I read The Golden Compass
One of the enduring themes of fantasy novels is the story of the plucky, precocious youth, blessed with an unusual gift or talent, who must find a path from their humble beginnings to somehow shoulder the burden of saving humanity. Maybe that is the enduring theme of fantasy novels. It speaks to the bit in each of us that believes (or wants to believe, or simply wishes) that there is a special quest or purpose in our lives.
The Golden Compass has all of that. The main character, Lyra, is just such a girl, who has a special skill that will help her on a quest to save the world. She is smart but untamed, brave but foolish. Her quest is interesting, she travels to interesting places, the villains are certainly mean. Sounds like a no-brainer.
In the end, though, the book left me a little flat. It was a bit too predictable — I did not fear for Lyra and did not care enough about the side characters for their fates to matter. I know it is a young adult’s book, and for me to say I found it childish seems like I’m stating the obvious, but there it is. Upon finishing the book, I set it down and said, “Meh. I don’t need to read the rest of the series.”
Do they get better?
Rating: 2 stars (out of 5)
Filed under: Book Lust | Tagged: fantasy, precocious, quest, talking bears
Yes! They get quite a bit better. Epic struggle between good and evil, morality, religion, “god” vs man, man vs man, and two kids trying to figure out what it all means. Generally you can tell they were written for teenagers, but the more you think about what they’re saying, the better they are. Plow through the last two..shouldn’t take you too long. I think they’re worth it!
And Lyra herself doesn’t seem to care very much what happens to the secondary characters.
The second books is a bit better.
The third is downhill all the way.