Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

[pelinxf]

I finally ran away and spent the weekend with my parents at the summer home. Sun,sand, sea, pine forest...and I spent most of my time reading the latest HP book.

Comments

[hesadevil]

I have to admit to a great sense of disappointment in this book. Not so much for the great mislead about Snape, but more from the way it is written.

Perhaps it's because I read it having just finished Cornwell's Grail Quest Trilogy, which is masterful, but my opinion is that Rowling's method of exposition just gets weaker and weaker. Dumbledore spends far too much of his time telling Harry about things and yet keeping other important things secret. His questioning of Draco when he's about to kill him is laughable as is Snape's of the boy earlier in the book.

I'm with you on the teenage angst too. It's as if she thought 'they're teenagers now, they must be obsessed with pairing off and being conflicted about their feelings', but she didn't find a way of making it relevant to the plot. I fear the film rights may have affected how she's writing these final books.

[pelinxf]

The book is ok but not great. She drags the story for 20 chapters while she could have done much better in a few well thought pages. Only interesting chapters were Spinner's End where we see Snape with Narcissa & Bellatrix and the parts where we learn about Voldermont but even that's dragged too much. Why don't you tell his story at once instead of endless pensive visitations in every other chapter? I liked "Advance Potion Making" book and Harry's need to be "good" at the class with the prince's help. But was there a bigger point to make with Half Blood Prince other than Harry pointing his finger to Snape at the end and uses as a "proof" that he is actually evil because he was half blood and he invented new curses. Lame...At least for now, Harry had hidden the book before everything went to hell so I'm expecting them to find something in it in 7th book

Cornwell's Grail Quest Trilogy

[hesadevil]

Bernard Cornwell.

Book 1 - Harlequin
Book 2 - Vagabond
Book 3 - Heretic

Set at the beginning of to 100 years' war. Follows the story of an English Archer and his quest, from the battle of Crecy to the seige of Calais and the outbreak of plague.

It's beautifully written and rich in acurate historical detail. Cornwell is author of the Sharpe books (Sean Bean played him in the TV series) and is an expert in historical warfare. I've just started The Winter King, Book 1 of the triology based on the Arthurian Myth.

[marajade71]

I agree with your Snape and Dumbledore theories. I came to same conclusion myself.

I also agree with Hesadevil . The book strangely disappointed me. Actually, I can't express what I feel properly. I am not disappointed, but I also am. It's a good book, but I expected better.

Teenage angst was the weakest link, in my opinion. I know these books geared towards children and teenagers first, but I didn't want to read love triangles and snogging fests for 300 pages. Story dragged and dragged.

Snape parts were good though. I love my Severus *hugs Snape protectively*

[pelinxf]

*pets Severus's lovely hair*

What bothered me is the pages of teen problems while no satisfying development on the things she explored in the first couple of chapters. You see Draco but you don't really *see* him, he just walks around in the background. Snape finally gets the DADA and we just see the first 5 minutes of it whereas getting LOTS of potions which had been neglected in the previous books in favour of DADA. Now Snape gets it and the focus is on potions. Give me a break please.

I'd be happy if I never see this Hermione and Ron again. If they continue to go this way, Harry will be more popular in my heart than them and that says quite a lot.

Also.. I LOve Snape. My Severus needs lots of hugging right now.