Synopsis
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.
An examination of innocence, faith, morality, and sin, THE GOLDEN COMPASS is the first book in the well-respected His Dark Materials trilogy. When she saves her mysterious uncle, Lord Asriel, from an assassination attempt, 11-year-old Lyra Belacqua uncovers a dangerous secret and, ultimately, takes the first steps in a journey that will take her not only to the frozen north, but also to a parallel universe. In short, Lyra is about to discover that she plays a very important part in shaping the destiny of the entire universe. Inspired by John Milton's PARADISE LOST, the His Dark Materials trilogy continues in THE SUBTLE KNIFE and concludes with THE AMBER SPYGLASS.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 1997-05-01 | | Series: | Pullman, Philip, Dark Materials, Books 1. | | Edition Description: | Reprint |
| Size | | Height: | 7.3 in | | Width: | 4.5 in | | Thickness: | 1.0 in | | Weight: | 6.4 oz |
Publisher's Note
"SUPERB . . . WONDER-FILLED."--The Washington Post Book WorldIt was no ordinary life for a young girl: living among scholars in the hallowed halls of Jordan College and tearing unsupervised through Oxfords motley streets on mad quests for adventure. But Lyra's greatest adventure would begin closer to home, the day she heard hushed talk of an extraordinary particle. Microscopic in size, the magical dust--found only in the vast Arctic expanse of the North--was rumored to possess profound properties that could unite whole universes. But there were those who feared the particle and would stop at nothing to destroy it.Catapulted into the heart of a terrible struggle, Lyra was forced to seek aid from witches, gypsies, and formidable armored bears. And as she journeyed into unbelievable danger, she had not the faintest clue that she alone was destined to win, or to lose, this more-than-mortal battle . . ."VERY GRAND INDEED . . . Scene after scene of power and beauty."--The New York Times"A ROUSING, PAGE-TURNING ADVENTURE that promises to please fantasy readers of all ages."--Library Journal (starred review)"POWERFUL . . . SPARKLES WITH CHILDLIKE WONDER."--The Boston Sunday Globe
The brilliant and acclaimed fantasy novel that caused a sensation is back in paperback -- the same month as the paperback debut of its stunning sequel, The Subtle Knife! Young Lyra's uncle, Lord Asriel, returns from the far North with tales of terrible danger and of a child severed from its daemon familiar. Soon, accompanied by her own daemon and aided by gypsies, witch clans, and formidable armored bears, Lyra sets out to save kidnapped children and their familiars from hideous experiments. And greater mystery awaits.... "One of the best fantasy/adventure stories I have read in years". -- Terry Brooks "Superb ... Wonder-filled... Offers moral complexity as well as heart-stopping adventures". -- The Washington Post Book World "Very Grand Indeed ... Scene after scene of power and beauty". -- The New York Times "A Rousing, Page-Turning Adventure that promise to please fantasy readers of all ages". -- Library Journal (starred review)
Industry Reviews
"It's a rich combination of high fantasy, high drama, and intense emotion. Philip Pullman's creation is a world thoroughly realized, completely convincing. Best yet, this volume promises to be the beginning of an ongoing major literary effort. Readers can only wait impatiently."
Publisher's Catalog - Lloyd Alexander
"War, politics, magic, science, individual lives and cosmic destinies are all here. They are not flung together, they are shaped and assembled into a narrative of tremendous pace by a man with a generous, precise intelligence....His prose has texture and flexibility, like excellent fabric. And he gives us so much. Suspense, of course, but such degrees of pleasure, excitement...and grief. And such joy--the joy of thinking, of testing your senses and feelings, of knowing your imagination is entering worlds not dreamed of in the usual philosophies."
New York Times Book Review - Margo Jefferson
"One of life's pleasures is the experience of plodding through the first few pages of a book and then finding oneself sucked in, flipping the pages to discover what happens next. THE GOLDEN COMPASS is long, but is told simply and draws us on, as one crisis blossoms out of another."
New York Times Book Review - Jane Langton (05/19/1996)
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