Phillip Pulman - what order?

[catsandkid]

I'm keen on reading The Dark Materials trilogy. However I know there is also the Book or Dust series too and it sounds like Book 1 of Book of Dust is set before the Dark Materials ones.

Anyone know which order I should read them in?!

Book of Dust is much more recent than The Dark Materials, so while it is set before the trilogy I’d say your supposed to read it after the other 3.

*you’re. Thinking about it, the follow up to Book of Dust isn’t out yet so it wouldn’t make sense to read that first.

@KTCluck - the follow up to Book of Dust is out now. DH is reading it on kindle if you wanted to get a copy

The second in the book of dust series is set after the dark materials trilogy. So the publication order is

DM 123, BOD 1,2

But the chronology of the story is
BOD1, DM 123, BOD2

I’d actually suggest reading them in that order. I suspect the publishing order is more a logistic than a creative decision

@iklboo ooh thanks, I’d totally missed that! Will be getting it ordered.

I'd read them in publication order (which is what I'm doing, having read the first 3 years ago). book of dust 3 isn't out yet as pp said and la belle sauvage (BOD2) feels almost stand alone.

Sorry la belle sauvage is BOD1

I'd read them in the order they were written, so start with DM 123 then move on to BoD

I would also read Lyra's Oxford before BOD2.

I’ve been wondering this too but very mixed opinions on this thread!

Not really, only one poster has said read chronologically.

You'll need to read by publishing date as I think you'd struggle to understand Book of Dust without reading Dark Materials. The first DM book has l the info in on the world, the daemons, the government etc

Is anyone watching His Dark Materials on tv tonight?

Yes, it's just started- so far, so good!

Bugger! I’ve just started Northern Lights @Veterinari! I read them years ago but thought I would re read before reading the first Book of Dust

I don't really think it matters which order you read them in Don'tLettuce makes a good point that the first DM book has all of the 'background in it so maybe that does make more sesne?
I'm re-reading them chronologically in preparation for the second BOD book but as I already know the world will likely skip parts of DM1 as I've read it loads.

I read them years ago, the northern lights.

Have since read the two books of dust.

I’d read the first book of dust, then the 3 northern lights, then the second book of dust.

I’m just enjoying the re reading. LOVE the original trilogy!

Bloody hell I enjoyed that. Good opening episode.

Yes, I thought it was excellent.

Thanks everyone!

I've downloaded the BOD #1 as an audiobook to listen to on my commute and I'm pretty excited to start it now! Just have to finish my current book first (The Help... if you haven't read it before I'd definitely recommend and would also recommend the audiobook in particular as the accents and characters really set the scene for this one!)

Also seen that BBC have the DM adaption so now want to catch-up on that too!

I'd go for His Dark Materials first. The Book of Dust books seem much darker and yes the assumption may be there that you already know a certain amount of background about the world concerning daemons etc.

Watched the first ep. of HDM on BBC and loved it, did anyone else see it?

The audiobooks are fantastic. Philip Pullman himself reads HDM and Micheal Sheen BOD