Listen free for 30 days
-
Northern Lights (Dramatised)
- Narrated by: Philip Pullman, Full Cast
- Length: 2 hrs and 26 mins
- Categories: Children's Audiobooks, Literature & Fiction
People who bought this also bought...
-
Once Upon a Time in the North
- By: Philip Pullman
- Narrated by: Full Cast, Philip Pullman
- Length: 2 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Lee and his daemon, Hester, land in the Arctic town of Novy Odense, they quickly become embroiled in an out-and-out political brawl. So when Iorek offers to help, Lee is only too happy to accept. Together they take on a slippery politician, his monstrous gas-powered gun and a murderous gunfighter. And so begins a friendship that will continue throughout their lives.
-
-
Glad I heard this one!
- By Rachel on 07-04-13
-
La Belle Sauvage
- The Book of Dust, Volume One
- By: Philip Pullman
- Narrated by: Michael Sheen
- Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eleven-year-old Malcolm Polstead and his dæmon, Asta, live with his parents at the Trout Inn near Oxford. Across the River Thames (which Malcolm navigates often using his beloved canoe, a boat by the name of La Belle Sauvage) is the Godstow Priory where the nuns live. Malcolm learns they have a guest with them; a baby by the name of Lyra Belacqua....
-
-
Extraordinary narration
- By Emilie on 04-11-17
-
Serpentine
- By: Philip Pullman
- Narrated by: Olivia Colman
- Length: 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon have left the events of His Dark Materials far behind. In this snapshot of their forever-changed lives they return to the North to visit an old friend, where we will learn that things are not exactly as they seem.... The perfect re-entry for fans of His Dark Materials and a wonderful companion to The Book of Dust, Serpentine is a brand-new special listen for Pullman fans old and new.
-
-
Disappointed
- By Paula Logan on 15-10-20
-
The H G Wells BBC Radio Collection
- Dramatisations and Readings Including the Time Machine, The War of the Worlds & Other Science Fiction Classics
- By: H.G. Wells
- Narrated by: Amy Hoggart, Bernard Cribbins, Bill Nighy, and others
- Length: 29 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
H. G. Wells wrote dozens of novels and short stories and is often called the 'father of science fiction'. Here we collect together the works of H. G. Wells as broadcast on BBC Radio. With full-cast dramatisations of novels including The Time Machine, The Island of Dr Moreau, The War of the Worlds, Ann Veronica, The First Men in the Moon and The Wonderful Visit; plus readings of The Invisible Man, Love and Mr Lewisham and several short stories including The Inexperienced Ghost and In the Abyss.
-
-
AMAZING EXTENSIVE COLLECTION
- By Amazon Customer on 06-10-20
-
The Complete Chronicles of Narnia
- The Classic BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisations
- By: C. S. Lewis
- Narrated by: Maurice Denham, Full Cast
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
C.S. Lewis’s acclaimed and universally loved novels spring to life in these spellbinding full-cast BBC dramatisations. Anyone who’s visited Narnia wants to go back again, and these radio dramas make for a hugely entertaining first-time or return journey, with a cast including Bernard Cribbins, Maurice Denham, Richard Griffiths, Martin Jarvis, Sylvester McCoy, John Sessions, Fiona Shaw and Timothy Spall.
-
-
A worthy addition to any collection
- By Darren on 05-12-15
-
Orwell Collection
- Animal Farm & 1984
- By: George Orwell
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 16 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Audible Studios presents two new recordings of George Orwell's most celebrated novels – Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm – with exclusive introductions, written and performed by Stephen Fry.
-
-
Fantastic and shockingly accessible.
- By Steve on 12-01-21
-
Once Upon a Time in the North
- By: Philip Pullman
- Narrated by: Full Cast, Philip Pullman
- Length: 2 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Lee and his daemon, Hester, land in the Arctic town of Novy Odense, they quickly become embroiled in an out-and-out political brawl. So when Iorek offers to help, Lee is only too happy to accept. Together they take on a slippery politician, his monstrous gas-powered gun and a murderous gunfighter. And so begins a friendship that will continue throughout their lives.
-
-
Glad I heard this one!
- By Rachel on 07-04-13
-
La Belle Sauvage
- The Book of Dust, Volume One
- By: Philip Pullman
- Narrated by: Michael Sheen
- Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eleven-year-old Malcolm Polstead and his dæmon, Asta, live with his parents at the Trout Inn near Oxford. Across the River Thames (which Malcolm navigates often using his beloved canoe, a boat by the name of La Belle Sauvage) is the Godstow Priory where the nuns live. Malcolm learns they have a guest with them; a baby by the name of Lyra Belacqua....
