A Short Introduction To Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a orphan, forced to stay with his cruel aunt and uncle. Soon he realizes he has some extraordinary powers and he is taken to the wizard school of Hogwarts by Hagrid. He learns that his parents were killed by a dark wizard named Voldermont. From there on in all the books, Harry Potter tries to kill Voldermont, not only to avenge his parents death, but also save the Wizard world.
The books under this series are
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
A Short Introduction To Inheritance Series
This story comes from a village where, a poor farm boy named Eragon finds a dragon egg. He does not realize that the dragons egg belongs to the evil King Galbatorix.The dragon egg hatches due to Eragon's touch So soon Eragon is hunted down by King Galbatorix and his army. The king's enemies realize Eragon is a chosen one to get the egg, The kings opponents , that is the Vardens and elves try to protect Eragon as they believe Eragon is the chosen one to be the Dragon Rider and can help them to fight the King. The story thus continues. Inheritance has two books currently, Eragon and Eldest. The next book called Brisingr, is due release on September 2008.
Well, I know I did not give a very exciting, entertaining introduction to both the book, but I just wanted to keep it short. Both the book are very exciting and a compulsory page turner. Both have so many exciting twists that you will find yourself forcing yourself to read the books in one shot.
So this is the differences I find between Harry Potter and Inheritance Series.
Harry Potter is a very light read series. It has so many exciting, unthinkable and out of the world creations, that you simply cannot stop admiring the creativity of J.K. Rowling. For example, the dungbomb, chocolate frog, Hogwarts, the invisiblity cloak, platform 91/4 just to name a few.
But Harry Potter however has some very illogical twists and turns which is later made logical by the explanations of Albus Dumbledore (the headmaster in Hogwarts) in the book. For example in the first book, when Lord Voldermont confronts Harry Potter, he touches Harry Potter and suddenly his hands start becoming life less and begin to crumbling, thus killing himself. And thus Harry Potter kills Lord Voldermont just by touching him. Harry (and obviously the readers) remains puzzled about why is that Voldermont start crumbling like dry mud when touched and asks Dumbledore about it. Dumbledore gives a clean and clear explanation about a protection of love, cast by her mother, when she died trying to save Harry. Througout the whole series of the books, there are lots of similar illogical which are later made logical by some explanations by Dumbledore and other peers. Whereas the Inheritance series is a complete opposite of this, there are countless edge nail biting twists, but none of them are illogical. Everything follows a clean order, and everything remains in logical order all the time.
Harry Potter has some real good comic characters like Ron, Peeves the poltergeist. There are good laughable comic sequences involving even serious characters like Harry, the Durselys and even Dumbledore and Snape occasionally. Where as in Inheritance series, there are absolutely no laughs. The humor quotient in Inheritance is zero, non-existent. Inheritance is a very serious novelwith very very serious plots. Christopher Paolini claims Angela, the witch, is the comic character in his book. But I barely found her cracking some jokes or playing any pranks. So coming to humor harry Potter rocks. However, unlike the rest in its series, the last book in Harry Potter series,i.e Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows very grave and serious.
Eragon and Eldest is written much in a Lord Of The Rings style. Those who have read LOTR, know that the book is many times painfully high on details. The fine details given on "out of the context" things in LOTR can really get boring at times. The Inheritance trilogy written in LOTR style is also full of details, but details are only about things that matter and about things and factors which affect the story. On the other hand, Harry Potter is very low on details. That's why I called Harry Potter books for light reading initially.
I rate both Harry Potter and Inheritance series almost equally. Both are good in their own aspects
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My resource is the books of course. Is you wish to get them home delivered to you for the best prices or alternatively if you would like to download it , check out the site http://fantasy-books-movies-etc.blogspot.com/
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Friday 13 June 2008
Is Harry Potter Good? The Battle Between Harry Potter Series And Inheritance (Eragon Book) Series
Full Comments on Harry Potter Movie - Order of the Phoenix
After four Harry Potter movies, we finally get a chance to see Daniel Radcliffe kissing. As the movie cast grow into their teenage years, so does the "heat" in the scenes. The newest Harry Potter movie, Order of the Phoenix, showcases many more computer generated imagery (CGI) wonders.
