BOOK DISCUSSION: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

[cmere]

“Why are you worrying about YOU-KNOW-WHO, when you should be worrying about YOU-NO-POO? The constipation sensation that's gripping the nation!”Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was published in 2005. Clocking in at slightly shorter than its predecessor, the book nevertheless contained a wealth of new information for fans. Book Six included new

Comments

[cmere]

Dumbledore memorial thread - love him or hate him, his death was significant. How did you take it? What did you think of this incredibly complex man who was Harry's mentor and guide, for better or for worse?

[philstar22]

I think that ultimately Dumbledore was a good person and that ultimately he did care for Harry even if he put the greater good first. He bore so much responsibility, some that the wizarding world put on him and some that he put on himself.

I loved that he trusted Harry in this book. He knew what was coming and he knew that Harry was going to have to face Voldemort alone, so he chose to let Harry in on what was going on.

His death made me sad, though not as sad as Sirius' death. I was expecting it, though, way back from book 1. Dumbledore is the mentor, and the mentor always dies. Plus, if Harry was going to face Voldemort alone, that would only happen with Dumbledore out of the way.

[drinkingcocoa]

For some reason, I never felt the slightest sadness over his death, although I know many people cried at that point. I was wild to find out what he was seeing when the potion was torturing him, though! Fawkes's farewell song got me right in the gut, though.

[portkey]

I think he's a great character precisely because he is so incredibly flawed. He's in a completely untenable position, and I do sympathize with how impossible the decisions he has to make are, even if arguably he put himself into that position.

I know a lot of people compare him with Gandalf, and it's true they both seem to fit that archetypal "wise old wizard" mold, but the reason I think Dumbledore is an infinitely better character than Gandalf (as much reverence as I have for Tolkien's work) comes down to a very simple divergent path:

When presented with an all-powerful ring, Gandalf, though tempted, resists the urge. Dumbledore, of course, grabs it. And that very human flaw is what eradicates any and all doubt about him being this the all-knowing character that Harry and the others naively believe him to be (and granted, how Dumbledore tries to portray himself). And is also what makes him so much more fascinating

[author_by_night]

When presented with an all-powerful ring, Gandalf, though tempted, resists the urge. Dumbledore, of course, grabs it. And that very human flaw is what eradicates any and all doubt about him being this the all-knowing character that Harry and the others naively believe him to be (and granted, how Dumbledore tries to portray himself). And is also what makes him so much more fascinating.

That is such an excellent point. I love it.

But while reading DH it was perfectly clear to me what Skeeter was insinuating and furthermore that it was clearly true.

I should re-read that part, I never caught onto those insinuations. I do recall other things making me wonder, though. And honestly, even in HBP (bringing this back to the topic), there's a part where JKR flat-out says "Dumbledore was dressed flamboyantly." (In a flashback.) Of course "flamboyant" can mean more than just "gay", but with what we know the double meaning is clear. And Harry just kinda gives Dumbledore this look, and Dumbledore shrugs, or something like that. There's also a

[shocolate]

Not the slightest twinge - people dying when Ron is in danger somewhere else are not upsetting!

[madderbrad]

An incompetent leader with stupid and failed plans whose primary purpose was to deliver the massive info-dumps so necessary to stop Rowling's poor plots from failing even more. She even had to bring him back from the dead to do so!

[aome]

I actually expected Dumbledore to die in OotP, as he's described multiple times as looking very old and weary. I also knew that for the hero trope,the mentor has to die so that the hero must face the final battle "alone". I was sad when it finally happened, but not shocked.

I loved Dumbledore, his humor and wit, his ability to trust and give second chances. Yes, he made mistakes, but it seemed like he spent the rest of his life trying to undo them. Like Harry, I was really taken aback by some of what he learned about Dumbledore in the last book, but in the end, the reasoning for it all seemed in line with the way Dumbledore operated - not always choosing the easiest path but letting people really test themselves, and prove that they could do far more than they otherwise might've thought. So, in general, my feelings about Dumbledore continue to be positive.