The modern fantasy classic that Entertainment Weekly named an “All-Time Greatest Novel” and Newsweek hailed as a “Top 100 Book of All Time.” Philip Pullman takes readers to a world where humans have animal familiars and where parallel universes are within reach.Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they … take the children they steal–including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world.
Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want.
But what Lyra doesn’t know is that to help on of them will be to betray the other…
A masterwork of storytelling and suspense, Philip Pullman’s award-winning The Golden Compass is the first in the His Dark Materials series, which contintues with The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass.
** Includes an exciting preview of THE BOOK OF DUST, the long-awaited new book from Philip Pullman set in the world of His Dark Materials! **
A #1 New York Times Bestseller
Winner of the Guardian Prize for Children’s Fiction
Published in 40 Countries
“Arguably the best juvenile fantasy novel of the past twenty years.” —The Washington Post
“Very grand indeed.” —The New York Times
“Pullman is quite possibly a genius.” –Newsweek
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One of my favorite steampunk fantasies for all audiences.
One of the best fantasy trilogies of all time. Pullman swept me up from the beginning and carried me through all three books as if in a dream. Already a classic on the first day it was published.
Huge themes wrapped in imaginative world building.
Philip Pullman is a genius. He combines combines science, history, and fantasy in one big bubbling stew of a spectacular and all around winning book
fun read
First book was amazing!! But the other two that followed were a downward spiral of disappointment…
Philip Pullman is one of my favorite authors. The way that he describes Oxford–well, that is the Oxford that I know. I find myself wandering around, looking up at the rooftops, wondering which roofs Lyra would run across when she was up to her mischief. His world-building is unparalleled. This is the first novel from the “His Dark Materials” …
This is one of my favorite books—the entire series is amazing. Do not judge this book by the fanatical ravings of people who tell you it’s “anti-Christian” or some similar nonsense OR by the awful movie that was made.
The characters are compelling, the world is well developed.
This is a story of a young orphan named Lyra who lives with her uncle. In this world, people’s souls are on the outside of their bodies and take the shape of an animal. They are called Daemons. Children’s Daemons change until they get old enough and then the animal takes one permanent shape (usually to reflect their personality). Lyra meets a …
I enjoyed the premise and theme of the book. Pullman created well thought out and memorable characters. It was a little too technical for me in regard to the depths of fantasy, i.e. I had to go back and look up the meaning of some of the made up words in the book to stay focused on what was actually happening. But great imagery. I’m not sure if I …
This book will have you laughing and crying with the characters
Food for thought! Certainly one of the most original and political novels I’ve ever read.
I would say that I enjoyed reading this book with my children (10&12) because it was adventurous. However, we really had a hard time with some of the content and undercurrents. We will not read any more of the books in this series even though this was well written.
have to say that this was a wonder series…even at my age. even where I work, a graduate school, this series was in many students hands…There were many discussions during breaks…
Although written for young people, this book is a delight for any reader who enjoys a bit of fantasy.
Super gross, not appropriate for children or anyone not into child pornography.
How is this book considered good?
The world building? Ok.
But that’s it.
The story is creepy, the writing is just meh. And the implications are soul sickening.
I highly DO NOT recommend.
And please, let’s crowd out this yicky nonsense with the 3 trillion YA books that …
Would give it 0 starts if I could. The writing is good but the book is dark and evil.
Enjoyed this book from cover to cover.
Always a classic story. I absolutely loved the characters.
My absolute favorite book!