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meopushkin 's review for:
Northern Lights
by Philip Pullman
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It’s been years since I first read this, and revisiting it as I became older - this time via audiobook -only deepened my admiration. If anything, it’s even better now. I was an adult already (in my 20s) when I first read it, so I thought I understood most of characters, intentions and etc. but there are so many things you re-discover as you grow older. This is a novel that truly ages like wine.
What struck me most on this reread was how layered and mature it is beneath its surface as a children’s fantasy. The philosophical undertones, the subtle emotional cues, the tension between childhood innocence and casual cruelty, the quiet grief of adult ambition and regret - it’s all there, only now I see it more with a touch of bittersweet sorrow. Much of it would pass over a younger reader’s head, but that only makes it richer over time. It rewards return.
The audiobook is exceptional. The performances breathe new life into the characters, and I have to confess: Lord Asriel remains as magnetically dangerous as I remembered. That clipped, commanding voice reignited my crush. Evil? Perhaps. But absolutely my kind of evil.
I can't wait to move on to the second book - which used to be my favourite in the series.
What struck me most on this reread was how layered and mature it is beneath its surface as a children’s fantasy. The philosophical undertones, the subtle emotional cues, the tension between childhood innocence and casual cruelty, the quiet grief of adult ambition and regret - it’s all there, only now I see it more with a touch of bittersweet sorrow. Much of it would pass over a younger reader’s head, but that only makes it richer over time. It rewards return.
The audiobook is exceptional. The performances breathe new life into the characters, and I have to confess: Lord Asriel remains as magnetically dangerous as I remembered. That clipped, commanding voice reignited my crush. Evil? Perhaps. But absolutely my kind of evil.
I can't wait to move on to the second book - which used to be my favourite in the series.