The Golden Compass

I started this blog with every intention of writing once a week. However, the demands of teaching always manage to crowd out my best intentions. I’m back and committed to blogging at least once a week.

I'm starting with The Golden Compass. In one week, the film version comes to theaters. I’m excited and worried. I’m excited because The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman’s first book in his Dark Material Trilogy, is one of my favorite books; I’m worried because film often mutilates books I love. My fingers are crossed.

If you haven’t read The Golden Compass, you may want to rush out and get it. I promise a wonderful read. Or perhaps the film will inspire you to read the book.

The reason this book always shows up at the top of my list of favorites is because Philip Pullman tells a great story. Lyra, the protagonist, is a free spirited little urchin, who is loyal, bold, and often, if needful, an accomplished liar. She lives in an alternate universe that in many ways is very like our own, and in many ways is very exotic and unique. Mrs Coulter is a delightful villain who is at once attractive, repulsive, and decidedly evil. She is one of the most interesting and engaging characters in the book. Iorek Byrnison, the armored bear, is one of my all time favorite characters. He is a wild beast, a noble warrior, and loyal friend.

If you read the book and get a feeling that Milton, as he penned Paradise Lost, is looking over your shoulder, your instincts are good. Pullman wrote this with Paradise Lost in mind. Don’t let that worry you or put you off because the writing is contemporary, engaging, and always entertaining.

There has been a call to boycott the film. If you have read or heard that the book is controversial, take heed. It is. The book is a harsh critique of organized religion and things that are done in the name of religion. This is where the film is likely to diverge away from the book. I do hope it doesn’t, for although the book is not didactic, the theme hinges on this critique, and watering it down could damage the overall story. I’ve read at least one critique that says the book is trying to indoctrinate children into atheism. That just silly. Give kids credit. Pullman does. He writes about complex and sometimes perplexing issues. Reading or seeing Harry Potter isn’t going to turn children into wizards; reading or seeing The Golden Compass isn’t going to create a world of atheists.

I love fantasy. Good fantasy reflects life and invites deeper thinking about complex issues. Pullman does both as he engages his readers with a look at the darker side of organized religion. Think of the world that we live in and what people do in the name of religion. This books is timely. I believe it is good to question and examine the world and our beliefs.

Or, forget about all the controversy, and read a great, entertaining book.

I haven’t seen the film, so I don’t know what we are in for. I hope it’s a delightful journey.