#date reviewed: January 21st 2025

[sage-nebula]

Book Reviews: The Golden Compass - Philip Pullman

Rating: 5/5

The His Dark Materials trilogy has, by this point, earned its status as a children's fantasy classic, right alongside the series that inspired it, The Chronicles of Narnia. Taking place across a series of universes, most of which are quite unlike our own, His Dark Materials wrestles with many questions, but perhaps none so central as what it means to be a child in a world that is, even at the best of times, dark and unknowable.

This first book in the trilogy, The Golden Compass, does an excellent job of thrusting that question into the forefront. When protagonist Lyra Belacqua (later Silvertongue) discovers that her best friend Roger has been kidnapped by the mysterious Gobblers, she makes it her mission to rescue him from what she is sure is certain death. Her journey takes her far into the arctic north, among witches and armored bears, and finally into another world altogether.

Throughout the past several decades since this book's publication, there have been many who have argued whether it can truly be considered children's literature. After all, the vocabulary is decently high-level for a middle grade book, and apart from contending with questions of childhood, the book also delves into theology and gets pretty graphically brutal at times. But having now re-read this book as an adult (when I previously read it as a middle-grade child myself), I can say with certainty that this first book, at the very least, is definitively for children, because of the childist perspective it employs.

A childist perspective is when the world is considered from the point-of-view of a child. In fiction, this means not only having a child as the point-of-view character, but also focusing on issues and power structures that specifically affect children: namely, that the adults in the world have power over them, for good or ill. As Maria Nikolajeva states in her book Power, Voice and Subjectivity in Literature for Young Readers:

"The adults have unlimited power in our society, as compared to children, who lack economic resources of their own, lack voice in political and social decisions, and are subjected to a large number of laws and rules which the adults expect them to obey without interrogation. This is regarded as norm, in real life as well as literature. Not least is school depicted in children's books, from Tom Sawyer to Pippi Longstocking and beyond, as a mechanism for oppression. But what happens if the adults are no longer the smartest, the richest and the most powerful in the child/adult relationship?"

This is the function of the childist perspective in children's literature: to highlight the power imbalance between adults and children, but in such a way that allows the child — through the power of the point-of-view child character — to have a voice, to be heard, to have their view, perspective, and feelings validated, often by being the ones who are correct, more so than the adults in the story.

One reviewer of this book on [goodreads] has noted this, but did so with alarm; they recommend not allowing children to read this book, because it depicts the adults Lyra should trust the most (her parents) as villains, and that the adults who do help her are side characters whom Lyra ultimately leaves to go on her adventure by herself. To this I say: welcome to children's literature, or at least children's literature that is written for children, to uplift and inspire them, rather than be used as another tool to will them into submission. Children's literature centers children as the heroes, and centers children's concerns as real concerns; even the book the reviewer did recommend, Harry Potter, features mostly useless or antagonistic adults, leaving Harry and his friends (children themselves) to solve everything.

But the reviewer was tangentially correct about one thing, and it is what I said earlier in the review: The Golden Compass is a masterwork of childist literature, and here is why:

This is a fantasy book, with curious worldbuilding (who hasn't wanted a daemon at some point in their lives?) and a plot that moves along at a strong pace. But it is also, before anything else, Lyra's story. It is the story of a girl who wasn't raised by parents, but rather by servants and scholars at a college. A girl who, in the beginning of the book, wants nothing more than to run wild playing for the rest of her days, who resists lectures because they're boring, and who lives in fear of the adults in her life beating her. (It is mentioned many times in the beginning that Lyra has been physically assaulted by the adults in her life, and her father outright threatens to break her arm in the very beginning because she dared enter a room.) The central villains of the book are an organization of adults who kidnap children, spiriting them away from their families to a cold, remote place in the north in order to cut away their daemons (essentially ripping out their souls). At one point at the end of the book, Lyra sobs and wonders aloud why so many adults in the world want to hurt children so badly, why they hate them so. And while there have been adults in the book who have helped her, she had to fight to have her voice heard and listened to even among them, because they were certain they knew better than she did until they were outright proven wrong.