-
-
Extraordinary narration
- By Emilie on 04-11-17
-
Serpentine
- By: Philip Pullman
- Narrated by: Olivia Colman
- Length: 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon have left the events of His Dark Materials far behind. In this snapshot of their forever-changed lives they return to the North to visit an old friend, where we will learn that things are not exactly as they seem.... The perfect re-entry for fans of His Dark Materials and a wonderful companion to The Book of Dust, Serpentine is a brand-new special listen for Pullman fans old and new.
-
-
Disappointed
- By Paula Logan on 15-10-20
-
The H G Wells BBC Radio Collection
- Dramatisations and Readings Including the Time Machine, The War of the Worlds & Other Science Fiction Classics
- By: H.G. Wells
- Narrated by: Amy Hoggart, Bernard Cribbins, Bill Nighy, and others
- Length: 29 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
H. G. Wells wrote dozens of novels and short stories and is often called the 'father of science fiction'. Here we collect together the works of H. G. Wells as broadcast on BBC Radio. With full-cast dramatisations of novels including The Time Machine, The Island of Dr Moreau, The War of the Worlds, Ann Veronica, The First Men in the Moon and The Wonderful Visit; plus readings of The Invisible Man, Love and Mr Lewisham and several short stories including The Inexperienced Ghost and In the Abyss.
-
-
AMAZING EXTENSIVE COLLECTION
- By Amazon Customer on 06-10-20
-
The Complete Chronicles of Narnia
- The Classic BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisations
- By: C. S. Lewis
- Narrated by: Maurice Denham, Full Cast
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
C.S. Lewis’s acclaimed and universally loved novels spring to life in these spellbinding full-cast BBC dramatisations. Anyone who’s visited Narnia wants to go back again, and these radio dramas make for a hugely entertaining first-time or return journey, with a cast including Bernard Cribbins, Maurice Denham, Richard Griffiths, Martin Jarvis, Sylvester McCoy, John Sessions, Fiona Shaw and Timothy Spall.
-
-
A worthy addition to any collection
- By Darren on 05-12-15
-
Orwell Collection
- Animal Farm & 1984
- By: George Orwell
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 16 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Audible Studios presents two new recordings of George Orwell's most celebrated novels – Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm – with exclusive introductions, written and performed by Stephen Fry.
-
-
Fantastic and shockingly accessible.
- By Steve on 12-01-21
-
Unofficial Rosie: The Complete Series 1 and 2
- A BBC Radio Crime Drama
- By: Alan McDonald
- Narrated by: Paula Wilcox, full cast
- Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A BBC Radio 4 crime drama about a Merseyside mum-turned-private eye. Single mum Rosie Monaghan is 39 and redundant. Wondering what to do with the rest of her life – and with two kids to support – she decides to start a new career as a private detective. In series 1 she begins her first investigation, involving a mystery client and a seemingly innocent death that no one else thinks is murder. But being a private eye proves trickier than she thought.
-
-
good serial
- By ChrisH on 11-10-20
-
The Ickabog
- By: J.K. Rowling
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The kingdom of Cornucopia was once the happiest in the world. It had plenty of gold, a king with the finest moustache you could possibly imagine, and butchers, bakers, and cheesemongers whose exquisite foods made a person dance with delight when they ate them. Everything was perfect - except for the misty Marshlands to the north, which, according to legend, were home to the monstrous Ickabog. Anyone sensible knew that the Ickabog was just a myth to scare children into behaving. But the funny thing about myths is that sometimes they take on a life of their own.
-
-
Superb!
- By Mrs R on 10-11-20
-
The Hobbit (Dramatised)
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Paul Daneman, Anthony Jackson, Heron Carvic
- Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The radio dramatisation of The Hobbit became a classic when it was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1968 and it continues to delight today. Tolkien's famous saga, the prelude to the Lord of the Rings, has all the ingredients of fantasy and adventure: dwarves, elves, goblins and trolls, a fearsome dragon, a great wizard, a perilous quest, and a dramatic climax.
-
-
Magic that will not Disappoint
- By Jonathan on 27-09-10
-
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Book 1
- By: J.K. Rowling
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!
-
-
Sells its self as always
- By Amazon Customer on 23-01-19
-
The Ruby in the Smoke
- By: Philip Pullman
- Narrated by: Anton Lesser
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An unabridged reading of Philip Pullman's nerve-shattering thriller, set in the murky streets and opium dens of Old London. When 16-year old Sally's father drowns in suspicious circumstances, she is left to fend for herself in Victorian London. Although she doesn't know it, she is already in terrible danger.
