The function of a book or a poem or a story is to delight, to enchant, to beguile.
Philip PullmanRead
Once upon a time' lasts forever.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The phrase emphasizes the timeless nature of stories and their lasting impact on our minds and hearts.
Philip Pullman's quote highlights the enduring power of storytelling. The phrase 'Once upon a time' signifies the beginning of countless tales that have been told across generations, suggesting that the essence of these stories remains alive within us, transcending time and evoking a sense of nostalgia and continuity. It invites us to consider how narratives shape our understanding of the world and connect us to each other, emphasizing that the magic of stories is never truly gone.
Themes
StoriesTimelessNarrativeImpactMemory
In practice
Example use cases
A storyteller could use this quote to encourage children to embrace the adventure of reading.
More from Philip Pullman
All quotes →Education and health were always matters of charity. You educated children and you helped the sick because they were good things to do, not because you were going to make money out of them. If you let the money-making principle, the profit-seeking motive, anywhere near education and health, things go bad.
Philip PullmanRead
To get the best out of life here ...Good grief. There's plenty of it about, so indulge. Give yourself some thing to remember. Fall in love. Fall out of love. Gamble. Get drunk. See how long you can stay awake. Go for long walks at night. Discover what you're afraid of doing, and then do it.
Philip PullmanRead
People should decide on the books' meanings for themselves. They'll find a story that attacks such things as cruelty, oppression, intolerance, unkindness, narrow-mindedness, and celebrates love, kindness, open-mindedness, tolerance, curiosity, human intelligence.
Philip PullmanRead
I told him I was going to betray you, and betray Lyra, and he believed me because I was corrupt and full of wickedness; he looked so deep I felt sure he'd see the truth. But I lied too well. I was lying with every nerve and fiber and everything I'd ever done...I wanted him to find no good in me, and he didn't. There is none.
Philip PullmanRead
Lyra learns to her great cost that fantasy isn’t enough. She has been lying all her life, telling stories to people, making up fantasies, and suddenly she comes to a point where that’s not enough. All she can do is tell the truth. She tells the truth about her childhood, about the experiences she had in Oxford, and that is what saves her. True experience, not fantasy - reality, not lies - is what saves us in the end.
Philip PullmanRead
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