In fact, when you watch the Order of the Phoenix trailer, you can see that almost every scene in the trailer has CGI in it. Thank goodness that the kissing scene was not CGI. Then again, a CGI kissing scene would be interesting too. Fans of the Harry Potter movies know that the newest sequel, Order of the Phoenix is not one to be missed. The movie was scheduled for release in cinemas on Wednesday 11th July 2007.
Being released almost a week later in the cinemas after the CGI Transformers movie, the newest sequel of the Harry Potter movies was set to challenge the $152 million and counting earnings of the CGI Transformers movie.
Also, CGI works of the new Harry Potter movie; Order of the Phoenix may not stand up to the likes of the Transformers movie but it should still be an entertaining feat to behold. It should be interesting to see how the fifth Harry potter movie, Order of the Phoenix, really appeals to the loyal fans.
Having a loyal cast for four movie sequels is an amazing feat. Harry Potter is one of the movies that have successfully presented the original cast since the first movie, The Philosopher's Stone. I think it is wonderful since the viewers can relate to the actor's style of acting which, I think makes movie sequels more successful.
Will we ever have enough of Harry Potter adventures? I doubt it, even though it is only my opinion but I am actually excited to see view Harry Potter well in to adulthood & watch how the character grows in the movies.
One of the lasting Harry Potter characters is Professor Albus Dumbledore. Micheal Gambon had played the old & wise character since the first movie, The Philosopher's Stone. His prowess as playing an old wizard is also equivalent to Ian Mckellan acting on Lord of the rings.
One may become confused between the two as both characters in both separate lines of movies have the similar wise & old wizard character. Nonetheless, the main characters of both movies are not the wizard character which makes it an excusable coincidence, in my opinion.
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Wednesday 11 June 2008
Child's Harry Potter Glasses and Wand Costume Kit
Child's Harry Potter Glasses and Wand Costume KitFrom BOS Halloween Toys
Price:
$14.99
Amazon Sales Rank: #167540 in Apparel & Accessories
Brand: Unknown
Features
Makes a great combination for your Halloween costume
Costume kit comes with character plastic harry potter wand
Also includes matching wire harry potter glasses
Officially licensed Harry Potter costume
Harry Potter Costume Glasses
Harry Potter Costume GlassesFrom BOS
Price:
$4.99
Amazon Sales Rank: #202559 in Apparel & Accessories
Brand: Unknown
Fabric type:One Size
Features
Makes a great Halloween costume
Costume glasses are an Official Harry Potter licensed merchandise
Costume fits most
Harry Potter Wand and Glasses Set
Harry Potter Wand and Glasses Set
Price:
$9.90
what do you expect for $10? Glasses were pretty flimsy, so don't expect to use them roughly. I got them for my kids' dress-up box, and they are already toast. The wand is made of tougher stuff, though.
Harry Potter IV Wand and Glasses Accessory Kit (B667)
Harry Potter IV Wand and Glasses Accessory Kit (B667)
Price:
$9.95
Harry Potter Wand & Glasses
a great prop this is a great toy everything came perfect and it is a great completion to the Harry Potter halloween costume
Harry Potter Deluxe Glasses Child (One-Size)
Harry Potter Deluxe Glasses Child (One-Size)From BuyCostumes
Price:
$3.99
Round, thin framed glasses, with clear plastic lenses.
Nice accessory. Used with Gryffindor robes, tie and wand--C.H. won a costume contest! Good value for the price--looks pretty real.
