Point Books During The Ruby in the Smoke (Sally Lockhart #1)
| Original Title: | The Ruby in the Smoke |
| ISBN: | 0394895894 (ISBN13: 9780394895895) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | Sally Lockhart #1 |
| Characters: | Sally Lockhart |
| Setting: | London, England(United Kingdom) |
| Literary Awards: | IRA Children’s and Young Adult’s Book Award (1988) |
Philip Pullman
Paperback | Pages: 230 pages Rating: 3.77 | 23548 Users | 1414 Reviews
Description Supposing Books The Ruby in the Smoke (Sally Lockhart #1)
Sally is sixteen and uncommonly pretty. Her knowledge of English literature, French, history, art and music is non-existent, but she has a thorough grounding in military tactics, can run a business, ride like a Cossack and shoot straight with a pistol. When her dear father is drowned in suspicious circumstances in the South China Sea, Sally is left to fend for herself, an orphan and alone in the smoky fog of Victorian London. Though she doesn't know it, Sally is already in terrible danger. Soon the mystery and the danger will deepen - and at the rotten heart of it all lies the deadly secret of the ruby in the smoke...
Describe Based On Books The Ruby in the Smoke (Sally Lockhart #1)
| Title | : | The Ruby in the Smoke (Sally Lockhart #1) |
| Author | : | Philip Pullman |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 230 pages |
| Published | : | November 12th 1988 by Laurel Leaf Library (first published 1985) |
| Categories | : | Mystery. Young Adult. Historical. Historical Fiction. Fiction. Fantasy. Adventure |
Rating Based On Books The Ruby in the Smoke (Sally Lockhart #1)
Ratings: 3.77 From 23548 Users | 1414 ReviewsDiscuss Based On Books The Ruby in the Smoke (Sally Lockhart #1)
I first stumbled on this as an audiobook, and decided to reread because I needed a book written by an author named "Philip" for a challenge. It was just as much fun as I remembered. Very different from Pullman's other, more famous series, this one is really a piece of Victorian pulp fiction. I will definitely be tracking down the sequels.I thought this was a rather smashing YA historical mystery, with a marvellous young female protagonist and some great Dickensian villains. The audio was exceptionally well narrated by Anton Lesser, so would definitely recommend that format.I read this for the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge task to read "The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series."
I'm a big fan of Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, so I thought I would give this a try. Heck, I even liked the Golden Compass movie (two words--Daniel Craig). This is what librarians call "young adult" literature i.e. "for teenagers." As such, I find it a bit disturbing. I'm a far cry from a book-burning censor but this heroine is not my idea of a role model. Set in Victorian London, Sally Lockhart is an orphan (of course)who falls in with a Dickensian cast of characters to solve her
I liked this book, yet, not as much as I expected. I was eager to read this book because I truly enjoyed the Shadow in the North some years ago, believing it was the first in the series and later I discovered there was a previous book.In her first adventure, Sally finds herself in the middle of a quite complicated situation involving murder, deceit, ambition and danger, but she also meets good friends and starts to develop her character and discovers that she is a strong girl who can help others
I always find myself frustrated when authors can't seem to think of anything bad for their characters to overcome, and so they have to create some unbelievably vindictive and amoral villain just so there is some central conflict. The main character gets along with everyone and always finds satisfying solutions to any momentary setback.The only problems such super-protagonists can't solve are those which they don't yet know the details of, so Pullman gives us a faux-mystery to keep the character
This is one of the best historical fictions I've ever read, right up there with Anne of Green Gables and Love Comes Softly. I loved its imagination and brilliant, vivid scenery.
This was well written and had impressively subtle world building and characterization. The mystery was a bit complicated, but not confusing. There was a huge tone shift from beginning, which felt almost like a cozy mystery, to the end, which felt bleak, gritty and hopeless.
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