Rating: 
Summary: Mystical Magical Lyra
Review: I've just recently come into knowing Philip Pullman's books. Based on a recommendation from a friend, I dived into "The Golden Compass" with some trepidations. Not a big fantasy reader (other than the classic Narnia books and of course, Potter), I worried about my interest level and ability to become involved in the book. No worries here, after the first hundred pages, the book completely draws you in and never lets you go until the very last page.Spinning the tale of Lyra, an orphan of sorts, being raised by the bretheren of a school. Lyra is fierce, brave, stubborn, resourceful, and yet, full of weaknesses, making her a remarkable heroine. You immediately join her side as she fights to learn her identity, her place in her world. Quickly, she is adept at figuring out complex situations, even before the reader, making her brilliant and real. Two favorite parts of the book involve each person's "soul", imagined as a daemon, or an animal. So much character knowledge revolves around these daemons that I grew to learn of each character's daemon to help illuminate that said character. And the illusive "alethiometer", a truth telling instrument that Lyra learns to "read" is a literary work of wonder, and something I'll be thinking about for some time. It is around her the Pullman weaves his incredible story of magic, auroras, Gobblers, religion, and the all important daemon. Pullman's abiliity to intertwine religion, magic, and science is simply masterful. Throwing in adventure, intrigue, and suspenseful elements, the story is both challenging, and compelling. While technically "a kid's book", every adult interested in this book will find something to hold on to, to cheer for, to dread. I agree with some reviewers who find the first parts of the book a little difficult to hang on to. In fact, I almost gave it up. But trust me, hang on and read for your life. You'll soon get caught up, and everything will make sense! This is a multilayered, masterful start to the "His Dark Materials" trilogy. I simply cannot wait until I start the sequel, "The Subtle Knife".
Rating:
Summary: The Golden Compass -- A Brilliant Start To An Awesome Series
Review: I must say that after I finished this book, I was shocked for several days and it was all I could think about for a long time. YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK. If you've read some of the reviews and you're still not sure if you should buy The Golden Compass, let me tell you a little bit about the protagonist, Lyra Belacqua. I love Lyra's character because she is determined to fulfill her destiny and find out who she is. Her loving devotion to her daemon proves her greatness as not only a friend and companion, but also as a person. She never forgets her allies, and is loving toward everyone who is willing to help her. Lyra is a very strong person, because she has to deal with heartbreaking betrayal throughout the book. Lyra makes up for her losses and betrayals, though, with the devoted friends she makes along her epic journey. This book truly made me laugh and cry as the chapters grew more intense, and I would recommend The Golden Compass to any reader, young or old.
Rating:
Summary: Joint Review of His Dark Materials
Review: The point of departure for this truly creative fantasy/parallel worlds trilogy is an inversion of Milton's Paradise Lost. In the latter, Milton presented a poetic account and justification of the divine plan for the Universe. In Pullman's books, the Miltonic version is a distorted view of real events. In the Universe created by Pullman, a powerful angelic force, the Authority, claimed power over the previously created Universe and has been abusing this power for millennia to keep humanity (and other sentient species) in a form of bondage. This bondage ramifies throughout an virtually infinite number of parallel worlds. This trilogy describes a revolt against the Authority and its overthrow. The principle characters are 2 children, one from our world and one from a closely related parallel world with mixed features of the 20th century and Victorian Europe. The initial plot strand concerns efforts to understand a mysterious component of the Universe called Dust or Dark Energy. The following complicated plot is essentially a coming of age story as the two children encounter many exotic features of their and related worlds. The plot incorporates elements of Paradise Lost and the Garden of Eden myth.
The quality of writing in these books is superb. A host of interesting characters and high quality prose. Pullman's imagination is remarkable. He has essentially developed a whole new mythology incorporating elements of modern science, religious allegory, and modern history. Perhaps the only flaw is that he may have packed too much into the final and concluding book of the trilogy, which is an interesting compound of Armageddon, Ragnorak, and the Garden of Eden story.
These books have produced some controversy as some feel that they are anti-religious, even specifically anti-Christian. Pullman has denied this interpretation and suggested that the books are an allegorical attack on all forms of dogmatism and authoritarianism. This disclaimer seems disingenuous. One thing that Pullman very clearly attacks is the idea that there is a separate soul distinct from the body. An important and at times poetically presented component of these books is the idea that humans are an intrinsic, not separate component, of the natural world. Pullman actually presents a pantheistic view of the world with consciousness an immanent and emergent part of the natural world and humans (and other sentients) as particular extensions of this aspect of the natural world. He also allegorically criticizes human attempts to overwhelmingly control the natural world. Whatever he states, these views are a trenchant criticism of any world view resting on the idea of separate and eternal souls.
Rating:
Summary: Startling Book
Review: One day while sitting in my room it dawned on me that the author of the Tin Princess (one of my favorite books) was written by a guy who had wrote the Golden Compass. I started reading it and found the story intresting.
