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| His Dark Materials Trilogy (The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; The Amber Spyglass) | 
 enlarge | Author: Philip Pullman
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Category: Book
List Price: $60.00
Buy New: $36.23
You Save: $23.77 (40%)
New (14) Used (1) Collectible (1) from $36.23
Avg. Customer Rating:  1085 reviews
Sales Rank: 24179
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 3
Pages: 1312
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4.1
Dimensions (in): 8.7 x 6.1 x 4.3
ISBN: 0375842381
EAN: 9780375842382
ASIN: 0375842381
Publication Date: August 28, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Not for those that love the CS Lewis books. October 26, 2007
48 out of 74 found this review helpful
These books are really not for children as young as 9 or 10. If you want a longer fantasy book, try Redwall. It's great and doesn't have all the darkness that Pullman books have. Also, it bothers me that the new film trailers for The Golden Compass leave you feeling like this book/movie is a follow up to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Not so. Pullman didn't even care for CS Lewis and certainly not for Lewis' beliefs. Personally, I don't want to expose my children to such a dark tale at a preteen age. They can make their own decision when they are older. There are so many great fantasy tales out there. Why read this one when there are better age appropriate ones? Try M. L'Engle as well. Amazon has great reference guides to help choose better books. Good luck! I have a 10 year old reader sitting behind me as I type this and I would never encourage her to read Pullman books at her age.
Surprised and Saddened October 30, 2007
48 out of 81 found this review helpful
I've just finished the GOLDEN COMPASS and the SUBTLE KNIFE. The new movie, is being promoted as a Narnia type story, but the books certainly are not. They are sort of the anti Narnia. I'm usually very liberal about what I read and watch. However, I would not recommend these books for kids without careful parental supervision. These books are very well written, and have an engaging adventure story. It's probably some of the best writing I've read since the Narnia books. The first book on it's own isn't overwhelmingly offensive because being the first in a series, you aren't sure what is up or down. Or, at least I wasn't sure if their quest would be the true quest of the whole story. I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I'll just conclude that it draws you into a story that seems innocent enough at first glance, but is not. I would not recommend them.
 Marvelous fantasy writing for adults and children! December 3, 2007
47 out of 50 found this review helpful
This is by far the most engaging, intelligently-wrtten works of children's literature I have ever read. (And for anyone getting hyped up about the religious factor, please read this before you judge!) The prose is sophisticated (I would say this is for kids with a very good vocabulary, maybe a 9+), and the characters are engaging. And talk about action packed! Pullman always keeps the reader guessing, and the action always is intriguing. The books do have violence in them (nothing too gory, but there are some battle scenes with blood, and some characters die), so keep that in mind if you want to read it to kids younger than 9.
A lot of people say this book is anti-religious, anti-God, atheistic, etc. Most of these reviews have obviously not read the series. I actually found The Golden Compass in the book closet of the Catholic school where I taught English Lit! This book for certain is NOT anti-Christian. It does not preach evil values, & it does not encourage children to kill God. The book has a lot of religious aspects: souls, angels, and spirits. This book IS anti-religious corruption, and it IS against using religion to justify evil. One review mentioned the book encourages female circumcision: so wrong!...what the book said was that religions have used faith in God to cause harm to many, including the cutting of genitalia! And if Pullman is an atheist, so what? C.S. Lewis was a Christian. Does that mean Jews, Muslims and Buddhists can't enjoy the Narnia series, even though its messages aren't parallell to their own religious values?
One thing that I do like is that Pullman creates very strong-minded children for his main characters, especially Lyra. Despite having horrible parents, Lyra finds strength within to overcome seemingly impossible tasks with the aid of her daemon Pan. I like that Pullman talks a lot about how fear can destroy people and societies, and also on a subtle level, how technology gone too far can wreak havoc on the world. I also like that Lyra both respects and questions authority. She has a mind and a sense of adventure, and I love that she breaks so many female sterotypes.
I'm re-reading the series now and am giving it to my 10 year-old cousin for Christmas. I know he'll love it as much as I do!
Sick and Disturbing November 12, 2007
46 out of 86 found this review helpful
This is a book that is being marketed to 8-12 year olds. While it is well written it is inappropriate for anyone under 16. Would you let your 9 year old read Stephen King's Salem Lot? If the answer is no, then don't let them read this. The book is about a girl investigating the disappearance of some friends. She discovers that her parents are involved in the kidnap, torture and murder of school age children.
Great books! Ignore the ignorance. December 5, 2007
46 out of 56 found this review helpful
I read these books 4 years ago and now ordering sets as presents.
I am truly disgusted at the reviews based on the author's personal opinion and not about the books themselves. It is however unsurpizing that the reviews on amazon.co.uk do not have knee-jerk fears of evil satanists. But in some ways it's funny that it's the fundamentalist Americans who liken a fantasy book that has the church torturing children in experiments that leave them as zombies to Christianity.
If you actually read the books - at least without automatically being offended - you'd realize that the actual morals are what Christianity is supposed to be. You know... about being good and not evil no matter your excuse. It's about totalitarianism that attempts to control all aspects of people's lives through kidnapping, assination, torture and censorship. Never once does he mention the actual theology nor refer to Christianity.
According to the wiki:
"However, Pullman has found support from other Christians, most notably Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury. These groups and individuals contend that Pullman's negative portrayal of the "Church" in His Dark Materials amounts to an attack on dogmatism and the use of religion to oppress, not on Christianity itself. Dr. Williams has gone so far as to propose that His Dark Materials be taught as part of religious education in schools."
If you really think that a series of books with good underlying morals yet opens minds, will ruin your children then don't let them read it. Maybe you should also ban history books because many ideas in His Dark Materials Trilogy are from the actual history of oppressive religions.
What are you so affraid of? Kids reading Pullman's books? People thinking for themselves? Or Heaven forbid having alternative beliefs?
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