| Product Summary | | Format: Paperback | | ISBN: 9780375823459 | | Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf | | Publish Date: 9/1/2002 | | Buy.com Sku: 30988933 | | Item#: R5GL9M | | Dimensions (in Inches) 8H x 5L x 1T | | Pages: 416 | | Age Range: College to 21 |
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| | | | "Lyra and her daemon moved through the darkening hall, taking care to keep to one side, out of sight of the kitchen. The three great tables that ran the length of the hall were laid already, the sliver and the glass catching what little light there was, and the long benches were pulled out ready for the guests..." (from the first line) The first title in the Dark Materials trilogy, now newly repackaged. Content to run wild among the scholars of Jordan College with her daemon familiar Pantalaimon by her side, Lyra Belaqua is jarred by the arrival of her fearsome uncle. Soon, she's drawn into a struggle born of Gobblers and stolen children, witch clans, and armored bears, never suspecting the shocking truth.
Annotation:
An examination of innocence, faith, morality, and sin, THE GOLDEN COMPASS is the first book in the well-respected His Dark Materials trilogy. When she saves her mysterious uncle, Lord Asriel, from an assassination attempt, 11-year-old Lyra Belacqua uncovers a dangerous secret and, ultimately, takes the first steps in a journey that will take her not only to the frozen north, but also to a parallel universe. In short, Lyra is about to discover that she plays a very important part in shaping the destiny of the entire universe. Inspired by John Milton's PARADISE LOST, the His Dark Materials trilogy continues in THE SUBTLE KNIFE and concludes with THE AMBER SPYGLASS.
| PraisePublisher's Catalog
"It's a rich combination of high fantasy, high drama, and intense emotion. Philip Pullman's creation is a world thoroughly realized, completely convincing. Best yet, this volume promises to be the beginning of an ongoing major literary effort. Readers can only wait impatiently." - Lloyd AlexanderNew York Times Book Review
"One of life's pleasures is the experience of plodding through the first few pages of a book and then finding oneself sucked in, flipping the pages to discover what happens next. THE GOLDEN COMPASS is long, but is told simply and draws us on, as one crisis blossoms out of another." - Jane Langton 05/19/1996 New York Times Book Review
"War, politics, magic, science, individual lives and cosmic destinies are all here. They are not flung together, they are shaped and assembled into a narrative of tremendous pace by a man with a generous, precise intelligence....His prose has texture and flexibility, like excellent fabric. And he gives us so much. Suspense, of course, but such degrees of pleasure, excitement...and grief. And such joy--the joy of thinking, of testing your senses and feelings, of knowing your imagination is entering worlds not dreamed of in the usual philosophies." - Margo Jefferson 011/20/2002 |
| Author Bio| Philip Pullman | | Superman and Batman completely changed Philip Pullman's life. Each night they arrived in full-color, ready to take on bad guys and save the world--all in a few pages. Philip loved reading them because "the combination of words and pictures [made for] vivid storytelling." Comic books made him want to tell stories. When he was growing up, he enjoyed listening to radio shows, too. He also loved Sherlock Holmes, Tore Jansoon, Arthur Ransome and Erich Kastner, and spooky ghost stories. Philip always wanted to be a writer, but learned that there is a big difference between WANTING to be a writer and actually DOING it: "Being a writer is nothing, writing a book is a lot. I wanted to DO, not to BE." That's why he tells kids to quit saying--and hoping--that they want to be writers--they need to just do it! Also, he advises young aspiring writers to read a lot. But most importantly, Philip says that being patient is a crucial factor. He has said, "A book is a marathon, not a sprint....Settle in....Pace yourself." Philip is best known for writing historical fiction and ghost stories. His young-adult trilogy, THE RUBY IN SMOKE, THE SHADOW IN THE NORTH, and THE TIGER IN THE WELL, was what put him "on the map" in the States. Since then, he has written many books for young adults that also appeal to adults as well. His wildly well-received fantasy trilogy, His Dark Materials, received many positive reviews and a large audience, as well as a feature film deal. When Philip starts writing, he doesn't think about writing for any specific audience, but aims to write something that's entertaining and also presents the idea or theme of social justice, which Philip thinks is very important. When he's not writing, he sleeps, visits art galleries, draws, and even does some carpentry. A fun fact: He always finishes the working day by writing the first sentence on the next page so it's not blank when he begins to write the next day. |
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