Philip Pullman and Wtw Repertory - The Golden Compass: Oxford

Pros: Strong heroine in an imaginative role--great first part of a trilogy
Cons: Some extreme and scary situations--more for older kids than pups

I don't think of myself as a fantasy novel reading kinda guy. Never did the Dungeons and Dragons, or the Sword of Shannara series, or any of the others that would traditionally pigeonhole me in that category of nerddom distinct from my usual niche as a...

Pros: Fascinating plot, intriguing language and concepts
Cons: Gruesome, violent, requires more much more thought than the average afternoon read

Thank you, controversy, for drawing our attention back to the bookshelf. I am not much of a fantasy reader. I did like the Chronicles of Narnia as an elementary schooler, but I've dreaded trying anything like Lord of the Rings or ...

Pros: The first good steampunk novel.
Cons: A book about children and destiny, two of my least favorite subjects.

Plot details: This review reveals minor plot details that occur early in the book. I don't know if other people do what I do when they're loading up their reading queue. For that matter, I don't know if other people have a reading queue. I do. ...

Pros: Intensely imagined, mostly beautifully written, thrilling story of the double self, Lyra and Pantalaimon.
Cons: Some of the plot, while perhaps plausible to children, is unconvincing to adults.

A pivotal point in the development of consciousness was the recognition of the concept of self-reference. The discovery was celebrated by the Greeks in the word play of paradox: 'I am a Cretan. All Cretans are liars' is the paradigmatic form that has ...

Pros: Characters and places you'll never forget. Excitement, intrigue, mystery, metaphysics, and beautiful writing.
Cons: Dahl's Matilda would complain: "There's not a whole lot of humor here."

If you think that high metaphysical fantasy reached a never-topable pinnacle with The Lord of the Rings, or if you believe that Alice is the most memorable child of children's literature, you've quite obviously never read Philip Pullman's...

Pros: strong plot, amazingly detailed fantasy world
Cons: brutal and sometimes scary

I don't know if it's true or merely urban legend that when amputees lose a limb they can sometimes feel it itch.

In The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman has given me a phantom limb that's itching like crazy. Daemons. All humans in...

Pros: A young female hero in a classic fantasy tale.
Cons: The book is too short; some scenes are too intense for younger readers.

Trust me for a moment.

Please beg, borrow, or purchase a copy of The Golden Compass. It's out in paperback, list price ten dollars; I got my copy for seven dollars through a reseller..

When you get hands on it, please don't read it...

Pros: Intelligent, innovative, wonderfully told, intriguing characters.
Cons: A little slow to start, rather dark in places.

# This book is known as either Northern Lights or The Golden Compass, depending on region - my UK edition was the former # I'm a bit late getting to this one, it seems ~ although I could hardly have been unaware of the hype built up the His ...

Pros: Interesting world, good story, great characters, flawless writing
Cons: None

Like I’ve mentioned in my Artemis Fowl review, I was curious if I could find a new, modern book for children which I’d like as much as I liked Harry Potter books. Well, I’ve found it, and it’s called Golden Compass....

Pros: A fantastic journey
Cons: May not be suitable for young children

Note: There appears to be two separate listings for this book. I suppose the other cover is from the paperback version. I’m placing my review with this one, as the cover is the same as the one I read.

I hadn’t read a work of fiction in a few...

Pros: Wonderful imagination & creativity
Cons: It's a trilogy...now I have to find the other two!

"The Golden Compass" is the first book I have ever read by Philip Pullman. I was intrigued after reading an epinion by jrk about it. Now I’m hooked and ready to find the second book of this trilogy so that I can accompany our hero, Lyra...

Pros: Beautifully written story, vivid imagery.
Cons: A few jolts, and got to love the controversy.

I’ll be honest, I’d never heard of The Golden Compass until I saw a commercial for the soon to released movie a few months ago. The beautiful scenery stirred something in me, but I had no clue what the story was about. And then my daughter ...

Pros: Beautifully complex and richly imagined
Cons: Violent, anti-religious (if you're easily offended, steer clear)

I first became interested in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy after seeing the film based on it. I found the screenplay to be disjointed and lacking, so I decided to read the original novel in order to have a better idea of important missing ...

Pros: -Imaginative setting, colorful and believable characters -Thought provoking and engaging
Cons: -Too much going on, no time to explore details -Weak climax and denouement

I read Pullman's Trilogy, "His Dark Materials", as a single epic and found it impossible to review it as three separate works of fiction; And so, I find it most appropriate to write a comprehensive and introductory review of the entire story under the ...

Pros: Mysterious storyline and enriching characters.
Cons: Nothing really at all

My sister, who almost never has the same book interest as me, gave The Golden Compass to me and for once she picked an excellent book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I’m a really huge fan of science fiction and fantasy stories and she isn’t in the...