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Summary: A Great Beginning...But Trilogy Falls Apart
Review: I really enjoyed "The Golden Compass" - and moderately enjoyed the sequel "The Subtle Knife" - but I just finished the third book in the trilogy ("The Amber Spyglass") and feel that readers should be warned: the trilogy COMPLETELY falls apart by the third book.You can read my review on the page for "Amber Spyglass" if you want details. But as this series is being targeted to young readers, I hate to think of them investing the many days and hours in reading hundreds of pages...all to have it fizzle out at the end (Pullman implodes with logical inconsistencies, continuity errors, metaphysical gobbledygook, and devotes most of his energy on a confusing attack on God and churches. I'm not even a church-goer, and I still found it off-putting). Steer your young readers to Harry Potter or (better still) "The Lord of the Rings." You've been warned; wish someone had warned me.
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Summary: What do you mean? You've never read it?
Review: Even though this book is rated "Young adults" it's amust for all adults who dare to dream and who are not afraid to betaken on a mystic yourney. Before you re halfway, you'll bethinking in Lyra's words and her daemon becomes also one of you'reclosest friends. To me the book was magical and I have spent manymonths waiting for part two and three. Read it! It's as simple asthat.
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Summary: Enchantment
Review: This book was totally absorbing. Rarely do I go straight from a book to the bookstore looking for the sequel but I can't wait to see what happens next. This book grabs me right in the part of me yearning for adventure and rewards persistent reading with non-stop action. The characters, while being out of this world, especially the bears, reflect the best and worst of us. You have to read this one!
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Summary: excellent read for both children and parents
Review: put on symphony #7 by vaughn williams (ok wrong pole, but the effect is appropriate) and get ready for a wonderful ride. lyra, a determined and somewhat wild "orphan" of nobility lives in a universe which feels like the writings of h.g. wells extrapolated into the late 20th century. the effect is both warmly reassuring and slightly menacing. told as a fairly linear adventure story, there's lots going on underneath- what really makes it work is the strength of characterizations and pervading sense of wonder. many passages describing the arctic are worthy of fabulists like calvino or borges. many adults are shown having a warmth and strength of simple courage, trying to protect lyra while taking care not to deflect her from the important fate that awaits her. the brilliant, insane lord asriel, and the alluringly sinister mrs. coulter are also wonderfully flawed: they have their limits of madness and cruelty, intervening several times to protect lyra because she is still their daughter. best of all is the armored polar bear iorek byrnison, who through few words, and a commanding physical presense expresses the love we feel towards children. the core evil in this book is truly sickening and heartbreaking; pullman has come up with a misguided Church that commits monsterous acts in the name of salvation but is still uncomfortably close to "reality". lyra's impassioned actions against this will move you to tears. this isn't just a good children's book- it's a good book period; the main character just happens to be a child. pullman raises big questions, offers no simple answers, and confonts loss, hardship, betrayal and love in a complex and wholly satisfying fashion.
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Summary: This is not a children's book!!
Review: I really enjoyed this book, but as I progressed farther into the series, I can see that it definately is not a children's book. If you are looking for a book for your pre-teenager, this is not the book for them. I bought this book for my eleven year old and we both enjoyed it and bought the sequel. It was then I discovered that I would never have bought it for him. The other books in this series have sexual undertones, they are atheistic, and many things that made me uncomfortable having my son read. I have not been one to do reviews, but I just wanted to warn other parents not to buy this for a child if these things bother you.
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Summary: Enchanting! Astonishing! Marvellous!
