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[The Shadow]

And I'm kinda bored with it. Admittedly, I'm not very far but the setup for some of the events to come really don't interest me at all. So far we have "Dust", a phantom city of some kind, and "Gobblers", and none of this really entices me to go on further.

Plus, i can't get a good bead on what kind of world it takes place on. I mean we have a lot of fantasy/sci-fi elements like the daemons, and the above mentioned Dust and floating phantom cities, but the locals in the book are real life locations like London and Oxford, and people drive modern day vehicles like vans and trucks.

So can someone who's read the trilogy tell me if it's really worth reading; does it get better or does it just have a dry start? And can someone please setup the world that the story exists on because the book so far isn't doing a very good job of it. Seems like it'll give hints and pieces but doesn't really explain what kind of world Lyra lives in.

 

[7imz]

I read it a couple of months ago and i felt the same way. Going through the golden compass, i felt kinda lost... but believe me it gets much better... so stick with it

edit: you'll eventually understand the setting of the story... you don't want anybody spoiling that for you

 

[border]

I just got done reading His Dark Materials for my Adolescent Lit class, and writing a paper on each book. Pretty good stuff....probably the first fantasy novels that I have read in 15 years.

I thought The Golden Compass was the best book in the trilogy, so if you are not liking it that much then I'm not sure how much more time you should sink into things. The book reads so fast though, it seems like you might as well finish it. How far along are you?

And actually, I don't think there are vans and trucks. When Lyra does encounter one in a later book, she nearly gets herself killed because she doesn't seem to know what the hell they are (Subtle Knife, 65-68). They have crude, large-scale combustion engines for dirigibles, boats, and helicopters but I think their compact ground conveyances are different (Lyra calls them "carts").

The have gatling guns but no missiles or nuclear technology. There seems to be only one government, and it is a theocracy.

I tend to think of it as steampunk, or a bit like the universe of Wild Wild West....where technology has progressed, but in strange and different ways.

Oxford and London exist, but Jordan College does not. Many other countries also have different names.

 

[FortNinety]

I'm a pretty diehard fan of the series. All I can say is just hang in there. The second book was fave btw. One part made me literally sick to my stomach.

 

[The Shadow]

And actually, I don't think there are vans and trucks. When Lyra does encounter one in a later book, she nearly gets herself killed because she doesn't seem to know what the hell they are (Subtle Knife, 65-68). They have crude, large-scale combustion engines for dirigibles, boats, and helicopters but I think their compact ground conveyances are different (Lyra calls them "carts").

I'm really not that far in The Golden Compass and they mention that one of the kids who got taken by the Gobblers was thrown into a white truck and driven off. They actually say "Truck" and "Drive" (not sure of the variation though). They also mention a van a little later on.

Up until that point I had thought it was more of a late-medieval/Renaissance era so I distinctly remember them mentioning that because it really threw me off.

Edit: Found it

pg. 56 "They come in a white truck. They put the little boy in the truck and drove off quick."

pg. 59 She ran across the narrow street and down into the alley where the vans unload goods for the covered market.

 

[border]

Well whatever they have it's different than our world. It's definitely not rennaissance era technology. Probably closer to early 20th century, except without airplanes. If there are cars, they are probably slow-moving and not very prevalent. Someone who has read Lyra's Oxford might be able to elaborate more.

[Will:]"They don't have cars and vans in your Oxford?"
[Lyra:]"Not so many. Not like these ones. I wasn't used to it. But I'm all right now."

 

[Belfast]

I'm really not that far in The Golden Compass and they mention that one of the kids who got taken by the Gobblers was thrown into a white truck and driven off. They actually say "Truck" and "Drive" (not sure of the variation though). They also mention a van in regards to what the Gobblers are using.

Up until that point I had thought it was more of a late-medieval/Renaissance era so I distinctly remember them mentioning that because it really threw me off.

Well, certain people definitely have access to such vehicles, but maybe it was just a slip on the part of the writer. Besides, you can drive things other than a truck or motor vehicle. Either way, I think you're letting that detail concern you too much. I'd say its worth reading through the entire series. Its really quite interesting and the scope extends way, way beyond what is present in TGC. In fact, I think he should've made it more than a trilogy so as to allow more time to explore all of the elements that eventually come into play.

