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The Golden Compass
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Read The Golden Compass
His Dark Materials: Book 1

The Golden Compass (1995) (edit title/settings)

by Philip Pullman (Author) (edit contributors)

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Description edit see section history

Also published as "Northern Lights."

It was no ordinary life for a young girl: living among scholars in the hallowed halls of Jordan College and tearing unsupervised through Oxford's motley streets on mad quests for adventure. But Lyra's greatest adventure would begin closer to home, the... read more

Summary edit see section history

Lyra is living at a college and finds herself taken into the adventure of finding her abducted friend, and discovering what "dust" is about. She becomes the keeper of one of the last golden compasses. Becomes a friend with an aeronaut, a bear and the gypsions. Gets to know her mother and finds... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

Lyra is living at a college and finds herself taken into the adventure of finding her abducted friend, and discovering what "dust" is about. She becomes the keeper of one of the last golden compasses. Becomes a friend with an aeronaut, a bear and the gypsions. Gets to know her mother and finds her father has been closer than she knew even though he has been gone a lot of the time.
Cryptic description but this is just as to not reveal to much of the story. Somewhat of a fantasy story for adults even though the main character is a child. I love her chuspa and dare and bravery. It brought out in me that wonderful feeling of being young and full of courage and wonder.
This is the first book in a series of three.

Characters edit see section history

  • Lyra Belacqua: A determined, willful, and kind girl who lives at Jordan college. She has an amazing destiny to fulfill that takes her beyond anything she could have imagined.
  • Pantalaimon: Lyra's dæmon, can change shape, has a few shapes he favors, like a polecat when he's mad. Pan is male, and loves the ocean. He's much more cautious than Lyra.
  • Roger Parslow: Lyra's best friend while she is living at Jordan College.
  • Mrs. Marisa Coulter: The antagonist
  • Lord Asriel: Lyra's uncle, he explores the Arctic in search of Dust and its purpose.
  • Iorek Byrnison: Exiled armored bear who is befriended by Lyra
  • Lee Scoresby: An Aeronaut that once worked with Iorek Byrnison.
  • Iofur Raknison: King of the Armored Bears who wants to have a daemon, like humans.
  • Serafina Pekkala: A witch queen who was in love with Farder Coram, Lyra's gyptian friend.
  • John Faa: Lord of the Gyptians.
  • Billy Costa: Gyptian boy kidnapped by the Gobblers, his family takes Lyra in.
  • Tony Makarios: Poor child, kidnapped by the Gobblers.
  • Thorold: Lord Asriel's Manservant
Show all 13 characters
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Setting & Locations edit see section history

Organizations edit see section history

  • Gobblers: Gobblers are what the kids call "scary mysterious people." They are often used to tell each other stories of Gobblers taking children to scare one another.

First Sentence edit see section history

Lyra and her dæmon moved through the darkening hall, taking care to keep to one side, out of sight of the kitchen.

Table of Contents edit see section history

Part One: Oxford
1. The Decanter of Tokay
2. The Idea of North
3. Lyra's Jordan
4. The Alethiometer
5. The Cocktail Party
6. The Throwing Nets
7. John Faa
8. Frustration
9. The Spies

Part Two: Bolvanger
10. The Consul and the Bear
11. Armor
12. The Lost Boy
13. Fencing
14. Bolvanger Lights
15. The Dæmon Cages
16. The Silver Guillotine
17. The Witches

Part Three: Svalbard
18. Fog and Ice
19. Captivity
20. Mortal Combat
21. Lord Asriel's Welcome
22. Betrayal
23. The Bridge to the Stars

Glossary edit see section history

  • Daemon: A being mentally tied to a person, rather like their soul. It may act like a conscience. If the daemon gets hurt, the person also gets hurt, and vice versa. The daemons of people cannot go far from their person. However, witches' daemons can distance themselves, and the GOB can separate a human and daemon.
  • Alethiometer: A symbol reader. A person who knows how to read it turns the hands to ask a question, and gets the true answer to anything.
  • Dust: Elementary Particles. The Church is very fearful of it and not much is known about it by most, other than it clings mostly to people whose daemons have taken their true form.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 1 of 4 in His Dark Materials. (standard series)

Followed by The Subtle Knife.

