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The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
May. 21st, 2011 01:44 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
spikiegirl.livejournal.com
The Golden Compass or Northern Lights (His Dark Materials, Book 1)
by Philip Pullman
Synopsis: "Lyra's life is already sufficiently interesting for a novel before she eavesdrops on a presentation by her uncle Lord Asriel to his colleagues in the Jordan College faculty, Oxford. The college, famed for its leadership in experimental theology, is funding Lord Asriel's research into the heretical possibility of the existence of worlds unlike Lyra's own, where everyone is born with a familiar animal companion, magic of a kind works, the Tartars are threatening to overrun Muscovy, and the Pope is a puritanical Protestant. Set in an England familiar and strange, Philip Pullman's lively, taut story is a must-read and re-read for fantasy lovers of all ages. The world-building is outstanding, from the subtle hints of the 1898 Tokay to odd quirks of language to the panserbjorne, while determined, clever Lyra is strongly reminiscent of Joan Aiken's Dido Twite." (From Amazon.co.uk)
My Opinion: An extraordinary and wonderful adventure.
Usually, I'm not a reader of this kind of fantasy but I decided to read it after watching the movie and let me tell you that this novel is so much better than the adaptation of it.
Set in a well-written, rich and original world, The Golden Compass is a fast-paced, fascinating, intriguing fantasy novel led by a young but mature, courageous, determined girl and her daemon.
We follow Lyra Belacqua in her quest to deliver her friend Roger and all the other kids from the "Gobblers". Along the way, she'll be helped by all kind of fantastic characters but she'll also have to face great dangers.
Lyra and all the other characters are greatly written, interesting, lovable but some are also hateful and repulsing.
All the mystery surrounding the Dust and the daemons are what set that novel apart. I devoured it looking for answers, trying to understand this world, how it works, discovering what would happen next to our heroine and her friends. Only when tiredness was too strong, was I able to put down that book.
Philip Pullman was able to write a brilliant piece that is not too complex so it can be read by kids/teenagers and not too simplistic that adults can fully enjoy it.
I can't wait to read the rest of Lyra and Pantalaimon's adventures in a quest to change their world.
To summarize: Totally recommended!!
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