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Lyra's Oxford by: Philip Pullman

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Publisher: Corgi Childrens
Release date: 1st November, 2007
Media: Paperback

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Editorial 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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Average rating - (more reviews)

Rating: - A lovely addition

I think that this book is a lovely addition to His Dark Materials series. It's a little snap of Lyra's life as a young woman, more grown up than when we last saw her but still the same loveable girl. If you're a fan of the series I would definitely recommend getting this. My only complaint is that it wasn't longer!

Rating: - Lyras Oxford

This was a compelling read. I enjoyed learning about the oxford in hich lyra lived but also the plot of the story leading to her adventure with the witches.

Rating: - Short but sweet!

As other people have pointed out this is a very short book, and is almost better described as a tale than a book. However, it is still a really nice story, and will go down well with all who need a Northern Lights fix!
The story follows our much loved heroine Lyra, and Pan of course, in their efforts to help a witch within the setting of `their' Oxford. Despite it being so short I couldn't get the feeling that the things Pullman refers to in this tale may be important at a later stage in his works, as he does set up new characters and situations which could easily be followed up.
What I particularly like nice about this book is the postcards and maps that you can pull out and have a good look at; they definitely help to make the book more interactive and enjoyable for some children. So all in all a really nice little book, that would make a lovely birthday present or stocking filler- but make sure they have read the Northern Lights series first otherwise they won't enjoy it as much!

Rating: - Where are they now?

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!

Rating: - One for the fans, but better was to come

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.

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