Featuring an exclusive bonus interview between the author, Philip Pullman, and His Dark Materials star, Ruth Wilson.
The modern fantasy classic that Entertainment Weekly named an “All-Time Greatest Novel” and Newsweek hailed as a “Top 100 Book of All Time.” Philip Pullman takes listeners to a world where humans have animal familiars and where parallel universes are within reach.
Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steal—including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world.
Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want.
But what Lyra doesn't know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other...
A masterwork of storytelling and suspense, Philip Pullman's award-winning The Golden Compass is the first in the His Dark Materials series, which continues with The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.
A #1 New York Times Bestseller
Winner of the Guardian Prize for Children's Fiction
Published in 40 Countries
"Arguably the best juvenile fantasy novel of the past twenty years." —The Washington Post
"Very grand indeed." —The New York Times
"Pullman is quite possibly a genius." —Newsweek
Don't miss Philip Pullman's epic new trilogy set in the world of His Dark Materials!
** THE BOOK OF DUST **
La Belle Sauvage
The Secret Commonwealth
Featuring an exclusive bonus interview between the author, Philip Pullman, and His Dark Materials star, Ruth Wilson.
The modern fantasy classic that Entertainment Weekly named an “All-Time Greatest Novel” and Newsweek hailed as a “Top 100 Book of All Time.” Philip Pullman takes listeners to a world where humans have animal familiars and where parallel universes are within reach.
Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steal—including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world.
Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want.
But what Lyra doesn't know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other...
A masterwork of storytelling and suspense, Philip Pullman's award-winning The Golden Compass is the first in the His Dark Materials series, which continues with The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.
A #1 New York Times Bestseller
Winner of the Guardian Prize for Children's Fiction
Published in 40 Countries
"Arguably the best juvenile fantasy novel of the past twenty years." —The Washington Post
"Very grand indeed." —The New York Times
"Pullman is quite possibly a genius." —Newsweek
Don't miss Philip Pullman's epic new trilogy set in the world of His Dark Materials!
** THE BOOK OF DUST **
La Belle Sauvage
The Secret Commonwealth
Reviews-
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Part of the fantasy trilogy, this first book begins Lyra Belacqua's journey to discover the meaning of "dust" and her role in the struggle against evil that threatens to destroy the universe. Listening to this complicated tale with its multitude of unfamiliar names, places and words is a challenge. Case's rendering is fairly successful as he differentiates each character's voice--no mean feat given the number of characters--and, for the most part, he manages to keep them all straight. The least effective part of the recording is the narrative. The clipped diction, which emphasizes the final consonants, sounds very upper crust and snooty. Performance aside, this book is particularly difficult in audio form unless the listener has read the print version first. S.S.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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Philip Pullman has created a stunning alternate universe peopled by those who seem familiarly human and by miraculous creatures: daemons, armored bears, witches. But now something sinister is abroad in this strangely modern, strangely archaic world, and 12-year-old Lyra Belacqua must try to discover the truth. Into this complex scenario marches Pullman and a remarkable group of readers, expanding the book in a way one might have thought impossible. This is an example of a full-cast recording at its zenith. The actors are well suited to their roles, Pullman proves himself to be a natural narrator, and the decision to remove extraneous text (he said; she said) allows for a more unaffected flow of the story. This is an incomparable treat for lovers of fantasy literature. S.G. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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June 29, 1998
In this deluxe trade paperback edition of the first in the celebrated Dark Materials trilogy, "Pullman is a master at combining impeccable characterizations and seamless plotting, maintaining a crackling pace to create scene upon scene of almost unbearable tension. Nothing short of breathtaking," said PW in a boxed review. Ages 12-up. -
