Philip Pullman – Page 2 – Cannonball Read 17

An adventure in name, but almost not in reality

The Adventures of John Blake: Mystery of the Ghost Ship by Philip Pullman

April 9, 2020 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

The Adventures of John Blake: Mystery of the Ghost Ship by Philip Pullman had a lot of potential. But it never really got off the ground. Sure, it had a James Bond meets every Ghost Ship story you know. And sure, the graphic novel illustrations were nice. Fred Fordham did To Kill A Mockingbird that I enjoyed. And I would like to see his adaptation of The Great Gatsby this summer. But something about the overall package never “did it” for me. The story has elements of […]

I can see the future, it’s a real dark place

The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman

January 2, 2020 by Ellesfena 2 Comments

Oh, how I loved the first book in this trilogy (La Belle Sauvage)! It was one of my favorite books of 2018, and I had such high hopes for The Secret Commonwealth. Maybe, had my expectations been a little lower, I would have enjoyed this more. Sadly, The Secret Commonwealth ended up being rather disappointing. The Secret Commonwealth starts with Lyra Silvertongue, now in her early 20s, as a student St. Sophia’s College in Oxford. We also learn in the first part of the book […]

“You’re in a world full of color and you want to see it in black and white.”

The Secret Commonwealth (The Book of Dust, #2) by Philip Pullman

December 30, 2019 by narfna Leave a Comment

Firstly, this was very compelling. I haven’t spent really any time wondering what happened to Lyra since we last left her, if I’m being honest (I liked that nebulous hopefulness at the end of Amber Spyglass that let you assume she would do the work of building the Republic of Heaven on earth, that she would eventually find love that would let her move on from Will, etc.). But as soon as she and Pan appeared on the page, I realized that I had missed them and […]

A strange little prelude of a book.

La Belle Sauvage (The Book of Dust, #1) by Philip Pullman

December 27, 2019 by narfna 2 Comments

I liked this! It was different than I was expecting. I’m almost more excited for the second two books than I was for this one, though. I remember being puzzled when this book series was announced. What more could there possibly be of this story to tell? And also, it was going to be a prequel AND a sequel series, somehow. It just felt bizarre to me, so I shrugged in my mind and then moved on with my life. Well, it all makes sense […]

Double Cannonballing on a re-read.

The Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials, #3) by Philip Pullman

December 19, 2019 by narfna 4 Comments

Still a four star read for me. Currently kicking myself for not writing this closer to when I finished. As per usual, I have forgotten what I wanted to say about it. I do think this is a good ending to the series. It doesn’t sit well with a lot of people, but I think it’s a fitting ending, for a story about loss of innocence (and how that’s not a bad thing), different kinds of love, and questioning authority. Some disjointed (spoiler-filled) thoughts: * […]

“It does not make sense. It cannot exist. It’s impossible.”

The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials, #2) by Philip Pullman

September 30, 2019 by narfna Leave a Comment

“What he couldn’t say was that he longed for his father as a lost child yearns for home. That comparison wouldn’t have occurred to him, because home was the place he kept safe for his mother, not the place others kept safe for him.” As a kid, I was really into this book. I ran across it in the library one day, years after I read the first one. I loved the whole parallel universes jag, and it was undercut with this darkness most of […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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