Lyra and her daemon are set out to find discover what is happening to the missing children and find out what Dust is. A terrific adventure with wonderful characters. Pullman has created a wonderfully fantastic world that draws you in. The daemons almost become so acceptable to the reader that you might mourn not having one of your own.

Love Iorek and all the gypsies. Can't wait to read the next one! ( )

So, I saw the movie before reading the book (I know, bad idea) and wasn't really expecting too much. Of course, the book was about a million times better (that always happens..). I love Lyra's character!! She is spunky, lovable, courageous, and a true friend - but best of all she is still a flawed character. I couldn't wait to see what next scrape she'd get herself into and what new character she'd meet. I was especially intrigued by the descriptions of the relationship between humans and their deamons. What a clever idea.The best part of the book was probably the last section because I had NO CLUE what it was going to end that way. Pullman completely blew me away with this one. Very creative and intriguing. ( )

Take all the worlds religions and dump them into a big bucket, stir them up and dump them out and build a story around the different perspectives that exist around god, death, good, evil, after life, servitude, heros, strength, relationships and reality.
Loved this series. Not sure what it did to my daughters brain though! V ery thought provoking images and concept that don't always play nce with standard North American culture. ( )

I'm surprised that I didn't enjoy this more; it's right up my literary alley. The root of my detachment is this: I did not buy the link between humans and their daemons. I got it, I understood it, I read all the exposition, but I didn't feel it. I didn't ache for Lyra when she and Pan were threatened with separation. Without that, I felt as if I were watching the story unfold, rather than feeling invested in any of the characters or their mission. So, three stars. But I'll probably pick up the sequel, because I am curious about that city in the aurora. ( )

Read this in 1999. It's very imaginative world-building and filled with adventure. The movie version was not-so-hot, but don't let that dissuade you from reading this excellent fantasy trilogy. ( )

A sweeping first entry in Pullman's His Dark Materials series. If only the rest of the books lived up to the original. If only Pullman's personal agenda did not get in the way of his writing. Pullman is talented and this book kept me company during my childhood flu experience. Pullman has excelled in building a world we care about. What he has not succeeded in, despite his aim, is a series of novels that rise to the level of C.S. Lewis's allegorical Narnia. ( )

I have NO idea what you people are thinking!!!! This is ABSOLUTELY NOT a children's book! Have you read the other 2? Unless you want to discuss the ethics of whether or not theres a God, or the cruelty of animal and human testing, or the theories of interworld dimensions! Seriously guys! Also, the movie was HORRIBLE compared to the book! If you had never read the book it would have been a cute movie, but if you did read it, the entire movie you would be like "WHAT?! that never happened in the book" and "Wait, what happened to this part?" But, i did love the book, i just don't think its something to read to your 9 year old. Definitely 5 stars + 2 thumbs up! ( )

I read this book for the first time several years ago and listened to it this time around. Lyra, a child left with the scholars at Jordan College to be raised, is curious and clever. When Mrs. Coulter comes to take her away, Lyra is hopeful for an adventure to the North. However, Mrs. Coulter and her daemon the golden monkey are not nearly as pleasant as they seem and are in fact Gobblers (the General Oblation Board) who are experimenting with children, daemons, and dust.
Lyra is determined to find the children stolen by the Gobblers and bring the Golden Compass to Lord Azrael. Along the way she is added by the Gyptians, Yorik the armored bear, a mercenary aeronaut from Texas, a witch, and other interesting characters. However, it is Lyra's drive that continues to fuel this mission forward to connect to the hidden worlds and get to the bottom of the mystery of dust.
I just saw the movie too - a big disappointment. Most of the nasty bits were taken out and the order of events was mixed around. Plus the movie just sort of ended without acknowledging what happened to Roger and the link tot he other worlds.
The full cast production of the audio book was very well done! ( )

Philip Pullman delivers and unforgettable story in the first installment of his series 'His Dark Materials.' The Golden Compass follows the events of a girl, Lyra, who inevitable ends up fighting against an organization (seeking dominance over the world), called the Magisterium, whom she suspects has been committing horrible crimes against children everywhere, including one boy she knows well who disappears in the beginning. The Magisterium appears to fear an element called Dust, its properties fairly unknown and appears to be linked to magic of sorts, and every human's daemon companion creature that they are born with in this alternate and somewhat parallel universe.

