His Dark Materials Reread: Joint Review of The Golden Compass withBritt from Please Feed the Bookworm

Hi everyone, and welcome to the first point in His Dark Materials Reread with me and Britt from Please Feed the Bookworm. If you didn't get a chance to see me December TBR, Britt and I decided we wanted to do a reread of the series because it had been awhile since we had read the books after we heard that BBC is making a TV show out them. So the reread was born! We have a bunch of great stuff planned including these joint review, mood board, and more.

But first things first, the review. Britt and I both decided to listen to the audiobook because we like them and this one is a full cast, which is a cool concept. And because both of us have read the books before we decided to something a little different. Instead of a traditional review we're just going to have a conversation about our thoughts. We often talk about the books we read (we have similar taste and read a lot of the same books) so now we're just including you all in the convo. Hope you enjoy.

Title: The Golden Compass Series: His Dark Materials #1 Written By: Phillip Pullman  Published: April, 1996 by Knopf (Random House) (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible) Synopsis: When Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon decide to spy on a presentation her uncle, the commanding Lord Asriel, is making to the elders of Jordan College they have no idea that they will become witnesses to an attempted murder, and even less that they are taking the first steps in a journey that will lead them into danger and adventure unlike anything Lyra's unfettered imagination has conjured up.  Though she has been raised at the college in an atmosphere of benign neglect that has allowed her to become a half-wild child of the streets, Lyra soon finds herself apprenticed to the elegant Mrs. Coulter, and in possession of a strange device called the alethiometer, a "golden compass" that reads not true worth, but truth itself.   But truth is a precious commodity, and before long Lyra and Pan are running for their lives, the object of an obsessive hunt by mysterious forces who have been stealing children for dark purposes that no one understands. Lyra will need all her street-learned wiles if she and Pan are to survive.

This is a reread, so how long has it been since you first read the book? 

B: I read this waaay back when I was in the 6th grade. The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe was my favorite at the time and a librarian pointed me in this direction. Only the first book was out at the time. 

C: Really! I wish I had read it as a kid. But I always wonder if I would have liked it as much if I read it then. Like I think a lot of the themes and stuff would have gone right over my head. It’s been seven years for me. I read it after college. A friend recommended it because she knew I liked fantasy. 

What did you think about the book when you read it the first time? 

C: I was loved it. I felt like it was such an interesting and complex fantasy and I of course loved the characters. I read it at a time when I was just getting back into "kids books" and it made me kind of realize that there is some great stuff that I missed as a kid. So I started reading a lot more MG and YA around that time. The rest is history I guess. 

B: It gave me the exact same feeling as Narnia. That was and has since been my measure of a good book. I loved this alternate universe that was so like our but so different and who doesn't love the idea of having a Daemon?! 

Good segue to the world and the world-building. Thoughts? 

C: I agree with Britt. I love the alternate universe stuff. It’s like out world but only a little different. That’s so key with fantasy for me. I need it to feel like a place like this could maybe exist, as crazy as that sounds. But I also want things to be completely different at the same. Daemons are a good example of that. I loved the idea of having a daemon. And now now knowing what they are and why they have them is so cool. 

Speaking of daemons, what form do you think yours would take? 

B: I would love to have an elephant but I feel that would be rather impractical. I will go with an Ocelot. It is a type of jungle cat that is cunning but also has this really pretty coat. Although it is small it can be mighty aggressive which pretty but sounds like me in a nutshell. 

C: I would maybe want mine to be an owl but I think it would probably be something uncool like a sloth or a skunk. I jokingly say that’s what my spirit animal is. 

What’s your favorite part of the book? 

B: I don't know why but I have always even fascinated with Lee Scorsby, the aeronaut. He pilots this awesome airship which is like a crazy cross between a plane and a hot air balloon. He kinda babbles a bit but I think he's great. I also love hearing the Gyptians tell the tale of Lyra’s parentage 

C: Lee Scorsby is so steampunk! I get it. For me it’s the part with the armorer bears. For one thing, I just love them so much. I also think it’s such an interesting culture and characters. But I also love when Lyra outsmarts the king of the bears by using the knowledge she learned throughout the book. It’s such classic Lyra. It’s so rash and reckless but ingenious at the same time. 

Do you have a least favorite part? 

C: I’d say the part with the Gyptians. There is some good stuff like discussions about the character’s histories and the larger world, plus implications that come in later but in general I think it drags too much. Especially during the reread when I’m waiting for the action-packed stuff I know is coming. I found myself anticipating what comes next when Lyra’s with the Gyptians. 

B: I agree with Cassi on this one. Usually I love backstory but this portion drrraaagggeeeddd. Def because we knew what was about to go down. That's the thing about rereads, you find some parts to be a bit inconsequential. I also don't like the part where they find the severed child. It hurts my heart everytime.  

C: So true! I liked the backstory but I knew it already so I was waiting for the action. 

