Name: His Dark Materials
Rating: 4.027440970006381 (1567 reviews)
ISBN: 9780375842382

Philip Pullman

Lyra Belacqua tries to prevent kidnapped children from becoming the subject of gruesome experiments, decides to help Will Parry search for his father, and finds that she and Will are caught in a battle between the forces of the Authority and those gathered by her uncle, Lord Asriel.

The Golden Compass/The Subtle Knife/The Amber Spyglass

His Dark Materials

The Golden Compass

Laura Chin

I've been in mood to re-read all the books that I loved growing up. I recently acquired Philp Pullman's trilogy "His Dark Materials" and since I haven't read them since before the movie came out in 2007, my views have definitely changed.

The Golden Compass has a lot of religious influences. Like a lot. I remember reading this thinking that the Church was playing a role in why people did what they did, but it never became as obvious until The Amber Spyglass. It was just the adventures of Lyra, 12 year old bandit gutter rat who lived at Jordan College. But now that I'm older and understand more, it shows how much more of a driving force they were, as well as all the underlying symbolism.

On the plus side, some things never change. I still cannot pronounce dæmon. I still blasted through the fight scenes at Bolvangar. And I still love this book. It has the capability to stand on its own, but it is so much more complete with the other two books following them up.

http://lemonlaiime.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-golden-compass.html

The trilogy follows the coming of age of two children, Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry, as they wander through a series of parallel universes against a backdrop of epic events. The story involves fantasy elements such as witches and armoured polar bears, but alludes to a broad range of ideas from fields such as physics, philosophy, and theology.

A beautiful and profound work of something that feels almost wrong to call fiction considering the deeply true nature of it. I am so glad I read this when I did.

Moss Brinzer

Accompanied by her daemon, Lyra Belacqua sets out to prevent her best friend and other kidnapped children from becoming the subject of gruesome experiments in the Far North.

Christian

The book is very imaginative, set in various interesting locales, but I was disappointed to find the story completely uncompelling.

Lyra Belacqua tries to prevent kidnapped children from becoming the subject of gruesome experiments, helps Will Parry search for his father, and finds that she and Will are caught in a battle between the forces of the Authority and those gathered by her uncle, Lord Asriel.

I first read this series 15-18 years ago and it had a profound impact on that little big brain. Reading it again many years later, and at a significantly different point in my life, has only expanded upon that. It still stands as one of my absolute favourites and I will read it again at another, later phase.

Erika Stonehouse

Sajiya Chaudhary

I read this book only after watching the trailer of the upcoming series by BBC+HBO. Nonetheless, the book is amazing. Finished it in two days, being a mix of religion+science, it's quite a different and enjoyable read!

Furies of Calderon (Codex Alera #1) was much better written than The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials #1). I’m shocked at how childish the prose is in The Golden Compass. It stylistically very simple straightforward sometimes even bland writing (feels like a well versed high schooler’s writing). I don’t understand why HBO chose it for a series. “Game of Thrones” is to 
“Golden Compass” as “Game of Thrones” is to “How to Train a Dragon 2”

So I’m actually going to do the opposite of what I was suggested and go back to Codex Alera #2 after lightbringer #5 (Brent weeks) and may not return to his dark materials unless y’all enlighten me about book #2 / why HBO thinks this is good for TV lol

Lyra besucht ein ehrwürdiges Internat. Sie ist klug und ungeheuer wissbegierig. Aus der Gegend verschwinden immer wieder Kinder. Werden sie von geheimnisvollen Wesen entführt? - Forts. s. Das magische Messer.

His Dark Materials, Band 1: Der Goldene Kompass

What an amazing book and a rollercoaster to read! I grew up with the movie and I had the book on my TBR list since many years!

The Book has more depth to it, and indeed is so much more darker. It made me very emotional so often for so many different reasons! There was sadness, anger, disbelief, disgust, but also love, laughter, admiring, hoping and joy to be found in this amazing story!

Philip Pullman created a world so similar to ours but yet so different, which is so fascinating! The way he writes about the scenes, places and characters really let the picture of the written word play around your eyes.

There are so many minds in me about this book that I might, must come later again, for a more detailed review. 

But this book is mind-blowing, amazingly good! I am really searching the right words and can just not find them, I am not often speechless, but this Universe definitely did it!

Ann-Sophie

What an amazing book and a rollercoaster to read! I grew up with the movie and I had the book on my TBR list since many years!

