Do you have any idea why American publishers change the names of books? The Golden Compass is actually called The Northern Lights, and Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone is Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone.

“Philosopher’s Stone” was changed because American publishers felt that children would not want to open a book with “philosopher” in the title. “Northern Lights” was changed because “The Golden Compass” fits better with “The Subtle Knife” and “The Amber Spyglass”. Plus its fits better into the “His Dark Materials” trilogy (trilogy of titles that is).
It is my understanding that the publishers for the UK and US are sometimes independent of each other and so the author’s dealings with each will be likewise independent.

I look forward to your opinion about the idiotic Christian argument that the series is anti-God, promoting atheism.

I enjoyed the novels for what they were: a fun, imaginative, intelligent tale.

I can’t wait to read them!

I finished the Golden Compass Friday.  Very good book, way better than Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone.  It works as both a children’s book and an adults book, much more than the Potter series in my opinion.  The anti-church stuff is only tangential in the first book, but I won’t lay down any spoilers here beyond that.

CORRECTION

Anne finished “His Dark Materials” Series on Sunday.

lol

I believe, after reading the whole trilogy, that the series is more adult in nature.  Can it be read by young teens? Sure.  Will it be completely understood?  No.

I can definitely understand the “Anti-God” accusation and do not think it is a bad thing.

I get the impression that the author is definitely anti-religion, especially anti-organized religions with a specifically strong no-likey the Christians message in the series. 

So what?  It’s his opinion.  It’s his fantasy story.  Don’t like it? Can’t appreciate it as a very creative fantasy story?  Don’t read it.

However, your personal opinion of the story (no matter how strong) does not give you the right to harangue it to the general public at large. And, if you haven’t even read the series, well now, you’ve lost the right to claim anything about it at all. For, how could you know anything without having actually read the material to know?

Anti-organized religion does not equate to Atheism in my mind.  Atheists have a more complete, logical and complex definition for themselves. Not to mention that not ever Atheist would define themselves or Atheism in the same way.

I do not think that the Harry Potter series and the His Dark Materials series can be compared beyond the simple fact that both are fantasy stories.  I loved Pullman’s His Dark Materials. I still love the Harry Potter series.  I also love Anne McCaffrey’s Dragon Riders of Pern series, Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Series and Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series.

However, I am not willing to compare them to each other.  There are all very different story lines, abet all within the fantasy genre.

I too bought the trilogy ‘His Dark Materials’ last week, and am avidly reading it as time allows.

I do not think that the Harry Potter series and the His Dark Materials series can be compared beyond the simple fact that both are fantasy stories.  I loved Pullman’s His Dark Materials. I still love the Harry Potter series.  I also love Anne McCaffrey’s Dragon Riders of Pern series, Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Series and Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series.

I personally only mentioned the comparison because the two series are both in the middle school children to adult range of reading, AND Pullman himself alluded to a similar comparison in that infamous interview where he said his books were about killing god. Well, he at least mentioned Harry Potter in that interview, and the irony that Rowling’s novels were getting all the heat from religious nuts when his were “worse” from their point of view.

I read the series when I was 11 for the first time.
I reread the first book back in spring, but I can only remember the major events so I’m going to reread it again and then the rest of the series.

I must say, from personal experience as a child reading the books that I honestly did not understand all that much of the deeper levels of the book.  I found it was incredibly intriguing and I really liked Lyra.  There were, I remember, some major parts that I didn’t understand when I was kid, which is part of the reason I’m rereading the entire series.

I just think it’s cool to have both the insights of my child-mind and of my now young adult mind.  Comparing what I saw as a child in the book and what I see now is amazing.

Just a quick update: I’m through the first book and almost finished with the second one. Comments to come soon…

Courtney- my daughter Rosalind also read the books when she was about eleven, and also (not surprisingly) didn’t understand everything.  I’ll ask if she’s read them again more recently (she’s seventeen now).

Seventeen, huh?  Then she’s my age.
It would be cool to see what someone else’s thoughts on the books were/are.

Well, it turns out that Rozzle hasn’t read the books since then.  But she will read The Golden Compass again before we go see the film.  I just hope it comes out in English here in Vienna.

Actually this is one set of books that benefits a lot from a re-read. The first time around I was so eager to see what happened that I rushed through the book(s) just absorbing plot points. On the second more leisurely reading I actually appreciated it more. Kinda like Lord of the Rings.

I’m taking my time, so I just finished the first book.
I hope Rozzle enjoys the book again!

Well...for all of the hoopla on both sides I’ve been greatly enjoying it.

A good read overall.