All of this settles The Golden Compass firmly into the childist perspective. There is much going on in the world, particularly politically, that Lyra doesn't understand; this is something that she knows and acknowledges. But the principle horrors of the book directly center children; Lyra has to go on this adventure and is the one needed to save the day despite so many adults trying to sideline and not listening to her. Ultimately, she is the one to rescue the kids from Bolvangar (despite the gyptians not wanting to take her at first), she is the one to get Iorek Byrnison back on his throne by tricking Iofur Raknison (something Iorek told her would be impossible), and she is betrayed by her father in the worst possible way, yet then sets off to thwart his plans in spite of it.

There is no question that this book brings concepts of theology to the forefront as well, as well as doses of violence; but neither thing is unheard of in children's literature, nor should it be. As the childist perspective teaches us, children do experience these things as well. As much as it shouldn't be the case, children are sometimes abused as Lyra was, children are dismissed by well-meaning adults as Lyra was, and children are sometimes introduced to religion very early, as Lyra was. If children can experience these things in their real, actual lives, there is no reason why they shouldn't be able to experience them in a book — especially one that sets them as the hero.

All of this is to say: this is a classic work of children's fantasy for a reason. It serves its purpose of being a children's book fantastically, and it's also just a thoroughly enjoyable read, with imaginative worldbuilding, unique and multifaceted characters, and an adventure plot that moves along at exactly the right pace. Even though it is a children's book, anyone of any age would be able to enjoy it, so long as they enjoy fantasy; and if they do, then I highly recommend they give this one a shot.

[lazyscience]

In order to name a specific person as your executor, you need to have a will - otherwise the court will appoint someone, usually a family member, which is exactly what a lot of you don't want. With legal gay marriage, your spouse is the first priority choice for executor unless you choose someone else, and they'll keep their access to joint property, policies and bank accounts. When there isn't a will OR a marriage, shit gets really gray legally.

If you're a grown adult who pays your own bills, has your own bank accounts, has any retirement plans/has ever contributed to social security, and/or have life insurance, you should have a will. I know, I know, there's always time for that.

Spoiler: there is not, in fact, always time for that and it becomes a mess for your loved ones to deal with if you didn't.

You can say you know you partner's wishes, but you will be tied up a lot longer in probate if there's no will even if there are no challenges (probate=the legal process of disposing of an estate). Probate is MUCH shorter when there is a legally sound will - you can't do that shit like on TV where you write "I leave all my worldly possessions to my love, X. Havisham-Goode" on a piece of notebook paper and have a nurse and a janitor date and sign as witnesses - well, you CAN, but it's not like Murder She Wrote, your survivor will probably not find it very useful. Without a will, executor or not, if there's a challenge whoever can afford the most for lawyers will probably end up winning the battle for whatever property/belongings were at issue - like a shared house or bank accounts.

You can buy willmaking software that will do the job for most of us who don't have lots of property, but resign yourself to probably having to spend between $150-300, or more depending on how complicated your situation is/what kind of mutual property you own. If you have a house, significant retirement income in a 401K/IRA/other investments, and/or ESPECIALLY if you have kids, you should probably talk to a lawyer in person - guardianships in particular are nothing to fuck around with on an amateur level. DuckDuckGo "LGBT estate planning (your city/county/state)" to find someone knowledgeable near you, check the Better Business Bureau/Google for reviews, ask your friends who they used. It's not important you LIKE your lawyer, but you should feel like they know what they're doing and are professionally respected.

