Simply Lyra-cal

The Golden Compass
Philip Pullman
Knopf

A couple of months ago, my boss and I decided we needed a break from work and as often happens, we started to talk about books.   I had recently sent home the Cassandra Clare novels for her daughters to read and in return, she shared some of her favourites with me.  Near the top of her list was the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman.  Of course, I rushed right out and bought the first instalment and put it proudly on my shelf.  "Oh yes,"  I said to myself, "this will definitely be my next read."  Hah!  Somewhere along the way I got distracted -- I think it was by Dostoevsky.  Anyway, I rediscovered my purchase last week and here we are.

Let me start by saying that I can totally understand why the Catholic Church felt threatened enough to ban these books in their schools.  The first novel in the series, The Golden Compass, tells the story of Lyra, a little girl who finds herself at the centre of an epic drama that spans dimensions. It has all the elements of classic fantasy -- talking creatures, magic, and a heroine who undertakes a journey of self-discovery.   Revolutionary, right?  Okay, not so much, but the obvious borrowing from the works of both William Blake and John Milton (and what the author has done with Paradise Lost, in particular) might just be enough to start people questioning.  Well, that and the overt slams to organized religion.

Since reading this novel, I have actually completed the second in the series and am now on the third.  As the stories progress, they become incredibly didactic.  So much so, in fact, that I'm not even sure I will finish the third installment.  That said, The Golden Compass gets four shimmering constellations out of five.  Lyra is definitely a heroine to be admired.