (including the much recommended The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson) and then I'll read Once Upon a Time in the North and then....I'll wish I was Pullman's editor so I could tell him to get his move on. Le sigh.
2 comments:
Ack, I didn't know "Once Upon a Time in the North" existed! Thank you!
Also, have you read Snow Crash? You can read Diamond Age on its own, but you'll appreciate it more if you've read Snow Crash.
I don't know why I didn't reply to you...two months ago, azazoth.
I enjoyed Diamond Age and will get to Snow Crash one of these days. First I should read Cryptonomicon and Zodiac which have been sitting around here too long...
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