I’m reading this for the second time, and I absolutely love it. The small-scale setting, mostly Oxford-based, combined with Pullman’s gift for description and ability to craft unique, interesting characters made it a winner for me. I’m a bit sad that the next book in the series jumps to after the Northern Lights. I’d love a few books exploring that time a bit more.

Reading again, having read 1984 and other books in that vein, I could feel a lot more of the connections and inspiration Pullman has taken, especially compared to reading Northern Lights as a kid.