In this section the hero basically lives in a normalordinary world as everyone else. The golden compass is one of those books that doesnt fit into any one genre. The golden compass published as the northern lights in the uk is the first volume of pullmans his dark materials trilogy. Phillip pullman really captivated my attention with his mythical creatures known a daemons and with his vivid details on things. His entire current plot, from his examining grummans head in the jordan college crypt to working with allies in presentday london to uncover something, is a departure from the golden compass. The conflict in the golden compass is simple, it is a battle between good and evil, with the fate of the. I would even go as far as saying that the film is the most accurate book toscreen adaptation ive ever seen. Why was the golden compass book banned philip pullmans. We feel cold, but we dont mind it, because we will not come to harm.
Set in a parallel universe, it features the journey of lyra belacqua to the arctic in search of her missing friend, roger parslow, and her imprisoned uncle, lord asriel, who has been conducting experiments with a mysterious substance known as dust. Coulter is all charm and grace, her daemon, a nasty little golden monkey, reveals that there is something sinister about her. Lurking in the wardrobe, she hears her uncle, an iconoclastic explorer named lord asriel, documenting the findings about a mysterious substance called dust to a group of scholars. Generally speaking, if you write a book in which the church is made up of crazed fanatics, even if its in an alternative world youre going to find yourself at the receiving end of a bit of anger. Sure, its a book written for young adults that features comingofage themes, but it also tackles really big questions about religion, power, and authority. This book takes place in a universe where daemons are real. I love magical realism and there are plenty of fairytale elements in the golden compass. His dark materials is a fantasy series by philip pullman, consisting of a trilogy of novels and three companion books.
The second volume is set partly in the world we know. Jun 04, 2012 the golden compass doesnt do so, continuing the unfortunate trend. Print word pdf take our free the golden compass quiz below, with 25 multiple choice questions that help you. The only thing missing is richly imagined characters, a comprehensible story line, good acting, and. The best study guide to the golden compass on the planet, from the creators of sparknotes. Philip pullman has said, miltons angels are not seriously meant to be believed beings with wings and halos and white robes. Knopf published the first us edition april 1996, entitled the golden compass. How different is the plot of golden compass book and movie. At least, the very beginning of this historical novel reads as such. Lyra, a young girl who lives within jordan, a fictitious oxford college otherwise full of. Northern lights titled the golden compass in north america and some other countries is a youngadult fantasy novel by philip pullman, published in 1995 by scholastic uk. Golden compass author on the nature and meaning of dust.
The golden compass is a great book in which a girl named lyra, who has lived at jordan college in oxford most of her life, goes to live with her mother, who she doesnt know is her mother, not to mention she isnt supposed to be with her. She runs away after she finds out this nice lady is really a gobbler. A conversation between the golden compass author philip pullman and donna freitas author of killing the imposter god on the meaning and nature of dust in the his dark materials trilogy. It quickly becomes clear that lyras oxford is not precisely like our own nor is her world. It takes place in a parallel universe where lyra belacqua is searching the arctic for a friend, roger parslow, who has gone missing. Under that title it has been adapted as a 2007 feature film by hollywood and as a companion video game. The golden compass is one of those lyrical suspensions like alice in wonderland and the lord of the rings that crosses all age lines and intertwines mythologies and legends with seamless beauty. His dark materials book one the golden compass philip pullman a knopf papeperback alfred a. His dark materials book series his dark materials fandom.
The series is marketed as young adult fiction and has the corresponding young heroine and lack of sexual content, but it has a sophistication and dark edge thats uncommon in the genre. Meet our protagonist, lyra, and her daemon pantalaimon the shapeshifting animal that is her soul, or pan for short. If pullmans imagination dazzled in the victorian thrillers that culminated with the tin princess, in this first volume of a fantasy trilogy it is nothing short of breathtaking. Lyra belacqua, a young girl who has been given shelter by the scholars at jordan college at oxford university, and her daemon, pantalaimon, hide in. The golden compass, the subtle knife, and the amber spyglass are available together in a collectible his dark materials boxed set perfect for any fan or newcomer to this modern fantasy classic series that has graced the new york times, wall street journal, san francisco chronicle, book sense, and publishers weekly bestseller lists. Its fun and has a lot of wellimagined characters and adventures and is well written. Start studying the golden compass plot, setting, and conflict. The his dark materials trilogy is getting its longoverdue.
