Once Upon a Time in the North
by Philip Pullman
Illustrated by John Lawrence
If His Dark Materials sees organized religion as dangerous, this delightful and deceptively simple little book singles out big business as the enemy "... who is invading the public sphere." As the book opens, a young Lee Scoresby drifts into Novy Odense, landing badly in the balloon he has won in a poker game in Texas.
He applies to Larsen Manganese for work but on discovering that they are hand in glove with a corrupt politician, Ivan Poliakov, who in turn is employing a hired killer from Texas, Lee changes his mind. Instead he aids a sea captain whose cargo has been locked in a warehouse on Poliakov's orders. To his surprise a great bear (the young Iorek Byrnison) announces that he will help Lee as Poliakov is an enemy of the bears and wants to banish them from Novy Odense. After a thrilling shoot out worthy of Gary Cooper in High Noon, Lee escapes in his balloon with Iorek and the two become firm friends.
They are aided in their escape by a conscientious Customs Official, Lieutenant Haugland who tells Lee about the corruption of "... the large private companies... which are dominating more and more of public life, though they are not subject to any form of democratic sanction."
Though the story itself is a prequel to His Dark Materials, some of the 'documents' reproduced in the book relate to Lyra and her life after The Golden Compass; there are two letters and a certificate of submission for an MPhil in Economic History all written by Lyra. So we know that she is a student at St Sophia's and has decided to continue to work with the alethiometer in private and study economic history in order to teach and earn her living.
The book is a delicious package with its illustrations, 'facsimiles' and a board game tucked into the back, while the story itself stands up much better than Lyra's Oxford. The pastiche of a classic American western is well done and the story ties its threads up in a satisfying way though I am a bit puzzled by the mysterious Miss Victoria Lund: she is concerned that marrying Lieutenant Haugland may somehow harm him and the reason for this is never explained. As she's a fascinating and fully realised character it's frustrating not know her story.
Lee is completely convincing as a dashing young man and is consistent with what we know of the older man he becomes, while Hester, his daemon, displays her dry humour to good effect. But it's the glimpse of Lyra that's most intriguing: she is still practical, a little sly and in touch with the alethiometer. We have an inkling of her life as a student and the fact that she intends to go on working with the golden compass and we want to know more: perhaps The Book of Dust will provide the answers but until then this attractive little book provides a tantalising glimpse of things to come.