The smell of the north.
The very few words from a descrptive part of the novel are a summary of the sense of adventures that fills Northern Lights: it is about adventure and evasion. Along Lyra, we leave the warm and confortable life in Oxford, filled with mysteries, to head north with Gyptians to rescue kidnapped children, traveling trough land, see and air and meeting many amazing characters from various background with the same apparent easiness that you would meet old friends at a party. This is the call of adventure. The story never release you and you're stuck in your book. Plus, you suddenly realise that the novel include many thoughts and messages that you would never expect in a children's litterature work. This is definitely enough to make your read an everlasting experience and ground a fandom website. A great read, obviously...