Customer Reviews

Discovering the Golden Compass: A Guide to Philip Pullman's Dark Materials

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I first became familiar with George Beahm's work through his engaging books on the Harry Potter universe. His newest book, Discovering the Golden Compass: A Guide to Philip Pullman's Dark Materials, proves a wonderful combination of information and resources regarding Philip Pullman's beloved novels. Beahm's book speaks to both those who are devotees of the series and those who are new to the books. His non-spoiler policy assures that the storyline will not be ruined for those who have yet to finish the series. Vivid descriptions of the main characters and concepts, as well as Beahm's detailing of Pullman's inspirations for the books, further invite the reader to appreciate the series' unique vision. The design, layout and organization of the book are lovely as well; the reader will appreciate the look and feel of Discovering. Additional strengths include the inclusion of Pullman's autobiography, which adds a special weight to the book given that he involved himself with the project (which is often not the case with literary guides). A lovely color photo collection detailing Pullman's Oxford and fantastic artwork by Tim Kirk also add excellent visual components. Kirk also contributes his own statement regarding his design process as he worked to visualize, and thus provide his own interpretations of Pullman's world. In some respects, Discovering is a collaborative effort, with Beahm as the primary author and researcher. This shared expertise only strengthens the book. Insightful, respectful of the material, and true to Pullman's vision and message, Discovering the Golden Compass is an excellent addition to any fan's library.

I found George Beahm's book to be not only an excellent introductory guide but also very useful as a study aide.
About two years ago I happened to overhear a part of an audio tape my daughter was listening to. As I paused to listen I instantly became intrigued. The audio book was "Northern Lights" by Philip Pullman My daughter graciously agreed to start the tape again and we all (mom and 2 children) began the journey together into the world of Philip Pullman. The journey is a deep, multi-coloured and thought provoking one to be sure....as a person who has taken on the task of homeschooling my kids I recognize a huge potential for learning by way of study and reflection and this is where we get to the importance and influence of George Beahm's book..."Discovering The Golden Compass" It has proven to be a wonderful source of fact and information...with a host of references, photos, links, that the kids have found quite helpful in their studies of Pullman's books. So yes, this book will most certainly prove to be invaluable to those who want an introduction to "The Golden Compass" and the rest of the trilogy before seeing the movie, but it also has more to give....for educators and students who wish to delve a little deeper...... The artwork of Tim Kirk's is also to be commended for living up to our imaginations....one of the kids mentioned that "Yes, that is JUST what I imagined Lyra to look like! "....

George Beahm writes lucid, entertaining and thoughtful books; and this one is no exception. As with his guides to Harry Potter and Narnia, I greatly enjoyed Beahm's tour through Pullman's world. I have read the Pullman books and loved the first two, but rather lost my enthusiasm in the third. Beahm's book refired my interest! I especially enjoyed reading some of Pullman's own comments about his life and his philosophy. This has inspired me to go back to the books and reconsider some of the ideas Pullman puts forward.

The book will also be a terrific guide for anyone who wants to see the movie of 'The Golden Compass' but who has not yet read the books. Beahm's pointers will make sure that you don't get lost! The added wonders in this book are the marvellous Tim Kirk illustrations; gorgeous works of art which will be savoured by all fantasty fans. There are also some beautiful photographs of Oxford. All in all, this is a very enjoyable read, and is also fun simply to leaf through and enjoy the pictures! Well worth adding to your collection!

DISCOVERING THE GOLDEN COMPASS is a charming little book ("little" in comparison to other HDM guides, that is!) that deals with everything HIS DARK MATERIALS. Author - and fellow fan - George Beahm introduces readers to the trilogy (of course!), as well as:

- its sequel novella, LYRA'S OXFORD (the prequel ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE NORTH was published a year after DISCOVERING THE GOLDEN COMPASS, so it doesn't make an appearance here);

- the unabridged audiobook (brilliant! you should definitely give it a listen if you haven't already!) and BBC radio adaptations;

- the six-hour play staged by the National Theatre in London;

- the upcoming (eventually!) BOOK OF DUST; and

- (groan!) the 2007 film THE GOLDEN COMPASS.

