The Golden Compass was originally titled “Northern Lights” but because of the depiction of Lyra Belacqua’s alethiometer on the original cover, it was retitled by the publisher “The Golden Compass”. By any title this is the first book of the “His Dark Materials” Trilogy.

The mythology created inside the Dark Materials story is original and complex. Several artifacts are created, as well as spirit beings such as dæmons, ghosts, and deaths. Heavy use of Celtic and Norse mythology is used in these areas however, in both mythos and symbolic characteristics. Very little of the Christian mythology is used, if at all. Knowing what we do of the author, it is likely that any definition of the symbols in the book based on Christian mythology should be looked at twice. This does not make it an anti-Christian story, we should remember that atheist does not mean anti-Christian. Atheism is the disbelief in the existence of a deity or deities. It is commonly defined as the positive denial of theism. Philip Pullman, at the very least had a strong idea of spiritually and a spiritual realm, as well as an amazing grasp of mythology itself.

To bring this trilogy into the debate of God and anti-Christian meaning however, is a true shame, though I doubt it could have surfaced as a movie any other way. The work itself is truly a breath of fresh air and Pullman’s scope of creation is awe inspiring.

Posted by Glenn Hefley in Book Review, Glenn's Desk