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Title: The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, Book 1)
ISBN: 0345913655
Author:
Philip Pullman
Publicate Date: 1998-05
Publish: 1998-05
List Price: $5.99
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Mass Market Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $24.13
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $4.37
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| Customer Review: |
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1: I was quite engaged by still disappointed
I read through the book rather quickly, it held my attention and was entertaining. The writing was good enough to do this much, but there were many deus ex machina moments that I didn't appreciate. For instance a witch's daemon goose showing up just in time with magical powers to unlock locks by flinging snow on them, together it and Lyra release caged daemons.
And another example "she had turned on all the gas taps and flung a match at the nearest burner. Then she dragged a bag of flour from a shelf and hurled it at the edge of a table so it burst and filled the air with white, because she had heard that flour will explode if it's treated like that near a flame."
Many brief mentions of things like this, after the fact, when we should learn of them before the fact. Maybe at the beginning of the book the cook could have warned her about this, etc. There is much fleshing out that could have been done.
Furthermore, the church in the book is bad, yeah. But no one would deny that, it abuses it's power abducting and abusing children. And sure similar things happen in real life. But I don't support those; I support loving churches that bring great fruit into peoples lives.
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2: Great Start to an Excellent Trilogy
I didn't think I would like this book because it's labeled as a book for children. However, I was completely hooked after a couple of chapters and the feeling held on throughout the entire His Dark Materials trilogy.
Don't be fooled by a young narrator and talking animals - this trilogy deals with many adult themes (betrayal, torture, sexuality, and antisemitism to name a few). It is, however, an excellent Fantasy/Adventure series and each book left me wanting more.
If you're easily offended or don't want to expose your kids to "adult" (and I use the term loosely) ideas, then put this one back on the shelf. Otherwise, enjoy!
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3: Great story, brilliantly read and acted
I love to listed to books in my commute to work. Somewhat to my surprise I found this one of the best I have listened to so far. It is the first time I have seen an audio book with a full list of actors - and was a little wary (I love the job Jim Dale did all by himself with the Harry Potter series). However it works great -- and I cannot wait to listen to the next two books (it is so hard to find great adventure stories)
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4: Golden Compass-an ultimate classic
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman is the first book in the trilogy: His Dark Materials. The story is remarkably told in a parallel universe that is similar to ours, but of course, this being a work of fantasy fiction, Pullman included magic and other fantastical beings. The story has many main characters but the most important character is a stubborn and courageous young girl from Great Britain, Lyra. The whole story is about a golden compass, Lyra and her daemon Pan, and their magnificent journey through this parallel universe, carrying out a task that is not immediately defined but they know it will save their world and make history. The story is a delectably retold history of our world in a more fascinating and magical setting. From beginning to end, the storyline is filled with suspense and unpredictable events.
I believe that the book was very well written, and the plot was gripping. Philip Pullman managed to put all of his imagination and creativity into this book, without having the wording too verbose or hard to interpret. His writing style was very detailed, descriptive, and yet simple so that not only young adults like myself could read it, but also that adults would still enjoy his brilliant work of literature.
The Golden Compass also holds many ingenious and significant metaphors, such as the daemon, an animal that is part of your soul, but really stands for your true character or conscious being able to converse with its human form. Along with metaphors it has a very strong religious(especially Christian) and moral take on things. Philip Pullman delectably writes a simple fantasy fiction children's story, but with remarkable hidden messages that readers of all ages would enjoy to interpret and read. No doubt this trilogy will soon be up there with other great fantastical classics of literature.
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5: Northern Lights / Golden Compass = Wonderful!
Seriously I have no idea what all the fuss was about (the book being anti christian and all) but what I can say is that it's a brilliant dark fantasy book which combines our world with another and brings out a wonderful story.
The Golden Compass is a compelling and wonderful story of fantasy and adventure. I was still wondering about Lyra and her friends long after it ended.
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