The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage

How does Malcolm and Alice’s relationship develop and change over the course of the story?

The novel is divided into two parts, “The Trout” and “The Flood.” How are the parts different, and how does this structure affect the story?

How does La Belle Sauvage relate to Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy? How does the author begin to develop themes and characters that he will revisit in other books?

Discuss the role of dæmons in the story. How do different characters relate to their dæmons? What do dæmons reveal about the characters? Use examples from the text.

What role does weather play in the setting of the novel? How does the constant rain affect the story?

In Part 2, Malcolm, Alice, and Lyra move through a series of strange, seemingly enchanted places, including the fairy woman’s clearing, the mysterious garden, and the river giant’s secret gates. All along, Bonneville continues to follow them, even though he is gravely injured. How does Bonneville manage to keep up with them? Is there something supernatural about his character?

What role does love play in the novel, and how does Malcolm’s idea of love change and develop as the story progresses?

The alethiometer is an instrument that always tells the truth if one knows how to read it. What symbolic meaning does the device have? What does it say about the nature of truth and the quest for understanding?