What about the characters? 

C: I love Lyra. She’s so fierce. I love that she says what she thinks and what she wants and that it gets her into trouble but it also is her biggest strength. That was me as a pre-teen. I was always running my mouth like Lyra. But my favorite character is Iorek Byrnison. I want an armored bear so badly! Imagine how amazing that would be! 

B: *See Cassie's above explanation about Lyra.* I was also a bit of a smartass child. This is why Cassi and I are friends we might be the same person in some ways. I'm going to go with Lord Asriel as my second favorite. He is so intelligent and I find him quite dashing. 

Can talk about Mrs. Coulter? She’s such a great villain. 

B: I have such a hatred for Mrs. Coulter. Usually I like or at least respect the plight of the Villians but not in this case. She is just an evil woman and that damn monkey of hers is just as wicked 

C: The monkey! He’s the worst. Mrs. Coulter is someone that I love to hate. Cunning and charismatic but so devious. There are moments when I’m thinking “you are such a liar” but I also understand why people would follow her and listen to her. That’s the mark of a good villain to me. 

What did you think about the audiobook?

C: I love the fact that it’s like a radio play with different narrators for every character. The girl playing Lyra is so perfect. She’s sassy and precocious. I didn’t love Pan at first but the more I listen the more I think it works for him. I also really like that Phillip Pullman narrates the part that isn’t dialogue. I always like when authors narrate their own books, it makes me think that the tone of the book is spot on. Although I think he was a little calm during some the action scenes. I usually like when you the narrator talks faster during those parts because then I get all amped up. He doesn’t do that and sometimes I missed it. But towards the climax he did pick things up. 

B: Oh Lyra is literally perfect in this book. I also really loved the voices the Gyptians were given. There not Egyptians per say but more along of lines on like Gypsies so I feel there speak was on point. I did NOT know that this was Phillip narrating so that is just awesome. The full cast absolutely adds so much to an already amazing book. I don't think one narrator could do this book justice so I'm pleased they choose to do it this way. The only person who's voice I wasn't a fan of was Iorek. I wanted him to sound….not so bear-ish, even though he is indeed...a bear. 

C: I felt like that about Iofur. I wanted him to be more bear-like. Like a deeper more gravely voice. But I guess he’s trying to be human so it works. 

So this was a reread, did you get more out of the book? Notice things you missed the first time? 

B: I get a little bit more each time. Cassi and I spoke about how we were able to appreciate some of the more mature themes as we got older too so I'm looking forward to that as well. 

C: I think like with most rereads, I realized how well-plotted the series. Like there are little things in this book that come in later in such a big way. And there were so many moments where I was thinking like, “I know what that is,” or “I know why that is happening!” I always love that as someone who likes solving twists. I also think I was really critical about some things, especially with characters like Mrs. Coulter and the larger themes too like the religious stuff.

Still excited for the rest of the books? 

B: Pshaw! Of course even more so now. The second and third books are even better! 

C: YES! I love how the series escalates. And I’m super excited for Will.

Yay! Thanks for chatting with me about the book Britt. I hope you all enjoyed it. Come back throughout the month for more His Dark Materials Reread related stuff. And of course, head over to Please Feed the Bookworm to say hey to Britt if you haven't already.

Have you read The Golden Compass? What did you think? Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Celebrating Banned Books Week with Before I Blogged I Read: His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman

(I first saw the idea of Before I Blogged I Read from Jamie at Perpetual Page Turner)

I'm sure that many of you know that this week is "Banned Books Week" here in the US. The week where we celebrate all those books that get challenged for their content and themes which are "unsuitable" and should therefore not be taught in schools or even for sale according to some people. Many of the books which have shaped my upbringing and view of the world are in fact "banned books" so for today's Throwback Thursday and in honor of Banned Books Week I have decided to review one of my favorite banned books/series...

The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman (Published 1995 by Scholastic UK) 

Amazon Goodreads

The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman (Published 1997 by Scholastic UK) 

Amazon Goodreads

The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman (Published 200 by Scholastic UK) 

Amazon Goodreads

His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman. You may also know this as The Northern Lights trilogy or by the first book in the series which became a movie, The Golden Compass. It is an incredible Middle Grade/Young Adult Fantasy series with interesting and complicated characters, a thrilling and mysterious plot, and a complex and interesting world that develops with each passing book.

One of the things I love about this series is that with each book it takes on a very different tone as it explores a different subgenre or trope in Fantasy novels. In The Golden Compass the series seems like it's your typical YA/MG High Fantasy adventure story. Our plucky heroine Lyra Belacqua goes on a mission to find her lost friend with the help of some interesting and unlikely characters (more on them later). Then at the end of the book we are left with a cliffhanger. This leads us to book 2, The Subtle Knife, which takes a more Science Fiction feel as it takes place in multiple worlds. Then in the final book in the series, The Amber Spyglass, we get the end of the world epic fantasy vibes that the Fantasy genre has been known for. But this is not your typical story of good versus evil.