Phillip Pullman spins a magical tale which will draw in older listeners as well as teens. Natasha Richardson's light, ethereal voice wraps us into the magic like the "daemons," or spirits, that accompany each character. She almost whispers some of the text as young Lyra whispers to her daemon in a setting that is now and other-worldly at the same time. Richardson describes characters and events with a softness that heightens the fantasy while not neglecting the action of the pursuit of evil in the form of kipnappers and unbeatable polar bear warriors. The text is so image-laden with wondrous descriptions, Richardson needs to add little to this compelling storytelling. R.F.W. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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November 30, 1998
Pullman's masterfully rendered fantasy-adventure, the first in the His Dark Materials trilogy, captivates from the start on this vibrant audio production. As narrator, the British author is swift and sure, inviting young listeners along for a most intriguing story. Young Lyra Belacqua and her daemon companion Pantalaimon leave their sheltered life among the scholars and caretakers at Oxford University to find Lyra's best friend, Roger, who has been kidnapped. Lyra's quest leads her to the Far North where she encounters battle-ready witches, talking polar bears and a team of evil scientists who plan to perform a hideous experiment on Roger and the other children they have captured. But worst of all, Lyra learns that her fearsome Uncle Asriel and the mysterious Mrs. Coulter (who had tried to befriend and kidnap Lyra) are at the center of the child-demon investigations. With the help of the kind Gyptians, Lyra is able to outsmart her enemies and rescue Roger. The cast of actors enact a breadth of characters, from headstrong Lyra and her excitable, impatient daemon to the superior and sharp-sounding Lord Asriel. The villains, dramatic voyages and fantastic creatures are certain to hold listeners' attention throughout the hefty recording. The production is also available in trade packaging, in three separate installments. Ages 9-up. -
April 15, 1996
If Pullman's imagination dazzled in the Victorian thrillers that culminated with The Tin Princess, in this first volume of a fantasy trilogy it is nothing short of breathtaking. Here Earth is one of only five planets in the solar system, every human has a daemon (the soul embodied as an animal familiar) and, in a time similar to our late 19th century, Oxford scholars and agents of the supreme Calvinist Church are in a race to unleash the power that will enable them to cross the bridge to a parallel universe. The story line has all the hallmarks of a myth: brought up ignorant of her true identity, 11-year-old Lyra goes on a quest from East Anglia to the top of the world in search of her kidnapped playmate Roger and her imprisoned uncle, Lord Asriel. Deceptions and treacheries threaten at every turn, and she is not yet certain how to read the mysterious truth-telling instrument that is her only guide. After escaping from the charming and sinister Mrs. Coulter, she joins a group of "gyptians" in search of their children, who, like Roger, have been spirited away by Mrs. Coulter's henchmen, the Gobblers. Along the way Lyra is guided by friendly witches and attacked by malevolent ones, aided by an armored polar bear and a Texan balloonist, and nearly made a victim of the Gobblers' cruel experiments. As always, Pullman is a master at combining impeccable characterizations and seamless plotting, maintaining a crackling pace to create scene upon scene of almost unbearable tension. This glittering gem will leave readers of all ages eagerly awaiting the next installment of Lyra's adventures. 100,000 first printing; $250,000 ad/promo. Ages 10-up. -
September 9, 2002
Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy now appears in sophisticated trade paperback editions, each title embossed within a runic emblem of antiqued gold. The backdrop of The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials, Book I sports a midnight blue map of the cosmos with the zodiacal ram at its center. The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass carry similarly intriguing cover art, and all three titles offer details not seen in the originals: in Compass and Knife, for example, Pullman's stamp-size b&w art introduces each chapter; Spyglass chapters open with literary quotes from Blake, the Bible, Dickinson and more. - Publishers Weekly, Starred "As always, Pullman is a master at combining impeccable characterizations and seamless plotting, maintaining a crackling pace to create scene upon scene of almost unbearable tension. This glittering gem will leave readers of all ages eagerly awaiting the next installment of Lyra's adventures."
- The Detroit Free Press "Extraordinary storytelling at its very best."
- The Washington Post "Superb . . . all-stops-out thrilling."
