Review #25: His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

Title: Pullman, Philip. His Dark Materials (OMNIBUS). Knopf. 2007. Paperback $18.74. 933 pages. ISBN 978-0-375-84722-6
Genre: Fantasy/Fiction

Reading Level/Interest Level: 6.2/ Grades 5-8

Awards: Carnegie Medal (Northern Lights/Golden Compass)

Series: Northern Lights

• The Golden Compass
• The Subtle Knife
• The Amber Spyglass

Similar Titles: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle

This title is 3 books in one volume, The Golden Compass (originally printed as Northern Lights in the UK), The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. Printed shortly before the major motion picture, The Golden Compass, the book contains infinitely more content, more beauty, depth and suspense than the movie could ever hope to convey. While it is a “big read”, each book can be read separately, and would make excellent course material for group reading.

While there is Christian symbolism and sentiment involved, it is not so overwhelming as to interfere with the story telling of the parallel English world and the adventures of Lyra Belacqua ,with her quest to find the truth behind Dust, the Gobblers who kidnap local children, the church and her own heritage. In fact,  Pullman forces the reader to examine critically the nature and intentions of the ideology and behavior of the church in question, the Magesterium, who uses terror and fear to experiment and control the world to their own ends. We also see the evils of technology, the risk of losing one’s soul, of choosing right over wrong and of learning how to read and follow our own moral compass, or alethiometer, just as Lyra would.

With the aid of her daemon, or totem, and a  boy from an alternate universe,  young Lyra will not only travel between the worlds, but will discover the answers to the moral, theological, paranormal and scientific questions that people have been asking since the dawn of time. She will meet armored bears,  witches, evil officials, and long lost relatives, ride on fancy zeppelins, serve in great battles,  master astro-physics, visit great castles of ice, suffer great hardships, fight death, love, and suffering….she will live a thousand lifetimes in the span of three novels and will leave you breathless every step of the way.

Like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, it's a right of passage that every child read these books and find which way their compasses lead.