Reviews

I really enjoyed this book. I was expecting a simple read of a classic but actually found myself very invested.

For a kids book this is DARK, like very messed up. But I like a lot of kids are drawn to horror and darkness (I certainly was) so I can see a lot of children really loving this. Additionally, despite this book being for kids it doesn’t treat the audience like they are stupid, lots of complicated words and science stuff mentioned, enough that an uninterested kid could brush it off but interesting for those who want to pay attention.

I like a lot of the characters, the villains I think are written especially well. Their ability to manipulate children leaves me feeling slimy but it’s realistic. At the same time I really liked Lyra and the group of adults that come to help her, particularly all the Gyptians like John Faa and Farder Coram.

The full cast performance was great. Normally I find ‘kid voices’ are done poorly but I didn’t find anything especially questionable. It helps add a bit more drama and distinction between each character.

halthemonarch's review against another edition

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5.0

This book checked almost all of my boxes. Pullman is a lyricist, and every scene is thrilling and action packed. I can picture the whole thing unfolding so smoothly. I love fantasy novels and I especially love fantasy novels where the author is mindful at every moment toward the climax and the tones in their book. We know quite early what is going to happen because Destiny is involved, but we’re on an adventure from point A to point B.

Bear with me on the spellings of these names, I listened to the audiobook on Libby.

Every leg of Lyra’s journey was interesting to me; I fell in love with the side characters as she did. I wish I read this earlier in life like a few of my friends had, so that I would have the same nostalgic feelings while imagining a world of daemons and humans. Not only was the premise interesting, the plot never rested in exposition for longer than was appropriate. The protagonist, Lyra, only knew of Jordan College before her adventure, so we as readers see this alternate universe through her fresh eyes. I have a feeling Lyra’s going to interact with our world somehow and it’ll be interesting to see both sides of that as well.

I’m not sure if I was entirely here for the way Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter were perceived by Lyra— Asriel the roguish hero and Coulter the unrelenting monster— but I mean, by the end of the book I realize that those feelings of misgivings were very much intentional. I felt disturbed when Asriel and Coulter were in scenes or talked about, and it turned out that (Spoiler) neither of them are trustworthy. Fardar and Seraphina and Yorik and even Ma Costa left distinct and different impressions on me. The audiobook was a theatrical reading and so memorable. Can’t wait to get my hands on book 2!

markproxy's review against another edition

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4.0

I can't wait to read the next book in the series! I zoomed through The Golden Compass, drawn along by the fast-paced plot and engaging ideas, my fondness for the protagonist's daring, and a sense of connection with the many animals in the story. I zoomed along so fast, I felt like the story rarely touched ground; and I came away feeling like this was more a book of ideas and images than of characters and their experiences. For me, this ethereal, cerebral, detached quality kept me from falling completely in love with the book... but just barely.

Why detached, when there were so many evocative elements to the book? I've been trying to put my finger on that. The predestined feel of many events detracted from the story's intensity somewhat; many of the characters were never really given enough space in the story to come to life (plot & theme trumped character); and a bit too much of the really important stuff came out in the form of expository dialog.

I feel bad dwelling on the weaker parts of this shimmering novel. I enjoyed it very much and recommend it highly, so long as you can stomach animal suffering and a dose of the tragic.

olympia98's review against another edition

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medium-paced

3.0

Niente di che... abbastanza caotico e non mi ha mai preso

leahbelle's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

herroyalmotherness's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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