I am not the target audience. Might have enjoyed it as a kid but as an adult, I find that it tries too hard. ( )

I read this the first time when I was doing my A-levels - fifteen years later I decided it was definitely worth a second run! I loved it just as much as before, and certainly I understand so much more than I did! ( )

I don't know, I loved this book until the last couple of chapters. I was planning on reading the whole trilogy, but now I'm not sure if I will or not. ( )

Speculative fiction playing with both sci-fi and fantasy themes. ( )

Don't think of this book as a stand alone novel. The three books really should have been published as one large book - I'm guessing only economics split these apart.

I have seen the movie several times, and enjoyed it, so I was curious what to expect. The book of course has lots of interesting details, and expands some areas the movie glosses over. Like one, you'll like the other. I was struck by how good a job the movie did of portraying Lyra - her complex character in the book really did shine on screen. Then I hit about the last third of the novel, and the movie and book started going almost opposite directions. No spoilers here, but the book is darker and starts taking on a different tone than the bright steampunk adventure tale.

Can't wait to break new ground with the next book -
[b:The Subtle Knife|119324|The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials, #2)|Philip Pullman|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1228630575s/119324.jpg|1570229] ( )