Also included are brief overviews of HDM-related books, collectibles, documentaries and websites, as well as copious quotes from the principals in and critics of each.

The design and artwork are the highlights of DISCOVERING THE GOLDEN COMPASS. The book is primarily printed in black and white, with red and gold details throughout. A 16-page full-color insert chock full of photographs by Emma Raynaud provides a gorgeous (if all too short) tour through Philip Pullman's Oxford, and the illustrations by Tim Kirk are both lovely and informative. This is one good-looking guide!

But the true gem of this collection is a 10,000-word autobiographical essay by Philip Pullman himself; originally published on Philip Pullman's website, as of this writing "I Have a Feeling This All Belongs to Me" appears to be unavailable online. Even if you read nothing else, the essay alone is worth the purchase price of the book.

On the downside, the sections concerning the film are terribly depressing. THE GOLDEN COMPASS was still in production while Beahm was writing DISCOVERING THE GOLDEN COMPASS, and the book was published three months before the release of the film. Beahm's outlook concerning the film adaptation is hopeful, even gushing, despite the early warning signs (for example, the filmmakers' eschewing of His Dark Materials' more subversive elements, such as at the 2007 Oxford Literary Festival - the panel discussion for which Beahm provides a transcript). While I can't begrudge him his optimism, in hindsight these passages are difficult - painful, even - to read.

As someone who'd rather pretend that the film never happened, I think (some of) the precious space occupied by THE GOLDEN COMPASS would have been better spent looking at HIS DARK MATERIALS: the plot, the setting, the characters, the curiosities. Dust and daemons, witches and armored bears, Svalbard and Bolvanger - all the details to delight a fangirl. Since Beahm aims to covers so much ground in so few pages, his discussion of the HDM trilogy is necessarily brief: DISCOVERING THE GOLDEN COMPASS is a little bit of everything. Die-hard fans probably won't gain any significant insights here, but it's a fun romp through Philip Pullman's worlds in any case.

Curiously, Beahm also keeps it (mostly) spoiler-free, which seems an odd choice to me; if you happen to find yourself intrigued by HIS DARK MATERIALS, why not just read the source material? Picking up a book about a book you want to read, but haven't yet, seems ... silly. The primary audience for this type of tome - nonfiction written about a piece of fiction, be it literature, film, television, etc. - seems to me to be existing fans ... so why not converse with one another using the language and shared knowledge of a fandom? It's so much more fun that way!

Marzipan!

george beahms book was a terrific companion to the dark materials series.
not being much of a book reader i was drawn in by the many ilustrations and photos.Both george and tim kirk have together guided us through the worlds created by phillip pullman.
i could not see reading the dark materials books without this book..
they both go hand in hand.
Discovering the Golden Compass: A Guide to Philip Pullman's Dark Materials

George Beahm has written the definitive book about "His Dark Materials". A must-have companion to Philip Pullman's series, it is full of everything you ever needed to know about the series and the author, as well as lovely illustrations and photographs. I highly recommend it for fans of "His Dark Materials" or anyone interested in Philip Pullman and his works.

I'll be the first to admit I have never read a word of Philip Pullman's work, yet I did read George Beahm's DISCOVERING THE GOLDEN COMPASS because (full disclosure) George is a friend and I am very interested in his work. Well, George pulled off quite an achievement with this terrific book: he made me want to read Pullman, in depth, and as soon as possible. As with all of Beahm's works, this book is accessible, entertaining, and loaded to the bursting point with Pullman info. It also includes writing by Pullman, and introduces unaware readers (like me) to this truly fascinating writer. The Potter epic is over, and we've all read our beloved JRR Tolkien over and over, so it seems it could be Pullman's time for mass, mainstream popularity - and George Beahm's DISCOVERING THE GOLDEN COMPASS is the perfect book for getting to know him and his work as we read. Recommended.