Rating: 
Summary: Good Concept, OK Implementation
Review: I really liked the concept behind this book. But, Pullman's implementation is lacking. First, I have problems believing that any 11-year old (even one in a fantasy novel) could or would behave as the one in this book does. Heck, you could push her to the age of majority (18) and I still would have the same problem. Second, the novel's world doesn't make sense. Yes, I know it's an alternate reality. But, the mish-mash of technologies present are silly. For the most part, the culture seems to work on a set of technology from the 1500s to the 1800s. But, then there are things thrown in which indicate technology from the 1900s or 2000s. I just can't come up with a logical technology tree that would allow this to happen. And, finally, all the characters around the protagonist are basically cardboard cutouts: they have no depth of personality. For instance, I still can't figure out what's motivating all these bad guys to do the horrible things they're doing to these children. Sure, near the end, Pullman explained what they think "Dust" is. But, I still can't see how these people made the leap from having that knowledge to, essentially, mutilating and killing children.
Rating: 
Summary: Pullman creates a masterpeice!
Review: Philip Pullman creates a masterpiece! The Golden Compass is a rich fantasy filled with action and adventure, along with the hardships of growing up. The reader falls in love with the young and carefree heroine, Lyra Belacqua, and with her lovable daemon sidekick. Pullman reveals the personality of all of the characters through their daemons; which are visible souls of humans. Pullman throws you into the book, with its complex world where science, religion, and magic all thrive. The fate of the world lies in Lyra's hands, whether she knows it or not. The book is written with much imagination and thought. I enjoy the book because of its unique setting and energetic main character. Filled with love, friendship, and loyalty, along with danger, betrayal, and heartbreak, the reader cannot help but love the book. The reader is never bored with Pullman's intricate and intriguing plot. The Golden Compass is a fantasy people of all ages should read and enjoy. After reading this exciting novel you will be asking for more and more, and wanting your own personal daemon.
Rating:
Summary: review of book
Review: This is a good book, as it tells a story of the friendship in Lyra Belacqua. She shows great courage as she goes on her adventures. In jordan College, she plays and runs free, until the adventure begins and she goes to live with a Mrs. Coulter. this is where it starts to get intereting.
Rating:
Summary: found it on the "kids" shelf where it didn't belong....
Review: Classed as teen fiction I am glad that the book was recommended to me or I would never have found it.Its a brilliant story, with subtle changes in plots. And easy, fun and thought provoking read...
Rating: 
Summary: one of the more original fantasy series out there
Review: I just finished "The Golden Compass", and I am already ready to start the 2nd book. The book portrays an intriuging universe much like our own, except in this world everyone has "daemons" (animal infestations of the person's soul). Aside from that and an army of talking, armor-clad polar bears (interested yet?), it could almost be Earth. I found it to be original and compelling, and the reason I only give it a four-out-of-five is because of two reasons:
1)Phillip Pullman is a gifted writer to be sure, but the book felt very uneven in its portrayal of the characters and events. Major characters come and go with little explanation, and as for the events; well, sometimes you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next, and Pullman cops out and brings you to an uninteresting, unbelievable resolution. These are minor flaws compared to the good stuff (and there's a lot of good stuff), but I'm just nagging.
2) As the book ended, I still had plenty of questions. Sure, there's still two books left to read, but I wish there could have been more explanation behind the existance and properties of Dust (I would go into it, but all I'll I say is that it's a mysterious particle found in the North Pole that has the power to unite worlds.) I also was interested in the witches that inhabit this world, and not nearly enough was revealed about them in this book.
All in all, I would recomemend "The Golden Compass" to anyone looking for orginal, escapist entertainment. It's no masterpiece, but it's still one of the better books I've read in a long time.
Rating:
Summary: Hidden meaning to this story
Review: The four stars are for the quality of the writing, but they come with the following caution: Pullman's Dark Materials triology, of which this is the first book, is a well-written and gripping story, but it also has some dark themes that parents should know about before they decide to hand it to their kids. In this series containing parallel universes, one universe has people whose souls live outside their bodies. These souls are called "daemons" (an archaic spelling of the word "demon".) The "Dark Materials" terminology refers to dark particles. These dark particles do not affect children until they reach adolescence, at which point they experience an "awakening" similar to that experienced by Adam and Eve in the Bible upon eating the forbidden fruit, although this awakening is a positive one and somewhat sexualized (though not explicitly; the most that happens is a first kiss). The Church in Lyra's universe is populated with controlling and evil people and the God-like figure found in still another universe is portrayed as weak and/or a usurper; he is a fallen angel. Part of the "happy ending" in the third book is the release of human souls from the world of the dead, where they are imprisoned, at which time they disappear into happy, unconscious nothingness. Adults will easily see the anti-(Judeo-Christian)God stance of the books, but children will likely innocently enjoy the exciting storyline and memorable characters without realizing its underlying, darker themes.