-
-
A layered and satisfying listen
- By Barry on 08-09-16
-
Artemis Fowl
- By: Eoin Colfer
- Narrated by: Gerry O'Brien
- Length: 6 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twelve-year-old villain, Artemis Fowl, is the most ingenious criminal mastermind in history. His bold and daring plan is to hold a leprechaun to ransom. But he’s taking on more than he bargained for when he kidnaps Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance Unit). For a start, leprechaun technology is more advanced than our own. Add to that the fact that Holly is a true heroine and that her senior officer Commander Root will stop at nothing to get her back and you’ve got the mother of all sieges brewing!
-
-
Believe the hype - excellent antihero!
- By EC W on 25-07-16
-
The Tin Princess
- A Sally Lockhart Mystery 4
- By: Philip Pullman
- Narrated by: Nigel Anthony
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jim Taylor, Sally's oldest friend, is engaged as bodyguard to a princess. But Crown Princess Adelaide of Razkavia is not what you'd expect. She's the slum-girl Jim has been searching for ever since she vanished ten years ago. Now her life is in mortal danger, and together they must battle against unknown enemies in a country where no one can be trusted.
-
-
Narration very poor
- By David C. on 21-01-20
-
Neil Gaiman's How the Marquis Got His Coat Back
- BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisation
- By: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Paterson Joseph, Bernard Cribbins, Samantha Beart, and others
- Length: 1 hr
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Paterson Joseph stars as the Marquis de Carabas in this brand-new BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Neil Gaiman's spin-off short story, set in the magical world of Neverwhere. Returning us to London Below, this enchanting tale continues the story of one of the most colourful characters from Neverwhere - the cool, charming, resourceful Marquis de Carabas, who trades in favours and always has a plan.
-
-
Enjoyable
- By Little Red on 27-12-16
-
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Book 2
- By: J.K. Rowling
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Harry Potter's summer has included the worst birthday ever, doomy warnings from a house-elf called Dobby, and rescue from the Dursleys by his friend Ron Weasley in a magical flying car! Back at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his second year, Harry hears strange whispers echo through empty corridors - and then the attacks start. Students are found as though turned to stone.... Dobby's sinister predictions seem to be coming true.
-
-
A Delight!
- By Simon on 24-11-15
-
The Hobbit
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Andy Serkis
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of 13 dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on a journey ‘there and back again’. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon....
-
-
Baggins of fun
- By Nidge on 03-09-20
-
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return of the King (Dramatised)
- By: J. R. R Tolkien
- Narrated by: Ian Holm, Michael Hordern, Robert Stephens
- Length: 3 hrs and 10 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A BBC radio full-cast dramatisation of the third book in JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Brian Sibley's famous 1981 adaptation, starring Ian Holm and Michael Hordern, has been divided into three corresponding parts, with newly recorded beginning and end narration by Ian Holm.
-
-
The End of The Red Book
- By Nephrite on 18-02-20
-
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
- By: L. Frank Baum, Paul Magrs - adaption
- Narrated by: Jim Broadbent, Lydia West
- Length: 4 hrs and 30 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Dorothy and her pet dog, Toto, are swept away from their Kansas home, they find themselves in the magical land of Oz where munchkins live, monkeys fly and Wicked Witches rule. In their quest to return home they meet a cast of characters that have become much loved by families since the story was first published in 1900. Dorothy, played by Lydia West (Years and Years) joins the Tin Woodsman, Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion as they follow the yellow brick road to find the Wizard, played by Jim Broadbent (The Iron Lady, Moulin Rouge).
-
-
I really loved this story!:)
- By MISS S LEWIS on 22-04-20
Summary
The award-winning His Dark Materials trilogy is a breathtaking epic adventure spanning a multitude of worlds. Northern Lights, the opening installment, sees Lyra and her shape-changing daemon embark on a dangerous quest.
In Oxford, Lyra learns that children are being kidnapped by the mysterious Gobblers. When her friend Roger vanishes she determines to find him, and is given a powerful alethiometer which can reveal the truth in all things. After discovering that the adults around her are not what they seem, Lyra and Pantalaimon join forces with a band of gyptians. Travelling north they encounter witch-queens and armoured bears, before being captured and taken to Bolvanger, where children are being used in terrible and secret experiments.
Gripping, full of suspense and often funny, this BBC Radio 4 dramatisation has an all-star cast including Terence Stamp, Emma Fielding, Bill Paterson, Kenneth Cranham, and Ray Fearon.