This is book 152 of 195 in Shelfari Most Popular (June 2011). (authoritative list)

Preceded by Angela's Ashes, and followed by Siddhartha.

This is book 30 of 95 in Estrela do Mar. (community list)

Preceded by Os 5 Moklins, and followed by A Wizard of Earthsea.

This is book 3 of 196 in BBC 'Big Read' Top 200 Novels, 2003. (authoritative list)

Preceded by Pride and Prejudice, and followed by The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

This is book 152 of 194 in Shelfari Most Popular (December 2010). (authoritative list)

Preceded by Lolita, and followed by The Handmaid's Tale.

This book is in 100 Fantabulous Book Challenge. (community list)
This is book 8 of 98 in ALA's Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009. (authoritative list)

Preceded by Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and followed by ttyl.

This is book 946 of 986 in 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up. (authoritative list)

Preceded by Als die Welt noch jung war, and followed by When the Snow Fell.

This is book 157 of 195 in Shelfari Most Popular (June 2010). (authoritative list)

Preceded by The Devil Wears Prada, and followed by Love Story.

This is book 67 of 113 in Book Smart Reading List. (community list)

Preceded by Animal Farm, and followed by Frankenstein.

This book is in World Book Night Titles 2011. (authoritative list)
This book is in Guardian 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read. (authoritative list)
This is book 149 of 195 in Shelfari Most Popular (December 2011). (authoritative list)

Preceded by The Red Tent, and followed by Macbeth.

This book is in Random Synapses: 100 Book Challenge (2011). (community list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Philip Pullman (Author)

Other Contributors:

  1. Philip Pullman (Cover Artist)
  2. David Scutt (Cover Artist)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Scholastic Point
Country: United Kingdom
Publication Date: 1995
ISBN: 0-590-66054-3
Page Count: 399

Awards edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PZ7.P968Go 1996
  • Dewey: 823.914

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Young Adults

Not much language, but there are some disturbing parts.

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

Movie Connections edit see section history

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
  • The Subtle Knife
  • The Amber Spyglass
  • Golem 1: Magic Berber
  • A Wild Kind of Magic
  • Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy
  • Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors
  • The Magic Of Oz
  • The Return of True Magic
  • The Third Magic
  • The Scent of Magic
  • Howlers
  • Princess Annie and the Magical Pendant
  • Pure Dead Magic
  • Kingdom Of The Nanosaurs

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history

   
  • Philip Pullman, Master Storyteller: A Guide to the Worlds of His Dark Materials
  • Children's Literature and the Fin de Siecle:
  • Navigating the Golden Compass
  • Science of Phillip Pullman's " His Dark Materials "
  • Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials - The Definitive Guide
  • Shedding Light on His Dark Materials: Exploring Hidden Spiritual Themes in Philip Pullman's Popular Series
  • Science of Phillip Pullman's " His Dark Materials "
  • Discovering the Golden Compass: A Guide to Philip Pullman's Dark Materials
  • Exploring Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials
  • Dark Matter
  • His Dark Materials Illuminated: Critical Essays On Philip Pullman's Trilogy (Landscapes of Childhood)
  • Killing the Imposter God: Philip Pullman's Spiritual Imagination in His Dark Materials
  • The Golden Compass and Philosophy

Books That Influenced This Book edit see section history

   
  • The Shadow in the North

Books Influenced by This Book edit see section history

   
  • Navigating the Golden Compass
  • The Magical Worlds of Philip Pullman
  • The Subtle Knife
  • HereAfter, The Land of Intuit and the Quest for the Book of Destiny

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