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jayseewhy's review against another edition
4.0
I decided to revisit this trilogy before delving into the BBC + HBO series. Pullman knows how to tell a story. I’ll probably check it The Book of Dust once the third of those books is released.
crystalstarrlight's review against another edition
3.0
“You cannot change what you are, only what you do”
Lyra Belacquais an orphan in the care of the scholars at Jordan College. Gradually, she begins to learn more and more about her surroundings: her Uncle Asriel, the mysterious “Up North”, a substance called “Dust”. But when her friend, Roger, is abducted by “Gobblers”, Lyra joins up with g******, “Gyptians”, to rescue the boy.
I Liked:
Pullman’s part alternate universe, part steampunk, part fantasy world is most assuredly breath-taking. I am not big on the whole steampunk thing, for whatever reason, but I felt Pullman did a great job making me interested. He took time and care into creating his new world and it is vivid and real. I love the anbaric lights, the balloons and zeppelins, the experimental theology, the lights, and all the other subtle differences (or maybe not so subtle!) to our world.
By far, my favorite part was the concept of the daemon. This was particularly well thought out and imaginative. I liked how daemons were companions, souls, advisors. I liked how a child’s daemon would change while an adult’s would not. I love how the daemon’s form and actions represent the person’s character and inner feelings. And I love the care with which Pullman creates a relationship between Lyra and Pantalaimon. When they were nearly forcibly separated, I was on the edge of my seat, mentally screaming, “NO! Don’t do that!”
Slap me around and tell me I’m mad, but I really liked Mrs. Coulter. Sure, she was a “bad guy”, but I felt that she did an exceedingly cunning job hiding it behind a façade of niceness and concern. She was truly more menacing than, for instance, the King of the Bears. And her monkey…that guy gave me shudders!
I was impressed with Iorek the Bear. In fact, Pullman using bears was interesting. I’ve noticed that a lot of fantasy either relies on Greek/Roman mythology (centaurs and satyrs and the like) or Tolkien-esque fantasy (elves, orcs, dwarves) or Gothic/urban fantasy (vampires, werewolves, witches). Having sentient bears was a nice departure from the Narnia-esque talking animals (honestly, I never really did like Mr. and Mrs. Beaver).
After a slow start, the book really picks up and I found myself more and more interested in what would happen next. This, for me, started once the Gyptians began their trip up North. It was a great “adventure” yarn, and gave Lyra the chance to succeed based on quick-thinking (like when she was captured and placed in Bolvangar) and her wits.
There is also a whole lot of subtext that makes the book interesting. Almost everything is a symbol for something else—a theme of sorts, as I see it. In some ways, I can almost see Pullman telling us we need to be like Lyra, to pull out our alethiometers and decipher the symbols to our questions. Questions like: What is fate and destiny? Who am I and what will I grow up to be? Is there a power (such as the Church in the book) that has too much control over me, holding me back, forcing its own beliefs on me?
I Didn’t Like:
It took me half the book to actually get around to liking Lyra, our protagonist. When we are first introduced to her, she’s a mean little “liar”, rude, uncivilized, unrestrained, and unlikeable. It took her quite some time (and many pages) for her to be a character that I could partially relate to—an even then, she was far from my favorite character in the novel. Now, I don’t expect all protagonists to be perfect, admirable, loving—basically, little Pollyanna copycats. And part of what Lyra was makes sense for her background—and for what many kids are like. But still, she was a little too selfish and mean for me to really care about her.
As I really got into the story, I noticed that more and more of the characters were “evil”—maybe not Mrs. Coulter evil, but definitely selfish, lying, cheating, self-seeking evil. Lord Asriel, for example, is an arrogant, haughty man who, instead of raising Lyra himself, throws her at the mercy of Jordan College. How are we supposed to want to see him rescued? How are we supposed to side along with Lyra, in her quest to save him? Maybe some could, but I wasn’t one of them.
