Buy new:
-12% $7.91
FREE delivery Sunday, June 2 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$7.91 with 12 percent savings
List Price: $8.99

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Sunday, June 2 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Saturday, June 1. Order within 5 hrs 33 mins
In Stock
$$7.91 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$7.91
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$6.91
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
Nice clean copy with no highlighting or writing. We take pride in our accurate descriptions. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Nice clean copy with no highlighting or writing. We take pride in our accurate descriptions. Satisfaction Guaranteed. See less
FREE delivery Tuesday, June 4 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Only 3 left in stock - order soon.
$$7.91 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$7.91
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Philip Pullman
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass (Book 1) Mass Market Paperback – September 9, 2003

by Philip Pullman (Author)
Teachers' pick
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$7.91","priceAmount":7.91,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"7","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"91","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"tfyD7ukfI8VlF6AivmMKUVaeV5W%2FQmNQBq2KlZKN6i5WEC2anP2gzmw0ZddqsMswzQDTj42rD1KSq5moHZ0kjq%2FtkR3enVL0dhxBHYo3jvhw8NjRI2u36ttg98WgXCwgossmbv%2FqwTs%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$6.91","priceAmount":6.91,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"6","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"91","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"tfyD7ukfI8VlF6AivmMKUVaeV5W%2FQmNQWL6ihdgVXlmO%2Fq2RjT7NQR%2BrR2UYfRJYh8ru9%2B2pAdty0RidFoShdfl91ehXdGmOIC99SpWqkUKCHHwajMYIOajI4F39RybXSfD9byb44w0HUrz%2FSOXFNil7TXJVkDrQpuaQFyi8ldkoyMtxYdPMead5%2FiKo4UNu","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

The modern fantasy classic that Entertainment Weekly named an “All-Time Greatest Novel” and Newsweek hailed as a “Top 100 Book of All Time.” Philip Pullman takes readers to a world where humans have animal familiars and where parallel universes are within reach.

Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steall—including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world.

Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want.

But what Lyra doesn't know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other...

A masterwork of storytelling and suspense, Philip Pullman's award-winning The Golden Compass is the first in the His Dark Materials series, which continues with The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.

A #1 New York Times Bestseller
Winner of the Guardian Prize for Children's Fiction
Published in 40 Countries

"Arguably the best juvenile fantasy novel of the past twenty years."  —The Washington Post

"Very grand indeed." —The New York Times

"Pullman is quite possibly a genius." —Newsweek

Don't miss Philip Pullman's epic new trilogy set in the world of His Dark Materials!
** THE BOOK OF DUST **
La Belle Sauvage
The Secret Commonwealth
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    10 - 17 years
  2. Book 1 of 3
    His Dark Materials
  3. Print length
    368 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Grade level
    5 - 6
  6. Lexile measure
    930L
  7. Dimensions
    4.19 x 0.95 x 6.88 inches
  8. Publisher
    Laurel Leaf
  9. Publication date
    September 9, 2003
  10. ISBN-10
    0440238137
  11. ISBN-13
    978-0440238133
  12. See all details
Next page
Amazon First Reads | Editors' picks at exclusive prices

Frequently bought together

His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass (Book 1)
$7.91
Get it as soon as Sunday, Jun 2
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
His Dark Materials: The Amber Spyglass (Book 3)
$8.99
Get it as soon as Sunday, Jun 2
Only 9 left in stock - order soon.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
His Dark Materials: The Subtle Knife (Book 2)
$8.99
Get it as soon as Monday, Jun 3
Only 7 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
spCSRF_Control
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.
Popular Highlights in this book
What are popular highlights?
Previous page
  1. “That’s the duty of the old,” said the Librarian, “to be anxious on behalf of the young. And the duty of the young is to scorn the anxiety of the old.”
    Highlighted by 4,395 Kindle readers
  2. But think of Adam and Eve like an imaginary number, like the square root of minus one: you can never see any concrete proof that it exists, but if you include it in your equations, you can calculate all manner of things that couldn’t be imagined without it.
    Highlighted by 1,755 Kindle readers
  3. Many good liars have no imagination at all; it’s that which gives their lies such wide-eyed conviction.
    Highlighted by 1,632 Kindle readers
  4. As people became adult, their dæmons lost the power to change and assumed one shape, keeping it permanently.
    Highlighted by 1,231 Kindle readers
Next page

