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The Subtle Knife
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Read The Subtle Knife
His Dark Materials: Book 2

The Subtle Knife (1997) (edit title/settings)

by Philip Pullman (Author) (edit contributors)

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Description edit see section history

Lyra finds herself in a shimmering, haunted world — Cittàgazze, where soul-eating Specters stalk the streets and wingbeats of distant angels sound against the sky. But she is not without allies: 12-year-old Will Parry, fleeing for his life after taking another’s, has also stumbled into this... read more

Characters edit see section history

  • Lyra Belacqua/Lyra Silvertounge: Lyra Belacqua, also known as Lyra Silvertongue, is the heroine of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series. She is named 'Silvertongue' by Iorek Byrnison in the first novel of the series. She has a device known as an alethiometer (a truth teller) which allows her to, in a way, see the future. She is from another world existing at the same time as our own. Main character other than Will.
  • Will Parry: Protagonist. Young boy who is running away from his life in our world. He is also searching for his father and information about him. Main character other than Lyra.
  • Pantalaimon: Pantalaimon, or Pan, is Lyra Belaqua's dæmon.
  • Mrs. Coulter: Mrs. Coulter is Lyra Belacqua's mother, a powerful and charismatic woman who can manipulate anyone. She works with the Church. She cares more about Lyra than Lord Asriel. Her son is Sir Charles.
  • Lord Asriel: Lord Asriel is Lyra Belacqua's father He cares nothing for his daughter Lyra. His wife is Mrs. Coulter.
  • Lee Scoresby: Lee Scoresby is a skilled "aeronaut" balloonist from the country of Texas in Lyra's world. He has a rabbit dæmon named Hester.
  • Serafina Pekkala: The queen of the Northern witch clan in Lyra's world. Who also helps our Lyra and Will find Will's father.
  • Dr. Mary Malone: A scientist from Will's own world who is amazed by the alethiometer. She is researching dark matter and has a machine which can show shadows, which are Lyra's dust.
  • Sir Charles Latrom: An old man living in Will's world. Sir Charles' mother is Mrs. Coulter. And they are planning to steal the alethiometer from Lyra.
  • Giacomo Paradisi: The former bearer of the Subtle Knife. He does not have his pinky and ring finger.
  • The subtle knife: A special knife that kills any kind of specters. The knife selects the owner when it is ready for one. The subtle knife protects the owner, and has special magic.
  • Stanislaus Grumman: An archaeologist in Lyra's world.
  • Balthamos: An angel who comes to the aid of Will
  • Baruch: An angel who comes to the aid of Will
  • Ruta Skadi: Queen of the Latvian witches and Lord Asriel's lover.
  • Mrs. Cooper: A woman who takes care of Will's ailing mother while Will goes out to search for his father.
  • Dr. Payne: Add a description of this character.
Show all 17 characters
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Quotes edit see section history

  • “When she saw the answer, she relaxed at once. He could find food, and show her how to reach Oxford, and those were powers that were useful, but he might still have been untrustworthy or cowardly. A murderer was a worthy companion.”
    Lyra Belacqua
  • Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers
  • “There are two great powers,” the man said, “and they’ve been fighting since time began. Every advance in human life, every scrap of knowledge and wisdom and decency we have has been torn by one side from the teeth of the other. Every little increase in human freedom has been fought over ferociously between those who want us to know more and be wiser and stronger, and those who want us to obey and be humble and submit.
    Highlighted by 86 Kindle customers
  • every church is the same: control, destroy, obliterate every good feeling. So if a war comes, and the Church is on one side of it, we must be on the other, no matter what strange allies we find ourselves bound to.
    Highlighted by 66 Kindle customers
  • Was there only one world after all, which spent its time dreaming of others?
    Highlighted by 61 Kindle customers
  • “ ‘ . . . Capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.’ You have to get into that state of mind.
    Highlighted by 59 Kindle customers
  • Both the Oblation Board and the Specters of Indifference are bewitched by this truth about human beings: that innocence is different from experience. The Oblation Board fears and hates Dust, and the Specters feast on it, but it’s Dust both of them are obsessed by.”
    Highlighted by 54 Kindle customers
  • St. Augustine had said, “Angel is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is spirit; if you seek the name of their office, it is angel; from what they are, spirit, from what they do, angel.”
    Highlighted by 49 Kindle customers
  • “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.”
    Highlighted by 45 Kindle customers
  • “He opened my eyes. He showed me things I had never seen, cruelties and horrors all committed in the name of the Authority, all designed to destroy the joys and the truthfulness of life.
    Highlighted by 38 Kindle customers
  • “Seems to me—” Lee said, feeling for the words, “seems to me the place you fight cruelty is where you find it, and the place you give help is where you see it needed.
    Highlighted by 32 Kindle customers
  • Lee was too cool by nature to rage at fate; his manner was to raise an eyebrow and greet it laconically.
    Highlighted by 25 Kindle customers
Show all 11 quotes from this book

Setting & Locations edit see section history

First Sentence edit see section history

Will tugged at his mother's hand and said, "Come on, come on..."

Table of Contents edit see section history

1. The Cat and The Hornbeam Trees
2. Among the Witches
3. A Children's World
4. Trepanning
5. Airmail Paper
6. Lighted Fliers
7. The Rolls-Royce
8. The Tower of the Angels
9. Theft
10.The Shaman
11. The Belvedere
12. Screen Language
13. AEsahaettr
14. Alamo Gulch
15. Bloodmoss

Glossary edit see section history

  • Dæmon: In Lyra's world, dæmons are the physical manifestation of a person's soul in the form of an animal. They reflect their person's personality and can speak. Most girls have a male dæmon, while most boys have a female dæmon. Rarely, you will find a man with a male dæmon. When you are a child your dæmon can change into many different animals at will. When you reach pubirty, your dæmon will "settle" on one animal form, and loses the ability to change.
  • Specter: Ghost-like creatures that drift around the world of Cittàgazze. They attack adults and eat their souls, but can't be seen by and don't affect children.
  • Dust: A subatomic particle believed to have a variety of characteristics.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 2 of 5 in His Dark Materials. (standard series)

Preceded by The Golden Compass, and followed by The Amber Spyglass.

This is book 38 of 95 in Estrela do Mar. (community list)
This is book 9 of 12 in Via Láctea. (publisher edition list)
This book is in Guardian 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read. (authoritative list)
This is book 2 of 3 in La Materia Oscura. (standard series)

Preceded by The Golden Compass, and followed by The Amber Spyglass.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Philip Pullman (Author)

Other Contributors:

  1. David Scutt (Cover Artist)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Scholastic Point
Country: United Kingdom
Publication Date: 1997
ISBN: 0-590-11289-9
Page Count: 341

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PZ7.P968 Su 1997
  • Dewey: 823.914

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