Other characters are rather sketchy, particularly Roger, the kitchen boy and Lyra’s friend. He is barely in the novel, barely has anything to say. It would be a compliment to call him a 2D character; there really is nothing about him remarkable or noteworthy. If I had to describe him, I’d be at a loss. For a story that somewhat hinges on his disappearance, you would hope that he would at least make an impression, make you want to find him again, to be reunited with Lyra. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel anything about him at all. I was more interested with Lyra’s second mission, to free Lord Asriel, than her primary one to save Roger.
As I mentioned above, the beginning is really slow and kinda confusing. Pullman doesn’t spend a lot of time with exposition (which isn’t necessarily bad—I hate it when there is too much time spent on backstory) and instead leaps head first into the story. But the story takes quite a long time to move anywhere, and it would be easy to become confused and give up or to get bored and give up.
Overall:
The Golden Compass is a unique fantasy novel. There are a lot of messages, dark and serious, that may appeal better to adults. But this deeper, darker message only helps it stand out amongst its counterparts, like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Narnia.
While it was slow in parts, and it took me a long time to like Lyra, I did find the book interesting and, yes, even enjoyable. There is excitement, adventure, a deeper meaning—everything one can ask for in a fantasy setting. As it is a completed trilogy (and not a never-ending series of doorstoppers) with somewhat of a sequel hook, I might even check out book two. A slightly above average novel, 3.5 stars rounded to 3 stars.
Lyra Belacquais an orphan in the care of the scholars at Jordan College. Gradually, she begins to learn more and more about her surroundings: her Uncle Asriel, the mysterious “Up North”, a substance called “Dust”. But when her friend, Roger, is abducted by “Gobblers”, Lyra joins up with g******, “Gyptians”, to rescue the boy.
I Liked:
Pullman’s part alternate universe, part steampunk, part fantasy world is most assuredly breath-taking. I am not big on the whole steampunk thing, for whatever reason, but I felt Pullman did a great job making me interested. He took time and care into creating his new world and it is vivid and real. I love the anbaric lights, the balloons and zeppelins, the experimental theology, the lights, and all the other subtle differences (or maybe not so subtle!) to our world.
By far, my favorite part was the concept of the daemon. This was particularly well thought out and imaginative. I liked how daemons were companions, souls, advisors. I liked how a child’s daemon would change while an adult’s would not. I love how the daemon’s form and actions represent the person’s character and inner feelings. And I love the care with which Pullman creates a relationship between Lyra and Pantalaimon. When they were nearly forcibly separated, I was on the edge of my seat, mentally screaming, “NO! Don’t do that!”
Slap me around and tell me I’m mad, but I really liked Mrs. Coulter. Sure, she was a “bad guy”, but I felt that she did an exceedingly cunning job hiding it behind a façade of niceness and concern. She was truly more menacing than, for instance, the King of the Bears. And her monkey…that guy gave me shudders!
I was impressed with Iorek the Bear. In fact, Pullman using bears was interesting. I’ve noticed that a lot of fantasy either relies on Greek/Roman mythology (centaurs and satyrs and the like) or Tolkien-esque fantasy (elves, orcs, dwarves) or Gothic/urban fantasy (vampires, werewolves, witches). Having sentient bears was a nice departure from the Narnia-esque talking animals (honestly, I never really did like Mr. and Mrs. Beaver).
After a slow start, the book really picks up and I found myself more and more interested in what would happen next. This, for me, started once the Gyptians began their trip up North. It was a great “adventure” yarn, and gave Lyra the chance to succeed based on quick-thinking (like when she was captured and placed in Bolvangar) and her wits.
There is also a whole lot of subtext that makes the book interesting. Almost everything is a symbol for something else—a theme of sorts, as I see it. In some ways, I can almost see Pullman telling us we need to be like Lyra, to pull out our alethiometers and decipher the symbols to our questions. Questions like: What is fate and destiny? Who am I and what will I grow up to be? Is there a power (such as the Church in the book) that has too much control over me, holding me back, forcing its own beliefs on me?
