Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman CBE, FRSLis an English writer. He is the author of several best-selling books, most notably the fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials and the fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ. In 2008, The Times named Pullman one of the "50 greatest British writers since 1945"...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionYoung Adult Author
Date of Birth19 October 1946
hurt believe simple
And I came to believe that good and evil are names for what people do, not for what they are. All we can say is that this is a good deed, because it helps someone or that's an evil one because it hurts them. People are too complicated to have simple labels.
once-upon-a-time stories might
For every once upon a time there must be a story to follow, because if a story doesn't, something else will, and it might not be as harmless as a story.
inspirational students said
For a human being, nothing comes naturally,' said Grumman. 'We have to learn everything we do.
letting-go passion iron
There are some who live by every rule and cling tightly to their rectitude because they fear being swept away by a tempest of passion, and there are others who cling to the rules because they fear that there is no passion there at all, and that if they let go they would simply remain where they are, foolish and unmoved; and they could bear that least of all. Living a life of iron control lets them pretend to themselves that only by the mightiest effort of will can they hold great passions at bay.
thinking worry doe
And think what worrying does: has anyone ever added a single hour to the length of his life by worrying about it?
night air leaving
The first ghost to leave the world of the dead was Roger. He took a step forward, and turned to look back at Lyra, and laughed in surprise as he found himself turning into the night, the starlight, the air. . .and then he was gone, leaving behind such a vivid little burst of happiness.
children blood immaturity
The Specters feast as vampires feast on blood, but the Specters’ food is attention. A conscious and informed interest in the world. The immaturity of children is less attractive to them.
self broken proud
Then she was pressing her little proud broken self against his face, as close as she could get, and then they died.
sin humans dies
Human beings can't see anything without wanting to destroy it. That's original sin. And I'm going to destroy it. Death is going to die.
lying reality oxford
Lyra learns to her great cost that fantasy isn’t enough. She has been lying all her life, telling stories to people, making up fantasies, and suddenly she comes to a point where that’s not enough. All she can do is tell the truth. She tells the truth about her childhood, about the experiences she had in Oxford, and that is what saves her. True experience, not fantasy - reality, not lies - is what saves us in the end.
growing-up feelings lions
But suppose your dæmon settles in a shape you don't like? Well, then, you're discontented, en't you? There's plenty of folk as'd like to have a lion as a dæmon and they end up with a poodle. And till they learn to be satisfied with what they are, they're going to be fretful about it. Waste of feeling, that is. But it didn't seem to Lyra that she would ever grow up.
children needs waste
We need to ensure that children are not forced to waste their time on barren rubbish.
stories needs true-story
Tell them stories. They need the truth you must tell them true stories, and everything will be well, just tell them stories.
children intelligent adults
Children are not less intelligent than adults; what they are is less informed.