Review: I never expected to read a book like this again in my life. Having felt deep awe and amazement when reading J.R.R. Tolkien's tales of Middle Earth and T. H. White's wonderful retelling of the Arthurian legend, I thought no author would ever give me that experience again. How happy I am to be so wrong! Philip Pullman's "The Golden Compass" is an amazing book. It is full of intrigue and suspense. But the greatest aspect of the story is how deeply -- yet deftly -- the author develops his characters. Since the story takes place in a world like our own but with several interesting differences, this is even more remarkable. It is hard enough to make human beings come to life on the page. The skill to create a believable, admirable character when that character is a polar bear or a daemon (a person's spirit familiar in the shape of an animal) -- that's incredible! Few authors would succeed where Mr. Pullman takes us. This novel seems like the result of an act of divine inspiration -- far above the usual story-telling. This writing is masterful. Categorized as a "Young Adult" novel, this book should be appreciated by a wider audience. The main character of this book is a young girl...but that shouldn't necessarilly indicate who the audience is. Do only hobbits read "The Lord of the Rings"?? This is a wonderful story. I can't wait to read the other books in the trilogy! It is so wonderful to be amazed by great fiction!
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Summary: A Tale For Everyone
Review: This book is captivating, to say the least. Within the first five chapters, the author Pullman has the reader seeing the world through the eyes of the young heroine, Lyra. Lyra is a former street urchin, who, now, through a strange turn of fate, is trekking through the far north with Gyptians(gypsies)and a giant talking polar bear with armor and opposable thumbs. She is given the gift of a small compass-like instrument called the alethiometer that tells her the truth. It doesn't predict the future or tell fortunes, it tells the truth. With this "golden compass", Lyra and her friends bravely forge forward to save the world from Dust, a mysterious substance. This book combines all sorts of adventures with comedy, tragedy, and romance. It is just the beginning of a fantastic trilogy. YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK!
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Summary: What's it doing in the Children's Section?
Review: What's it doing in the Children's Section? Is it simply that children are at the heart of this fable? Be forewarned, this is a rich and complex tale with themes that examine the creation and structure of the universe, good and evil, and the very meaning of life and death. While cloaked in the trappings of an epic odyssey, the language, violence, and themes make this a book most suitable for mature young readers and adults. "His Dark Materials" is not only "Dust" --the fear of which propels this story -- but it is the dark recesses of human nature. Pullman questions our views of the world, science, religion and ourselves. It is bold enough to make a clear philosophical stand, which the reader, like Lyra, comes to understand over the course of this journey through multiple universes and the inner depths of human spirit. So why is this book in the Children's Section? Perhaps it's because it requires a mind not set firmly in its ways -- a mind that can jump from idea to idea as quickly as Lyra's daemon can change shapes.
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Summary: The Golden Compass Review
Review: I thought this book and the subtle knife were two of the best books ever written. I'm about 100 pages away from finishing The Amber Spyglass, which I love as much as the others. When I start to read these books it's like you go into another world of fantasy and suspense. These books are ones i will keep for all of my life and will pass down to my children one day.
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Summary: An absolutely incredible reading experience
Review: After I finished reading this book, one word came to mind: WHOA! I was absolutely blown away by this incredible story. All the elements of excellent literature are present in The Golden Compass, including fluency, creativity (obviously present in TGC!), and the ability to hold my interest. This book takes place in a world much like ours, but different in some ways. For instance, everyone in this world has a dæmon, which is one's soul (or conscience) in animal form. The story centers around Lyra Belacqua, a "half-wild, half-civilized" girl living among Scholars at Jordan College. One night, Lyra and her dæmon sneak into a forbidden room, and hear some fascinating news about experiments in the North..disturbing experiments involving children and their dæmons. Lyra is extremely curious about all this, but doesn't really think that it has much to do with her life...until a charming woman visits the College, and Lyra is suddenly right in the middle of the action, taking part in an insanely dangerous quest that may determine her fate..and the fate of her entire world. One of the things that is so appealing about TGC is the character development. By the end of the book, I felt very close to Lyra, and I felt like I understood her. Also, I am a very big fan of Lord Asriel (I seem to be the only one, though..boohoo), and I was extremely interested in the happenings involving him. The Golden Compass would, in my opinion, make an incredible film, and I hope someday to see it on the big screen! Well, to sum my review up, this book is a MUST READ for anyone who wants a book that will remain with them forever.
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