Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful as a cobra, and about as welcome in the house
Review: Why the low rating? A few observations in Q & A format:1. "On purely aesthetic grounds, is this a truly great example of Fantasy Literature?"
YES. Considering the beauty, detail, and believibility of the fantasy worlds Pullman creats, and the skill with which he weaves them together, this is certainly on a par with Tolkein or Frank Herbert's Dune books, and I would rank it above the Narnia or Harry Potter books (though that last might provoke some dissent....) 2. "By the traditional standards of any 'Abrahamic' religion (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), is this a blasphemous work?"
YES, most definitely. 3. "Besides the blasphemy, are there other elements antithical to those religious traditions?"
TO NAME A FEW: hostility towards organized religion, towards the marraige bond, and towards the notion of a fixed morality. Favorable portayal of fortune-telling techniques as a guide to decision-making. 4. "You must admit, though, that the book raises some interesting philosophical issues. Does it do a good job of resolving them?"
I THINK NOT. I don't want to get into specific plot elements here, so as not to spoil the ending for anyone who does decide to read the book. Let's just say that--having thrown off the yoke of divinely inspired morality--the main characters are then confronted with an ethical dilemma that a child of 6 could solve. Their success in solving it is hailed as a triumph of the human spirit. If Pullman wants to show how we can get along without a divinely-provided code of conduct he'll have to do a lot better. 5. "But you said the book was beautifully written. Doesn't that count for something?
IT COUNTS NEGATIVELY. As C. S. Lewis said, you don't get devils from fallen sparrows, but from fallen archangels. While I don't share Lewis's (and apparently Pullman's) belief in an independent Devil, I would agree that when great gifts are turned to a foul purpose, they only serve to make the offence worse.
Rating: 
Summary: His Dark Materials Trilogy-Golden Compuss, Subtle Knife, Amb
Review: Grown-up verision of Harry Potter, which I loved also.
Some complicated theroy for children, but not to complicated for the very bright. Very thought prevoking, and interesting. I say let Hollywood make a movie out of this Triogy. I would love to see that.
Rating:
Summary: dangerous?
Review: When I wrote a review of The Golden Compass, I swore I would stay away from the religious issues raised by these books, but with so many reviews decrying them as dangerous and subversive, I feel a need to defend them. I am sick to death of wonderful books, such as these, being pushed aside by people whose delicate sensibilities are offended by any viewpoint that contradicts their own.
Are these books anti-Christian? Yes. Blatantly so, especially in the third. Are they a dangerous read for impressionable young children? Well, if you are a Christian parent, I wouldn't recommend reading this as a bedtime story to your 7-year-old, but I wouldn't suggest these books for any 7-year-old, religious or otherwise. There is darkness. There is violence. There are ethical and philosophical questions completely out of reach for a child that young. A twelve-year-old, however, should be old enough to be presented with an idea without necessarily accepting it, especially when that idea comes in the form of a fantasy novel. Because that's what it is: Fantasy. And the truth is, children understand fantasy better than most adults. Far too many adults seem to fear fantasy, because they've forgotten how to keep the pretend separate from the real. Kids don't have that problem. To suggest that these books, all on their own, will drive your twelve-year-old child away from the church is almost as ridiculous as suggesting that the Harry Potter books promote witchcraft (which, by the way, is a valid, peaceful religion that in no way involves Satan worship).
Yes, if you are devoutly religious, you will be offended by Pullman's portrayal of God and religion. However, if you are an open-minded person, you will be able to appreciate the fabulous imagination that went into creating the worlds and characters of these books, not to mention Pullman's incredible skill in descriptive writing. Then you can put the books back on your shelf and go back to church, knowing full well that it was Just A Story.
Rating:
Summary: The Raves are Justified
Review: This trilogy ranks right up there with Dune and Lord of the Rings. I did not know that the written word could still affect me as much as these "children's books" did.
Rating:
Summary: A Must-Read
Review: My friends were pestering mew for about a year to read these books. I cant believe I put it off that long. The characters and everything about this book can be vividly seen in your mind. The third book, The Amber Spyglass comes to a heartwrenching conclusion. These are the best books I have read since The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings(also must read and see the movie, extremely good). If you are of any age or reading level, you must read these books, no matter how long it takes you. If you cant read, listen to the unabridged tapes.
Rating: 
Summary: The Golden Compass?!
Review: I was very impressed by these books, they showed me that children's books could open the minds of adults as well as young adolescents. The story is amazing, the plot immersive and spectacular, he combines the both with heart a warming charm, if only more people could write stories like this. I am, however, quite annoyed at the publisher's for changing the name of the first book. 'Northern Lights' as it is called in the UK is a lot more apt considering the nature of the story, than the Golden Compass! What's that all about? The Alethiometer, which i'm assuming is what they are refering to is not a compass, it is something completely different. The fact that it looks vaguely like a compass is not the point, IT ISN'T A COMPASS and shouldn't be called such. Why then have you changed the name? What was the point, why not call it Northern Lights'? I hope Philip Pullman was equally disgusted with the name change as i am. Thankyou very much.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible
Review: I found this trilogy enthralling with too many good points to name. I have to disagree that youths won't understand the book, as I am myself only 17. I also find books where a few of the main characters more interesting than those where all of the main characters 'live happily ever after'. I personally found the ending very emotional, this is the only book I have ever cried over, and I wish that there were going to be more books after 'The Amber Spyglass'. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone as it is without a doubt infinitely more pleasurable, in my opinion, to reading the 'Harry Potter' series, which although they are good, do not measure up to 'His Dark Materials'. So I would say BUY IT.