Harry Potter Glasses-Classic Style Child
Harry Potter Glasses-Classic Style ChildFrom BuyCostumes
Price:
$3.49
Product Description
Reminiscent of a young Harry Potter, these glasses are black with "tape" arcoss the bridge. Glasses are 100% UV Protection (UV 400). This is an officially licensed Harry Potter product.
breaks easily Although my 6-year-old looked adorable in these glasses and the quidditch robes, they broke the third time he took them off his face. We tried to repair them with super glue, but they kept breaking (in different spots around the glue).
Harry Potter Glasses and Wand
Harry Potter Glasses and Wand
List Price:
$12.83
Price:
$9.58
Amazon Sales Rank: #10852 in Apparel & Accessories
Brand: Rubies Costume Co
Harry Potter Glasses Costume Eyeglasses
Harry Potter Glasses Costume EyeglassesFrom Rubies
Price:
$4.95
Harry Potter Glasses Costume Eyeglasses plastic. one size (childs).
Thursday 5 June 2008
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4)
Product Description
Read by Jim DaleRunning time: 20 hrs., 30 mins. 12 cassettesHarry Potter returns to Hogwarts for his fourth year of magical adventures in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. This year Harry turns 14 and becomes interested in girls -- one in particular. And with Dark Magic comes danger, as someone close to Harry dies. You'll have to listen to learn more! The audio is available on July 8th.
Great Read Title: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Author: J.K. Rowling Date: July 8, 2000 Publisher: Scholastic press Reading Level: Ages 9-12 # of Pages: 734 Genre: Fiction In this fourth edition the main character Harry Potter is now 14 years old. Of course, Harry is still that same boy from book one with the lightning bolt scar, only now he is slightly older and he begins to understand the challenges that face him ahead. It seems like just another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry until the Tri-Wizard Tournament is announced and Harry is mysteriously entered into the tournament as a contestant. The Tri-Wizard Tournament is a magical competition that tests the contestant's bravery, knowledge, and magical skill. Along with the tournament readers are introduced to two other magical schools (Durmstrang and Beauxbatons) and get a rare glimpse of the wizarding world during the Quidditch World Cup. Again, Rowling combines her vivid details of the wizarding world to paint an amazing picture that allows the reader to revel in even the smallest details that make Harry Potter so special. Along with the death-defying Tri-Wizard Tournament, Harry must now focus on the return of Lord Voldamort and his death eaters. Once again, Rowling also introduces a few new characters into the story, both good and evil. A new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor arrives at Hogwarts and some problems are created by house-elves throughout the story. The positive about this book is that they first third of the book spent reviewing the previous three Harry Potter books, so even if you have not read them you can start at book four and have a good idea of what is happening. Also, many points of the plot are left open leaving room for book five. There really is not a negative to this book. Honestly, after reading the first three books I was leery that Rowling was not going to be able to continue writing such engaging stories, but once again she proves that she is able to keep the magic alive. Rowling does an excellent job of reintroducing the main characters and keeping her faithful readers engaged. Personally, this is my favorite book from the popular series. Rowling is able to take this story to a new level by creating a slightly darker version of the popular series and allowing the main characters to experience challenges unseen in the previous books. Goblet of Fire is the first time that a main character actually dies at the hands of Lord Voldamort, the main villain within the series. This is also when Harry Potter, the main character, begins to develop into a young adult and begin to take on the responsibility as the main rival of Voldamort. Overall, this story marks a turn in the Harry Potter books that expresses a more "adult" tone to the story.
It's Good I've been reading the "Harry Potter" series sense Gr. 2. The first was ok, the second was mildly intertaining and the third took a giant step in making the series understanding. But the forth is far by the funniest and most clever of the series. I like it how the author (J. K. Rowling) squeezes more information from book to book. It's very understandable and fast to read. If your a fast reader you can probably get to Chapter 3 in about 2hrs. This book is "AR" (Acellarated Reading) and is fun to read. It is worth 32 Points (Awesome). As other books you search for big points this series can take you up far. My friends and I read the "Harry Potter" series and love the films. I heard the other books like books 5-7 have more than fifty Points (I almost threw up it was so high!). I reccomend these books for people who like long stories that make some sense in each book.
