Quotes from Philip Pullman

As they climbed, she could see the glitter of the moon on the sea far off to the left, and its silver-sepia light seemed to envelop her in a cool, skeptical wonder. The wonder was in her, and the skepticism was in the world, and the coolness was in both.

Adelaide played statecraft with all the guile and passion that she put into her other games, and Becky began to realize that perhaps she had been preparing for this with every throw of the dice, every move of a chess piece.

The ghosts who had come with them were hurrying towards the town, so many that they looked like the grains of sand that trickle towards the hole of an hourglass

There is time, and there is what is beyond time. History belongs to time, but truth belongs to what is beyond time.

was such a strange tormenting feeling when your dæmon was pulling at the link between you; part physical pain deep in the chest, part intense sadness and love. And she knew it was the same for him. Everyone tested it when they were growing up: seeing how far they could pull apart, coming back with intense relief.

He stopped what he was doing, and looked at her as if for the first time. His daemon turned her great tawny leopard eyes on her too, and under the concentrated gaze of both of them, Lyra blushed. But she gazed back fiercely.

Una verdad referida con mala fe es peor que todas las mentiras. William Blake

I can't bear the thought of oblivion, Asriel, she continued. Sooner anything than that. I used to think pain would be worse – to be tortured for ever – I thought that must be worse... But as long as you were conscious, it would be better, wouldn't it? Better than feeling nothing, just going into the dark, everything going out for ever and ever?

He said, Lyra, gal, it won't be long now. When you see that old bear, you tell him Lee went out fighting. And when the battle's over, there'll be all the time in the world to drift along the wind and find the atoms that used to be Hester, and my mother in the sagelands, and my sweethearts – all my sweethearts... Lyra, child, you rest when this is done, you hear? Life is good, and death is over...

Spirit is what matter does.

People don't like the uncanny, and rather than look fully at something disturbing, they'll avoid it altogether.

One day, said the harpy, I will see you again, Lyra Silvertongue. And if I know you're here, I shan't be afraid, Lyra said. Goodbye, Gracious Wings, till I die.

Leave it on the desk. Have you spoken to anyone else about this?" "No, monsieur.

Marcel Delamare asked the question with enormous and unconcealed patience.

If you could see him," Serafina went on, "you would see a black bird with red legs and a bright yellow beak, slightly curved. A bird of the mountains." "An Alpine chough… How can you see him?" "With my eyes half-closed, I can see him. If we had time, I could teach you to see him, too, and to see the dæmons of others in your world. It's strange for us to think you can't see them.

Maybe sometimes we don't do the right thing because the wrong thing looks more dangerous, and we don't want to look scared, so we go and do the wrong thing just because it's dangerous. We're more concerned with not looking scared than with judging right.

By the time they fired their second shot, the balloon was almost out of range, hurtling up into the blue and speeding out over the sea. Lee felt his heart lift with it. He'd said once to Serafina Pekkala that he didn't care for flying, that it was only a job, but he hadn't meant it. Soaring upwards, with a fair wind behind and a new world in front: what could be better in this life?

this man who had so much that he wanted even more.

The Golden Compass forms the first part of a story in three volumes. The first volume is set in a universe like ours, but different in many ways. The second volume is set in the universe we know. The third volume will move between the universes.

Maybe sometimes we don't do the right thing because the wrong thing looks more dangerous, and we don't want to look scared, so we go and do the wrong thing just because it's dangerous.

Nothing is more likely to drive listeners away than a ponderous interpretation of what they've just marvelled at.

The other side's got an energy that our side en't got. Comes from their certainty about being right. If you got that certainty, you'll be willing to do anything to bring about the end you want. It's the oldest human problem, Lyra, an' it's the difference between good and evil. Evil has nothing to stop it doing what it wants, while good has one hand tied behind its back. To do the things it needs to do to win, it'd have to become evil to do 'em.

Algunas historias son así. Cuando se les ha dado cuerda, nada las detiene; avanzan hasta alcanzar el final previsto. Aunque los personajes deseen con todas sus fuerzas modificar su destino, son incapaces de hacerlo.

One hears all sorts of things. The question is whether they matter.