I Didn’t Like:
It took me half the book to actually get around to liking Lyra, our protagonist. When we are first introduced to her, she’s a mean little “liar”, rude, uncivilized, unrestrained, and unlikeable. It took her quite some time (and many pages) for her to be a character that I could partially relate to—an even then, she was far from my favorite character in the novel. Now, I don’t expect all protagonists to be perfect, admirable, loving—basically, little Pollyanna copycats. And part of what Lyra was makes sense for her background—and for what many kids are like. But still, she was a little too selfish and mean for me to really care about her.
As I really got into the story, I noticed that more and more of the characters were “evil”—maybe not Mrs. Coulter evil, but definitely selfish, lying, cheating, self-seeking evil. Lord Asriel, for example, is an arrogant, haughty man who, instead of raising Lyra himself, throws her at the mercy of Jordan College. How are we supposed to want to see him rescued? How are we supposed to side along with Lyra, in her quest to save him? Maybe some could, but I wasn’t one of them.
Other characters are rather sketchy, particularly Roger, the kitchen boy and Lyra’s friend. He is barely in the novel, barely has anything to say. It would be a compliment to call him a 2D character; there really is nothing about him remarkable or noteworthy. If I had to describe him, I’d be at a loss. For a story that somewhat hinges on his disappearance, you would hope that he would at least make an impression, make you want to find him again, to be reunited with Lyra. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel anything about him at all. I was more interested with Lyra’s second mission, to free Lord Asriel, than her primary one to save Roger.
As I mentioned above, the beginning is really slow and kinda confusing. Pullman doesn’t spend a lot of time with exposition (which isn’t necessarily bad—I hate it when there is too much time spent on backstory) and instead leaps head first into the story. But the story takes quite a long time to move anywhere, and it would be easy to become confused and give up or to get bored and give up.
Overall:
The Golden Compass is a unique fantasy novel. There are a lot of messages, dark and serious, that may appeal better to adults. But this deeper, darker message only helps it stand out amongst its counterparts, like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Narnia.
While it was slow in parts, and it took me a long time to like Lyra, I did find the book interesting and, yes, even enjoyable. There is excitement, adventure, a deeper meaning—everything one can ask for in a fantasy setting. As it is a completed trilogy (and not a never-ending series of doorstoppers) with somewhat of a sequel hook, I might even check out book two. A slightly above average novel, 3.5 stars rounded to 3 stars.
astraios's review against another edition
4.0
It's a weird and funny thing to go back to old childhood memories. I had some vague notions of how fiercely I had love Iorek, and hated Ms Coulter, but reading it almost ten years later, I realize how much I forgot about the plot. Hell, I didn't even remember how the first and second book were related in any way, and now I'm just more excited than before to discover the end of the trilogy again.
For those who've never read The Golden Compass : do it, give it to children, to lovers, to friends, to anyone barely smiling at you in the street. It's a formidable adventure with witches, warriors, parenting gone bad, gyptians, and you'll travel from the posh side of England to the faraway cold of the Northern lands. There's so few things more exciting than this book.
For those who've never read The Golden Compass : do it, give it to children, to lovers, to friends, to anyone barely smiling at you in the street. It's a formidable adventure with witches, warriors, parenting gone bad, gyptians, and you'll travel from the posh side of England to the faraway cold of the Northern lands. There's so few things more exciting than this book.
jessmilward's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bug_lightyear's review against another edition
5.0
Read in 37h at 0.65 speed
At the end of the book there's a 1h interview that has spoilers for the rest of the series
At the end of the book there's a 1h interview that has spoilers for the rest of the series
osean93's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
algorithminflux's review against another edition
5.0
I like how I still don't really know what's going on in this story, even by the end of this book. That said, it's ingeniously written.
cko90's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
odcosta's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
kmesserdova's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.75