Lyra is an average child (bit spoiled if you ask me) but then she snuck into a room and watched a presentation by Lord Asirel (first she saved his life) and finds out about dust. Then the master of Jordan college gives her the goldan compass. Her dearest friend is kidnapped and she sets out to save him escaping her mother, police, amorerd bears, and a pile of other things. The golden compass allows her to read the truth and soon is in the middle of an adventure far from Oxford.
I really enjoyed this book and I think so will most people. It is the first book in a well written trilogy. You should also read Phillip Pullman's other books because they are just as good if not better. This book is good for ages 10 and up.
Rating:
Summary: In a World All its Own
Review: Though at first glance The Golden Compass, the first of a trilogy, looks like a book made for younger audiences, Philip Pullman manages to interweave the separate worlds of childhood and adulthood in a breath-defying manner. Set in a world similar to the one we all know, but with drastic differences, the novel follows the journey of a young girl, Lyra, as she finds her way through adolescence, all the while trying to make new discoveries. There are twists and turns and jumps and leaps as she learns the story of her life and learns that things are not always what they seem. Usually marketed to young adult readers, the novel helps bring forth the idea of growing up and finding one's self. One of the elements of the novel that caught my eye was that everyone had what was known as a daemon, which is a physical appearance of a person's soul. The dae-mons are there as consciences; and for young readers, it allows them to begin learning about the psyche of themselves. We learn that daemons are capable of changing forms until the stage of adolescence is reached and as is seen with Lyra's own daemon, Pantalaimon, the forms change to match its owner's mood and thoughts. This helps young adults and even children learn that for a good portion of their lives, they will be a mixture of emotions and nothing is ever set in stone. Only when a person is finally old enough to realize what they were meant to do does life begin to settle, which can begin to happen at an adolescent phase. And that is just one example of the way in which Pullman uses symbolism to appeal to his audience. However, The Golden Compass also delves deeper for adults who pick up the book. The intricacies found in the book that deal with politics and the church and the way in which they are all connected in order to make people "happy" are ideas that often times, only adults will be able to understand completely. There is the sense of enjoyment while reading a novel that not only manages to remind us that we all still have a child living within us, but that can also teach us of the workings of the world through debates, discoveries, emotions, and world views. There are subtleties in even the ideas that seem miniscule at first; while the daemons can be seen as mere physical manifestations of the human soul, it can be further examined and the slight fact that daemons are almost always the opposite sex of its owner is something a bit more complex. The thought that daemons could possibly also be an extension of the soul in terms of one's soul mate is a proposal that only an adult would be able to comprehend, furthering along the simplicity of a child's mind while reading the novel. Although Pullman's trilogy is often compared to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling, the only similarity I can see is the idea of a world that is similar to the one we know but with differences that cannot be overlooked. While all three novel collections use mythology and fantasy as a background, The Golden Compass manages to allow both children and adults to en-joy the words of the novel in diverse ways, depending on what type of perspective the reader has. Whereas J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series is very clear-cut and to-the-point and J.R.R Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings collection is a deeper delving into the convolution of a mystic world, Pullman merges both those styles in a piece of work that is highly unmatched. Despite age, the genre the novel is placed in, and its target audience, Philip Pullman de-livers a work of fiction that will become a timeless piece in due time. The Golden Compass is a read that no one should miss because whether it is a child-like fairy tale or a mysterious, dark, and winding story that is being sought after, the book delivers just that. It is a riveting tale that once it has been started, the book will never leave your hands for the mere reason that, despite the cliché, it is too good to put down until it has been finished.
Rating: 
Summary: A Lyrical Fantasy
Review: This is the first of three books by the author. This first effort describes the journey of an 11 year old girl, Lyra Belacqua. Although the story is somewhat typical, in that it is a journey of adventure and self-discovery, I have to give the author great credit for having a unique perspective and highly creative imagination. This book is well worth the read because it is so well written. It is not another epic fantasy knock-off of J.R.R. Tolkien. I sense that the author has not created anything new, but has eclipsed his peers by the sheer lyricism and quality in the storytelling. The purpose of this review is not to rehash the story. I could simply put you on notice that there are gypsies, armored bears, witches and the like. However, the much greater thing here is quality. This is why I will read the second book and why you should read the first.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece
Review: If I had to pick just one word to describe the entire book, here it is: awesome. The moment that I was first introduced to the precocious Lyra and her worryfull daemon (a physical manifestation of your soul), Pantalaimon, I fell in love with them both. The plot and emotion in this novel are so inticately woven together. I never wanted this incredible story to end. This was truly one of the greatest books I have ever read. This book catches your eye the moment you open it up as Lyra and her daemon sneak into and important conference where they is obviously not allowed. There, she overhears the conversation that will ultimately send her into an adventure that spirals through different worlds, all in an attempt to prevent the collapse of all universes. Through all this, Lyra remains true to herself and her friends. One of the main reasons this novel and its sequels are so touching is that in the face of a corrupted system, Lyra retains her childlike innocence. Always there is fear and danger surrounding her. She loses so much throughout the novels, and still she goes on. I recommend this great book to anybody, whether you're ten years old or ninety years old. This may appear to some to be a children's book, but believe me, this is a book for both the young and old at heart.
