Book Review – The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

~ A. Siegelster
The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1)

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I don’t know why I never picked up The Golden Compass before, but I really should have, because this book is brilliant.

Such a wonderful, in-depth story with complex characters (even the very background characters were as complex as the protagonists!), I could not put it down, save for the times when academia made me.
Pullman is a wonderful storyteller, and knows how to make readers keep asking questions. In addition, Pullman uses description in a remarkable way, especially during scenes of fights and intense drama, using description styles which directly reference those used by the ancient poet Vergil in his epic, the Aeneid.

The character of Lyra is someone whom all adventurers should like to be: curious, headstrong, having a clear sense of fairness, and full of love for her friends. And the daemons, the souls of the human characters, let readers in on a side of humanity rarely seen in everyday life.

I cannot recommend this book enough to those who love adventure and a sense of discovery.



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Published by A. Siegelster

I am a classicist specializing in Latin and ancient Greek literature, a writer of poetry and short fiction, and an avid reader. I'm based in Los Angeles, California, and am pursuing an MA in classics in Canada.