Comments | nwhyte: August Books 1) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

nwhyte

August Books 1) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Aug 02, 2005 14:36

1) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by J.K.Rowling

I confess that I read enough of the reviews behind spoiler warnings that I knew what was going to happen, so I was really in it for the ride rather than the plot. And, while it took a while to get going (I see minny complaining that she has got half way through and not a lot has happened yet) I ( Read more... )

writer: jk rowling, bookblog 2005

Comments 5

ccfinlay August 2 2005, 14:23:11 UTC

The third book in the series was the first I finished, after starting book 1 with my kids and all of us losing interest. After 3, we went back to the beginning and read our way up through the whole set.

I think she's done some different things in each of the novels, and the last three for me all have a very different feel to each of them. It's satisfying to see that, both as a reader and a writer, and I'll be in there for book 7 when it comes out.

I'm also very interested in seeing what kinds of stories she wants to tell after this series is done. I want to bet that she'll push herself in a different direction rather than repeat herself.

___avenue August 2 2005, 14:39:09 UTC

I read the book for the same reason - I had to find out the circumstances of Dumbledore's death! To me, this was less of a novel and more of a large amount of information being very slowly revealed. There's no magic left in these books. However, there's a pretty gripping storyline, and I'm already looking forward to the last installment.

The question... seawasp August 2 2005, 15:24:30 UTC

... of who is accountable is one of the primary threads running through almost all the books except the very first -- wherein we were, like Harry, simply being introduced to the world. The separation of Muggle and Wizard was necessary in the Old Days, or at least desirable. The Wizards then developed their own civilization and have been spending increasing -- I suspect in the past century EXPONENTIALLY increasing -- amounts of time and effort to hide themselves from the world as our own civilization expanded both in physical size and in capabilities. The breaking point is NOW. The wizarding world is now being stretched to its limits, and in another twenty years there is simply NO way they will be able to keep their existence a secret, especially given the established wizards' contemptuous attitude towards technology. Yeah, your magic can nullify the security alarms... if you know they're there. But what if one of the spy agencies decides to track one of you? Clueless as the wizards mostly are ( ... )

ninebelow August 2 2005, 17:45:41 UTC

as I had assumned from the other books

I'm surprised you assumed this since the wizarding community so obviously feels aloof and superior to the muggle community.

The stupidity of everything involving the Ministry, particularly Umbridge and related events in the last book, severely detract from any enjoyment I might be able to wring out of these mediocre books.

If they are so mediocre, why read them? selah9 October 26 2006, 21:50:02 UTC

I get annoyed when people say these books are mediocre. JKR puts a lot of little details into those books that make these books masterpieces. Every character's emotional reaction is more complex than it seems, but you'd have to go back and read the whole series again to pick up on it. If they were so mediocre, no one would read them ( ... )