The Book has more depth to it, and indeed is so much more darker. It made me very emotional so often for so many different reasons! There was sadness, anger, disbelief, disgust, but also love, laughter, admiring, hoping and joy to be found in this amazing story!

Philip Pullman created a world so similar to ours but yet so different, which is so fascinating! The way he writes about the scenes, places and characters really let the picture of the written word play around your eyes.

There are so many minds in me about this book that I might, must come later again, for a more detailed review. 

But this book is mind-blowing, amazingly good! I am really searching the right words and can just not find them, I am not often speechless, but this Universe definitely did it!




Northern Lights introduces Lyra, an orphan, who lives in a parallel universe in which science, theology and magic are entwined. Lyra's search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children and turns into a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. In The Subtle Knife she is joined on her journey by Will, a boy who possesses a knife that can cut windows between worlds. As Lyra learns the truth about her parents and her prophesied destiny, the two young people are caught up in a war against celestial powers that ranges across many worlds and leads to a thrilling conclusion in The Amber Spyglass. The epic story Pullman tells is not only a spellbinding adventure featuring armoured polar bears, magical devices, witches and daemons, it is also an audacious and profound re-imagining of Milton's Paradise Lost. An utterly entrancing blend of metaphysical speculation and bravura storytelling, HIS DARK MATERIALS is a monumental and enduring achievement.

Deepika Ramesh

And, and, and, I am done. Here is my blog on the book: https://newfracturedlight.wordpress.c...

Maelys

Always such a powerful and thoughtful read... It brings back memories from the first time I read the series, when I was approximately Lyra's age and it moved me so MUCH !

One of the best books I've read all year!

Emma Lechner

Premier volume d'une trilogie. Lyra a vécu les onze années de son existence dans un collège d'Oxford. Elle sent qu'elle a un rôle à jouer dans les projets d'exploration d'autres mondes qu'a entrepris son père, Lord Asriel. Tout d'abord, elle participe à une expédition vers le Grand Nord, pour la libération d'enfants enlevés en vue de terrifiantes expériences. Un roman fantastique, ample et original, mettant en scène une nouvelle Alice qui ne s'aventure pas, cette fois, au pays des merveilles. Pour bons lecteurs. Meilleur livre de l'année par le ##Publishers weekly##, Etats-Unis; prix Guardian de la fiction pour la jeunesse, Grande-Bretagne; Carnegie Medal, Grande-Bretagne. [SDM]

Les royaumes du Nord

This was not my first read of this book, but it is still really good! I love how Lyra is portrayed and I truly love Iorek. You get invested in the characters so fast and the way the world is written, you truly feel like you could be a part of it.

a.girl.a.dog.and.books

erin

A reread for me. 

Enjoyed it as much as I did as a child, if not more.

After watching the show, I really enjoyed reading this book!

Eneko Uruñuela

Zhomart M

First book was interesting. It showed spectacular world and promised good plot. But 2nd and 3rd book destroyed this expectation.

charisa

ok, can't really get over the fact that this is classified as children's literature. lots of controversial ideas and some shockingly unguarded atrocities. intercision as compared to castration??? kinda spicy. while i can't agree with pullman's underlying philosophies (especially in relation to his beliefs about original sin and free will), i can't deny that he is a deft storyteller who captures the innocence and unfettered will of a child so masterfully. also, lots of important emergent questions that i think should be discussed. 

i'm prompted to think about the corruption of churches (especially historical institutions, like the catholic church) and the perils of legalism. if you didn't have the Lord, then yeah, the answer to legalistic churches would certainly seem like the dissolution of organized religion and the adoption of a view that ultimately equates a sinful nature to freedom. but this is a dim view of faith that totally fails to see the beauty of Christ's church amidst brokenness, with grace and sanctification as agents of true, eternal freedom.

Michael Springer

This book was really fun. I'm definitely hooked enough to continue the series (as soon as I get ahold of the second book). Need reasons to read the book? Okay. Gigantic arctic warrior bears. Controversy over the book's religious contents. A protagonist that compulsively makes up hilarious lies. And, the climax of the book takes place at an aurora borealis. If you like adventure books, this is definitely one you ought to read.

Audrey Lord

It was so much better then I thought it would be. It goes so in depth into the story and the life of Lyra, that sometimes you can get lost but it's still so good.

Prashanth Srivatsa

Easy to read, relate and cherish. Maybe too easy. I wonder what prompts a writer to name one of his characters Faa.

His Dark Materials The Golden Compass/The Subtle Knife/The Amber Spyglass

Reviews

Highlights