Golden Compass, The

Inhoud

His Dark Materials - Book 1 - With an introduction by Terry Brooks
It was no ordinary life for a young girl: living among scholars in the hallowed halls of Jordan College and tearing unsupervised through Oxford's motley streets on mad quests for adventure. But Lyra's greatest adventure would begin closer to home the day she heard the hushed talk of an extraordinary particle. Microscopic in size, the magical Dust -found only in the vast Arctic expanse of the North- was rumored to possess profound properties that could unite whole universes. But there were those who feared the particle and would stop at nothing to destroy it.
Catapulted into the heart of a terrible struggle, Lyra was forced to seek aid from clans, gyptians, and formidable armored bears. And as she journeyed into unbelievable danger, she had not the faintest clue that she alone was destined to win, or to lose, this more-than-mortal battle...

Bespreking

Welcome to Lyra's magical world

In a world, not that different from ours, lives an 11-year-olf girl with the name of Lyra Belacqua. Like every human in that world she possesses a personal daemon that protects and guides her through life. As an orphan she was taken under the guidance of Lord Asriel, who did send her to Jordan College in Oxford for her education. But something is clearly amiss when she secretly witnesses a special gathering in which Lord Asriel plays a remarkable role. Although Lyra does not understand what they are talking about, she is overwhelmed by curiosity to find out more about the main topic of that meeting: the Dust. When later children start to disappear, Lyra starts to suspect that it might all be linked to the Dust.

Northern Lights is the first part of the His Dark Materials-trilogy and this becomes very obvious while reading the book. The story-line in itself is mainly the glue that holds together the introduction of the characters and the description of the remarkable universe they're living in. But in no way does this hinder the enjoyment of the book. Philip Pullman overwhelms the reader with such a fantastic narrative that it is hard to stop reading. It is a real treat to find yourself cut of from all daily troubles and to dive into the beautiful and unforgettable magic of Lyra Belacqua.

Not yet having read the second part of His Dark Materials, I am sure that in that part the story will get up to speed and the thrill of Lyra's quest will be even more enthralling. Needless to say that that book is already lying on my nightstand.