The Golden Compass

Author: Philip Pullman
Publishing Info: Yearling, 2001
Suggested Reading Level: 13+ years

Synopsis:
Lyra Belacqua, a precocious 11-year old orphan, and her daemon (an outward manifestation of her soul in animal form), spy on her uncle, Lord Asriel, and other scholars at Jordan College. They hear about happenings in the North which include a city from another world being seen through the Northern Lights and pictures revealing Dust, a golden substance falling from the sky and collecting on adults through their daemons. Though Lyra doesn't fully understand all that the scholars discuss she gathers that the topics of discussion are sensitive, secret, and thought dangerous by the Magisterium, the ruling theocracy of Lyra's world. From this meeting Lord Asriel receives funding to conduct research in the North on Dust and the world seen in the lights.

Then children in Oxford begin disappearing and it is rumored that the Gobblers are kidnapping and taking them North. When Lyra's best friend, Roger, disappears Lyra vows she will find him. But another visitor to Jordan College, the clever and beautiful Mrs. Coulter, distracts Lyra from taking immediate action. Mrs. Coulter entrances Lyra and convinces her to be her assistant for some research in the North. The Master of Jordan College is worried about Lyra's going and has a secret meeting with her before their departure. He gives her a round, golden object called an alethiometer. He tells her it is a truth reader, he doesn't know how to use it, and she should keep it secret from Mrs. Coulter at all costs. After many months in London Lyra begins to distrust Mrs. Coulter and worries they will never go North. She soon learns that Mrs. Coulter is part of the Gobblers who are working under the direction of the Magisterium. She also learns that the Magisterium has paid the armored bears of the North to keep Lord Asriel prisoner so he can't conduct his research.

Lyra runs away and meets up with Gyptians who are heading North to rescue the children taken from them. They take Lyra under their wing and give her insight into how to use the alethiometer. With practice she finds that she can ask questions to the instrument and understand its answers without the help of the many books that men in the past have needed in order to read it. Lyra also finds out from the Gyptians that Lord Asriel is actually her father and Mrs. Coulter is her mother. The Gyptians enlist the help of Lee Scoresby, an American with a hot air balloon. They also enlist Iorek Byrnison, a powerful armored bear who is the rightful king of the armored bears but was cast out by a usurper of his throne. They also recruit witches who when they see Lyra reading the alethiometer believe she is the child of a prophecy which says she will make a fateful betrayal and is “destined to bring about the end of destiny.”

As the group travels toward Balvanger, the facility where the children are being held, Lyra discovers a boy who escaped from Balvanger and he has no daemon. The group finally knows what the Gobblers are doing with the children they kidnap - they cut away their daemons, their souls, and eave them like a zombie. They wonder why such a horrifying act would be done. When the group is attacked Lyra is kidnapped and sold to Balvanger. She finds Roger there and tells all the children to be prepared to escape when help comes. The Gyptians as well as Mrs. Coulter arrive, a fight ensues, Gyptians are victorious. The children at Balvanger are rescued.

Lyra, Roger, Iorek Byrnison, Lee Scoresby, and the witches go to the kingdom of the armored bears, to rescue Lord Asriel. A storm causes the balloon to crash and the party gets separated. Lyra is captured by bears and taken to their king, a bear who wants to be human and therefore desperately wants a daemon. Lyra tricks him by telling him she is Iorek Byrnison's daemon and if he fights Iorek in hand to hand combat and beats him she can become his daemon. Iorek arrives, they fight, Iorek is victorious and reclaims his throne. Lee Scoresby and Roger arrive as well and they all go to the fortress where Lord Asriel has been kept. Lyra tells Lord Asriel of their journey and he explains why the Magisterium has been cutting away kids’ daemons – they believe Dust is Original Sin. Since Dust only settles on adults through their daemons, if they cut daemons away on kids before Dust starts settling then they can do away with sin. He also tells her he has been working to create a bridge from their world into the world in the Northern Lights, but he needs a large output of energy in order to make it work. That night Lyra discovers Roger and Asriel are gone. She follows their path and finds Asriel ready to cut away Roger’s daemon. Before she can stop him it is done and Asriel harnesses the energy it releases, the world shakes, and a window to another world opens. Asriel goes through it. Lyra comes out of hiding holds Roger, vows for revenge, and follows Asriel through the window.


Analysis:
This book has been the subject of controversy as some believe it to be anti-Christ and anti-religious material. While I can't say what the next two books in the series are like, I did not find this one to be worthy of its criticism. There is definite negative connotation to the Magisterium which is the governing body of the Church, but it's negative because of the abuse of their power. Many other media sources also show people of religious power as the enemy.

While this is a children's book the philosophical context of it will be better understood by those 13 and older. The fight scenes would also be more appropriate for older readers.

This is a complex story with a lot of discussion material in the book about what makes someone good and evil. Is it their intentions? Their actions? Their thoughts? Also what is a soul? Where is it? What is science? What is religion? Are they connected? Discussions of alternate realities - what would be if a different decision had been made? You could also discuss love by comparing the ways the different people in Lyra's life treat her. Compare her parents, the Gyptians, Iorek Byrnison, the Master of Jodan College, and her friends.

Also a very enjoyable book to listen to as the audio recording is narrated by the author and their are different voices for each of the characters.

Submitted by: Nicole Nelson