The Golden Compass

His Dark Materials, Book 1

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

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “MARVELOUS.”—The New Yorker • An Entertainment Weekly All-Time Greatest Novel • A Newsweek Top 100 Book of All Time • Winner of the Carnegie Medal • The Inspiration for the HBO Original Series His Dark Materials

DON’T MISS THE EPIC FINALE TO LYRA’S STORY: THE ROSE FIELD, AVAILABLE NOW!

Discover the modern fantasy classic that kicked off the epic trilogies His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust—a world where humans have animal familiars and parallel universes are within reach.

“Pullman is quite possibly a genius.”—Newsweek

A war is brewing in Lyra’s world between those who would keep people in ignorance and those willing to fight for freedom. Lyra is thrust into the middle of the conflict when her uncle Asriel comes to Oxford, fomenting rebellion, and when her best friend, Roger, suddenly disappears.

Lyra learns that Roger was kidnapped by a shadowy organization that is rumored to experiment on children. To find him, she will travel to the cold, far North, where armored bears and witch clans rule—and where Asriel is attempting to build a bridge to a parallel world.

What Lyra doesn’t know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other—and that her actions will have consequences not just in her world, but in all the worlds beyond.

Look for the modern fantasy classics of HIS DARK MATERIALS:
The Golden Compass • The Subtle Knife • The Amber Spyglass

And Lyra’s adventures continue in THE BOOK OF DUST:
La Belle Sauvage • The Secret Commonwealth • The Rose Field©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

Excellent, but not for everyone

Okay, let's get this out of the way. The complaints that hard-core Christians have about this book? Well, unlike the Harry Potter books, I can sort of see their point here. I may not quite agree with them, but I can respect their opinions. (The Harry Potter haters just need to get freaking lives.)

Tha being said, I think this is a wonderful fantasy novel both for adults, and kids from about ten or eleven up. I think any younger, and the kids will miss too much (particularly in later books).

If you dislike criticism of organized religion, do not read this book. And you probably shouldn't let your kid read it, which is your right, as long as you don't try to stop MY kids from reading it.

I know they've made a movie out of this-- I saw the first commercial WHILE I was downloading the book-- but I really don't see how they'll pull it off.

wonderful story

"The Golden Compass" is a wonderfully complex and imaginative story, expertly read by a cast that breathes life into the role of Lyra and her supporting characters. I could hardly stop listening, at each step a new adventure develops around Lyra and the alethiometer. The character of the armored bear is simply delightful. This is more than a children's story and reads faster than Harry Potter. I highly recommend this book to both children and adults.

Better than Potter

This series was originally written for young adults (of all ages) but as an aging young person, I loved the characters, the mystery, the journey, and the suspense. Travel with these characters and you are assured of a fantastic trip with well-developed characters from both worlds. Since Harry Potter got young people reading again - this series is a gift to those who cry for something a bit "more"... in every way. Enjoy the trip...

Outstanding!

The full-cast recording, with author as the main narrator, makes for a powerful experience. Having already read the book, I found that listening to it added a new depth. The pronunciation of unusual words and names (both historic and created by the author) is finally made clear! As a teacher, it's an invaluable resource. As a lover of fine literature, it's simply a joy!

Looked for Harry Potter and found this author!

No Harry Potter available to download but that turned out just fine. I had seen this movie and thought like most books vs. movies the book would be better. My assumption was correct. It kept my attention and was an easy, enjoyable listen. I'll keep going in the series and see......