The Book of Dust

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The Book of Dust
The Book of Dust.jpg
First volume cover
Author Philip Pullman
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Genre Fantasy novel
Publisher Scholastic
Published2017–present
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)

The Book of Dust is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman, which expands his trilogy His Dark Materials . The books further chronicle the adventures of Lyra Belacqua and her battle against the theocratic organisation known as the Magisterium, and shed more light on the mysterious substance called Dust.

Contents

The first book, La Belle Sauvage , was published in October 2017, and is set 12 years before Northern Lights . It describes how the 11-year-old Malcolm Polstead and the 15-year-old Alice protect the infant Lyra; leading to her being in the care of Jordan College. It introduces the research by academics and other free-thinkers into Dust, a mysterious subatomic particle related to consciousness, and the origins of Lyra's alethiometer. [1]

The second book, The Secret Commonwealth , was published on 3 October 2019 and is set after the events in the original trilogy with Lyra as a twenty-year-old undergraduate. [2] Work on the third book in the series had not commenced at that time.

Pullman has said that the trilogy addresses consciousness: "Perhaps the oldest philosophical question of all: are we matter? Or are we spirit and matter? What is consciousness if there is no spirit? Questions like that are of perennial fascination and they haven’t been solved yet, thank goodness." [3] He added that the series might be slightly darker than the original, and quipped that it could alternatively be titled "His Darker Materials". [3]

History of the trilogy

Pullman conceived The Book of Dust before the publication of Lyra's Oxford in 2003 [4] [5] and in 2005 he confirmed the book was "under way". [6] Early on he described it as being a longer book than he had initially imagined [7] [8] and later that he was considering writing two volumes, one set before His Dark Materials and the other set afterwards. [9] In 2017 Pullman stated that The Book of Dust would be a new trilogy, and announced the publication of the first part, La Belle Sauvage, [10] published on 19 October 2017. [11] The books are jointly published by Random House Children's and David Fickling Books in the United Kingdom, and by Random House Children's Books in the US. [12]

Books

The Book of Dust takes place before, during and after the original trilogy; Pullman described it as an "equel", rather than a sequel, which "will begin and end with Lyra". [13] In Pullman's words the story's main focus is: “the struggle between a despotic and totalitarian organisation, which wants to stifle speculation and enquiry, and those who believe thought and speech should be free”. [3] The books will touch on research into Dust, the cosmic matter that governs consciousness. [1] Pullman said the trilogy addresses consciousness: "Perhaps the oldest philosophical question of all: are we matter? Or are we spirit and matter? What is consciousness if there is no spirit? Questions like that are of perennial fascination and they haven’t been solved yet, thank goodness.” [3]

La Belle Sauvage

The first book, La Belle Sauvage, was published in October 2017, and is set around 11 years before Northern Lights . It describes how the 11-year-old Malcolm Polstead and the 15-year-old Alice protect the infant Lyra; leading to her being in the care of Jordan College. It introduces the research by academics and other free-thinkers into Dust, a mysterious subatomic particle related to consciousness, and the origins of Lyra's alethiometer. [1]

The Secret Commonwealth

The second volume, The Secret Commonwealth, was published on 3 October 2019, and begins with Lyra as a 20-year-old undergraduate. It involves her journeying to the Far East via the Levant. [3] [14] [15] [16] [17] The Secret Commonwealth takes its title from a compilation of folklore by Robert Kirk that Pullman has said is one of his favourite books. [16]

The third book

During a launch event for The Secret Commonwealth in October 2019, Pullman said, "We can see where the story is going in this book. It's going towards Central Asia, it involves roses and it involves Dust. That's all I can tell you⁠—I don't even have a title for it yet!" [16] [18] though he had earlier mentioned possible titles such as The Garden of Roses or Roses from the South. [19] A short excerpt of the first chapter is available as part of an interview on the blog of Goldsmiths, University of London. [20]

On 11 February 2023, Pullman said on Twitter that he had written 350 pages of the book. [21] In November 2023, Pullman announced that he had written 500 pages of a 540-page novel which would conclude the trilogy. He added that it would be published sometime in 2024, though he had yet to decide on a title. [22] In mid-August 2024, Pullman said on Twitter that the book was finished, but that it still needed to be edited. [23]

Adaptations

The first book was adapted into a play of the same name by Bryony Lavery. A production of which, directed by Nicholas Hytner, played at the Bridge Theatre between November 2021 and February 2022 and which was broadcast by National Theatre Live on February 17, 2022. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip Pullman</span> English author (born 1946)

Sir Philip Nicholas Outram Pullman is an English writer. His books include the fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials and The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, a fictionalised biography of Jesus. In 2008, The Times named Pullman one of the "50 greatest British writers since 1945". In a 2004 BBC poll, he was named the eleventh most influential person in British culture. He was knighted in the 2019 New Year Honours for services to literature.

