I listened to the full-cast audio version of this book, and let me start by saying that it was wonderfully well done and I highly recommend it. All of the different actors really kept me engaged and helped me keep better track of what was going on. 
 That being said, I'm afraid I may have come to this beloved YA series too late, as I have so many other neglected childhood books. I did really enjoy it, but it didn't feel as immersive and magical to me as I expected it to. I know a lot of people absolutely adore these books, and I don't blame them for that. I personally adored the character of Lyra and the crazy cast of people she meets, but I found my adoration to be shallow and maybe not as authentic as I wanted it to be. I'm not sure that that makes sense; there was just some sort of disconnect. I think I wanted to love this book so badly that I sabotaged any chance of me actually loving the book. 
 I will be carrying on with the series, though. This book obviously was a bit of a preamble for what is to come in the next two books, and I hope by the time that the series is over that I might appreciate this first book more. Plus, I really need to know what happens next!