From the Publisher

His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials
HIS DARK MATERIALS HIS DARK MATERIALS HIS DARK MATERIALS HIS DARK MATERIALS HIS DARK MATERIALS
His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass (Book 1) His Dark Materials: The Subtle Knife (Book 2) His Dark Materials: The Amber Spyglass (Book 3) The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage (Volume 1) The Book of Dust: The Secret Commonwealth (Volume 2)
Customer Reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars
16,606
4.5 out of 5 stars
10,065
4.5 out of 5 stars
9,432
4.5 out of 5 stars
22,781
4.5 out of 5 stars
18,012
Price $8.07 $8.45 $7.49 $10.39 $10.99
Enter the world of His Dark Materials The modern fantasy classic soon to be an HBO original series – HIS DARK MATERIALS! The second book in the HIS DARK MATERIALS series – soon to be an HBO original series! The third book in the HIS DARK MATERIALS series – soon to be an HBO original series! Set in the same world as HIS DARK MATERIALS - meet Lyra before the events of The Golden Compass! Set in the same world as HIS DARK MATERIALS - discover what happened to Lyra after The Amber Spyglass!

Editorial Reviews

Review

“As always, Pullman is a master at combining impeccable characterizations and seamless plotting, maintaining a crackling pace to create scene upon scene of almost unbearable tension. This glittering gem will leave readers of all ages eagerly awaiting the next installment of Lyra’s adventures.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred

“Extraordinary storytelling at its very best.”—The Detroit Free Press

“Superb . . . all-stops-out thrilling.”—The Washington Post

From the Inside Flap

Lyra Belaqua is content to run wild among the scholars of Jordan College, with her daemon familiar Pantalaimon always by her side. But the arrival of her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, draws her to the heart of a terrible struggle?a struggle born of Gobblers and stolen children, witch clans and armored bears. And as she hurtles toward danger in the cold, far North, young Lyra never suspects the shocking truth: She alone is destined to win, or to lose, this more-than-mortal battle.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Laurel Leaf (September 9, 2003)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0440238137
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0440238133
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 - 17 years
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 930L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 5 - 6
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.5 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.19 x 0.95 x 6.88 inches
  • Customer Reviews:

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Philip Pullman

Philip Pullman

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

PHILIP PULLMAN is one of the most acclaimed writers working today. He is best known for the His Dark Materials trilogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass), which has been named one of the top 100 novels of all time by Newsweek and one of the all-time greatest novels by Entertainment Weekly. He has also won many distinguished prizes, including the Carnegie Medal for The Golden Compass (and the reader-voted "Carnegie of Carnegies" for the best children's book of the past seventy years); the Whitbread (now Costa) Award for The Amber Spyglass; a Booker Prize long-list nomination (The Amber Spyglass); Parents' Choice Gold Awards (The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass); and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, in honor of his body of work. In 2004, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

It has recently been announced that The Book of Dust, the much anticipated new book from Mr. Pullman, also set in the world of His Dark Materials, will be published as a major work in three parts, with the first part to arrive in October 2017.

Philip Pullman is the author of many other much-lauded novels. Other volumes related to His Dark Materials: Lyra’s Oxford, Once Upon a Time in the North, and The Collectors. For younger readers: I Was a Rat!; Count Karlstein; Two Crafty Criminals; Spring-Heeled Jack, and The Scarecrow and His Servant. For older readers: the Sally Lockhart quartet: The Ruby in the Smoke, The Shadow in the North, The Tiger in the Well, and The Tin Princess; The White Mercedes; and The Broken Bridge.

