An examination of innocence, faith, morality, and sin, THE GOLDEN COMPASS is the first book in the well-respected His Dark Materials trilogy. When she saves her mysterious uncle, Lord Asriel, from an assassination attempt, 11-year-old Lyra Belacqua uncovers a dangerous secret and, ultimately, takes the first steps in a journey that will take her not only to the frozen north, but also to a parallel universe. In short, Lyra is about to discover that she plays a very important part in shaping the destiny of the entire universe. Inspired by John Milton's PARADISE LOST, the His Dark Materials trilogy continues in THE SUBTLE KNIFE and concludes with THE AMBER SPYGLASS.
critical reviews
"One of life's pleasures is the experience of plodding through the first few pages of a book and then finding oneself sucked in, flipping the pages to discover what happens next. THE GOLDEN COMPASS is long, but is told simply and draws us on, as one crisis blossoms out of another." - James O. St Clair (New York Times Book Review, 5/19/96)
"War, politics, magic, science, individual lives and cosmic destinies are all here. They are not flung together, they are shaped and assembled into a narrative of tremendous pace by a man with a generous, precise intelligence....His prose has texture and flexibility, like excellent fabric. And he gives us so much. Suspense, of course, but such degrees of pleasure, excitement...and grief. And such joy--the joy of thinking, of testing your senses and feelings, of knowing your imagination is entering worlds not dreamed of in the usual philosophies." - Abraham Addleson (New York Times Book Review, 011/20/2002)
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"This was not the best book in the series, but unlike the others this could also be a strong stand alone novel. However fantastical Pullman makes the setting, the characters always have an honesty that is truly unique to himself.
It lightly touches the author's views on faith, which has proven to be most controversial. But, when reading..." see more
"An incredible novel about a young girl's harrowing journey. This book and it's companion novels (The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass) are addictive. The movie made from this book was a huge disappointment. Despite being classified as Youth Fiction, it has a message for more mature audiences. and a level of craft beyond any youth books I've encountered. "
"Awesome beginning to a fantastic trilogy. This series is in no way anti-religion; it is quite the opposite. It is about looking beyond ourselves and embracing the best we have to offer."
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