{"id":347,"date":"2011-05-23T07:00:18","date_gmt":"2011-05-23T14:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/?p=347"},"modified":"2011-05-25T13:55:15","modified_gmt":"2011-05-25T20:55:15","slug":"mark-reads-the-golden-compass-chapter-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/2011\/05\/mark-reads-the-golden-compass-chapter-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Reads ‘The Golden Compass’: Chapter 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the first chapter of The Golden Compass<\/em>, we are introduced to Lyra and her d\u00c3\u00a6mon, Panatalaimon, some sort of spirit animal that can take different animal forms. The two of them get stuck in a room while exploring Lyra\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s school, and she witnesses a dire threat to her own uncle. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to read The Golden Compass<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Gosh, I love starting a new project. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a rush of excitement and anticipation that comes with this, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve meant to read this trilogy for a long time because of C.S. Lewis. And I will explain that at some time in the future when it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s right. I know very little about this series, and whenever I start a new project, it inevitably brings new folks around here, so let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s get down to the details before I begin my proper review.<\/p>\n

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YES, I AM USING THE GOLDEN COMPASS<\/em>. <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what the book is called in North America and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s probably an inferior title, but that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what my book is called and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just easy to remember that way. DILL WITH IT.<\/p>\n
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DO NOT SPOIL ME<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Years ago, I do vaguely recall seeing the movie adaptation of this book, but all I can remember of it was that:<\/p>\n
\n
<\/strong> It was incredibly confusing.<\/li>\n
<\/strong> There was a polar bear fight.<\/li>\n
<\/strong> IT WAS REALLY CONFUSING. <\/em>And Daniel Craig was really hot as Lord Asriel.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
That being said, we are treating this like all other series. Please read the site rules, which include a detailed spoiler policy. <\/a>Half the joy of this place is allowing me to innocently plow through a series\/book without knowing what happens. So, do not answer my rhetorical questions. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t give me hints for the future. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t tell me your favorite scenes or characters. Does it happen in the future? Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t post anything about it THE END.<\/strong><\/p>\n
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BE RESPECTFUL TO ONE ANOTHER<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve learned one thing in the many years I have lived on the Internet, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s that discussions revolving religion, especially the Western world\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s version of Christianity, rarely end well. This site is not going to be home to a theism war in any sense, so please do not post comments like \u00e2\u20ac\u0153LOL CHRISTIANS R DUM\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153ALL ATHEISTS R DOUCHES\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and take a moment to be respectful of another person\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s beliefs and please take the time to have discussions, <\/em>not raging arguments, ok? DON\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T RUIN THIS FOR ME. I DON\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T EVEN KNOW WHAT THIS SERIES HAS TO SAY ABOUT RELIGION AT ALL SO PLEASE DON\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T TRY TO HAVE ARGUMENTS RIGHT OFF THE BAT AND INADVERTENTLY SPOIL ME.<\/p>\n
Ok. Onwards we go!<\/p>\n
CHAPTER ONE: THE DECANTER OF TOKAY<\/strong><\/p>\n
With the exception of Harry Potter<\/em>, every book series I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve read has a female protagonist. Huh.<\/p>\n
The first chapter of The Golden Compass<\/em> jumps into the action more so than anything I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve read in the past, dropping us into the middle of a bit of an exploration on the part of Lyra and her d\u00c3\u00a6mon, Pantalaimon. Now, a lot of what happens here is an exposition of sorts, but Pullman also flat out references things that make absolutely no sense to me, and I imagine this will all be much more coherent later.<\/p>\n
It sort of feels like starting Harry Potter<\/em> in that sense, too, because this is a fully imagined, alternate world, full of its own language and colloquialisms and political systems, and while Pullman does define some of this, most of this is left for later. As far as I understand it, Lyra attends Jordan College, which is run by the Master. (No, not of Doctor Who<\/em> lore, though that would<\/em> be pretty fantastic.) There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a very specific order in terms of class\/power, including Lords and Servants, and that women don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seem to play into much of it. On top of that, every person has their own d\u00c3\u00a6mon that walks alongside them, able to change forms, and\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6.tell their owner stuff? I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t understand what purpose they serve, but in no way am I complaining about that. I already want a d\u00c3\u00a6mon myself to tell me not to get into shenanigans with a haughty tone and then gradually give in because I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m awesome.<\/p>\n
Those shenanigans appear here in the first chapter, as Lyra\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s curiosity about a place called the Requirement Room, where Big Important Men hold meetings of sorts in. Pullman\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an adequate writer so far, in the sense that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s easy to imagine all of this in my head as he describes the functionality and physical space, but nothing he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s written has really jumped out at me. Stylishly, I do feel that this isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t that a far of a stretch from Rowling\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s style, actually, in that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s third person, very matter-of-fact, and fairly basic. Nothing to complain about, but nothing to write home about. (That really is kind of an awful phrase, isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t it? I never write home, anyway, so it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even make sense. STILL, YOU UNDERSTAND THE SENTIMENT.)<\/p>\n