Philip Pullman lives in Oxford, England. To learn more, please visit philip-pullman.com and hisdarkmaterials.com. Or follow him on Twitter at @PhilipPullman.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
16,606 global ratings
No complaints here and definitely is in very good condition
5 Stars
No complaints here and definitely is in very good condition
No complaints here and definitely is in very good condition.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Gaëlle
5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting and Unforgettable
Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2024
Verified Purchase
"His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass" enchants readers with its richly imagined world and compelling characters. As a 37-year-old woman, I found myself transported to a realm where magic intertwines with adventure in the most captivating way. Lyra's journey, filled with wonder and danger, kept me eagerly turning pages until the very end. Philip Pullman's masterful storytelling and intricate world-building make this book a timeless classic that deserves every bit of its 5-star rating.
Helpful
 Report
Ryan Sean O'Reilly
4.0 out of 5 stars A tale told by a crackling, comforting fire while the bitter northern winds gust dangerously against the window panes outside.
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2016
Verified Purchase
This book starts a bit slowly at first, but then kicks up into high-adventure and keeps this pace to the end. Pullman’s writing is very good and he manages to capture a perfect voice for the main character of Lyra as she negotiates this strange world populated by anthropomorphic soul-animals, witches, ghasts, and armored bears.

In reading this book, I felt reminiscent of the that sweet, nostalgic tone achieved by C.S. Lewis in “The Narnia Chronicles.” Perhaps this is simply due to the omniscient point of view in which the narrators guide one along in these comparable fantasy works. There is something comforting when you feel as if a story is being told you by a dear old friend while at the same time you’re being truly immersed in the narrative. That is a subtle art in which the author must carefully balance the use of the narrative voice so as not to feel intrusive or too expositional. I think there is something in the human psyche that responds to this mode of storytelling that harkens back to our ancient oral traditions.

The work is not particularly a “Christian” one, even though I am mentioning The Narnia Chronicles which are more overtly Christian in their telling. Pullman does draw on the dogma, practices, history and teachings of the Christian Religion to create his fantasy world and also to better illustrate what is happening and drive the plot along. However, unlike The Narnia Chronicles, the institutional nature of religion plays a much bigger and more nefarious role in The Golden Compass. That being said, this particular tale is not overly caught up with this theme. During some portions the religious aspect is missing altogether—though I admit that it does make up an important part of the book. So in essence, I am saying that however critical this book might be toward the institutional aspect of religion—it is not solely concerned with that point.

The world created by Pullman feels rather unique, even though it is a secondary world not unlike our own (in many ways). He devises a magical system utilizing a special dust-like substance; and souls that live outside the body in animal forms called daemons. This feels very authentic and manages to be quite delightful. Probably the strongest and most developed part of the book is the relationship Lyra has with her own daemon.

Other elements of the story come flying in as Lyra (the protagonist), takes up her quest to deliver a magical item to a far off and dangerous land. She meets interesting, fun and compelling characters all along the way. My only gripe is that at times, these non-player-character-types seem to drop on and off screen as needed. So too, does the adventure seem to proceed along one step at a time. The feel of this story is that as the protagonist progresses, the author foreshadows the next event, a challenge is overcome and the protagonist advances to the next level. A bit mechanical—not exactly contrived, but somewhat stilted. The writing is really great and the plot has a lot of fun and interesting elements that leave you anxious to see things through. There is just something a bit….in the background…missing... Perhaps it was the dropping away of secondary characters without a lot of follow through on their individual subplots? But, maybe that would have just slowed things down? I’m not sure.

All in all, I have no real problems with this book. It’s very well written, a great read and I’d definitely recommend it and am curious to read more. Mainly though, the author has a great voice for his story telling and that is what really pulls you in.

Podcast: If you enjoy my review (or this topic) this book and the movie based on it were further discussed/debated in a lively discussion on my podcast: "No Deodorant In Outer Space". The podcast is available on iTunes, Tune-In Radio, Stitcher, Google Play Music, YouTube or our website.
12 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
LA in Dallas
5.0 out of 5 stars Yes, it's really THAT good!
Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2024
Verified Purchase
Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass was one of the first audiobooks I listened to after joining Audible in 2004. I followed it not long after with The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass, and subsequently with every other published book by Pullman I could get my hands on. The novels of His Dark Materials are both exceptionally good books and exceptionally good audiobooks. The Listening Library audiobooks are full-cast productions.

The Golden Compass takes place in a fantasy world that resembles our Earth in some respects -- for instance, there is a university called Oxford -- and is different in others. For instance, every person has a daemon -- a soul. The daemon is a talking animal. A person must remain close to his or her daemon -- to separate by more than a few yards causes both great distress. The daemons of children are changeable in form, but those of adults are fixed. For instance, Lyra, the girl at the center of the story, has a daemon called Pantalaimon, who, when we first meet him, is in the form of a moth, but who more often is something like a weasel. Mrs Coulter, one of the principal adult characters, has a daemon who is a monkey.