Harry Potter and the Four Champions Triwizard Tournment ,Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasly. Harry potter has a horrible life under the commands of the Dursleys. He wants to get to Hogwarts, a wizard and witchcraft school, one of the three, Beaxubutions and Durmstrang. This year the Triwizard Tournment is happening at Hogwarts it hasn't happened in over one-hundred years. The champions are Viktor Krum, one of the worlds greatest seekers, Cedric Diggory, a fellow hogwarts, Fluer Delacour, a Beaxbutions student, and Harry Potter, himself! The problem is Harry did not put his name into the goblet of fire. He is too young. Who put his name in the goblet of fire? Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins have badges that say "Vote For Cedric Diggory, The Real Hogwarts Champion". If you press it into your stomach, it says "POTTER STINKS". The first task is easy for Harry it gets harder and harder until the final task. I would recommend this book to readers who like fantasy and magic. By Zoe
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2)
Product Description
In one of the most hotly anticipated sequels in memory, J.K. Rowling takes up where she left with Harry's second year at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Old friends and new torments abound, including a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girl's bathroom, an outrageously conceited professor, Gilderoy Lockheart, and a mysterious force that turns Hogwarts students to stone.
More Magic Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (year 2 at Hogwarts) is a fitting follow-up to the first book. It succeeds at continuing the mystery-solving, tongue-in-cheek good humor of the first story, which makes it fun to read, and yet it also begins to introduce many of the central themes and elements of the series as a whole. Several very memorable characters are introduced to the series here (Mr./Mrs. Weasley, Dobby the house elf, Lucius Malfoy, Fawkes, etc.) It is also where we begin to learn about Voldemort's past. I could spend a great deal of time complimenting this book for its wit, humor, and overall enjoyability, but suffice it to say that it is a fun read--and a quick read, which cannot be said for the latter portion of the Harry Potter series. The only major "gripe" that I have (and I may be the only one) is that in this book, the believability of the adults/teachers in the story--already dubious in book 1--takes a turn for the worse. I personally find it hard to believe that so little action would be taken in the face of potentially fatal attacks. This is consistently the case throughout the series, however, and is probably necessary on some level: Harry would never get to solve anything if the teachers managed to collectively have more brains than a teenager. Not much more to say really, I definitely recommend this book.
Awesome!!! I loved every word. I think the books are so much better than the movies. Don't get me wrong, I love the movies, but there is so much detail in the book that I only wish was in the movie. Great read!!! 5 STARS!!!
Harry Potter - book on CD Shipping was quick and the reader on the CD was interesting. Good voice for reading.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3)
Harry Potter has to sneak back to Hogwarts, after accidentally inflating his horrible Aunt Petunia. But once there everyone is whispering about a prizoner who has escaped from the famous wizard prizon, Azkaban. His name is Sirius Black, and as a follower of Lord Voldemort he is determined to track Harry Potter down -- even if it means laying siege to the very walls of Hogwarts!
Harry Potter fan I liked, is in good condition,parece nuevo, a mi sobrina le encanto thank you !!!! por tener todos estos tipos de libros.
Great story, great performance by Jim Dale It's a great story, with much more detail and interest than the movie that was based on it. Jim Dale's performance is excellent and really brings life to the characters. I took off one star because one of the disks was scratched & Amazon cowered behind their policy that they would not allow an exchange of an audio product that was opened.