More from the same
Author
What listeners say about Northern Lights (Dramatised)
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
- Louise
- 26-03-11
Brilliant book, shoddy dramatisation
I bought this audio CD knowing the nature of a dramatisation would mean certain changes from the book, what I was not expecting was the sheer extent to which the narrative was fiddled about with.
Things hapen too fast - all three of the major captured children from the books are now captured from the same place on the same day with no previous mentions to 'the Gobblers' at all - and exposition is handled poorly.
Introduced and 'narrated' by a character who does not appear in the books until near the end of the second. The scriptwriter seems to have made the assumption that his audience are idiots; introducing it with 'this is a parallel world. Deamons are souls' that completely lacks the subtlety of Pullman's work which never understimates its readers intelligence.
In the first scene (and again in Mrs. Coulters party) the dramatisation, instead of dropping hints, spells out exactly what the Gobblers are doing in the North, robbing the ultimate reveal of all shock and making you question Lyra's intellegence in not already having pieced it together.
The book is wonderful. This radio adaptation, however, doesn't do it justice. It cuts and dumbs down more than the film did.
If you want a dramatisation you'd be better off buying the full cast version narrated by Philip Pullman himself.
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Paul
- 07-11-07
Edge of the seat audio
I have to disagree with Fabio. Myself and my children loved listening to it in the car. All the actors really brought the story to life.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Fabio
- 28-09-05
Full cast, not full story
After listening to brilliant books like Stanek's The Kingdoms and the Elves, I was disappointed to say the least. Dramatised can be bloody good but this isn't the full story. If it were the full story, I'd have given 5 stars.
26 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Taylor, the misfit angel
- 26-10-16
Stunning dramatisation
So, before I purchased this, I saw some negative reviews saying that the story was cut very short and the details were not fine enough or true to the original book, and honestly, I would hath to disagree. Okay, it is obvious looking at the two products that the book is significantly longer than the dramatisation, but having read the book and listen to this, I would go so far as to say that in my opinion, all of the details that really count when listening to the story are still here. That, along with an absolutely stunning dramatisation from the BBC, which I can honestly say, is the highest quality of dramatisation I have ever heard from them. Taking both of these points into account, I would say this is definitely worth the money. It just blew me away. The actors were absolutely brilliant. Okay, this is an adaptation, so things are going to be a bit different from the book, and they are. In the book, the angel narrating the story is introduced in the second book, but they have chosen to include it here, and I noticed one name change in this production, but it doesn't detract from the brilliance of the production at all. However, I would recommend that you read the book 1st, as there is a lot you might miss, but if you have read the book, this is brilliant to listen to and will really fire up your imagination. I especially loved the actor who played Lyra. So give yourself a treat and download this, you will not regret it. You're welcome.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- The Fro
- 23-10-19
love it
Loved to never wanted it to end cast was fantastic I can't explain how good it was
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rebekah Esme
- 03-12-19
Short and a little dull
I did expect this to be the original book but it was the abridged version, I haven’t been able to find Northern Lights on Audiable, however the further 2 book are available.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jessica Devlin
- 15-08-20
Felt too rushed
The pace was so fast, it felt like I was getting a summary rather than the book. Big-deal moments didn't stand out because of how quickly the story pushed on past them. The actors were good though, pleasant to listen to.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- A. Davies
- 30-06-19
Better for kids than grown-ups
I read this as a child and was captured by Lyra's world - so similar to our own, yet so fantastic. It's still a marvel, and I didn't mind my time with it, but I'd forgotten just how much of a children's book it is. The whole world revolves around Lyra, and everything she tries seems to work out. In some ways it's the kind of story a child might tell - "I went here, and there were mean people doing evil things, but I said this and they believed me" I'm glad to have revisited it, but it's not quite what I remembered from all those years ago.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Janet
- 27-05-19
Breathtaking story telling.
An unique and full envisioned story told very well. Entirely captivating. Would highly recommend it.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kieran
- 23-07-18
Still classic many years later
Enjoyed every second of the performances - Terence stamp was outstanding. Best use of the licence fee I've ever spent
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Myk
- 11-03-13
Hard to work out what's happening
The action jumps from place to place with little linking. I really had very little clue where anything went or why anyone was doing anything. Great performance, terrible scripting. Guess I'll have to get the actual book to find out what the deal is. I know this series is very popular. Maybe the writers assumed everyone listening would have read the books already?
Don't bother with this if you don't know the story.
5 people found this helpful