The first volume is set in a world like ours, but different in many ways. You know that the title of the book is the golden compass, but lets not forget that its also the first book in the series called his dark materials the golden compass. The fantasy adventure film, the golden compass, elicited indignant protest and calls for a worldwide boycott from the catholic league for religious and civil rights. The book is of course more detailed, but the movie still gets its point across very well. The golden compass is the first book of the dust series by philip pullman. The golden compass in this book, readers meet for the first time 11yearold lyra belacqua, a precocious orphan growing up within the precincts of jordan college in oxford, england. Paul, a 40 somethings who is coming to grips with his age, job and marriage, decides he has to change his entire life. This study guide consists of approximately 67 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the golden compass. Dont get me wrong, the movie is good, some might even say great but the book is just so much beyond the movie. First published in 1995, the novel won the carnegie medal, and other prizes and awards, for childrens fiction in the uk in 1995. An interactive data visualization of the golden compass s plot and themes. It follows the coming of age of two children, lyra belacqua and will parry, as they wander through a series of parallel universes. The golden compass begins when lyra clambers into a wardrobe to avoid detection.
The golden compass is a blatant attempt to duplicate the success of the harry potter franchise. Dust represents what the church calls original sin. In the parallel universe where the golden compass takes place, every person has a daemon, and the daemons of children are constantly shifting shape, from one animal to. This series is aimed at children and i think, as is often the case now, read mostly by adults. After i read the golden compass it instantly became my all time favorite book.
I read and enjoyed the golden compass after watching the television series, wondering how faithfully the series followed the book. This detailed literature summary also contains related titles and a free quiz on the golden compass by philip pullman. The golden compass is an exciting fantasy adventure, set in an alternative world where peoples souls manifest themselves as animals, talking bears fight wars, and gyptians and witches based on author philip pullmans bestselling and awardwinning novel, the golden compass tells the first story in pullmans his dark materials trilogy. This summary of the golden compass includes a complete plot overview spoilers included. This hero also posses some type of ability or characteristic that makes them feel out of place. Describe the setting5 main characters and their descriptions. I then turned to the subtle knife, hoping to find it as enthralling as the first, only to be disappointed.
Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. This book reminded me so much of the golden compass. Dec 24, 2008 the creators of the movie the golden compass actually did a very good job of sticking to the book. The golden compass the novel begins in an alternate world that is similar to earth. Philip pullmans young adult fantasy novel the golden compass was originally published in the united kingdom in 1995 under the title northern lights. Jan 07, 2008 i wanted to see the golden compass ever since i saw the very first trailer and i finally got around to watch it yesterday. The golden compass by philip pullman, read by philip pullman, full cast by prh audio from desktop or your mobile device. In the golden compass, readers meet for the first time 11yearold lyra belacqua, a precocious orphan growing up within the precincts of jordan college in oxford, england. Lyra belacqua, a young girl who has been given shelter by the scholars at jordan college at oxford university, and her daemon, pantalaimon, hide in an offlimits wardrobe in the headmasters rooms.
The the golden compass community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. The font used for the movie title on the poster is probably mason serif regular. A summary of the golden compass in philip pullmans his dark materials. Before hbos his dark materials show, we revisit the infamous banning of philip pullmans golden compass books. Northern lights introduces lyra, an orphan, who lives in a parallel universe in which science, theology and magic are entwined. Film is a column comparing books to the film adaptations they spawn, often discussing them on a plot pointby plot point basis.
Though the golden compass kept most of the book s plot intact with the aforementioned reductions and dialdowns, it made one big change to the ending. They live at oxford universitys jordan college, among scholars and other brainytypes. Designed by jonathan barnbrook in 1992, mason is a typeface available in both sans and serif styles. Northern lights, published as the golden compass in northern america and certain other countries, is the first novel in the his dark materials fantasy trilogy by the british writer philip pullman. I had already read the book in december 2007 and have now realized that that was a bad idea. A new 180 million dollar movie based on the first book of philip pullmans best selling trilogy, his dark materials, has sparked furious controversy in the christian world. The story begins in jordan college, oxford, where lyra is an average elevenyearold girl who enjoys playing with her friend, roger. The golden compass is the first book in the trilogy his dark materials, which gets its name from a passage in john miltons paradise lost, quoted at the beginning of the novel. Coulter to london and temporarily forgets all about roger. I remember stalking bookstores and looking for the sequels to come out a time before amazon and goodreads. Nailbiting, violent fantasy has elements of mystery.