Look up your state's specific laws and constitution; it's unlikely that the Trump administration will be able to just retroactively ban gay marriages and say none of them ever existed. HOWEVER, what could happen is exactly what happened when Roe was overturned - states that have their own specifically gender neutral or specifically queer marriage friendly laws will continue to allow gay marriage that will need to be honored because of interstate commerce clauses but forbidden to continue in unfriendly states. What would be a whole disaster is if both Obergefell were overturned and the Respect for Marriage Act (2022) had constitutional challenge brought and was overturned - and even then, there would need to be a new federal law passed to forbid gay marriage. This process would not be able to happen on January 21st, 2025 - but be sure they'll be trying for it sometime over the next four years.

What you all need to do is not wait for there to be publicity about it. Hammer your Congressperson, blue or red, male or female, actual phone calls best, second letters, third faxes, fourth emails with YOU LEAVE GAY MARRIAGE THE FUCK HOW IT IS OR YOU'RE GETTING PRIMARIED (maybe a little nicer than that - but ONLY a little)

And fill out your durable power of attorneys, healthcare directives and write your wills in the meantime. They're good things to do even if the fashies don't come for gay marriage; they're a form of tangible help and support you can give your spouse even when you can't do it in person any more. Believe me when I tell you serious illness or death is going to be horrendous for your loved one WITHOUT having to book a seance to figure out what you really wanted, and it'll be invaluable if the worst does happen legally.

Before January 2025:

If you are a USAmerican in a relationship that might be affected by legislation that dissolves same-sex marriages, who may no longer be recognized as next-of-kin, especially if you have children, get your rights in writing!

Your marriage certificate may not be enough to prove you have rights to make medical decisions for non-biological children or for a same-sex spouse or partner.

Go to a lawyer, get it spelled out as clearly as possible that you have a voice in emergency medical and legal situations.

[emeraldskulblaka]

The Lord of the Rings Musical Masterpost

Music

Original London Cast Recording 2008

Lothlórien alternative (earlier?) version

Lothlórien Toronto demo version

The Song of Hope (Duet) (Alternative Version)

Press reels/trailers/videos

Toronto, Canada

Inofficial trailer

Another shorter edit

B Roll

individual scenes: Now and For Always, Arwen Evenstar, Galadriel)

TV ad

West End

Press reels

individual scenes: The Cat and the Moon, Lothlórien, Star of Eärendil, The Cracks of Doom

official edits 1 + 2

video projection and LED screen sample by The Gray Circle x

Live performances: Kids Week 2007, West End Live 2007 1 + 2, West End Live 2008

edits including footage from both productions, but mostly West End: 1, 2

Newbury, UK

teaser trailer

Documentary/Behind the Scenes/Vlogs

National Geographic Documentary + ad for it

Backstage with Laura Michelle Kelly

"Backstage Blogs"

Rehearsals 1 + 2 + 3

Flight to the Ford behind the scenes

Orcs in the audience

Production details

Toronto, Canada

Princess of Wales Theatre

previews from 4th February 2006, official opening 23rd March 2006, closing night 3rd September 2006

nominated for 15 Dora Awards, won 5

cast of ~65 actors: announcement

scan of a programme available on request

West End, London, UK

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

previews from 9th May 2007, official opening 19th June 2007, closing night 19th July 2008

nominated for 7 WhatsOnStage and 5 Olivier Awards

cast of ~50 actors: announcements 1 + 2, cast changes in February and June 2008.

scans of two different programmes and the brochure available on request

Newbury, UK

Watermill Theatre

previews from 25th July 2023, official opening 1st August 2023, closing night 15th October 2023

nominated for 4 WhatsOnStage Awards, won 1; nominated for 10 BroadwayWorld UK Awards, eon 8

cast of ~20 actors: announcement, small cast change in September 2023

scan of programme and brochure available on request

Chicago, IL, USA

Chicago Shakespeare Theater, The Yard

previews from 19th July 2024, official opening 26th July 2024, closing night 1st September 2024

cast of ~30 actors

Auckland, New Zealand (Aotearoa)

Auckland Live, The Civic

previews from 5th November 2024, official opening 7th November 2024, closing night 1st December 2024

Sydney, Australia

State Theatre

previews from 7th January 2025, official opening 9th January 2025, closing night 1st February 2025