The world Lyra lives in is, yeah, kind of Steampunk-ish. I'd say its early industrial age London, just on the cusp of modern technology. However, the world never quite needs/reaches the level of technology of OUR world because magical items/phenomena circumvents the need for it. I could say more, but yeah, I wouldn't want to spoil things.

 

[The Shadow]

Well, certain people definitely have access to such vehicles, but maybe it was just a slip on the part of the writer. Besides, you can drive things other than a truck or motor vehicle. Either way, I think you're letting that detail concern you too much. I'd say its worth reading through the entire series. Its really quite interesting and the scope extends way, way beyond what is present in TGC. In fact, I think he should've made it more than a trilogy so as to allow more time to explore all of the elements that eventually come into play.

The world Lyra lives in is, yeah, kind of Steampunk-ish. I'd say its early industrial age London, just on the cusp of modern technology. However, the world never quite needs/reaches the level of technology of OUR world because magical items/phenomena circumvents the need for it. I could say more, but yeah, I wouldn't want to spoil things.

Well, it's not just the mention of a truck and being driven off although that was a major one for me because I was genuinely surprised (my fault or the authors?). It's just that it seems like the world thus far is pretty vague and undefined and I'm uncomfortable with that.

It seems like descriptions are in huge generalities instead of describing what matters. Her uncle brings in a "projecting device" that, as described, could have been a modern-day slide projector or in fact a candle with some kind of lens in front. So little is explained or described that it's really hard to tell WTF the thing actually is or how the images were captured aside from the different emulsifiers that get the different images.

From 7imz and your responses, I'm assuming it becomes more clear and/or it's done like this on purpose? If so, I guess I'll keep at it. It's just that it's a pretty rare thing for me to be kind of confused as to what kind of world the main character lives in. Like I said, the trucks and vans really threw me off because I was actually getting kind of comfortable with the idea of a Renaissance era.

So would it be safe to think of Thief: The Metal Age when I'm reading this? That's the only "Steampunk" I'm familiar with.

 

[Belfast]

Yeah, I guess the Thief comparison would be pretty accurate. From what border posted, and from what I can remember, though, it would seem that there ARE trucks of some sort...probably very EARLY trucks, though, and most definitely something that is not a normal sight in Lyra's world. They may exist, but its something reserved for special things, rather than something people actually use to get around.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

I read a fantastic and strange adult novel by Pullman called Galatea. I suggest picking it up if you get the chance, though it is definitely surreal at times.

Didn't know if I'd ever see another thread to share that in so....

 

[The Shadow]

"Uranium mines for atomcraft"

WTF?! Atomic vehicles?

 

[snaildog]

I'm a pretty diehard fan of the series. All I can say is just hang in there. The second book was fave btw. One part made me literally sick to my stomach.

Just curious, what made you sick (use spoiler tags)? Don't remember anything too bad.

 

[Vibri]

Beautiful trilogy of books that just keeps getting better IMO. The third, The Amber Spyglass is one of my favorite books of all time. Don't give up on it.

 

[Drozmight]

This story kind of reminds me of Robert Jordan's the Wheel of Time series. A friend wouldn't shut up about it, so I went anf got myself a copy of the first book. I read 300 pages into and got really bored with it and haven't picked it up since. I have a feeling that whne I do it will get way better, but, at the moment I have school books and what not to read.

 

[Stevie Gerrard]

Just curious, what made you sick (use spoiler tags)? Don't remember anything too bad.

Spoiler

It didn't make me sick but the bit where the kids in Cittagazze are hunting them down after Will has taken the knife and the ensuing battle is the most disturbingly violent thing I've read in a 'children's' book. It's brilliantly written. Also the bit where WIll loses his fingers

I disagree with you Shadow, I think the coherence of the world is one of the book's strongest points. The series does get more interesting and deeper as it goes on (Subtle Knife is my favorite book of the three) and things should make more sense to you later on.

Having said that I was completely engrossed in the first book (called The Northern Lights over here) and I read it in two days.