The Golden Compass, Week 4

Welcome to the final week of the Online Book Club discussion of The Golden Compass.

Did you enjoy the end of the book? Did you stop reading and immediately want to find the next one in the series? I definitely ordered the next one right after I finished reading especially since the version of The Golden Compass I was reading had a preview chapter of the next book, and I really enjoyed that preview chapter. I just have to know what's going to happen to Lyra. 

The bears had a really important part in this section, didn't they? I could not believe how violent the fight between Iofur Raknison and Iorek Byrnison was. I certainly didn't want Iofur to win the fight, but I did think he was a little bit of a pitiable character. I thought it was really sad that he wanted a daemon so badly that he was willing to carry around that doll. That made me sad. But, I definitely didn't like the way he conspired with Mrs. Coulter, and I didn't like the way he treated the other bears. Did you think it was interesting that Iorek was able to trick Iofur since Iofur wanted to me a man and not a bear? That definitely worked for Iorek's advantage. Were you surprised by how bloody Iofur's death was? I think I would have a hard time watching that scene in a movie or television adaptation. Have you wondered how the bears come to life on screen? Check out this article from RadioTimes to see behind the scenes videos and information. 

Can you believe how smart and brave Lyra is? She's able to stand up to a bear and is able to trick him into thinking she's a daemon that would love to become his daemon. She tricks that prisoner, Jotham Santelia, into telling her what she needs to know about bears. And, she makes it all the way to her father, even though she endured so much danger and hardship. She's a really incredible little girl. 

What did you think about the ending? Were you surprised about all of the things that happened? I was shocked. I can't believe that Mrs. Coulter and Lord Asriel reconnected in the end, and I really can't believe that Lord Asriel sacrificed Roger. That was heartbreaking. I thought, throughout the whole book, that Lord Asriel was a hero, but he proved at the end that he would stop at nothing to prove his ideas about Dust. Sacrificing the life of a child to prove a scientific theory is not very heroic. 

Lord Asriel wants to destroy Dust because he thinks Dust is responsible for all of the bad in the world. He believes that if he's able to find and destroy the place that creates Dust, he'll be able to end Death. But, after she is betrayed by all of the adults she knows, Lyra begins to believe that Dust is good. So, she embarks on a journey alone to save Dust. Who do you think is right? Do you think Lyra must save the Dust? Is she right to go opposite of all of the adults she's had contact with? How do you think she'll do, going alone instead of with all of the people who helped her in the first book? 

What are your final thoughts about the book? Were you satisfied with the story? Were there any parts you would have changed? 

If you enjoyed this book and want to read more like it, check out this list I created. Make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list. And, before you go, make sure to check out the video below to understand more about Philip Pullman's writing process. 

Thanks so much for following along this month. I hope you'll join us again next month as we read The Joy Luck Club. I can't wait to hear from you in the comments section.