The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (Audiobook)

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Ratings:
Ease with which to listen/enjoyable narration style 5.0
Suitable ending 5.0
Personal favoritism 4.75
Poetic language 3.5
Memorable 4.75
Original, creative plot 4.75
Original, well-developed characters 4.5
Probability of recommendation 5.0
Ability to "move" emotionally 3.5
Literary value and/or educational value 3.5
Total: 44.25

Final Rating: 4 stars

4-sentence summary:
Lyra Belacqua is a headstrong 11-year-old orphan growing up in a university full of scholars in an 18th century setting. Her uncle, Lord Asriel, comes to visit her often, and it is on one of these visits that Lyra stumbles upon a great secret that could change the course of human history. She embarks on a journey, accompanied by several unusual but fascinating friends (including an armored polar bear) to find the truth of what she's learned and to save the ones she loves.

Critique:
I will address two aspects of this book. Firstly, the audiobook quality. It is phenomenal. There is a full cast for the voice actors; and they are all cast perfectly. It was like watching a movie while driving; the emotions of the actors were so real and perfectly done that it was extremely difficult to leave the audiobook behind when a journey was over. I would highly recommend to anyone considering this story to get the audiobook (narrated by Philip Pullman himself, who has a deep and lyrical voice). Stephen has a copy if you are interested.

Secondly, the plot itself. The progression of this book is comparable to an avalanche. Although there is a slow start, it soon starts flying toward more and more secrets and plot-twists and climaxes that you are left breathless and wondering. Lyra is an admirable character (truly a mini-heroine), and the other characters in the book are so incredibly realistic (even in this fantasy world) that you feel you could reach out and touch them.

Now. If you've heard anything about the book, it's either that people were disappointed with the movie rendition or you've heard the uproar about the anti-Catholicism themes. I'll tell you this much: Do NOT watch the movie first. It is an accurate account of the book but leaves out the most important part: the ending.

The anti-Catholicism is slight, but it is definitely there. There is a hint of it at the end of this book (which is somewhat confusing until you read the rest of the series) and then more of it throughout the remaining books. As far as a book recommendation for youngsters go, I would still highly recommend this book. The first book has hardly any references to the "evils of the Catholic church" (and they are obscure, at that). If you decide to read "The Subtle Knife" or "The Amber Spyglass" (the two remaining books in the trilogy) you will find more theology than you know what to do with. But the themes of religion are important to the plot (as the villain in this book is the church called the Magisterium) and you can overlook the Catholic references in light of a higher-purpose in the book. Do not be intimidated by these themes or their critiques: truly, they are minimal in comparison to the epic nature of the book.

All in all, this book is amazing. It's a young adult novel, but it's packed full of adult themes like forgiveness, vengeance, and so on. The story is memorable and original, and the ending of this book is breathtaking. Highly recommended!