Pullman writes excellently and gives a wonderful story that should not be missed by any fan of fantasy or science fiction with an affinity for alternate/parallel universes to our own. Or even one who just enjoys a good story. ( )

as the girl knew her mother was gone she tryed to find her but then she saw something she was looking at it and it was a a a a diamond she knew who it belonged to her mother she ran as fast as she can and then she saw her foot steps and she got faster and faster and faster she was like lightning bolt zoom zoom zoom zoom ( )

BORING! The setting of this high fantasy novel is another parallel world similar to earth, but where people have daemons (pronounced demons). There are many Biblical and literary allusions in the novel, and to The Church and Pope John. (Examples: There is a quote in the beginning from John Milton's Paradise Lost, and the books subtitle is His Dark Materials. Lyra is chased away from the fruit trees in the garden by the Church officials.) So the astute reader realizes from the beginning that there is a religious or anti-religious theme.
Plot Summary:
Lyra Belacqua has been raised (but not educated) as an orphan at Jordan College in Oxford. Many children are disappearing, and Lyra sets out on a journey to the Far North to rescue the children from dangerous experiments being performed by the "Oblation" Board (oblation as in the act of offering something to a deity). Lyra is helped on her journey by her daemon, Pantalaimon, witches, Gyptians (gypsies), and a panserbjorn bear, Iroek Byrnison. Lyra armed with her altethiomer (truth seeker) wants to find out what Dust is, and she wants to build a bridge between the two worlds with Lord Ariel. She makes several discoveries along the way, but there are still many unanswered questions at the end of the story--- thus, books two and three. YAWN! ( )

A far more detailed and extensive alternate universe than I've seen in a while. I can't decide what time period it's supposed to take place in, as there are guns and telephones and arrows and zeppelins. Perhaps it's a sort of steampunk. Anyway, every person has a daemon, which is in the form of an animal, and is more or less their soul. Scholars have discovered a new elementary particle, referred to as "Dust," and it is causing quite a stir. When Lyra's best friend Roger is kidnapped by the mysterious Gobblers, she and her daemon must journey north to rescue him. Lyra is a charming, if brash, little girl and the characters she meets are marvelous. I really enjoyed this one, and am a little sad I can't rush off to read the next in the series, as the ending leads right into it.

I came into this expecting something somewhat controversial but didn't really find anything. I can almost see the bristling of the Catholic Church over this - except at the very beginning of the book there is mention of Pope John Calvin, implying that the Church of this book doesn't particularly resemble the real one. But oh well, some people get quite bored unless they have something to be offended by.

The original title of this book was Northern Lights, which is far more fitting, as the item to which I assume the title is referring is not a compass at all. Publishers are funny things. ( )

Loved every minute of it. Pleasantly surprised! Found that the majority of the criticism thrown at the book from religious conservatives were totally unwarranted, although I guess I can see why they are scared of the book. They are scared of the book just as the Magisterium is scared of Dust. They can't control it and since they are in the business of controlling minds and especially those of young children, they don't like it when someone comes along and teaches kids to think for themselves, that adults are not always right, that too much religion can sometimes be a bad thing.

After reading the book, my girlfriend and I watched the movie, excitedly rubbing our hands together, excited to watch the book come to life on screen. Unfortunately, the movie was a huge disappointment, as the plot order and even some plot details were changed. We kept asking ourselves, "Why?" It seemed that sometimes details were changed just for the sake of doing so and we couldn't understand why. And then to see that the entire last 3 chapters of the book were left out entirely, well.. let's just say we were more than a little peeved. Also the movie moved along way too fast and if we had not first read the book, we would have been totally lost.

But this review is for the book, not the movie, and so I have to say it was fantastic. ( )

I really like this book! I haven't seen the movie yet, but would like to. ( )

Like Narnia, but much more imaginative, and with a better moral sense. But I'm not a child any more, and I'm not bothering to read the rest. It would have been great for me ten years ago.

This unabridged audio adaptation of The Golden Compass is flawless. ( )

This story takes place in a world parallel to our own. Lyra's amazing spirit makes her the heroine to save children from being experimented on. The young adventurist travels across insurmountable odds with her daemon,(the manifestation of souls in animal form) and defeats evil forces at every turn. This mythic journey has mystic guides and animals who are able to communicate with humans. Despite an evil parent Lyra and her group of friends are victorious with the help of the Golden Compass, which can foresee the future. This is an easy and exciting read. (Michele, Fall 2009) ( )

This was the best of the series. I think I may have read before I realized it was controversial. Interesting use of non-canonical sources. ( )

I never thought of this as a YA fantasy. I read it years ago (late 90's?) along with the rest of the trilogy. It was a pretty good read with some new & neat ideas about it. It does have a young heroine who grows up running from & fighting evil forces beyond her ken, but the scenery is unlike anything else I've ever read. Might deserve 4 stars, but I've never wanted to re-read it, so I'll only give it 3. ( )

What do you get when you combine a fantastical adventure with the most sickening bad-guys lurking around in the shadows? Wait, hold on. And a pinch of Daemons, a rough-housed heroine that doesn’t take any crap, and an organization that threatens to destroy the most sacred of bonds. . . Now, what do you get?

