The Golden Compass

Fiction by Philip Pullman
Reviewed by Tricia S.
1 Available - Check it out of the NVHS Library


Lyra Belacqua, the young, high-spirited child who lives at Jordan College soon discovers that there is much more going on in the world than she realizes. Lyra’s uncle has been away exploring the North for most of her childhood. When he arrives back at the college she learns of “Dust”. The only thing that she can gather is that “Dust” has something to do with a different world that is similars to her own but not quite the same. A few days after her uncle leaves for the North a high-class, beautiful woman named Mrs. Coutler comes to the college and insists that Lyra come with her to assist in her day to day tasks. Lyra has an uneasy feeling about the lady and her daemon, a part of a humans soul that lives outside the body, but decides that she will go with Mrs. Coutler. It doesn’t take long before Lrya discovers the connection between Mrs. Coutler and the Gobbler association. Children are being kidnapped by the Gobblers and taken North left and right, Lyra’s mission is to find out what is happening to the children and put a stop to it. With the help of Iorek Byrnison the young girl travels North and finds a horrifying reality.

The Golden Compass is the first of the trilogy, His Dark Materials. Philip Pullman richly fills this book with details from cover to cover. I have always enjoyed Pullman’s work and I knew this read wouldn’t let me down. Sure enough it kept me reading till late into the night.

I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys adventure novels. The reading level is a little bit challenging but it keeps you reading and is not a bore.