The Golden Compass? - Page 3

[lisalou]

Originally Posted by rutabega

My DH and I have been listening to the audio book - it's narrated by Phillip Pullman, and it rocks.

DH and I love the audio books. We spent a couple of long car trips listening to them. They're so well done.

eta if you go to the movie's website Pantalimon is shown running around the movie poster and you can take a quiz to get your own daemon. Mine is named Nicoleus and he's a fox.

[Finch]

Originally Posted by anoyingreader

the title sounds interesting. what's it about?

Uh, it's about lots of stuff. It's sort of like Narnia meets Harry Potter meets Great Expectations (massive plot twists). It's fantasy, it's good.

[Finch]

Phillip Pullman. Totally worth a read.

[Kerlowyn]

I just read The Golden Compass, I really really liked it!
I just began the second book.

Is it me, or does much of the book feel 'intactivist' to you??? You know, that "thing" they do, how evil it is....won't say as to spoil it. It was all I could think of when ever it was talked about in the first book.
There is a paragraph in the beginning of the second book that actually mentions FGM and MGM!

[Finch]

I wondered if any of you all would catch that (the intactivist stuff...). Yep, I got that too.

I finished book 2, checked out book 3 yesterday. Gonna read what I can of book 3, but it will obviously have to take the shelf once I get my hands on HP7.

Book 2 is good, LOTS of plot twists...wowzers.

[Stayseeliz]

I'm almost done with TGC now. I'm going to read the new Harry Potter then move onto The Subtle Knife. Trying to get TGC done by tomorrow night. Shouldn't be problem. I HOPE!!

[Kerlowyn]

Originally Posted by Finch

I wondered if any of you all would catch that (the intactivist stuff...). Yep, I got that too.

OK, good, I thought I was seeing too much into it, I'm glad someone else was thinking the same thing!

I'm trying to read book 2, but for now the only time I get is a few minutes here and there in the bathroom Maybe this weekend I'll get a chunk of time, since I have no interest in HP at all :

[oliversmum2000]

why do you think that the title was changed?

the original title was Northern Lights, i wonder why it was renamed the golden compass in the us....

[Finch]

Originally Posted by oliversmum2000

why do you think that the title was changed?

the original title was Northern Lights, i wonder why it was renamed the golden compass in the us....

Really? I didn't know that...huh. No clue.

[Daffodil]

Yeah, I've wondered that, too. "The Golden Compass" matches the other titles better - they're all "The [adjective] [tool]." But it bugs me because the alethiometer isn't a compass.

Oh, here's an explanation.

[oliversmum2000]

thank you

[kaydee]

Originally Posted by Daffodil

Yeah, I've wondered that, too. "The Golden Compass" matches the other titles better - they're all "The [adjective] [tool]." But it bugs me because the alethiometer isn't a compass.

Oh, here's an explanation.

This explanation is incorrect.

I worked for Random House children's books when this manuscript came in and (lucky me!) got to read it early on.

It can take several weeks to work out contracts with agents or foreign publishers (not sure who held the rights to sell the book in the US in this case). I sincerely doubt that Pullman waited months to hear back, as he was a high-profile writer at RH, and the manuscript had everyone completely excited there. (His original editor did leave partway through the process, and he began working with a new one, though.)

However, it takes many months (if not years) more to actually PUBLISH a book, so the idea that cover art could not be changed at that point in the process is, simply, ludicrous. As is the claim that the company was already in the process of publishing the book before Pullman heard from them. So I don't know where this info came from, but it is highly suspect--and indicates that whoever said it knows nothing about publishing whatsoever. Just goes to show, it may be online, but that doesn't mean it's accurate.

I'm not sure where the title discrepancy originated. It does happen sometimes, whether because an author wanted a different title, a publisher did, or there was already a book with the same title in the particular market. It may well be that RH (actually, Knopf) wanted to have The Golden Compass as the title rather than the original, but it would not be possible to publish it that way without the author's acquiescence.

[Daffodil]

Originally Posted by kaydee

As is the claim that the company was already in the process of publishing the book before Pullman heard from them.

Yeah, that did seem strange to me, though I admit I didn't really think much about it. Thanks for setting us straight!

[Pinoikoi]

My girlfriend just recommended the series to me- I have enjoyed every book she was lent me.. that speaks miles to me- she has been my best friend for 16 years.

[3_opihi]

I just finished this whole trilogy. You can buy it all in one book called His Dark Materials. I was mesmerized. It was so creative and wonderful. I absolutely loved it. I think book 3, The Amber Spyglass was my favorite. Definitely the most exciting.

[Skim]

I'm skeptical about this movie. However, because of this thread I went out and read books 1 and 2 and now I've requested book 3.

Book 2 was about the fastest read evah! And I sobbed when Pullman killed

[spolier ahead!]
Scoresby. What a tragedy! I never saw it coming, even though he did all the classic things to make it ever sadder when the character died.

So far that's the only time I cried while reading this series.
I can't wait to read #3!

[kmeyrick]

Originally Posted by Skim

I'm skeptical about this movie. However, because of this thread I went out and read books 1 and 2 and now I've requested book 3.


So far that's the only time I cried while reading this series.
I can't wait to read #3!

The movies never do books justice. Simply can't be done. I haven't read the books yet, and I accidentally saw the spoiler, so at least now I know who I can't get attached to. Don't worry- I usually peek at the end before I start reading anyway so I know how much emotional investment I'm going to put in.

[Skim]

Originally Posted by kmeyrick

The movies never do books justice. Simply can't be done. I haven't read the books yet, and I accidentally saw the spoiler, so at least now I know who I can't get attached to. Don't worry- I usually peek at the end before I start reading anyway so I know how much emotional investment I'm going to put in.

Well heck how do I get the spoiler thing to look like when everyone else does it? I don't want that kind of accident to spoil someone else's reading... or not

And isn't that interesting about the emotional investment. This happens to me a lot, too, and I have had to really stop myself from reading about the third book so i can feel surprised and more into the plot and characters. It's reaallllly tough.

[queenjane]

Book 2 was about the fastest read evah! And I sobbed when Pullman killed...

oh my....when that happened, the description, it was just so awful and beautiful at the same type, describing how the character and the character's daemon pressed their foreheads together, looking into each other's eyes until then end...."and then they died." : I was totally crying.

And then when *another* character finds that character's body, and gives him a suitable tribute, it was disturbing, and yet also beautiful.

in fact, throughout the book, i was struck by how much beauty their was, in the relationships the characters have with those they love, even amidst tragedy and horror and separation...


Katherine

[oceane]

only fantasy book I love love love. how can that be a good movie, with angels and demons and the devil? I'm not gonna risk losing my love by watching.