Mary's Musings

At the prompting of my two daughters, I finally picked up "The Golden Compass", by Philip Pullman about two weeks ago. Now that Hollywood has produced a film based on the book, it has prompted some strong reaction from religious groups, and non-religious groups alike... all claiming that the author has some agenda throughout the story. Pullman himself insists that there is no agenda pro- or con- regarding a particular religion. He gave an interview to this effect on The Today Show on NBC.

As for the target audience, I believe Pullman intended high school teens and young adults to be most interested in this series. As a fantasy tale that includes teasers regarding some not-so-elementary fields of study in particle physics and theoretical cosmology... it should appeal to readers that are curious about who and what else might be "out there" just waiting to be discovered.

Pullman's tale involves political intrigue, deception, scientific discovery, and characters that are so multi-dimensional that 8- to 10-year-old children should not be reading these books, regardless of their reading level. The subject matter is too complex and the content is too graphic. There are so many other books worthy of attention, and this series is certainly not one of them.

In answer to the question, "Did I enjoy reading the books?", I rate the entire trilogy a 6 (out of 10). I strongly disagree with some reviews that have described these books as "the next best thing since 'The Lord of the Rings'". The two works are not to be linked in any way, both from a style perspective and quality perspective.

Strengths: Characters are colorful and keep the reader guessing; good balance of "science" and "fantasy"

Weaknesses: Regardless of his claim otherwise, the strong religious themes
throughout the story get in the way numerous times

Word to parents: Many of the characters who are portrayed as "heroes" and "role models" in these books frequently are disobedient to authority; they lie, and even kill, in order to achieve their objectives. Little regard for the consequences of their actions is shown, except that they accomplish their goals. A discussion about whether "the ends justify the means" would be highly in order.

Though there is frequent mention of witchcraft and other practices of a religious nature, the author does NOT promote any one set of beliefs over another. However, what the author DOES do is to suggest that notions of "heaven" and "hell" are manifestations of human imagination. AND...

At the very core of the story is that a war is about to be waged between the very powers of sin and death (the "Magisterium" and its agents) versus free will and self-determination (led by the character of Lord Asriel). At the heart of the matter is that this "war" is presented as a final culmination of a war that was interrupted thousands of years earlier and never finished. Now, an event of such magnitude would surely draw the attention of "the Almighty, the Creator God". But, in Pullman's universe, God is silent, uncaring and uninvolved. Naturally, most intelligent readers assume, then, that God must be absent, non-existent, to not have a stake in current events.

Readers of John Milton's "Paradise Lost" might think of this as a sort of sequel to the epic poem, and it might be aptly titled "Paradise Regained" or "Revenge of the Damned". Makes an interesting fairy tale. But, that's all it is, mediocre at best.