Lyra comes into possession of an device called the "alethiometer" -- this is the thing that the title The Golden Compass refers to. It is not in fact a compass. In the hands of a skilled user, it gives truthful answers to any questions it is asked. Lyra, it turns out, has a special affinity for the alethiometer. She learns dangerous things from it and she and Pantalaimon find it necessary to flee Oxford. Adventures and intrigues ensue, which I will not spoil.

Before I listened to The Golden Compass, I felt that J.R.R. Tolkien had in a sense frozen fantasy. Every fantasy work published after The Lord of the Rings felt, in a way, like a version or reflection of that Great Work. His Dark Materials did not. In 2004 when I read it I felt that I had for the first time in four decades found a fantasy series that owed nothing to J.R.R. Tolkien -- something new and completely original.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Angela
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful edition, amazing collection
Reviewed in Spain on February 16, 2023
Verified Purchase
I just found the most beautiful edition of His Dark Materials books. They are wonderful.

I’m not reviewing the story or writing itself, only the product that I had bought. Those who have read this masterpiece know how much it’s worth. Those who haven’t, I strongly advise you do. It has this beautiful dust jacket showing the Alethiometer. Hardback blue. The letters have a very decent size, same for the space between lines. And at the end of the book there’s an Appendix showing some curious papers from the Library at Jordan College. I had never seen that before in other editions! It’s a clever addition to the story.

The editions of The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass have similar curiosities in its Appendix too. If you buy this edition of Northern Lights, you have to buy the other books in the same edition. I’m adding pictures to this review so you can see how amazing they are.

Those books are for every age. It's the fourth time I'm reading them, and each time I understand something new.
Customer image
Angela
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful edition, amazing collection
Reviewed in Spain on February 16, 2023
I just found the most beautiful edition of His Dark Materials books. They are wonderful.

I’m not reviewing the story or writing itself, only the product that I had bought. Those who have read this masterpiece know how much it’s worth. Those who haven’t, I strongly advise you do. It has this beautiful dust jacket showing the Alethiometer. Hardback blue. The letters have a very decent size, same for the space between lines. And at the end of the book there’s an Appendix showing some curious papers from the Library at Jordan College. I had never seen that before in other editions! It’s a clever addition to the story.

The editions of The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass have similar curiosities in its Appendix too. If you buy this edition of Northern Lights, you have to buy the other books in the same edition. I’m adding pictures to this review so you can see how amazing they are.

Those books are for every age. It's the fourth time I'm reading them, and each time I understand something new.
Images in this review
Customer image Customer image Customer image Customer image Customer image Customer image
Customer imageCustomer imageCustomer imageCustomer imageCustomer imageCustomer image
One person found this helpful
 Report
FANG LIN
5.0 out of 5 stars good book!
Reviewed in Canada on December 29, 2020
Verified Purchase
this is a very good book. my son enjoys it very much and it seems very interesting
Report
Guillermo Medel
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing story
Reviewed in Mexico on January 21, 2020
Verified Purchase
It is a really light reading book, to be honest it is really slow at the beginning but once you get to the good part you won’t stop until you finish.
Report
Antonio Santana
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente livro
Reviewed in Brazil on April 18, 2019
Verified Purchase
Comprei para meu filho, adorou.
Report
Arjun M
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful edition of one of the best Fantasy books.
Reviewed in India on June 11, 2017
Verified Purchase
His Dark Materials trilogy is probably the most socially relevant fantasy series for young adults, considering how badly organized religion is currently affecting the world, & especially India.
This first book however isn't as iconoclastic as books 2 & 3- but is satisfied in being a splendid adventure set in a parallel universe- with bits of steampunk elements thrown in.
Now, as for this particular EDITION here, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the "Alethiometer" on the cover is drawn in BLUE GLITTER <3.
Print & Page quality is great as well, making this 20th Anniversary Edition truly one worth collecting!
5 people found this helpful
 Report