Well, compared to my recent dissertation on the eventual fate of Lyra and The Book of Dust trilogy, this one will be quite (mercifully?) short.
Happily, YouTube is currently overflowing with a steady stream of Philip Pullman content, and this is one of my favorites. It was filmed not too long after the release of La Belle Sauvage, courtesy of Penguin Random House. No big revelations here, but some great accents and conversation.
I was first introduced to Michael Sheen via the Underworld movies from long ago. Later, I had the sublime experience of listening to him narrate the return to Lyra's world in La Belle Sauvage and I even managed to obtain a rather inexpensive copy of The Secret Commonwealth audio on Amazon not long after it came out. He does a superb job all around, and absolutely holds up with the full-cast audio versions of His Dark Materials, which is saying something.
Sheen is a good interviewer, no doubt inspired by the fact that he is a genuine fan of Pullman's work. Here he enthusiastically leads him through the familiar thickets of the latter's love of language, beginning with poetry - with appreciated shout-outs to "Kubla Khan" and "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." I particularly enjoyed the unapologetic blame Pullman aims at his harmonica holder back in the 1960s for his failure to be another Bob Dylan.
Sheen and Pullman also banter quite nicely together throughout, as they discuss the challenges of performing accents while recording audio books. They know how to entertain a crowd, and clearly enjoy holding their attention. Too bad it isn't longer.
But again, the overall tone and energy of the interview carries through because of Sheen's love of the worlds of His Dark Materials and beyond. When he recounts his own need to grieve over the resolution of Lyra and Will's relationship, everyone in the audience can no doubt emotionally relate. Best of all, Sheen even took his place beside all those parents who named their children Lyra, as that was what he christened his own daughter not long ago.
Anyway, I can't recommend the audiobooks enough, and here is another great little interview with Sheen himself as he talks about narrating The Secret Commonwealth.
Coming Soon - my review of the 2007 Golden Compass movie!
Stay Dusty My Friends
#PhilipPullman #MichaelSheen #TheBookOfDust #HisDarkMaterials
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