The Golden Compass

Citation: Pullman, P (1996). The Golden Compass. New York: Knopf Books. 399 pages.

Grades : 6-12

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure

Themes: Adventure, good vs. evil, loyalty to friends, witches, travel, perserverence

Main Characters: Lyra, Pantalaimon, Lord Asriel, Ma Costa, Charlie, Mrs. Coulter, Lord Faa, Farder Coram, Iorek, Lee Scoresby

Plot Summary:

At first Lyra is found running around the grounds and halls of Oxford University with her friends and her daemon Pantalaimon. But soon enters Ms. Coulter and Lyra's world is turned upside down. Her bestfriend is kidnapped and Lyra herself comes close to being taken away to some unknown place in the North. She escapes and is rescued by her friends the gypsies. The gypsies are gathering together to try to save their kidnapped children and Lyra joins them armed with her magical tool the Golden Compass, to save her friend. Along the way she meets a multitude of helpful and curious people and creatures.

Writing Style:

The Golden Compass is written from the third person point of view. The story is told from the outside looking in on Lyra and her friends. The language is very descriptive bringing the world Lyra lives in to life for the reader.

Assessment of quality and utility:

The story of Lyra is a decent one. It is fast paced and it features a strong female leading character. As stated above the writing is very descriptive and makes the world of Lyra come alive. The concept of Daemons is very abstract however and it is hard for the reader to fully grasp what one is. This book has strong objections to religious institutions as well which depending on one's beliefs could make this book very offensive to read.

The Golden Compass is the first book in a trilogy and the ending definitely leaves the reader wanting more, wondering what the future holds for Lyra.

This book would be great for a book discussion group to use. There is a lot of discussion fodder in this book including a discussion on daemons and dust. The betrayal of Lord Asriel and his relationship with Ms. Coulter. One could compare the leading character Lyra with other leading female characters in other books. The list of discussion topics is extensive.