I recently reread The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. It’s the first book of a trilogy called His Dark Materials. Although it’s a young adult book, with a preteen protagonist, the themes are mature and deep enough to interest adult readers – especially those of us who enjoy fantasies.
The protagonist is Lyra, a young girl who is being alternately raised and ignored by the scholars of Oxford University. This England and this Oxford are different than ours in many ways. The technology is different. Magic and religion are closely related, and religion organizations control the universities and political positions. What’s immediately fascinating is that all the humans have dæmons which are actually their souls manifested in animal form. Lrya’s dæmon is named Pantalaimon. Since she is a child, Pantalaimon can change from moth to lynx, to mouse, to other animals depending on his mood or the situation. As children become adults their dæmons become fixed into one animal that reflects their personality.
In the story Lyra will solve the mystery of the missing children in London, rescue a friend, discover the truth about her parents and birth, and show great courage. The book is heart wrenching at times. The themes involve death, our souls, the morality of technology and experimentation, and love. But even with all those heavy themes, it’s a fun and magical book. The story has gypsies, a hot air balloon with a Texan pilot, rescues, escapes, witches, and talking bears who build their own armor and have their own king. The dæmons scold, cajole, assist, and counsel. And there are mysteries to ponder. How does the future telling alethiometer work? What is this Dust the scientists are experimenting with, and where does it come from? What is the city in the clouds? Some of the questions are answered in the next book, The Subtle Knife, and some are left for the reader to ponder.
The Golden Compass is being made into a movie for release this holiday season. I hope the movie is as magical as the book.
More Young Adult Fantasy:
The Transfigured Hart – Jane Yolen