Were considering expanding this synopsis into a fulllength study guide to deepen your comprehension of the book and why its important. The golden compass is a 2007 fantasy adventure film based on northern lights, the first novel in philip pullmans trilogy his dark materials. Northern lights known as the golden compass in north america and some other countries is the first book of his dark materials trilogy. The main character, lyra, and her daemon, pantalaimon pan save the life of her uncle, lord asriel. Coulter and the jordans vicechancellor secretly gives her a magic golden compass capable of revealing the truth. Written and directed by chris weitz, it stars nicole kidman, dakota blue richards, daniel craig, sam elliott, eva green, and ian mckellen. The golden compass the golden compass by philip pullman, both a book and recently released movie, has gotten a lot of attention in the last couple of months. The golden compass is a novel i would recommend to children or young adults. In an interview with npr, pullman noted that the first installment of the book of dust trilogy will be set prior to the events of the golden compass, when lyra is. He sets out to reinvent himself with the help of a beautiful muse who appears only to him. Lyra is an orphan whose parents were killed when she was very young.
And if we wrapped up against the cold, we wouldnt feel other things, like the bright tingle of the stars, or the music of the aurora, or best of all the silky feeling of moonlight on our skin. Still love the idea of time being different all over the world but the book was kind of slow to read and the similarities with gc did make it a bit boring for me. In talks and articles, pullman has often pitted his own books, with their antichurch. The first book in philip pullmans his dark materials trilogy introduces us to the series heroine, a 12yearold girl named lyra. The golden compass made over twice its budget worldwide but was a disappointment in the united states, leaving the fate of its sequel unclear. The book is really descriptive and has the perfect balance between whats real and whats magic. And with so much to cover, the editing between scenes can be choppy and the digital effects uneven. Would i have liked philip pullmans the golden compass as a child. Winner 1997 ala best books for young adults winner 1997 ala notable childrens book winner 1999 texas lonestar reading list.
The golden compass, also known as an alethiometer, is a gadget given to lyra by the master of jordan college at oxford. Northern lights is the first book of the trilogy, his dark materials 1995 to 2000. There is not much that is different, except for a few things that had to be changed to keep the movie from getting too lengthy. The golden compass summary from litcharts the creators. His dark materials by pullman, philip and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. In the final book of the series, it is revealed that lyra is the new eve. When the book opens, lord asriel has returned from the north, where he has been conducting experiments involving something called dust. When her best friend roger is kidnapped by the evil gobblers, lyra promises to rescue him. Lyras adventure continues throughout these three books, and the first is about to be told.
Before the release of the golden compass, a film adaptation of the first book in the series, on 7 december 2007, new line cinema said that an adaptation of the subtle knife would go into production only if the first film was a success. As a christian educator intent on teaching students how to approach literature and film from a christian worldview i suggest that this. Pullman wrote the his dark materials series the golden compass. Set in a parallel universe, it features the journey of lyra belacqua to the arctic in search of her missing friend, roger parslow, and her imprisoned uncle, lord asriel, who has been conducting experiments with a mysterious. But what could have possibly gone wrong with an adaptation of a childrens book about a plot. The golden compass follows the everexpanding adventure of lyra bacquela as she travels north in search of a kidnapped friend. The most wonderful and cunning effect in the film is lyra dakota blue richards. Before i go into the depths of character and plot, let me start by saying this book is up there. With the guidance of a magical compass and the aid of her uncle, a witch, an airman and an armored bear named iorek byrnison, lyra will do whatever it takes to fight a deadly battle to save her world and foil an sinister plot to destroy it. Get all the key plot points of philip pullmans the golden compass on one page. She is invited to go to the north with the influent mrs. For the film based on the novel, see the golden compass film. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the golden compass by philip pullman.
It is incredibly wellwritten and a real treat for the imagination. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of his dark materials and what it means. Unfortunately for new line, the golden compass is also a deceptively tricky book, using the trappings of childrens fantasy to deliver an antichristian allegory in the same way c. His dark materials is one of the supreme works of imaginative fiction for both children and adults published in the 20th century. Emails have circulating about its atheistic origins, cautioning christian parents not to let their children see the movie. Read the golden compass absolutely for free at readanybook. His dark materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels by philip pullman consisting of northern lights 1995 published as the golden compass in north america, the subtle knife 1997, and the amber spyglass 2000. The golden compass plot, setting, and conflict flashcards. The trilogy has also been published as a singlevolume omnibus in the united kingdom and north america, titled his dark materials. Northern lights is a youngadult fantasy novel by philip pullman, published in 1995 by. The golden compass is a 2007 fantasyadventure movie based on northern lights, the first novel in philip pullmans trilogy his dark materials. Jun 09, 20 no spoilers the golden compass by philip pullman. The golden compass was my gateway book into fantasy.
236 1174 535 1085 50 994 1021 141 62 1229 1314 83 303 1106 765 396 847 622 735 1260 1595 539 666 947 521 589 581 634 455