His Dark Materials Trilogy [Paperback]

Philip Pullman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 3, 2008 | Series: His Dark Materials

Philip Pullman's classic trilogy is now available as a stunning, large-format, bind-up edition. Since the first volume was published in 1955, and has now been filmed as "The Golden Compass", the trilogy has been acclaimed as a modern masterpiece, and has won the UK's top awards for children's literature. Today, the fabulous story of Lyra and her daemon is read and loved by adults and children alike. The extraordinary story moves between parallel universes. Beginning in Oxford, it takes Lyra and her animal-daemon Pantalaimon on a dangerous rescue mission to the ice kingdoms of the far north, where she begins to learn about the mysterious particles they call Dust - a substance for which a terrible war between different worlds will be fought...'This trilogy is one of the great imaginative works in the English Language. And it contains one of the best villains in all literature' - Terry Jones. Phillip Pullman has won the CILIP Carnegie Medal, the Guardian Children's Fiction Award, the Children's book of the Year - British Book Awards, the Whitbread Book of the Year, the Eleanor Farjeon Award and the Astrid Lindgren Award.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In the epic trilogy His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman unlocks the door to worlds parallel to our own. Dæmons and winged creatures live side by side with humans, and a mysterious entity called Dust just might have the power to unite the universes--if it isn't destroyed first. The three books in Pullman's heroic fantasy series, published as mass-market paperbacks with new covers, are united here in one boxed set that includes The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. Join Lyra, Pantalaimon, Will, and the rest as they embark on the most breathtaking, heartbreaking adventure of their lives. The fate of the universe is in their hands. (Ages 13 and older) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Philip Pullman won the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in honor of the body of his work. He lives in Oxford, England. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1024 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic; New Ed edition (November 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1407109421
• ISBN-13: 978-1407109428
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (654 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #404,279 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

163 of 182 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Polar Bears!, October 17, 2007

By 

M. Lee (Somewhere in the West Coast) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: His Dark Materials Omnibus (The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; The Amber Spyglass) (Paperback)

There are enough (I dare say much more than enough) reviews out there that pertain to the actual contents of the book, whether it be good or bad, so I shall not express how awesome I think the trilogy is. I, instead, want to comment on the various editions of the book/trilogy available out there. I personally bought the Dark Materials Omnibus, which is absolutely gorgeous, and has very sturdy binding. The cover has a nice texture to it, and is much lighter than one would expect for its size (it is quite large). However, I have seen other versions of the trilogy, and I found that the paperback versions, printed by Knopf, are also wonderful and pleasing to the eye, which are printed with heftier paper than the Omnibus. The "standard" versions (the ones that cost 7.50 or so) are also great, though not as pretty as the other ones; they are, however, lightweight and tightly bound (I got those for my brother, who enjoyed the series). However, if you are in search of a copy to give as a gift, then I suggest the Omnibus or paperback versions, simply because of its aesthetic value.

57 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and exciting, November 16, 2007

By 

J. Anderson "happy mom of 3 beauties" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: His Dark Materials Trilogy (The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; The Amber Spyglass) (Paperback)

My three girls and I all love to read, I mean LOVE it! We also like to discuss books we read together. As such, it is always a joy to come across a book or series that engages all of us and ends with long conversations we all learn from. While I do not feel these books are age appropriate for my 8 year old, even with an advanced reading level, it IS for my 13 and 17 year olds. After The Golden Compass, they both fought over who would get to read The Subtle Knife first.

Based on some of the reviews here, much of this series seems to personally offend anyone that is christian. It seems like anything that is threatening to their beliefs is deemed dangerous and negative. However, I think it is a good thing to have your beliefs challenged; it makes you use your mind, question things, and creates thought!

I would much rather have my girls read something they didn't agree with and found distasteful than have their right to read what they want denied. I am grateful for the freedom they experience in our country and the opportunities they are afforded because of it--opportunities to read something like these books that will make them use their minds, for example!

It comes down to this: If you are someone who likes to read, likes to be entertained, likes to use your imagination, and likes to think for yourself rather than allowing someone else to think for you, you will find value in this series!

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magical, Thoughtful, Dangerous, November 30, 2007

By 

J. C. Bellour "AZ Barbu" (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: His Dark Materials Omnibus (The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; The Amber Spyglass) (Paperback)

This trilogy is what reading is all about. It creates a world where you can lose yourself and reflect upon the "real world" that we live in. I found it moving and important.

I picked up a copy of "The Golden Compass" as a houseguest at a friend's house. I confess I wasn't much company, as I could not put the book down for my visit. Before I left my host's house, I went online to buy the entire Trilogy which was waiting for me when I got home. I unpacked, and started reading again.

It truly is thought-provoking and brilliant. Unfortunately, it is also dangerous to those beliefs which we simply assume to be true. Questioning and analyzing are basic intellectual activities, and these books are marvelous opportunities to use fiction to really make you think. Perhaps that's why we are seeing so many negative ratings from those who are very "faith-based". They seem to assume if Faith is questioned (which this series does), then it is anti-Christian. I don't quite get that, as I think Faith without questioning is dangerous itself.

I would agree that the youngest readers may not be equipped for the explorations these books present, but after reading them themselves, perhaps parents will be able to make an informed decision.

Read for yourself, think for yourself, allow the mysteries to absorb you. But don't expect to get a lot done outside of your reading time!!