<i>His Dark Materials</i> Novel trilogy by Philip Pullman

His Dark Materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman consisting of Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife (1997), and The Amber Spyglass (2000). It follows the coming of age of two children, Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry, as they wander through a series of parallel universes. The novels have won a number of awards, including the Carnegie Medal in 1995 for Northern Lights and the 2001 Whitbread Book of the Year for The Amber Spyglass. In 2003, the trilogy was ranked third on the BBC's The Big Read poll.

Lyra Belacqua, later known as Lyra Silvertongue, is the heroine of Philip Pullman's trilogy His Dark Materials. In His Dark Materials Lyra is a young girl who inhabits a universe parallel to our own. Brought up in the cloistered world of Jordan College, Oxford, she finds herself embroiled in a cosmic war between Lord Asriel on one side, and a deity figure known as The Authority and his Regent, Metatron, on the other. Lyra also features prominently in the subsequent trilogy The Book of Dust.

<i>The Subtle Knife</i> 1997 novel by Philip Pullman

The Subtle Knife is a young-adult fantasy novel published in 1997 and the second book in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. The novel continues the adventures of Lyra Belacqua recounted in the first novel, Northern Lights, as she investigates the mysterious phenomenon of Dust. Will Parry is introduced as a companion to Lyra, and together they explore new worlds in the search for Will's father.

<i>The Amber Spyglass</i> 2000 novel by Philip Pullman

The Amber Spyglass is the third and final novel in the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. Published in 2000, it won the 2001 Whitbread Book of the Year award, the first children's novel to do so. It was named Children's Book of the Year at the 2001 British Book Awards, and was the first children's book to be longlisted for the Booker Prize.

<i>Northern Lights</i> (Pullman novel) 1995 novel by Philip Pullman

Northern Lights is a young-adult fantasy novel by Philip Pullman, published in 1995 by Scholastic UK. Set in a parallel universe, it follows the journey of Lyra Belacqua to the Arctic in search of her missing friend, Roger Parslow, and her imprisoned uncle, Lord Asriel, who has been conducting experiments with a mysterious substance known as "Dust".

Dust (<i>His Dark Materials</i>) Fictional particle in His Dark Materials trilogy

In Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust trilogies, Dust or Rusakov particles are particles associated with consciousness that are integral to the plot. In the multiverse in which these trilogies are set, Dust is attracted to consciousness, especially after puberty; the Church within the series associates Dust with original sin and seeks its end. Pullman described Dust in an interview as "an analogy of consciousness, and consciousness is this extraordinary property we have as human beings".

Dæmon (<i>His Dark Materials</i>) Fictional being from Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials

A dæmon is a type of fictional being in the Philip Pullman fantasy trilogies His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust. Dæmons are the external physical manifestation of a person's "inner-self" that takes the form of an animal. Dæmons have human intelligence, are capable of human speech—regardless of the form they take—and usually behave as though they are independent of their humans. Pre-pubescent children's dæmons can change form voluntarily to become any creature, real or imaginary. During adolescence a person's dæmon undergoes "settling", an event in which that person's dæmon permanently and involuntarily assumes the form of the animal which the person most resembles in character. Dæmons are usually of the opposite sex to their human, though same-sex dæmons do exist.

Lord Asriel is a character in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Asriel is a member of the aristocracy in a parallel universe dominated by the Church. Possessed of enormous determination and willpower, he is fierce in nature and commands great respect in both the political and academic spheres, being a military leader and a fellow of Jordan College in his world's version of Exeter College, Oxford.

Marisa Coulter, known simply as Mrs. Coulter, is a character in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy and one of the main antagonists of Northern Lights: the former lover of Lord Asriel and biological mother of Lyra Belacqua.

<i>The Golden Compass</i> (film) 2007 film directed by Chris Weitz

The Golden Compass is a 2007 fantasy adventure film written and directed by Chris Weitz that is based on the 1995 novel Northern Lights by Philip Pullman, the first installment in Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, which was published as The Golden Compass in the United States. It stars Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra Belacqua, Nicole Kidman as Marisa Coulter, and Daniel Craig as Lord Asriel, alongside Sam Elliott, Ian McKellen, and Eva Green. In the film, Lyra joins a race of water-workers and seafarers on a trip to the far North in search of children kidnapped by the Gobblers, a group supported by the world's rulers, the Magisterium.

<i>Once Upon a Time in the North</i> 2008 novel by Philip Pullman

Once Upon a Time in the North is a 2008 novella by Philip Pullman. The book serves as a prequel to Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. The premise of the story involves the meeting of Iorek Byrnison and Lee Scoresby:

I've just finished a short book which will be coming out next spring, probably March or April in this country. It's called Once Upon A Time in the North, and it's about Lee and Iorek. When we see them for the first time with Lyra, Lee is not that old; he's fifty, sixty, something like that, so they know each other for a long time. But I wanted to write a story when they first met as they were young, and I've just written it. I'm making a little book like Lyra's Oxford.