Peak of Magic Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (year 3 at Hogwarts) is regarded by some as the best book of the Harry Potter series. After recently re-reading the entire series, I think am ready to jump on the bandwagon. For starters, this book has a very compelling plot, brilliantly crafted characters (most notably, Sirius Black) and a critically important plot twist towards the end which shapes the next several books of the series. It introduces the friends of Harry's father, all of whom have extremely important roles to play in the series. It creates a sense of danger, but still manages to be humorous and fun at the right times. And this is the last book in the series that manages to keep itself to a fairly low word count. There are several key moments of humor (centering on the marauders and Dumbledore's offhand observations, for instance) and poignancy (Harry finding out the truth about the betrayal of his parents, conjuring of patronuses, and saving the lives of characters whose deaths would have been tragic). And this, of ALL of the books in the series, is the only one where I don't feel like the adults are improbably inept. The way in which Harry "solves" the mystery (or gets forcibly dragged to the solution!) is believable and unique to him, such that I can accept that none of the teachers would have solved it. This story is important as it shows Harry starting to believe in his own abilities, and beginning to really take a stand for what he knows is right. He shows mercy and compassion, a sense of justice and conviction, and of course hope and love. In a way, this book has the "happiest" ending of any in the series, and certainly a meaningful one. In short, is this the best book in the Harry Potter series? I can't say absolutely that it is, but I'm certainly having difficulty convincing myself that it's not.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5)
Product Description
The book that took the world by storm....In his fifth year at Hogwart's, Harry faces challenges at every turn, from the dark threat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be- Named and the unreliability of the government of the magical world to the rise of Ron Weasley as the keeper of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Along the way he learns about the strength of his friends, the fierceness of his enemies, and the meaning of sacrifice.
Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix is a suprising, entertaining book. The main characters are Harry,Ron and Hermione.The main characters broke the rules that would get them expelled from Hogwarts.My favorite character is Ron Weassly because he never fights to make people stop teasing him.I can relate to the character Ron because I don't like to be teased. I also find ways to make them stop teasing me. I loved the book; every page was exciting.I recommend this book to people who like fiction and have questions after every chapter.
My favorite of the series While "Azkaban" and "Goblet of Fire" began the transition of the series towards the darker and more mature side, "Order of the Phoenix" was the first to really explore the pure evil that Voldemort and his death eaters were capable of and the conflicting feelings going through Harry's mind. This was when Harry first realized how close of a connection he really did have with Voldemort: he could be in his head and vice-versa. I loved that Rowling explored this more mature side to the story and the way that Harry was maturing along with the stories. Overall, this was my favorite book from the series.
Heart over Mind Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (year 5 at Hogwarts)... This is a very tricky book for me to review. I have mixed feelings about it for a lot of reasons, which I will elucidate momentarily. However, I decided to award it 5 stars, based more on my "gut reaction" than anything else. Here's why: This book is chalk full of some of my absolute favorite moments in the series. The character of Umbridge, while extremely one-dimensional, is also very effective as a foil to Harry in this book. She frustrates me to no end, and I dearly wish her to get her comeuppance. Thus, any circumstance in which someone stands up to her (notably, Fred and George, McGonagall, and Dumbledore) is an absolute delight, and these are the moments that stand out in my mind when I think about the book. We also meet the fantastic, imaginative character of Luna Lovegood, one of my favorites. Another great thing about this story is the fact that the central struggle is not between "good and evil," (i.e. Harry/Dumbledore etc. vs. Voldemort), but rather it is between, as spelled out in book 4, what is right and what is easy. Harry, Dumbledore, and a select group of believers are preparing to fight the danger of Voldemort's return, whereas the Ministry of Magic is in outright denial of the return, and goes to unbelievable lengths to frustrate Harry's and Dumbledore's attempts to spread the word. This generates a unique story, in which characters who should be on the same side are working against each other, and I think it creates a wonderful dramatic tension. It also inspires "Dumbledore's Army," one of the most effective examples of character growth in the series. On the other hand, the book has several faults that are hard to ignore. For one, it is very LONG, and could use a great deal of editorial tightening. It also begins to have a lot of plot holes and logical gaps, and returns to the disturbing trend of inept adults (does the Order of the Phoenix accomplish anything at all in the course of the year?). Perhaps the most annoying aspect of the book is the nearly unbearable negativity of Harry throughout, which may be understandable given his circumstances, but it certainly gets old fast. In the end, I guess I am able to overlook the shortcomings of the story and simply enjoy its better moments, possibly because by this point in the series, I am already committed to the long haul. It is definitely the last book of the series that has much left of the "fun" that made the first part of the series so enjoyable, so... enjoy it while you can!