Plymouth, UK

Theatre Royal Plymouth

4 to 11 October 2025

Cancelled productions

Announcements for productions that never happened: London 2005, World Tour 2015

Why the Cologne, Germany production planned for 2009 didn't happen (Wikipedia in German) + another German article on the topic

Reviews

Toronto, Canada

CBC News summary of reviews

TheaterMania

The Boston Globe

The New York Times

Financial Post

The Globe and Mail

West End

Summary of reviews, another

BroadwayWorld message board with copy-pasted reviews I can't find online anymore

The Guardian

Musical Talk

A West End Whinger

The Stage

London Theatre

Variety

BBC

TheOneRing

gamesradar

and probably many more

Bootlegs

* = available, cursive = unavailable

Toronto

*Highlights video 23rd March OR 26th August 2006: selection of clips here. This is commonly mislabeled as Toronto 2007 or London Feb 19, 2008. These dates are incorrect. The video features the full original Toronto cast and runs 1h 50mins.

Audios: 12th March 2006 (preview)*, 4th June 2006*, 30th August 2006*

audio clip compilation

West End

two video clips from 19th July 2008 (closing night): Lothlórien and speeches

three video clips from random performances: Elránien, 'The War' (actually Caradhras/Moria) and Balrog

Audios: 19th May 2007 (preview)*, 28th June 2007*, 9th July 2007*, 12th July 2007 mat*, 21st July 2007*, 27th July 2007, 3rd September 2007*, 13th September 2007 eve, 27th October 2007, 10th November 2007 (highlights)*, 31st December 2007 mat*, 3rd January 2008*, 2nd February 2008 mat*, 6th February 2008, 15th February 2008, 19th February 2008*, 8th March 2008, 10th April 2008*, 17th May 2008 eve, 28th June 2008 mat, 10th July 2008 mat, 12th July 2008 mat, 19th July 2008 eve*

audio clip compilation

Newbury, UK

audios: several; videos: July, August, September 2023

Chicago, IL, USA

audios: 20th July 2024, 23rd July 2024

Interviews/Miscellaneous

Interview with Malcolm Storry (Gandalf, West End)

Interview with James Loye + 2 (Frodo, Toronto + West End)

Interviews with Laura Michelle Kelly (on several topics, LotR being one of them; Galadriel, West End): 1 + 2 + 3 + 4

Interview with Jérôme Pradon (on several topics, LotR being one of them; Aragorn, West End)

Behind the scenes mini interviews

short clip featuring the stage

my YouTube playlist for all things LotR West End

Laura Michelle Kelly singing "Wonder" for the first time since January 2008 on 24th February 2019 at her Cadogan Hall concert (my audio); this concert also featured Kirsty Malpass, who played Rosie Cotton in LotR West End

Book: Gary Russell - The Lord of the Rings: The Official Stage Companion - 2007; message me for a scan

Piano&vocal score (West End version): message me for the PDF

Technical details

Merchandise

see this post on the topic!

I'm willing to scan any of my programmes and the brochure.

Works inspired by the musical

my YouTube playlist:

edits, instrumentals, covers (featuring one by @everywindintheriver and @cafemusain + by @hellofeanor), animatics (by @concerning-mushrooms), lyric videos, remixes

cover of Wonder by thedrpepperprincess: 1 + 2 + 3

incredible cosplay by daeriscosplay - look at these pictures !! - @broadwayqueenregal x - wilmacosplay 2 - elliotgooch

edit by toby1066, @capitanogiorgio x

tattoo by lord_lexan

This post obviously doesn't contain EVERYTHING related to The Lord of the Rings On Stage. Please check my tags #lotr musical and #lord of the rings musical as well.

@lordoftheringsmusical is my blog; I'll post news, footage, and info as soon as they're available, especially for the new productions at the Watermill Theatre and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

I'm always willing to talk about this musical, feel free to tag me in posts and message me about it 💚