Simplified Chinese edition of The Golden Compass ( His Dark Materials Trilogy). A Philip Pullman fantasy novel that takes the readers to a world somewhat familiar yet fantastical. The movie adaptation is to be released in winter 2007.
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Simplified Chinese edition of The Golden Compass ( His Dark Materials Trilogy). A Philip Pullman fantasy novel that takes the readers to a world somewhat familiar yet fantastical. The movie adaptation is to be released in winter 2007.
Read Less
I am currently reading this book (actually series) for the second time and it is still amazing. It is not trying to encorage bad things about god at all (this is a fantasy, this would never happen!!). In my opinion it is good for all ages 5th grade and up.
Ellyb
Dec 21, 2009
Breathtaking in Imagination
I was absolutely captivated by this novel. Philip Pullman is not at all frightened of big ideas, as evidenced by his leap into themes of destiny and theology (to put it in very general terms). Many of the more mind-boggling revelations are saved for the later books in this trilogy; what Pullman does SO WELL in the first book is to reel in the reader with an intricately, precisely built world that is just slightly different from our own. In this world, bad things are being done to children who are disappearing from the streets, and Lyra Belacqua, an orphan raised by the Scholars of Oxford, wants to find out what, and why. Pullman lays the groundwork of this world so effectively that the reader feels it like a physical blow when it is revealed exactly what these bad things are.
I am a longtime reader of the fantasy genre, and I was pleased to find that I was continually surprised by each new turn of events, and I was not able to predict the outcome of the novel. Part of this was because the breathless pace of the book left little time to try to guess where it was taking me, and the other part is simply because Pullman is not so transparent as to give obvious tells.
I highly, enthusiastically recommend this novel. I cannot believe it took me so long to discover this series. It has been a long time since an author tackled such heavy subjects with such power and daring.
Tman8
Oct 13, 2009
Great Read!
This is a great read!
The Golden Compass is a novel i would recommend to children or young adults. Phillip Pullman really captivated my attention with his mythical creatures known a Daemons and with his vivid details on things.
After i read The Golden Compass it instantly became my all time favorite book!
W101
Mar 1, 2009
Wonderful!
The Golden Compass was a great book. Many people have tried to say that it is an atheist book and that Christians should not read it. I disagree. I found that it was a good novel and your religion did not matter when reading this book. Everyone should read it at sometime in their life.
bookgeek
Feb 13, 2009
GREAT BOOK!
Someone might try to describe this book to you by telling you a little about it's plot. It's got some classic archtypes, and it's got a great deal to do with loss of innocence. It's basically about a little girl trying to save her friend. Along the way she meets new friends, including talking polar bears and gypsies. And you might think 'Oh, it's just another children's book.' And you'd be completely wrong.
THE GOLDEN COMPASS (which was released in the UK under the title THE NORTHERN LIGHTS) is typical Pullman-- intelligent writing, complex characters, fascinating world. It's everything a good children's book ought to be. It's a great read no matter how old you are.
Lyra is a really interesting character. At first, she is bratty and almost completely unlikeable. But by the end of the book, I adored her. She is brave, resourceful, clever, and resilient.
This is a book that I find myself reading once or twice a year. It's got a gripping story, dynamic characters, and is superbly written.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes Pullman's other books, a good fantasy story, and to anyone who's looking for something good to read now that Harry Potter has wrapped up.