This article covers the fictional locations in the His Dark Materials trilogy and related works by Philip Pullman.

<i>The Secret Commonwealth</i> 2019 novel by Philip Pullman

The Secret Commonwealth is a 2019 fantasy novel by Philip Pullman, the second volume of his planned trilogy The Book of Dust. The story is set twenty years or so after the events of La Belle Sauvage and ten years after the conclusion of the His Dark Materials trilogy. Lyra Silvertongue is now an adult.

<i>La Belle Sauvage</i> 2017 novel by Philip Pullman

La Belle Sauvage is a fantasy novel by Philip Pullman published in 2017. It is the first volume of a planned trilogy titled The Book of Dust and is set twelve years before Pullman's His Dark Materials. It presents events prior to the arrival of the six-month-old Lyra Belacqua at Jordan College, Oxford.

<i>His Dark Materials</i> (TV series) 2019 British fantasy television series

His Dark Materials is a fantasy drama television series based on the trilogy of novels by Philip Pullman. It is produced by Bad Wolf and New Line Productions, for BBC One and HBO, with the latter handling international distribution. The show follows the orphan Lyra as she searches for a missing friend and discovers a kidnapping plot related to an invisible cosmic substance called Dust.

<i>La Belle Sauvage</i> (play)

The Book of Dust – La Belle Sauvage is a play by Bryony Lavery based on the 2017 fantasy novel of the same name by Philip Pullman which is the first part of The Book of Dust trilogy.

<i>Serpentine</i> (book) 2020 novella by Philip Pullman

Serpentine is a fantasy novella written by Philip Pullman, set after the events of his His Dark Materials trilogy and before the events of The Secret Commonwealth, the second book of his The Book of Dust trilogy. The manuscript was originally sold at a charity auction in 2004 and the book was publicly released in October 2020.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Kean, Danuta (14 February 2017). "Philip Pullman unveils epic fantasy trilogy The Book of Dust". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  2. ↑ "Philip Pullman - Shop Item".
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Flood, Alison (18 October 2017). "Philip Pullman launches La Belle Sauvage and says sequel is finished". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  4. ↑ Thorpe (6 April 2003). "Pullman brings back Lyra for Oxford". The Guardian.
  5. ↑ Mitchison, Amanda (3 November 2003). "The art of darkness". London: The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 19 November 2003. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
  6. ↑ "April message". Philip-Pullman.com. April 2005. Archived from the original on 16 October 2005. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
  7. ↑ Fleming, Tom (3 August 2007). "A very grown-up children's author". London: The Guardian Unlimited Arts Blog. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  8. ↑ "Oxford's Cherwell Interviews: Philip Pullman". Cherwell. 2 September 2009. Archived from the original on 13 June 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  9. ↑ Brown, Helen (17 October 2011). "Page in the Life: Philip Pullman". The Telegraph. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
  10. ↑ "Author Philip Pullman Announces A Follow-Up Trilogy To 'His Dark Materials'". NPR.org. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  11. ↑ "First Book of Dust novel to be called 'La Belle Sauvage'". The Bookseller. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  12. ↑ "Long-awaited Philip Pullman series The Book of Dust revealed". The Bookseller. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  13. ↑ Saner, Emine (17 February 2017). "The Book of Dust: after 17 years, Pullman's latest work has new relevance". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  14. ↑ "Philip Pullman's Dark Materials spin-off Secret Commonwealth gets release date". Digital Spy. 14 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  15. ↑ O'Kelly, Lisa (22 October 2017). "Philip Pullman: 'My daemon is a raven, a bird that steals things'". The Observer. ISSN   0029-7712 . Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  16. 1 2 3 Elmhirst, Sophie (12 October 2017). "Philip Pullman Returns to His Fantasy World". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  17. ↑ hermes (24 October 2017). "His Dark Materials universe draws Philip Pullman back for new trilogy". The Straits Times. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  18. ↑ "Philip Pullman reveals inspiration behind Secret Commonwealth at sold-out launch". Bookseller.com. 3 October 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  19. ↑ Marco, Nerea; Echevarría, Carlota; Reyna, Pablo C. (April 2018), "Entrevista a Philip Pullman", El Templo de las Mil Puertas, pp. 20–21, retrieved 12 September 2020{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  20. ↑ "Philip Pullman in conversation with Michael Rosen". Goldsmiths, University of London Centre for Language, Culture and Learning Blog. Archived from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  21. ↑ Philip Pullman [@PhilipPullman] (11 February 2023). "350, today." (Tweet). Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023– via Twitter.
  22. ↑ "Philip Pullman is honored in Oxford, and tells fans when to expect his long-awaited next book". AP News. 10 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  23. ↑ Pullman, Philip [@PhilipPullman] (16 August 2024). "There is a third book, and it's finished all but a lengthy but necessary editing process" (Tweet). Retrieved 13 October 2024– via Twitter.
  24. ↑ "The Book of Dust - La Belle Savauage". Bridge Theatre. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
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