With all the hullabaloo surrounding this movie, I asked the Kid if he had read the book. Kid reads at least one novel per day, chances that he has read something are high. Turns out he’s read the whole series, loves them and had The Golden Compass hiding in the filth pit he calls a bedroom.

So I read the book. Since I can’t explain my thoughts without giving up the plot- stop reading now if you’re the kind of person that doesn’t want to know.

Lyra, the main character is an orphan living in an alternate England. In this universe, the Catholic Church runs the government through various councils and departments. The entire story is about the fight between theocracy and science and the idea of getting rid of original sin. It is very much a condemnation of theocracy and the way fear of the unknown makes people in a theocracy behave very badly.

If you’re a raging Catholic biggot like Bill Donohue and have the ultimate dream of a Taliban style American theocracy run by Catholic bishops, this book is going to piss you off. There are three distinct reactions to fear of the unknown in this book- the first is to hurt and kill innocent children to protect people from the unknown, the second is to kill and innocent child in order to manipulate the unknown, and the last and only logical response is to figure out what it really is. If you are someone who is afraid of the truth, then this book will piss you off.

I can’t wait to read the next book, Kid has promised to bring it home from the school library on Monday.