Center for Teaching & Learning

The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman takes place in a universe quite different from ours, where witches fly in the sky, and all human souls exist outside of their bodies in the form of shapeshifting animals called dæmons. Once characters become teeneagers, their dæmons take the form of one animal and never change again. Dæmons share their characters’ thoughts and emotions and serve as a friend.

Lyra Belacqua, is a mischievous child. She ignores rules and terrorizes the Jordan College community with pranks and tricks.  Lyra’s dæmon is Pantalaimon, or Pan, for short. One day, while sneaking into the meeting room of the lords and professors of Jordan College, Lyra witnesses something that will change her life forever. The House master pours some poison into her uncle Lord Astral’s wine in order to stop his plan to  her uncle Lord Astral, so that he cannot continue his research on the illusive “dust” that is spotted falling out of the sky in the north.

This book is suspenseful and powerful. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, and I couldn't wait to keep reading. There were unexpected turns and discoveries around each page, which kept the story from feeling slow. The characters in The Golden Compass were relatable, reasonable, and well-placed. Each side character had their own role that helped with the world building that had to be done to make anything make sense. I found myself rooting for Lyra and, later, for her companion, Will. I felt their emotions and understood their thoughts as if they were real people despite the fact that the book was written in third person.

If there's one thing I learned from The Golden Compass and the His Dark Materials trilogy, it's that Pulman is a master world builder. If the series lacked its artfully created universe of memorable places and characters, it would be a confusing mess.

Ben

Knopf Books, 399 pages