Rating:
Summary: Wow! What a book!
Review: What can I say to express how wonderful this book is? It's beyond perfect. Usually, I ignore fantasy books, but this one is an obvious exception. I've read it literally dozens of times (my book is starting to fall apart). This is one of those few books where you begin to see the characters as real, feeling people. Pullman is a master of characterization. He puts together a great plot with all the suspense and surprises needed to keep you on the edge of your seat until the end (which, I might say, is one of the best conclusions I've read in any genre). His writing is filled with exquisite detail and beauty. Somehow he makes it easy to accept a world so totally different from ours. I could rave for pages and pages on this great book, but I think it'll be sufficient to say that this is head and shoulders above any other work in its genre, and a lot of work from other genres, as well. If you don't enjoy it, I feel sorry for you because you're missing out, big time!
Rating: 
Summary: Good for a boy's reading list
Review: I selected this book based on recommendations that it would be a good novel for 8-12 year old male readers. It's science fantasy and was very slow going, as the first section seems as much "information dump" as actual story. The heroine, a pre-teen girl, isn't terribly likable in the first section either, which made me not want to finish the book. However, I shouldered onward and it improved greatly in the second section. Definately a good book for young boys, if they can manage to tolerate part one. Ironically, in defense of the book, I handed it to my 9-year-old the morning after I finished it. When I got home from work that night, he was halfway into part two! So obviously from a little boy's perspective, part one wasn't so bad (or maybe it was tedious enough that he skimmed it to get to the good parts?). From my reading aspect, I don't mind info dumps if they're blended with a bit of action - or some character development. This book just didn't seem to cut it on either point with me. Worth the read for a borrowed library book - but not a book I will pay for to add to my boys' growing library.
Rating:
Summary: Still Gaining Literary Voice
Review: Ignoring the religious dogma (which truth be told, regardless of other reviewers played a very small roll in this novel) that had no real effect on this reader. Pullman weaves an interesting tale with memorable cultures, the scholars, the gyptains and the armored bears and the new concept of witches was especially appealling to this reader. But in regards to his character design, tone and concept of dialogue, Pullman seems to have first novel syndrome in this which is quite clearly not his first novel or story. With cluttered and jumbled language that only seems to smooth out and become beautiful when describing the arctic north and the aurora borealis. The rest of the world novel, perhaps purposley biased by the author for plot reasons was given the vaguest of dark, erroding descriptions. But descriptions aside, Pullman as was stated in the title of this review seems to be gaining his voice for this novel. Taking bold steps in this young adult fantasy/sci-fi story (bold steps that are yet to come) he seems unable to paint Lyra with a very appealing manor. She is a tomboy that is thankfully flawed and extremely naiive, a breath of fresh air to this reader who was used to the mythical auraed unbelievably insightful little girl which seems to taint most fantasy and supernatural novels. Lyra, plainly was not a perfect herione and a bit type casted with very little depth. Other characters in the novel, with the exclusion of Iorek the armored bear and the queen of the witches were given the vague roles that despite the tactfully given list of personal history, never seemed to recieve or gain the spark of memorableness to make them endure to this reader. Lord Asriel, who's consequent rescue in the novel, is painted in the eyes of Lyra as heroric wonderful figure who seems to have no grounds in order to be so. Barely in this novel, we the readers are demanded to love Asriel as Lyra does but are given only two scenes in the novel with him and forced to listen to past accounts of his heroic deeds by others. But heroic deeds do not an enduring character make, perhaps if Pullman had given both the reader and Lyra more demonstration as to why we would feel anything other then family duty to rescue Asriel, perhaps the novel would have stuck out more in this readers mind. Pullmans dialogue through out is both unbelieveable and horrendous, though it is quite clear the world in which Lyra lives is another world. Pullman seems unable to give one character in the book a definiative voice to make them stand all. All characters in this novel speak in straight to the point dreamy, heartfelt speeches that made this reader roll their eyes with the candidedness rather then true depth. The concept of the daemon, an interesting one is not clearly explained till later in the novel when it is stated outright. The daemons themselves however, though only physical representations of a certain characters soul, should perhaps be given more of a unique voice or characteristic. Despite the fact that daemons rarely speak to anyone outside of the person who's soul they represent they seem to be pointless plot devices to make the story stand out rather then give it a new and different light. For a first book in a series, The Golden Compass, seems to be the first baby steps for what was clearly a landmark in YA fantasy, however in this novel Pullman falls short in painting a truely likeable story. Perhaps a plot editor there behind Pullman to pull the strings together and repaint and add a few more things would have made this novel endure to this reader. But sadly it doesn't. This book is reccomended to those readers who love any and all Young Adult fantasy, perhaps to read just say they have read but to most other fantasy readers it's one to probably be avoided.
|
