The Golden Compass aka Northern Lights

Prior to ever hearing about His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman I saw a preview for a movie called The Golden Compass. The movie had some great actors, and looked really cool (it better after spending 180 million dollars.) Almost a month after I had seen the preview for the movie, I saw something on CNN about The Golden Compass controversy.

I do not remember the specifics of who all was on the show, but it was here that I learned Philip Pullman was an atheist. Some were arguing that not only was he an atheist, but that he was trying to corrupt the minds of our youth. It was also during this show that I learned that The Golden Compass was actually the first book in a trilogy called His Dark Materials (the other two books are The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.) A quick Amazon search gave a mixed bag of reviews for his books. Some were praising them as great literature, others were railing against them. Several reviewers sounded as if they had not even read the books.

Of course all this controversy sparked my interest and I picked up Book I, which I just recently finished. Before I share what I thought of the book, I should inform you that I am extremely ignorant in many different areas. For example, I know little to nothing about how books are categorized. His Dark Materials are considered children's books. I do not know who or how this classification is made. Nor do I know much about Philip Pullman. I know that he is an atheist, and that he has said some strange things but little beyond that.

With my ignorance out of the way - what did I think of the book? It was really quite good. Pullman does an excellent job of creating a different world. The characters are interesting, and their daemons only add to their depth. Pullman pulled me in really well, and I found myself looking forward to the next chapter time and time again. What adventures would Lyra (the main character) fall into next. The entire time I was reading I never saw sinister intentions. It was a well crafted fantasy story with plot lines that evoked critical thought. The first book is definitely worth a read. That said I am an adult and this is a children's book. Would I let one of my children read it? Probably.

I honestly do not know if Philip Pullman has some insidious intention with His Dark Materials. First I need to read the second two books. But even beyond that, I would have to spend time studying Pullman to make any educated guess on his intentions. Maybe I am naive or blind, but it seems much more likely that Pullman's beliefs simply show up from time to time in his work. He is not trying to promote them, they are simply his reality. To completely separate one's work from their own reality seems an impossible task to me.

Bottom line? If you like fantasy, you will like The Golden Compass.