Publisher: Del Ray (1997)
399 p.
Reading Level: Grades 7-12.
The Golden Compass is the first of a trilogy in which Lyra embarks on an adventure in which she will battle evil itself. In this installment, the readers meet Lyra who is an 11-year-old girl, an orphan growing up in Oxford, England, at Jordan College. The world Lyra lives in is very close to the world the readers live in with the exception of a daemon, a familiar that is ever-entwined with its owner, almost like a portion of a soul. Lyra and her friend Roger have a relatively cheerful childhood until she stops her uncle from being killed, hides and listens in on a discussion about “Dust”, and then Roger disappears. She then meets the intoxicating Mrs. Coulter and discovers the dark roads Mrs. Coulter travels on as well as what she might have in store for both herself and others. The Church’s mission of experimentation of severing a child from their daemon renders Lyra horrified, and she escapes and ends up with the Gyptians. Lyra bands together with the Gyptians, who have had many of their children kidnapped for these dark experiments, in order to try to rescue the children as well as her friend Roger. Their journey, proving somewhat successful, leaves Lyra to face an unimaginable horror at the hands of a man who loves her.
Critical Evaluation:
One of the major themes of this book is how the freedom to think for oneself should be expressed to everyone and by everyone. The Church in the book keeps a tight rein on what they want broadcast to the world, and they would rather be the voice of all and make sure to crush dissidents as they appear. The Catholic League and many other religious sects have criticized Pullman. It’s interesting to note that Pullman’s atheism seems to be at the forefront of their minds. The charge is that he is trying to poison the minds of children and bring them over to “the dark side.” I read the Narnia stories as a child, however, and my atheism is intact. I did not feel the pull of Christianity one bit. Another conflict in this book is that Pullman plays with the reader’s expectations of what is good and evil. Here witches, who are usually portrayed as evil, end up helping Lyra and the Gyptians. Also, Gyptians, who can be likened to the gypsies and nomads of today, are the heroes in this book instead of being shunned on the outskirts of society. At first glance, the book may be a bit dense for children, but after enjoying both the story and its themes, the children of today are more than ready to handle such a tale as this.
Reader’s Annotation:
Come along on a journey with Lyra, a brave 11-year-old who must sacrifice all to save her best friend, Roger. Enter a land much like our own, but one that is overrun with daemons, Dust, and the deadly General Oblation Board.
Author Biography:
Philip Pullman was born in Norwich on 19th October 1946. He went to school in Exeter College, Oxford. After doing many different jobs, he moved back to Oxford to become a teacher. His first published novel was for adults, but he began writing for children when he was a teacher. Some of his novels were based on plays he wrote for his school pupils, such as The Ruby in the Smoke. (Retrieved from http://www.teenreads.com/authors/au-pullman-philip.asp).
His novels are usually placed in the genre of fantasy. “Pullman has described his William Blake-inspired epic tale of innocence and experience as one of ‘stark reality.’ The books in the trilogy are Northern Lights (1995, also called The Golden Compass), The Subtle Knife (1997) and The Amber Spyglass (2000).” (Retrieved from http://www.answers.com/topic/philip-pullman).
Genre: Fantasy.
Curriculum Ties:
In an English class, this book could lead a discussion about religion,
good versus evil, and how heroes are made from everyday people.
Booktalking Ideas:
-Write a new conclusion. Discuss why a different ending would be better or worse.
- The author tells us this novel takes place "in a universe like ours,
but different in many ways." How do you think Lyra's universe relates to ours?
Read-Alikes:
-The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander.
-The Left Hand of Darkness and The Earthsea Tetralogy by Ursula K. Le Guin
-The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Challenge Issue:
There has been major controversy in America, more so than in England, about the view of the religious majority in this book. Many liken “the magisterium” to the Catholic Church and do not like the unflattering portrayal. Learning to stand up for what is right and following your heart should never be messages that are banned, even if some religious group objects. If religious people in American society want to ban material that does not follow their mode of thinking, they may want to read the book first and think about the themes themselves. After all, one would be hard pressed to find an atheist trying to ban the Narnia trilogy.
Reason to include in blog:
At first glance, this book seemed just another fun read. Under the surface, thought, I saw that it could teach a child how to think for itself. Although this is set in another age, in today’s era children are bombarded by so many bytes of information that it is of the utmost importance to learn to think for oneself. The themes that are brought up could be used by parents to explain religion and belief and thinking for oneself.
References:
Author Profile. (2003). In Teen Reads. Retrieved from
http://www.teenreads.com/authors/au-pullman-philip.asp
Philip Pullman. (n.d.). In Answers.com. Retrieved from
http://www.answers.com/topic/philip-pullman
Pullman, P. (1996). The golden compass. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Phillip Pullman: His Dark Materials. (2008). In RandomHouse.
Retrieved from http://www.randomhouse.com/features/pullman/books/gc_rguide.html
No comments:
Post a Comment