Rating: 
Summary: book of potential... destroyed
Review: I bought this book as a gift for someone. Naturally, I read it before I gave it away. The bottom line is that I didn't like it so very much that I gave this person something else instead, thinking they should have a good gift. Don't get me wrong, the story had a lot of potential, but as you get closer to the end you begin to notice that things are drawn out and entirely unfinished for the sake of a sequel. No discernable climax in the book. It's sad really, but there it is. At the end of the book it felt like all of the characters had just wasted their time not really ultimately doing anything. What a gip.
Rating:
Summary: Mysteries of the Aurora Borealis...
Review: At its heart, The Golden Compass is the delightful story of one girl's childhood. But, unlike most tots who must content themselves with idle daydreams, Lyra, the story's protagonist, has her already strange orphan existence spun on its head when, in the months following the arrival of her mysterious and powerful uncle, she is treated to an extensive realization of most youngsters' wildest imaginings. Written with a degree of sophistication well beyond the publisher's target audience, Compass embodies all the potential of its genre and is a brilliant achievement suitable for all ages. Philip Pullman successfully merges a broad spectrum of fantastical elements into a surprisingly cohesive whole. Religion is blended with cosmology, magic and even science to further a strange but captivating plot that hinges on the existence of an unexplained material (or materiel) known as Dust. Questions of government, academic and religious integrity arise and are treated with a refreshingly Unitarian outlook. Witches sortie with armored bears and where this world's turn-of-the-century technology leaves off, the supernatural begins. Though slow to start, the veritable cornucopia of strange characters are masterfully developed and as the book approaches its rousing climax you find yourself, quite to your own surprise, caring about even the most lackluster of personalities (when one particularly dim boy loses his daemon (every human has a magical animal alter-ego) you find yourself pitying him only to remember that you had sneered dismissively at his tedium only pages before). If the book has a weakness, and it doesn't have many, it is that it leaves you in the lurch with an entire additional book's worth of questions to ask and a very large and unexplained cliff-hangar. Fortunately, second and third books have been written and having gleefully absorbed the first, I will promptly be heading out to the library in search of both The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.
Rating:
Summary: Everything here WORKS!
Review: Pullman is simply a phenomenal writer/storyteller and he proves it over and over with this "His Dark Materials Trilogy" - that I own. Now, this is definitely not for younger readers. My wife and I decided our kids are gonna have to be much older and more mature to have access to all the darkness and controversy here. But it's superb, well written, gripping, touching, thrilling, chilling, and absolutely way better than your average fantasy book. I too am Christian and I say: read this outstanding series for what it is. So what that Pullman is not Christian? He is allowed to display his questions and doubts, his blunt criticism upon religion. If you just go down that road, you'll hate it, because you will be reading it for the wrong reasons. He makes you wonder, questions your own level of faith, but he is not "preaching". If your faith is strong, you will be able to add this to your knowledge without being "offended". Open up, think outside of the box and ENJOY the ride. If it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger. It's worth every word.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT BOOK!
Review: I abosolutely LOVED this book!! At first it was a little hard to get into, but that only lasted a little while, I have read all 3 books in the triology and I loved them all! Now that they are over, I'm really sad!! I think you should try reading the first one, and I am willing to bet that you will read the second one after that and then the third. I looove Harry Potter, but this book isn't anything like Harry Potter at all, so I don't know why people compare it. I can't decide if I like Harry Potter better, or these books, but either way they are both my favorites! One thing I loved about this book was how every person has a daemon. A daemon is the soul of a person with an animal form. There is tons of adventure in this book and it is a great fantasy. The main character is a girl named Lyra, throughout His Dark Materials, Lyra experiences dangerous situations, different worlds, love, mischief, fun, and just about everything else! The only thing I have to say about this book is that I think it is for older kids to read. There are a lot of big words and graphic moments, and I don't know if someone very young could follow the plot very well, especially if they continue with the books that follow this one. I would probably say its for ages 12+ Alot of people complain that His Dark Materials make it seem like there is no God. Well at times I would have to say it does, but if you believe in and have faith in God like myself, you should be able to put that aside and just have appreciation for the FANTASTIC story! READ IT!! :)
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