Wonderful reading for 10 and up
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Enjoyable for the older generations, great story for pre-teen. Well- written trilogy, but enjoyed the first two more than the last book. Ending was less than expected. My daughter is working her way through book 2 and loving it as much as I did.
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For all children
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This trilogy is a wonderful addition to a childs library. My daughters, 11 & 13, loved it and they are normally I-Pod and video kids. It is well written, flows through all three books and is engrossing. Shame on those who have denied it to children for petty religious reasons.
There is not enough fiction around where a child can benefit from the writing style and the morality.
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For mature children only i.e. over 10 years old
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As the majority of other reviewers have indicated, this is an extremely well written trilogy that will become a classic piece of literature along the lines of LOTR. Much easier to follow than Lord of the Rings and more of a page turner in my opinion, but there are some very emotional scenes in the books which may upset some younger readers and result in a few nightmares. I really wouldn't classify this as a childrens book for this reason. Early teens and older would be the demographic I would encourage to read this trilogy. As far as the anti religous theme, there is nothing in here that is any worse than events which have actually occured in our society over the last 500 years. eg. the inquisition, witch burnings, residential school abuse of aboriginals to name a few examples.
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"Then I saw her face, Now I'm a believer" Neil Diamond
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Someone once described "His Dark Materials" by Philip Pullman as she gets caught, she escapes, she gets caught again, she escapes again, then she gets caught, then she escapes. This may be true but the real substance of the epic is the how and why.
It is the "how" that holds the story together. We are intrigued with Lyra's ability to plan and lie her way out of trouble. Eventually it is the truth that sets her free.
The "why" she is being sought and the "why" she must go on brings us many conundrums that we not only face in the tale but also in our real life.
Lyra must fulfill a prophecy; however if she becomes aware of her destiny, that destiny may never happen. For those readers who have read Josef Campbell you will recognize the classic Hero's Journey where a person coming of age must sacrifice the apron strings and face the challenge of adulthood. This includes going into a dark place and confronting an unknown which usually is ones own fears and ego. From there they are reborn to become a fully functional person in society.
Oh, did I forget to tell you that this is a fun read.
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Astonishing
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Arguably, the most satisfying read in the last few years across all genres. The Dark Materials Trilogy is composed of three books: The Golden Compass (originally entitled the Northern Lights in its initial UK release), the Subtle Knife and the Amber Spyglass. The first book was published some 10 years ago and since then the trilogy went on to win both worldwide recognition, with some 15 million copies sold, and its fair share of literature prizes. The story describes Lyra Belacqua's journey out of the innocence of her childhood into the world of experience and acquired wisdom of adulthood. Although the publishing house decided that the book would be ideally targeted at a young adult audience, both a 12 year old and a 50 year old will find the story mesmerizing and inspiring. Pullman is a master storyteller. His writing skills are simply second to none. The multi layered structure of the story means that this book can be read and re-read as someone ages and acquires knowledge of History, Physics, Literature, Mathematics, Cosmology. Truly a Masterpiece and a must-read.
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