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

Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins

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

Favorite series of all time!

His Dark Materials was the first set of audiobooks I'd ever listened to as a child, borrowing the cassette tapes from the library and listening to them on repeat. Having finally bought the books on Audible and listening to them again after all these years has been such a wonderful experience that words hardly do it justice. Beautifully written and exquisitely narrated, these books completely immerse me into Lyra's world (or should I say worlds). There are no books nor audiobooks to which I can give higher praise ❤

Amazing story enhanced by great voice acting

Everything about the book and performances are perfect. I read this as a child and it’s just as good as an adult.

Soooo good!

I loved every minute of this book. The performance was wonderful! Couldn’t put it down!

The Series Never Gets Old!

I have listened to Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials 3 or 4 times already and it never gets old. All of the characters and story are expertly thought out and adventurous.

Quality Voice-Acting

Voices were on-point with the established archetypes and demeanors of the characters. Especially that of Pantalaimon in how his voice changed based on what form he took.

Loved it!

Any additional comments?

I can't wait to listen to book two! The story is suspenseful and well written. The narration is superb!

A stunning performance

What made the experience of listening to The Golden Compass the most enjoyable?

The British Accent of the cast and Pullman's was so enjoyable to hear that I was smiling a lot. I have read the three books a few years ago and just loved their complex setting and plot. The performance is amazing.

What other book might you compare The Golden Compass to and why?

I don't have any comparison to make. Pullman's masterpiece is quite a standalone and elaborate setting, just like Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

What does Philip Pullman and full cast bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The British accent. It is so sweet and sounds so good. Original English at his best. You cannot really hear it when you read the book, even if the British text differs from American writing.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Complex science and Paranormal

Any additional comments?

It is indeed a stunning performance. I suggest that audiobook -- along with the other two -- to anyone wanting to hear something good.

A great story, and so much more than the movie

It was the fact that I enjoyed the movie that made me get this audiobook. I'm glad I did. So much detail and texture in the telling of the story. You feel just how big Lord Asriel is in Lyra's eyes. You also get insight into why the adults let some things play out the way they did. You also come to see Lord Asriel as a human, with the requisite foibles and weaknesses.

The cast of the audiobook did a very good job. I enjoyed the characters and felt like they were truly brought to life.

I will certainly be listening to the next book in the series. I think that is the real mark of my enjoyment.

Love a full cast!

Not only do I love when author's read their own work, but I live for an audio book with a full cast. few things can ruin my "zone" when I'm really into the story and a Male reads a female's part in a sad "girl" high pitch voice. Or vice versa. A full cast is perfect for me!

All the voice actors did wonderful and the story is one of my favorites!

has voice acting.

it was a great story with fascinating voice acting. very engaging I absolutely loved it.