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A review by scriptedsolstice
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
4.0
I can't believe I never read this book as a child. I saw the movie but I couldn't remember very much.
The Golden Compass (my edition is called Northern Lights) is set in a world where humans have daemons - an animal companion that ultimately is their soul. We follow Lyra and her daemon Pan as they go on a snowy adventure so investigate the mysterious disappearances of children, and learn about the phenomenon of 'Dust'.
Some of the scenes in here were really well written. I could picture myself within the walls of a historical British college with moody lighting and old brick walls. I felt cold when we travelled North with Lyra and was in awe at some of the battle scenes. I also think Pullman does a lot of telling instead of showing and I didn't mind at all! I did find myself to be slightly confused when it came to the church discussions though.
Lyra is such a strong character and I really enjoyed getting to know her and following her thoughts. She's really headstrong and smart and deeply care for others.
One reason why I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5 is that I think the writing didn't always reflect her age well. Lyra is 12, yet when she is corrected on how to say 'Aurora' she still says it wrong, but later manages to say it correctly. I also think she read a lot younger, particularly in the beginning. Until I found out she was 12, I originally thought of her as around 9. Nevertheless I really enjoyed reading this and i'm excited to continue in the series!
Oh and there’s also bears who wear armour and witches
The Golden Compass (my edition is called Northern Lights) is set in a world where humans have daemons - an animal companion that ultimately is their soul. We follow Lyra and her daemon Pan as they go on a snowy adventure so investigate the mysterious disappearances of children, and learn about the phenomenon of 'Dust'.
Some of the scenes in here were really well written. I could picture myself within the walls of a historical British college with moody lighting and old brick walls. I felt cold when we travelled North with Lyra and was in awe at some of the battle scenes. I also think Pullman does a lot of telling instead of showing and I didn't mind at all! I did find myself to be slightly confused when it came to the church discussions though.
Lyra is such a strong character and I really enjoyed getting to know her and following her thoughts. She's really headstrong and smart and deeply care for others.
One reason why I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5 is that I think the writing didn't always reflect her age well. Lyra is 12, yet when she is corrected on how to say 'Aurora' she still says it wrong, but later manages to say it correctly. I also think she read a lot younger, particularly in the beginning. Until I found out she was 12, I originally thought of her as around 9. Nevertheless I really enjoyed reading this and i'm excited to continue in the series!
Oh and there’s also bears who wear armour and witches