Much of this series breaks with the fantasy tradition of good and evil and nothing communicates this more than the characters. What you would usually think of as an evil entity is good in this series like witches and a race of militarized bears (seiously the armored bears are totally kickass!) are supportive and helpful to our heroine and her goals. And those that you would usually think of as good are the more diabolical entities in this world like angels and the Magisterium, the church like entity in the world. And then there are the individual characters, many of whom walk the line between right and wrong and your opinion of them changes often throughout the series. Most, if not all, of these characters are manipulative and care more about their own self-interests than those who they claim to love and care about. In the first book the best example of this is Mrs. Coulter & Lord Asriel who use Lyra to prove their points in their church versus state argument and their science versus religion argument. They put her in all kinds of compromising positions and even attempt to turn her against the other person. Then later in the series we have Balthamas and Baruch, angels who are doing the same thing yet interestingly enough, to characters who had previously been the manipulators. And I can't even begin to talk about the dubiousness about the god-like entity in this series (I'll attempt to later).

Even the main characters, Lyra and Will, are far from perfect. Lyra, the ultimate heroine of the series, is your typical strong female characters. When we first meet her she is a tomboy who would rather be running around the roof with the gyptian children than being a proper "young lady." She is intelligent and curious but she often uses her quick thinking skills to manipulate people and is a notorious liar. Her lies and manipulations do get her out of many a tricky situation that her impulsiveness got her into in the first place. Her Hero's Journey in this series actually leads to more corruption than anything else. It all makes her rather dubious and you guys know how I feel about dubious characters. Will on the other hand is arguably Lyra's polar opposite (comment if you get that pun). He is honest and kind and unlike Lyra who is in a perpetual state of childhood, he has had to grow up too quickly. He has a strong sense of right and wrong but still often does things that breaks with his moral code. But as they say opposites attract and I totally ship Lyra and Will. They are great well-rounded characters that make this series interesting.

Lyra being careless and Pan changing shape!

What is perhaps the most interesting thing about this series however is the world. The Golden Compass begins in a High Fantasy version of Oxford. It's a steampunk kind of Victorian world with zeppelins and interesting gadgets that run via a supernatural force. But there are also daemons! And I don't mean this is the usual sense of the word (just another dichotomy in this sereies). This is the absolute coolest thing about Lyra's world. Every person has their soul manifested as a talking animal that follows you around. As a child your daemon changes shape and then when you become a teenager is settles into something that best represents you. Lyra's daemon Pan is not only one of her best friends but also tries to act like her conscience throughout a lot of the series. As the series goes on we learn more about the larger world. We see how it's connected to our world and we travel between worlds to some interesting places. And then there's this world's view of the afterlife. It is reminiscent of Greek mythological views on the subject and the storyline that takes place there are quite creepy and interesting.

But that probably explains the plot of this book pretty well, interesting and enthralling but quite creepy. I've already given a little explanation about each of the books in the series and some of it's themes. What this series does really well is combine classic fantasy adventure with mystery and plot twists and larger themes about humanity and society.Throughout most of the book, as the reader, you are easily along for the ride as Lyra and later Will go on their missions to save someone or something. You enjoy exploring the world and meeting new characters. But along the way there are so many questions about what is happening in the world and why. It is all a little unsettling at times as it makes you question what you thought was good and real about society as you know it. Phillip Pullman throws in ingenious plot twist after ingenious plot twist keeping you on your toes and questioning things. There's a great sense of mystery with the adventure of the series.

But the really interesting and unsettling thing about the plot and themes of this series is the reasons why it is listed among the banned and challenged books, its themes about science versus religion, biblical allegories, and criticism of organized religion. Lyra is this prophecized girl who will bring about the downfall of the Magesterium, a religious and governmental entity in her world who we learn throughout the series is doing some not so great things in the name of their religion. It definitely takes a very critical look on the subject of religion, pointing out it's flaws and making it and even the higher power working in the world the ultimate antagonist of the story. Pullman expertly crafts an antagonist out of something you usually see as being positive. It's sort of the ultimate contradiction where you are rooting for a person who is probably doing something not very good and while it is unsettling to think you support them, they really do seem to have the right idea. Part of Lyra's prophecy is that she is a "second Eve" or the "betrayer" that will lead to "an end of death" or a sort of second original sin. It is definitely the kind of book that could offend someone who is more religious. However when taken on it's storytelling and as a fantasy novel, it's quite incredible.

I give the His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman series 9.5 out of 10

It's a complex and interesting series with complex and dubious characters, a creative and engaging world, and a interesting and mysterious plot that combines fantasy elements with a criticism of society and religion.

Have you read His Dark Materials? What did you think? If you could have a daemon what form would it take? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. If you haven't read His Dark Materials (or even if you have) tell me what is your favorite banned book? Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!