The Golden Compass

I very much enjoyed the world-building of this fantasy, the subtle differences between their universe and our own. Pullman creates a linguistic fantasy, and I fell deeply into it. What I didn't fall deeply into, however, was Lyra. For some reason, I could not bring myself to care for her, relate to her, or even like her.

Maybe it was the childish, forced way she spoke (en't), her initial tendencies as a bully, or the first few chapters where she showed interest in absolutely nothing. Whatever it was, it ruined my initial impression of her and I struggled to repair that impression throughout the book.

Every other character was well-written to me. I found myself caring about the other children, the panserbjørne, the gyptians, even the dæmons (including Pantalaimon, who seemed to have more character than Lyra herself). I hated Mrs. Coulter and Lord Asriel with equal fervor, but I just felt lukewarm and confused about Lyra the entire time.

Maybe that's the point - for Lyra's character to be so ambivalent because of her position in the story. Bridging the gap between childhood and adolescence, her world and the world in the Aurora, society and prophecy. I'm eager to see how she fares in book two, and maybe I'll have enough time to form a new opinion.

Once I finish the trilogy I may re-read book one to see if I can enjoy it more deeply. My experience with fantasy worlds like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings has made me used to caring for and relating to the heroes, which made my experience with Lyra all the more disappointing.