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The Golden Compass

By: Philip Pullman
Narrated by: Philip Pullman, Joanna Wyatt, Rupert Degas, Alison Dowling, Douglas Blackwell, Jill Shilling, Stephen Thorne, Sean Barrett, Garrick Hagon, John O'Connor, Susan Sheridan, full cast
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Publisher's summary

HIS DARK MATERIALS IS NOW AN HBO ORIGINAL SERIES STARRING DAFNE KEEN, RUTH WILSON, ANDREW SCOTT, AND LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA!

The modern fantasy classic that Entertainment Weekly named an “All-Time Greatest Novel” and Newsweek hailed as a “Top 100 Book of All Time.” Philip Pullman takes listeners to a world where humans have animal familiars and where parallel universes are within reach.

Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steal—including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world.

Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want.

But what Lyra doesn't know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other...

A masterwork of storytelling and suspense, Philip Pullman's award-winning The Golden Compass is the first in the His Dark Materials series, which continues with The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.

A #1 New York Times Bestseller

Winner of the Guardian Prize for Children's Fiction

Published in 40 Countries

"Arguably the best juvenile fantasy novel of the past twenty years."—The Washington Post

"Very grand indeed."—The New York Times

"Pullman is quite possibly a genius."—Newsweek

Don't miss Philip Pullman's epic new trilogy set in the world of His Dark Materials!

** THE BOOK OF DUST **

La Belle Sauvage

The Secret Commonwealth

Listen to the rest of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series.
©1995 Philip Pullman (P)1999 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"As always, Pullman is a master at combining impeccable characterizations and seamless plotting, maintaining a crackling pace to create scene upon scene of almost unbearable tension. This glittering gem will leave readers of all ages eagerly awaiting the next installment of Lyra’s adventures.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred

“Extraordinary storytelling at its very best.”—The Detroit Free Press

“Superb . . . all-stops-out thrilling.”—The Washington Post

Featured Article: The Best Full Cast Audiobooks and Podcasts of All Time


As any audiobook fan knows, the perfect narration can take a listen from good to great. Full cast ensembles in particular are the perfect choice for those times you really want to dive headfirst into a story. A cast of narrators, sometimes accompanied by music or sound effects, craft a unique and immersive listening experience. Unique performances let listeners intimately experience each character’s personality as the story progresses.

What listeners say about The Golden Compass

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    14,303
  • 4 Stars
    3,948
  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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Story
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    11,283
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  • 3 Stars
    755
  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it

Such a unique and touching adventure! Great narrators! I will definitely be downloading book 2 next!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

exhilarating

Still one of my favorite stories. Simply exhilarating with memorable characters. it unfolds richly and the writing captures the imagination and senses

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials

I thoroughly enjoyed the character voices of the book. It made me feel as though I were watching a play!
However, there were several areas were it seemed to skip a few words???

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent & well crafted story.

This trilogy is exceptional. A finely woven tale about a girl, and perhaps humanity itself, growing up. The characters are complex but well defined and the story is refreshingly different. Witches,clergy, Polar bears, & harpies all make appearances and all are presented with depth. An excellent & well crafted story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Perfect!!

This was truly a magical powerful!! Dark and imaginative book!! I am in awe of Phillip Pullman!!!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Pretty good, not my favorite.

good performance and a cute story line, the movie hits all the main points really well so if you don't want to use a credit just rent that.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Really enjoyed the book.

Great story, very interesting. Not for young children in my opinion.
chapters do not line up between the narration and the list on the app.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant and Captivating

This is the most engaging audiobook I've found. Absolutely magical. I was surprised that the author's narration was so good - the first chapter or so felt dry, but once I was invested, I couldn't stop listening.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic!

I really love this audiobook! Multiple voice actors makes it endlessly engaging, and their individual performances work together flawlessly to really knit together a believable world.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent delivery but editing is too tight

The story and full cast are wonderful, but the transitions between voice actors or the narrator are too short, and it feels abrupt when someone else starts talking immediately after another finishes.

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