Rating:
Summary: Controversy is often the mark of a good book, people
Review: This is supposed to be a twist on Milton. I can't comment on that, as I've never read Paradise Lost, but it is an interesting work. Catholics appear to be angry at the depiction of the Church, but seem to miss the idea that the Church in this series seems more Calvinist than Catholic, so I'm surprised there hasn't been more Presbyterians up in arms over it. In any case, Christianity hasn't always been the world's greatest influence, and drawing a picture of a Church that controls science will make people who know history think of Galileo and other scientific "heretics", with heresy of course being defined as going against the doctrine of the Church. I suggest that if you plan on reading this and are deeply religious, examine yourself first to see if you can think about something contradicting your beliefs. Try Job: A Comedy of Justice by Robert Heinlein as a warmup. If you don't have a problem with Heinlein's depiction of God in that book, then you shouldn't have a problem with Pullman's. Feminists are angry that Lyra is such a strong character in book one, and then Will has to help her out in the next two books. Well, if I were to fall through into a completely different world, I think I'd need some coaching on what is safe and what isn't too. Just because Pullman has the characters in his world say that "women can't be Scholars" and other things, does not mean that he is a misogynist. Lyra could not work as a character had she been raised differently. People, please realize that an author does not have to believe everything he writes. I haven't ever read an interview with Pullman, but I doubt that he holds all the views on women and religion that he has written in this series. To those that say that there is nothing really new in here, I ask you to remember that there are very few works created that do not have the feel or even the influence from other works. I suggest that you do what one reviewer suggested and go and look up those references, as then you will have learned something new and have an idea where Pullman got these ideas from. Admittedly, there are some plot holes and some things that sound like quasi-physics. I don't feel like going into them as there are plenty of other reviewers who hated the series to tell you exactly what they are. To those comparing Pullman with Tolkien and C.S. Lewis--here's a novel idea, he's neither. All of Lewis' fiction is deeply religious, with all of his works having Christian allegory. Don't try to tell me Aslan is not a Christ figure, or that most of the Peralanda trilogy seems to be a retelling of the Adam and Eve story, but with evil not getting a foothold in the world. Tolkien helped set the standard for fantasy, and his world is so well-developed and realized that comparisions against him are often unfair. Tolkien was also deeply religious but it didn't make it into his work in as blatant a manner as Lewis'. It is quite clear that Pullman in the book is unhappy with the power Christianity has in the world. When it comes to the daemons, maybe Pullman could have come up with something better than just using the ae dipthong as a substitue for demon. Nevertheless, a person's daemon is their soul. They also seem to be both a foil and a reflection of that person's characteristics. That's why it makes sense that cutting someone off from their daemon makes them a shadow of who they were and why they die. Get some kid to explain to you what digimon are and then you'll have another idea of what the daemons are like, but without the actual physical and psychological connection. I personally think it could be troublesome to have your soul revealed to the world, but it is still an interesting idea. The story does seem to drag at points, and the marketing of this as a children's book could be questionable, unless the kid was reading the aforementioned Tolkien and Lewis at a young age and as capable of understanding the violence and some of the confusion of the books. If you are a responsible parent, and actually take an active interest in what your child does and sees, better read it first. To those who say the ending is contrived I say to you to go watch Escaflowne (subtitled of course). These kids are supposed to be humanity's great chance to make itself better. The fate of the world resting on a couple people, kids or adults, is a common enough device that you should have run into it somewhere before. Remember, this is supposed to be a twist on Paradise Lost, and the idea is that Adam and Eve (...) it up, but Lyra and Will get it right. It seems to me that the people complaining of this have not had enough exposure to the idea. I love how all these people are saying that "it's bad for impressionable children." Remember, when it's Nazism or Communism, it's brainwashing, when it's religion, it's instilling moral values. Bottom line: You'll probably either love or hate this series. The ending indeed could have used some work. Pullman wasn't as tight with his ideas as he needed to be to really make the series work well. But overall, give it a shot. You might be pleasantly surprised.
Rating:
Summary: "Young Adult" --not really
Review: It is hard to believe that Pullman's trilogy would be classified alongside books dealing with the trials and tribulations of dating and adolescent maturation. Although the protagonist Lyra surely matures throughout the three novels, there is SO MUCH MORE to be gained from reading these remarkable books than I would have dared to fathom had I read them as a "young adult." To give away the political and religious allegories would be criminal, but suffice to say, these are probably the best books I have read in this genre--equal, if not in some cases surpassing: The Chronicles of Narnia, The Ring Trilogy, and Harry Potter.
The second book, the Subtle Knife, is a little less in the way of character development than the Golden Compass, but it was definitely to Pullman's advantage to wait as long as he did to write the Amber Spyglass. Unlike other sequels and series, this conclusion to the trilogy does not disappoint and only makes you wish it wasn't the conclusion. You will inevitably find the character(s) you identify with most and be rooting for that character throughout your reading. However, be warned: Pullman does not feel it necessary to have happy endings for everyone and every circumstance. Herein lies the true value of these books...the harshness and elation to be found in reality, in a fantasy context.
Rating: 
Summary: Rent this book!
Review: Kinda interesting - but gets mucho mixed up. Too many high stepping ideas stacked on top of each other when what we need is more life in the characters. Too much demiurge and not enough creative urge. The violence was inane and pointless. I don't think the author meant to be anti-Christian per se, but that's how it came off from sheer clumsiness I imagine. Goes to show that an education doesn't supply intelligence. Third book was a real chore; the author must have been desperate to finish it off, and this reader felt his pain. Get it at the library.
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