The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials #1)

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Some books improve with age--the age of the reader, that is. Such is certainly the case with Philip Pullman's heroic, at times heart-wrenching novel, The Golden Compass, a story ostensibly for children but one perhaps even better appreciated by adults. The protagonist of this complex fantasy is young Lyra Belacqua, a precocious orphan growing up within the precincts of Oxford University. But it quickly becomes clear that Lyra's Oxford is not precisely like our own--nor is her world. For one thing, people there each have a personal dæmon, the manifestation of their soul in animal form. For another, hers is a universe in which science, theology, and magic are closely allied: As for what experimental theology was, Lyra had no more idea than the urchins. She had formed the notion that it was concerned with magic, with the movements of the stars and planets, with tiny particles of matter, but that was guesswork, really. Probably the stars had dæmons just as humans did, and experimental theology involved talking to them. Not that Lyra spends much time worrying about it; what she likes best is "clambering over the College roofs with Roger the kitchen boy who was her particular friend, to spit plum stones on the heads of passing Scholars or to hoot like owls outside a window where a tutorial was going on, or racing through the narrow streets, or stealing apples from the market, or waging war." But Lyra's carefree existence changes forever when she and her dæmon, Pantalaimon, first prevent an assassination attempt against her uncle, the powerful Lord Asriel, and then overhear a secret discussion about a mysterious entity known as Dust. Soon she and Pan are swept up in a dangerous game involving disappearing children, a beautiful woman with a golden monkey dæmon, a trip to the far north, and a set of allies ranging from "gyptians" to witches to an armor-clad polar bear.

In The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman has written a masterpiece that transcends genre. It is a children's book that will appeal to adults, a fantasy novel that will charm even the most hardened realist. Best of all, the author doesn't speak down to his audience, nor does he pull his punches; there is genuine terror in this book, and heartbreak, betrayal, and loss. There is also love, loyalty, and an abiding morality that infuses the story but never overwhelms it. This is one of those rare novels that one wishes would never end. Fortunately, its sequel, The Subtle Knife, will help put off that inevitability for a while longer. --Alix Wilber


From Publishers Weekly
Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy now appears in sophisticated trade paperback editions, each title embossed within a runic emblem of antiqued gold. The backdrop of The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials, Book I sports a midnight blue map of the cosmos with the zodiacal ram at its center. The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass carry similarly intriguing cover art, and all three titles offer details not seen in the originals: in Compass and Knife, for example, Pullman's stamp-size b&w art introduces each chapter; Spyglass chapters open with literary quotes from Blake, the Bible, Dickinson and more. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
Grade 5 Up-Accompanied by her daemon, Lyra Belacqua sets out to prevent her best friend and other kidnapped children from becoming the subjects of gruesome experiments in the far north. By Philip Pullman. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Parents' Choice®
Philip Pullman's acclaimed epic novel about missing children, a golden, truth-divining compass and a young girl and her "daemon" who are catapulted into a life-and-death struggle against dark forces, is transformed into spellbinding theater for the imagination, thanks to a flawless British cast and Pullman's own narration. A 1999 Parents' Choice® Gold Award Winner. (Lynne Heffley, Parents' Choice®).


From AudioFile
Philip Pullman has created a stunning alternate universe peopled by those who seem familiarly human and by miraculous creatures: daemons, armored bears, witches. But now something sinister is abroad in this strangely modern, strangely archaic world, and 12-year-old Lyra Belacqua must try to discover the truth. Into this complex scenario marches Pullman and a remarkable group of readers, expanding the book in a way one might have thought impossible. This is an example of a full-cast recording at its zenith. The actors are well suited to their roles, Pullman proves himself to be a natural narrator, and the decision to remove extraneous text (he said; she said) allows for a more unaffected flow of the story. This is an incomparable treat for lovers of fantasy literature. S.G. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
Gr. 7^-12. In the first of a planned trilogy, Pullman has created a wholly developed universe, which is, as he states, much like our own but different in many ways--a world in which humans are paired with animal "daemons" that seem like alter egos, only with personalities of their own. The story begins at Jordan College in Oxford, where young Lyra Belacqua and her daemon, Pantalaimon, are being reared and educated by the Scholars. Although a lackluster student, Lyra possesses an inordinate curiosity and sense of adventure, which lead her into forbidden territory on the night her uncle, Lord Asriel, visits. He's there to solicit funds for a return journey to the distant arctic wastes, where he has observed and photographed strange goings-on, including a mysterious phenomenon called Dust that streams from the sky and a dim outline of a city suspended in the Aurora, or Northern Lights, that he suspects is part of an alternate universe. After he leaves, Lyra finds herself placed in the charge of the mysterious Mrs. Coulter and in possession of a rare compasslike device that can answer questions if she learns how to read it. Already shocked by the disappearance of her best friend, Lyra discovers Mrs. Coulter's connection with the dreaded children-stealing Gobblers and runs away, joining a group of gyptians bound for the North to rescue missing children. Lyra has also learned that her uncle is being held prisoner in the North, guarded by formidable armored bears. Filled with fast-paced action, the plot involves a secret scientific facility, where children are being severed from their daemons; warring factions; witch clans; an outcast armored bear, who bonds with Lyra; and more. It becomes evident that the future of the world and its inhabitants is in the hands of the ever-more-resilient and dedicated Lyra. A totally involving, intricately plotted fantasy that will leave readers clamoring for the sequels. Sally Estes


Midwest Book Review
It takes some time to absorb Pullman's setting: a quasi-fantasy where humans work with chameleon-type small demon familiars, and where a wild palace child finds herself involved in a dangerous mystery of missing children and a calling to head north. When older YAs have absorbed this fantasy setting, the real thrill begins in enjoying a complex tale in which a girl's personal battles reach into larger issues affecting the world.


Review
"As always, Pullman is a master at combining impeccable characterizations and seamless plotting, maintaining a crackling pace to create scene upon scene of almost unbearable tension.  This glittering gem will leave readers of all ages eagerly awaiting the next installment of Lyra's adventures."--(starred review), Publishers Weekly


From the Hardcover edition.


Review
"As always, Pullman is a master at combining impeccable characterizations and seamless plotting, maintaining a crackling pace to create scene upon scene of almost unbearable tension.  This glittering gem will leave readers of all ages eagerly awaiting the next installment of Lyra's adventures."--(starred review), Publishers Weekly


From the Hardcover edition.


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To quote KLIATT's Sept. 1999 review of the Listening Library audiobook: Lyra, the heroine in this first book of the trilogy, is tenacious, courageous, and nearly foolhardy. She joins forces with friends, witches and an armored bear to battle evil forces that kidnap children for cruel experiments. Lyra is caught between the conflicting plans of the mysterious and scholarly Lord Asriel and the wicked, self-serving Mrs. Coulter. The golden compass helps steer Lyra, and her daemon Pantalaimon, towards truth in this multi-layered fantasy adventure... riveting story... wonderful series... (His Dark Materials, Book I) KLIATT Codes: J*—Exceptional book, recommended for junior high school students. 1995, Random House, Dell Yearling, 404p., $5.99. Ages 13 to 15. Reviewer: Bette D. Ammon; Director, Missoula P.L., Missoula, MT , July 2001 (Vol. 35, No. 4) Read all 8 "From The Critics" >


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