Roughly, The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, though his tale also contains talking bears, gypsies, and a portal to another world through the Aurora. But you get the idea.

My friend Nicole read this (and the other two) book near Christmas and fell in love with it enough to literally chuck the tome at my head and shout, “Read this or I’ll disown you!” So, being the friend (and coward) I am, I picked it up and read it.

And, holy crickets! It was amazing! I adore Lyra and her down-to-earth wit and stubbornness. And her darling Pan – oh! It made me wish for my own Daemon! The whole organization thing made me feel sick though – and you’ll understand when you pick this up to read it.

I’m being serious. Drop what you have now and pick up this book! You will be thanking me afterward!! ( )

Beautifully written story which takes place in a world parallel to our own. Children are coming up missing and no one knows why, and when Lyra's friend Roger disappears she is determined to find him and save him. Great story, great writing. Interesting for all ages. Some weird Christian overtones and story-lines, but if that doesn't bother you either way a very enjoyable book. ( )

Little girl's (Laura) adventures with big, white bear to deliver a secret treasure (Golden Compass that sees future and things of truth) and to save children being kidnapped for experiments. ( )

Lyra Belacqua lives in a steam-punkish alternate universe that never had a Reformation. The elite in this universe are obsessed with the exploration of an elementary particle they associate with original sin, and are conducting unethical experiments to discover more about its interaction with humans. Lyra teams up with an expedition to retrieve children stolen for the experiments, and ends up in a great many cold Northern adventures, guided by her own strong sense of justice and the information from her symbol reader.

The Golden Compass is a classic mythic journey - with sacrifice, betrayal, unknowable fate, distant and faintly evil parents, animal and supernatural guides. It's action-packed, and Lyra isn't very introspective, so it's a very quick and exciting read. ( )

This book (along with the entire "His Dark Materials" trilogy) has been much maligned by the Christian right. Unlike most of the books maligned by the Christian right - this book is actually asking for such treatment. It outrightly attacks established religion, government, and even academic establishments,. Furthermore, it often seems to advocate a very amoral attitude (though the author seems to back-peddle a good deal on this stance in the third book.) This makes me hesitate to recommend it for children - or even immature adolescents. Still, I rate it highly because it is a beautifully written book, full of wonder and imagination. The writing style keeps you turning pages and the stories and characters are truly moving. A mature, thoughtful reader can see that, at its heart, this book is not so much amoral or even atheistic as it is iconoclastic. (Though I suspect that the author would argue that he it is meant to be atheistic - but different people have different definitions of 'god' and 'no-god'.) Iconoclasm literally means 'to smash icons' . The word is linked to the monothiestic notion that tangible representations of divine principles are always limiting and ultimately false - so any such tangible representations should be destroyed. This icon can be a picture, a statue, a temple, an institution, a person, a ritual, an order of discipline, a moral code, a belief system, or anything that human beings set up as an ultimate authority or ultimate reality. It is the attitude encapsulated by teh Buddhist saying" If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him." In other words, human beings cannot truly perceive or embody ultimate truth - which is too great for the human mind to grasp. So if you think you have found the ultimate truth, you are deceived - the truth is in the quest, not the "answers" to the questions. This is what I think the heart of the author's message is in these books: don't take these institutions, these beliefs, these authorites as 'ultimate' they are as frail and limited as any human being - they can't encompass the ALL. He pleads with his readers to appreciate the beauty of the passions and desires that are so often left behind in a spiritual quest. Interestingly, the first chapter of the book of Genesis in the Bible states the same plea. In this chapter God is creating the world, and every time he pauses he looks at the world and declares "This is good!" In this first chapter of Genesis, the physical as well as the spiritual creation is good. Neither is juxaposed to the other, all is good, all is in harmony, all is according to plan. This is part of the message -maybe the main message of the "His Dark Materials" books: Embracing it all. ( )

Philip Pullman's series 'His Dark Materials' came highly recommended from a variety of sources, and generally I was quite pleased with the first of the trilogy. However, I can't say I was exactly bowled over - the story was strong, the characters well presented, and the ending certainly has me looking forward to the next book in the series - but generally it felt a little like something was missing; or rather, like I'd come across a lot of this sort of work before. It should be interesting to see how all the pieces fit together. ( )