Lyra and Pantalaimon are contrasted fairly well this early on in the story, as Pantalaimon is a much more practical and pragmatic character than Lyra is, who so far seems motivated to satisfy her own curiosity quite in conflict with her own personal safety. It was also hard for me to not think about how often Harry and his friends over heard major plot changes or twists by hiding in a cupboard or behind a corner or under the Invisibility Cloak, which…ok, this is certainly NOT Harry Potter<\/em>, and I promise I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not going to spend the whole book talking about the two.<\/p>\n
But I will say that it feels like Pullman does something immediately with Lyra\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s situation that Rowling generally didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t. When the Master and his servant arrive in the Requirement Room and Lyra and her d\u00c3\u00a6mon are forced to hide behind a chair, she overhears that her uncle, Lord Asriel, is on his way to the school. That excitement, however, is easily crushed when she watches the Master poor a white powder into a decanter of Tokay that is specifically<\/em> for Lord Asriel. (I had to Google \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Tokay\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to see if it was a real thing or some sort of imagined alcoholic beverage. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s totally real!)<\/p>\n
Well, this book got to assassination pretty quickly, didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t it? (I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know the intended age for this series, but I feel safe assuming it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s for young adults, probably early teens.) And while the characters in Harry Potter<\/em> would have either kept this development to themselves, mulling on the possibilities, or perhaps planning things out for a much later time, it takes Lyra less than ten pages to outright tell Lord Asriel himself what just happened. I APPROVE OF THIS SORT OF PACING.<\/p>\n
But I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m jumping ahead of myself, which I seem to do a lot these days. Pullman gives a lot<\/em> more information about this world before that confrontation, and all of that helps me understand things a bit more. I learn additional info about d\u00c3\u00a6mons and it seems whatever form yours takes denotes what sort of class you belong to. The Steward, as a servant, gets a d\u00c3\u00a6mon that is a dog, and because he is a superior servant, his dog is more \u00e2\u20ac\u0153dignified.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Which, seriously, is an absurd concept, assigning class<\/em> to dogs, but that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s how classism works, doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t it? You co-opt inanimate objects to visually denote your place in society, despite that those physical objects out of that context may have no<\/em> meaning at all.) Then Lyra gives us this tidbit:<\/p>\n
The d\u00c3\u00a6mon seemed suspicious, and cast around as if she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d sensed an intruder, but didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t make for the wardrobe, to Lyra\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s intense relief. Lyra was afraid of the Stweard, who had twice beaten her.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
what<\/em>. Beaten her for what? I also noticed (and this is the case with the entirety of the first chapter) that every d\u00c3\u00a6mon we see is a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153female\u00e2\u20ac\u009d d\u00c3\u00a6mon as well, with Pantalaimon as the exception. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know if that means anything at all at this point, but just something I noticed. Lyra also makes a reference to Pantalaimon being one to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153know about conscience,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a phrase that seems so intentional, so now I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m wondering: are d\u00c3\u00a6mons meant to act as physical manifestations of a person\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s conscience? How will that work with villains involved?<\/p>\n
More important, though, is Lyra\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s constant assertion to Pantalaimon that she is sure<\/em> something is going on, that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s entirely reasonable that they may be witnessing a murder attempt. Pullman makes no qualms about introducing what feels like an intricately complex political system, full of drama and intrigue, right here in the very beginning. Lyra refers to some sort of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153secret\u00e2\u20ac\u009d set of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153ritual[s]\u00e2\u20ac\u009d that those in the Requirement Room participate in, but even that<\/em> is brushed over and unexplained, though Pantalaimon is quick to tell Lyra that, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Hiding and spying is for silly children.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Which must be why it is one of the funnest things in the world<\/em>. Duh, Pantalaimon.<\/p>\n
But this silliness passes as Lyra is consumed by anxiety, both at the fact that she just witnessed the Master pour a mysterious powder into her uncle\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s drink and<\/em> because the very fact that Lord Asriel is coming to Jordan College is not a good sign at all:<\/p>\n
It wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t often that he visited the college, and the fact that this was a time of high political tension meant that he hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t come simply to eat and drink and smoke with a few old friends. She knew that both Lord Asriel and the Master were members of the Cabinet Council, the Prime Minister\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s special advisory body, so it might have been something to do with that; but meetings of the Cabinet Council were held in the palace, not in the Retiring Room of Jordan College.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Ok, so\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6.where does this novel take place? Somewhere in Britain? Does it have the same governing system as it does now? (I hate having to say this, but please don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t answer my rhetorical questions. SRSLY.) Pullman tells us that there are rumors of invasions that are affecting the political nature of things in the world, but, again, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really understand any of this. What is Lord Asriel\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s place in all of this? What does he do<\/em> in the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153far North,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d as Lyra puts it?<\/p>\n
Lord Asriel himself is finally introduced properly at this point, and I will say that while I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know how I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll feel about this book as a whole, I can already appreciate the interesting social dynamic of the relationship between Lyra and her uncle. (Where are her parents? She hasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mentioned them yet.) It strikes somewhere right between fear and respect, as she even says that his voice brings feelings of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153pleasure and apprehension.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Lord Asriel inspires fear in Lyra, but not the kind that seems violent or detrimental, but mostly from the fact that he is a powerful person. Her fear seems more as if she fears disappointing<\/em> him rather than anything else. I think that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s part of the subtext for her actions in this chapter, too, as she not only wants to save his life (obviously), but that she also wants to win his respect more than anything else.<\/p>\n
He also doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seem to fit the mold of a particularly nice<\/em> person, either; moreso, I find him to be one who commands attention and who is more interested in honesty and integrity than to catering to a social construct of politeness.<\/p>\n
On top of worrying about the powder in the decanter and nervous about Lyra\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hiding spot in the wardrobe (is that wardrobe a reference to C.S. Lewis?), Pullman adds another bit of intrigue: Lord Asriel demands Wren, the butler, to bring him a screen and a projecting lantern. He has something to show everyone<\/em> and it cannot wait. Well…what the hell is so important that it cannot wait?<\/p>\n
As I contemplated what on earth he could show these people (I have no guesses at all), Lyra cannot resist her hiding place any longer as she catches Asriel pouring a glass of the liquid in the decanter. She cries out \u00e2\u20ac\u0153No!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to him and WELL I GUESS SHE CAN\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T HIDE ANYMORE, CAN SHE<\/p>\n
I will say that Lord Asriel scares the living hell out of me<\/em> here, as he reacts with a violent fury at the revelation that Lyra is hiding in the wardrobe, grabbing her angrily and twisting her wrist, and PLEASE STOP I DON\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T LIKE WHEN PEOPLE FIGHT \ud83d\ude41<\/p>\n
When Lyra flat-out tells him that the Master is trying to poison him, Lord Asriel immediately releases her and she tumbles to the floor, and the dynamic changes so suddenly that it makes me think that perhaps<\/em> she did just earn some of his respect, despite that she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s doing something so painfully foolish. It helps that Asriel purposely spills the decanter when the Porter arrives and makes it look like the Porter did it himself. That can be the only explanation for why Asriel believes Lyra\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s claim without question. Why else would he trust her so quickly? (I might be missing a large part of the story. I can admit that, but this is just what popped into my head right now.)<\/p>\n
To add to this wonderful theory of mine, as the projection lantern is brought in, Lyra realizes that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s being set up in the perfect spot for Lyra, hiding in the wardrobe, to see the entire thing. Yes, this is convenient to the story, but DON\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T CARE. I need to know what he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going to show the Master and all the other Very Important Men, and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a neat twist on the relationship of Lyra and Asriel at this point.<\/p>\n
As soon as the door closed, Lord Asriel looked across the room directly at the wardrobe, and Lyra felt the force of his glance almost as if it had physical form, as if it were an arrow or a spear.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
What an interesting way to introduce a character, I have to say. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not meant to like him right off the bat, but I get this weird sensation that I<\/em> need to earn his respect, too, and then I remember that he isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t a real person<\/em>. I like when things are developed slowly and subtly at times, but I also like when a character is so distinct as Lord Asriel is here. If anything, it just keeps me intrigued. I want to know more.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Master,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Lord Asriel. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yes, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m back. Do bring in your guests; I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got something very interesting to show you.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Oh damn it. I have to wait until the next chapter? Immediately regretting this absurd reading method.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In the first chapter of The Golden Compass, we are introduced to Lyra and her d\u00c3\u00a6mon, Panatalaimon, some sort of spirit animal that can take different animal forms. The two of them get stuck in a room while exploring Lyra\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48,57],"tags":[23,60,62,61],"class_list":["post-347","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-his-dark-materials","category-the-golden-compass","tag-mark-reads","tag-mark-reads-the-golden-compass","tag-philip-pullman","tag-religion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=347"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=347"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}