Spelade
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As we begin Chapter 4, The Master has invited several female guests to Jordan College and introduces Lyra to each of them, including a dark haired, elegant young woman named Mrs. Coulter. She asks Lyra to sit next to her at dinner, and it comes up in conversation that Mrs. Coulter knows Lord Asriel and has been to the North several times. Lyra likens this to Mrs. Coulter being an explorer and is completely enamoured by her for the rest of the evening. When the guests leave for the night, The Master asks Lyra to stay behind for a talk. He inquires about Mrs. Coulter and Lyra exclaims that she is the most remarkable person she has ever met. To this the Master sighs, then explains that it is time for Lyra to leave Jordan College. At first, Lyra resists the idea, not wanting to leave her home and friends, but her feelings quickly change when she finds out that she would be going to live with Mrs. Coulter. Early the next morning, Lyra is summoned in secret to the study to meet with the Master before breakfast. He tells Lyra that he has something for her, but she must swear to keep it private, especially from Mrs. Coulter. The Master gives Lyra something like a watch or clock, a thick disc of gold and crystal called an alethiometer. He quickly explains that the alethiometer will tell her the truth, and that she will have to learn to read it on her own, but above all else, he implores her to keep her own counsel. She leaves for London with Mrs. Coulter, remembering about Roger only after saying goodbye to the servants.
London is unlike anything Lyra has ever seen. In stark opposition to the grand, stony walls and rooms of Jordan College, everything in Mrs. Coulter’s flat is fanciful and pretty, delicate and charming. Lyra is swept up by the upscale life of Mrs. Coulter. Six weeks after Lyra arrives, Mrs. Coulter decides to throw a cocktail party. Although she won’t admit it, Lyra is beginning to feel cramped by this luxurious lifestyle and longs to be with her friends in the streets of Oxford. On the afternoon of the cocktail party, Mrs. Coulter asks Lyra to remove a white shoulder bag she is wearing, which Lyra questions because it is where she is keeping the alethiometer. Mrs. Coulter’s daemon pounces on Pantalaimon, hurting him and Lyra as well, until she promises to say and do exactly what Mrs. Coulter asks of her. During the party, Lyra overhears some guests talking about Dust and something called the Oblation Board, of which Mrs. Coulter is a part. Lyra realizes that the Gobblers, who have been taking children, and who have taken Roger, are affiliated with the Board. An older gentleman named Lord Boreal speaks to Lyra and reveals to her that Mrs. Coulter wishes to use her to round up other children. This horrifies her. As she tries to gather her thoughts, she overhears that Lord Asriel has been imprisoned in Svalbard, guarded by the panserbjørn, or armoured bears. Having heard enough, Lyra and Pantalaimon decide to escape from Mrs. Coulter’s house and run away into the city. -
The Golden Compass opens with a young girl named Lyra Belacqua and her daemon, Pantalaimon, attempting to spy on the Master at Jordan College in Oxford. While they are sneaking around the Retiring Room, Lyra and Pantalaimon are forced to hide in a wardrobe to keep from being discovered. From a crack in the door, Lyra sees the Master come in and poison a decanter of wine called Tokay. Shortly after, Lyra’s formidable uncle, Lord Asriel enters the Retiring Room and pours a glass of Tokay for himself. Lyra calls out from the wardrobe, alerting Lord Asriel in time to save his life. Though agitated with her, Asriel instructs Lyra to be of use and spy on the Master from the wardrobe. During a strange and secret meeting about Dust, Asriel convinces the Scholars to fund another expedition North so he may continue his research. Lyra is fascinated by Dust and begs Lord Asriel to take her with him but he refuses, demanding she stay at Jordan College.
Lyra’s best friend is a boy named Roger Parslow, whose family works in the kitchen at the college. Lyra and Roger spend their days exploring the roofs and catacombs of Jordan College and along the streets of Oxford, planning adventures and getting into trouble with the local Gyptian children. There is a rumor going around that children are being stolen by a mysterious group called The Gobblers and that they are now taking children in Oxford. Soon after, Lyra realizes that The Gobblers have taken Roger and she is desperate to get him back. As she frantically searches for Roger, Lyra is called by the Master to greet several guests visiting the college. Among them is a beautiful, young woman named Mrs. Coulter and her daemon, a sinuous golden monkey. -
We are about to dive deep into this masterpiece. Buckle up, gas up your balloons and let's take a journey with Philip Pullman's amazing Lyra.
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Black Americans were denied access to doctors and hospitals for decades. From the shadows of this exclusion, they pushed to create the nation’s first federal health care programs. On today’s episode: Jeneen Interlandi, a member of The New York Times’s editorial board and a writer for The Times Magazine, and Yaa Gyasi, the author of “Homegoing.”
“1619” is a New York Times audio series hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones. You can find more information about it at nytimes.com/1619podcast.
Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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Black music, forged in captivity, became the sound of complete artistic freedom. It also became the sound of America. On today’s episode: Wesley Morris, a critic-at-large for The New York Times.
“1619” is a New York Times audio series hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones. You can find more information about it at nytimes.com/1619podcast.
This episode contains explicit language.
Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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The institution of slavery turned a poor, fledgling nation into a financial powerhouse, and the cotton plantation was America’s first big business. Behind the system, and built into it, was the whip. On today’s episode: Matthew Desmond, a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and the author of “Evicted,” and Jesmyn Ward, the author of “Sing, Unburied, Sing.”
“1619” is a New York Times audio series hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones. You can find more information about it at nytimes.com/1619podcast.
This episode includes scenes of graphic violence.
Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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America was founded on the ideal of democracy. Black people fought to make it one.
“1619” is a New York Times audio series hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones. You can find more information about it at nytimes.com/1619podcast.
This episode includes scenes of graphic violence.
Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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In August of 1619, a ship carrying more than 20 enslaved Africans arrived in the English colony of Virginia. America was not yet America, but this was the moment it began. No aspect of the country that would be formed here has been untouched by the 250 years of slavery that followed. On the 400th anniversary of this fateful moment, it is time to tell the story.
Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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G provides an update on his plans for Worlds, the lads look back at the Vuelta and, of course, there's some Rugby World Cup chat.
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Luke set us the challenge of naming our fantasy Tour de France teams. The rules? We couldn't pick any current teammates, the riders have to still be racing, and - of course - we had to include ourselves. Reckon you can pick a stronger team? Let us know...
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We're joined by special guest Ben 'Shiny' Swift and chat about racing against him as kids, his time away from the team and - most importantly - the upcoming Yorkshire World Championships.
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Back racing and back podding. Episode Six coming at you from the Tour of Germany.
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We're home from the Tour and adapting back to everyday life. We chat through the past week, our Paris party, and what's coming up next.
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Special guest host Wout Poels joins G and there is a lot to catch up on.
