Saturday, January 12, 2008

On... The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

My interest in this book started around the time that publicity for the recent movie began. I have heard of Pullman before and the "His Dark Materials" series before but never got around to reading them.

Originally I put this book on my Fall Reading list because I wanted to read it before I saw the movie. I don't know if I will go see the movie in theatres or wait until it comes out on video but that's beside the point.

Just this past week was I able to obtain the book from the library so the book became part of my Winter Reading Challenge list.

I found myself very intrigued by the book. I have always held a soft spot in my imagination for fantasy, for the idea of another world. Pullman does a very good job bringing the reader into this world of his... part real world, every day life kind of things and part fantasy, things that stretch the imagination. Thankfully Pullman does not bother to explain every part of this world to the reader. Only at the end of the book does the reader have a grasp on the ins and outs of this world but that grasp is very tenuous at best.

I kept bracing myself throughout the book to see all of the anti-Christian elements I've heard so much about but it wasn't until the very end of the book... literally the last ten pages or so... that Pullman literally throws all of these ideas at the reader, including a very twisted translation/version of Genesis 2.

Overall I am very intrigued by the book, by the author and his writing style. I wish there were some clearly good character besides Lyra, that this little girl could rely on because to be honest her parents seem very weird. :D I believe that I will read the rest of the series but these books are not for those who do not read with discernment.

1 comment:

Alix said...

I loved the Golden Compass (or Northern Lights as it's called in the Uk) but I think the Subtle Knife is even better. Hope you enjoy it too.