The Golden Compass

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The Golden Compass

Philip Pullman

Children’s

Jul 31, 2018

A girl and a moth are stealing through an imposing dining hall on their way to the Retiring Room, the private chamber of the Scholars of Jordan College, Oxford. On a mission of mischievous espionage, they quickly discover more than they bargained for, stumbling on an assassination plot and eavesdropping on the explorer Lord Asriel’s description of his researches into magnificent celestial, scientific, and metaphysical mysteries in the Far North. The girl is twelve-year-old Lyra Belacqua, a supposed orphan, and the moth is, for the moment, the shape taken by her “dæmon,” Pantalaimon, in one of his myriad temporary incarnations. The most inspired creations in this transporting tale of a parallel universe resembling an enchanted version of our own, dæmons are manifestations of the inner life—embodiments of the soul—in animal form. Giving physical reality to ideas and states of mind through dæmons and other inventions, Pullman animates one of the most alluring imaginative worlds in modern literature. Combining enduring themes with headlong storytelling, The Golden Compass is sure to leave you wanting more, no matter your age. Happily, its sequels, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass, which complete the trilogy called His Dark Materials, stand ready to supply it.

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Kyle

Jan 9, 2020

Jury is still out for me on this one. I need to read book 2 to find out if I'm satisfied with the ending of book 1. I enjoyed reading this up until the last 30 pages.

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