The Golden Compass

About a street-wise girl that gets caught in the middle of a political battle. She goes on a quest to rescue her best friend who has been taken by the Gobbers. on the way she recieves the help of gyptians, armored bears, witches, and an aeronaut!

Or perhaps you know this better from this e-mail:
There will be a new Children's movie out in December called THE GOLDEN COMPASS. It is written by Phillip Pullman, a proud athiest who belongs to secular humanist societies. He hates C. S. Lewis's Chronical's of Narnia and has written a trilogy to show the other side. The movie has been dumbed down to fool kids and their parents in the hope that they will buy his trilogy where in the end the children kill God and everyone can do as they please. Nicole Kidman stars in the movie so it will probably be advertised a lot. This is just a friendly warning that you sure won't hear on the regular TV.

I did check into these alligations and yes Phillip Pullman is an athiest and yes he has strong theological views in that manner. And yes he has said himself that in the end of the series the children "kill God". Though I have not seen anything where he specifically said he Hates the Chronicles of Narnia.

Okay so first of all let me say I have seen the movie and really enjoyed it. There is nothing, evil or dangerous in it so don't freak out. It was very well made and It's just good 'ol fantasy for any age. If you are trying to protect your childen then turn off the smutt on tv and pop in this movie.

So on to the book. Cause that's the real danger right? cause the movie has been "dumbed down" and is designed to "fool kids and parents into buying the triligy"?

Well the ruling power in this alternate version of our own world is the Catholic church. I can see how perhaps they could be upset but I assure you that it's nothing worse than the HISTORICAL stories I've read and movies I've seen about the dark ages when the Catholic church did rule and killed people simply for ideas. So this is far from a new idea and I didn't find it offensive at all. Also it is not uncommon to have the hero/heroin of the story fight against the established ruling power. I can name at least 7! Think about it I bet you can too!

I read this book through waiting for the blasphame and nothing came close until perhaps near the end where this mystery Dust was finally described as physical evidence of the origanal sin of Eve. You know, "for dust thou art,and unto dust shalt thou return . . ." I actually still didn't have a problem with it.

I understand that the other books get more directly to the point and I will read and report my feelings on those but here is my feelings for this book alone. There is no theological danger in reading it. I don't see it as an evil trap by satan to get at our children. C'mon! It's fantasy! Talking armored bears, witches, and Dust. Where's the issue?

Need more than that? Our children are too vulnerable to outside ideas you say? Well let me give some background on MY reading material as a child. In second grade I came across a book in the school library with really pretty pictures. I checked it out and it turned out to be a childrens book on greek mythology. I loved it and read everything on mythology I could get my hands on. By 5th grade I knew all the gods by their greek and roman names as well as their stories. So reading about gods that committ the worst of sins, adultery, murder, not to mention showing all the bad characteristics humans have to offer, jelousy, pride, anger . . . and so on is ok for a child to read but boy Dust is dangerous! My love for mythology continues, but never in my mind was it anything more than fantasy. Do you think children can't tell the difference? If you teach children that The Bible is real and that The Golden Compass is fantasy, they will understand that. There is no danger.

Having said that, let me say that I don't feel The Golden Compass is a very good children's book. But Rachel you just said....
I said it is not a danger to a childs or anyones religeous beliefs. The book is full of very big words with foreign pronunciation and complicated political plots. Yes that's exactly what my teacher has been telling me to put in my children's stories, wait no, that would be keep it interesting but easy to understand! Okay! So I tried to read a chapter out loud to Ryan, as I sometimes do at night, and it flowed so difficultly that I couldn't read out loud and follow what I was saying. I did understand fine reading silently, but it can get confusing. Anyone younger than 4th grade would surely get bored if it was read to them, and find it nearly impossible to read themselves. Furthermore, children die in this story. Not some bitter sweet for the greater good death either, but painful and tragic and make me cry. I say any book that makes me cry should not be read by a child. And finally the ending is not happy. It is full of confusion and betrayal. Children stories do NOT end unhappily. It's an unwritten rule. . . well actually it says that in my Children's writing manual. . . so it is actually a written rule.

I found the book in the teen section of the library. That is appropriate. It is a good read for teens and adults. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the rest. I'll let you know when I do.