The Republic of Heaven

Tried to make the title of the thread spoiler free, though if you're in the Once... section you'll probably have read the book.

Anyway, spoilers off the starboard bow!




Lyra's dissertation for her Masters in Economic History... it's amazing, Id never have foreseen it, but Econ. Hist. is so right for Lyra, and with a focus be in her m, on the air trade of the North... So:

1. What does it all mean? Is the story itself an appendix to Lyra's dissertation? If so, where has it come from and how did it end up in her possession? I'd suggest she wrote it herself but that hardly seems like something that would assist an academic essay if so.

2. Who is Tom? Am I being stupid here? I think I remember Polstead - he was the Jordan scholar who Lyra took agin in LO, right? Haven't got my HDM books in my flat to check.


I hope we get some more detail of Lyra's life between LO (age about 16?) and Once... where she must be in her mid-twenties, but I guess we can't rely on hearing anything more about her at all since her story is really contained in HDM.

Good points. I also wonder if the board game has any significance, maybe hinting that Scorseby takes part in the Peril of the Pole race in a later story?

I hope we get some more detail of Lyra's life between LO (age about 16?) and Once... where she must be in her mid-twenties, but I guess we can't rely on hearing anything more about her at all since her story is really contained in HDM.

I was trying to figure out the date of Lyra's note to Dr. Polstead. It's dated Tuesday, January 2. January 2 falls on a Tuesday in 2007, which means Lyra would be 24 or 25 (I think she was born in 1983 or 1982 -- based on information in TGC). The next time January 2 falls on a Tuesday is 2018 which would put Lyra in her mid 30's. Guess I would opt for the 2007 date. Any thoughts?

I'm not sure if we can rely on dates and years falling on the same day as our world. A bit of detective work in Lyra's Oxford showed that their world has a 31 April. As for the birth year, I think Will was dated to 1984 from the letters from his father. I'm not sure about Lyra though.

Clearing things up, I think LO she's 14, because in TAS, Coulter states she is twelve, and it her 'parting with Will two years before...'.

I haven't read OUATITN (phew!) but I've been informed (off an unreliable source) it doesn't feature Lyra.

And for TBOD, I saw somewhere she's meant to be 16 in that.

I don't know, but some time I'll find out.

krebbe wrote:I'm not sure if we can rely on dates and years falling on the same day as our world. A bit of detective work in Lyra's Oxford showed that their world has a 31 April. As for the birth year, I think Will was dated to 1984 from the letters from his father. I'm not sure about Lyra though.

Right. Lyra's world is the // universe, while Will's is supposed to be ours.

That's interesting those documents. If Lee's adventure related documents seems only destined to distract and add some cool stuff to the book,
both Lyra's related are quite intriguing, indeed. Lyra Silvertongue. She kept that name ! And yes, who's Tom ? There are many clues in those letters, which will have more signification, I think, in The Book of Dust (just as LO's bonus material, I think)

I was twelve when I read Northern Lights, so close to Lyra's age in that book (she's eleven), but by the time TAS was published I was nineteen and Lyra had only reached twelve. She seems to have caught up with me now if she's 24 in OUATITN

I haven't read it all yet, but I did go to the extras and see Lyra's notes. Did anybody else get the feeling of having contact with an old friend again, seeing her signature there?

Australis wrote:Did anybody else get the feeling of having contact with an old friend again, seeing her signature there?

Yep...That's the great thing about PP's stuff. You talk fondly of your mates and you say "That *******" when refering to a villan.

Yeah, I noted a few things from the thing at the end: A) That it seems the storys related to her dissitation
b) whos Tom-I'm pumping for the guy out of LO
c) That shes kept the name silvertounge-and must have legally changed her name to that intstead of Belaqua.

i did a bit of research and found out the date Mrs Coulter was born, after doing a little bit of Math (okay maybe a lot )
I also got that Lyra was born sometime in 1984, like Will.
so she would probably be around i don't know maybe her 20's in OUATITN
it took a while to work out. Probably wrong but anyway.
and who is Tom?