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1)
Product Description
Read by Jim Dale8 hours 17 minutes, 6 cassettesHarry Potter has no idea how famous he is. That's because he's being raised by his miserable aunt and uncle who are terrified Harry will learn that he's really a wizard, just as his parents were. But everything changes when Harry is summoned to attend an infamous school for wizards, and he begins to discover some clues about his illustrious birthright. From the surprising way he is greeted by a lovable giant, to the unique curriculum and colorful faculty at his unusual school, Harry finds himself drawn deep inside a mystical world he never knew existed and closer to his own noble destiny.
Audio is Awesome Jim Dale's reading of the book was excellent and I do have to say that I have not listened to an audio book that I have enjoyed more. Dale's changing of his voices to mimic the character was very interesting yet not over done. I could envision each character due to his inflections and changes in speech patterns. During the entire eight hours of the reading of this audio book, not once was I bored by the reading of it. I can only hope he will read the next book in this series. Alas, I have been very late in reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone but I can guarantee that I'll be much quicker in getting the next book. I truly enjoyed this book even if it was originally written for children - this book is enjoyable no matter what your age and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a bit of fantasy.
A Fun Listen I enjoyed the book so much that I wanted to be able to listen to it in the car on long drives. It is a lot of fun, though sometimes the narrator is a bit "over the top" with his accents and emoting. He takes a little getting used to.
Wonderful...truly a performance I love the Harry Potter series, but I was unsure of the audiobooks. Jim Dale really brings J.K. Rowling's books to life. He doesn't read--he performs. I would recommend them to anyone!
Harry Potter Paperback Box Set (Books 1-6)
Product Description
Follow Harry from his first days at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, through his many adventures with Hermione and Ron, to his confrontations with rival Draco Malfoy and the dreaded Professor Snape. From a dangerous descent into the Chamber of Secrets to the Triwizard Tournament to the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, each adventure is more riveting and exhilarating than its predecessor, and now all six books are available together for the first time in an elegant paperback boxed set.
Harry Potter Collection Thank you, a beautifully presented set exactly as described. Shipped very quickly as promised. Well worth it.
Harry Potter series The books were great and the company sent them in an extremely timely fashion. I would order from them again.
Best Fantasy Ever If you haven't read them..... Then get on it. These are the greats books ever. They have a little of everything. They are great for all ages. The later books could be a little scary for younger children but that is why the parent should read them first. Just great books all around.
Harry Potter Boxset Books 1-7
HARRY POTTER BOXED SET 1-7 includes the seven phenomenal Harry Potter hardcover books by best selling author J. K. Rowling. These books are housed in a collectible trunk-like box with sturdy handles and privacy lock. Bonus decorative stickers are included in each boxed set.
The Complete Potter So maybe I was the only person on earth that had not a single one of the Harry Potter books on my shelves, but now thanks to this wonderful set I have all seven, and in hardback! The quality of the books is a given. All seven volumes in original hardback with original cover art. What's not to love. It showed up in the box that it was shipped from at the manufacturer and inside is the collector's chest. Not really much more than a Point of Sale container in my opinion, but a decent effort was put into the art work to make the experience of recieving and opening it fun. I keep my books in the case just for kicks, but it should certainly not be the reason you decide to make this purchase, especially if you already have all the books. Each book was individually shrink wrapped inside the chest and it also included a fun sticker book that any kid under age 7 is gonna love. great value, great product, amazing stories (I am only half way through the 1st book, but already in love with the characters) J.Vaughn
Harry Potter Box Set Perfect condition and one of the few sets that came with the decorative trunk to hold the books. Great transaction.
I would tell my friends to get it Well i like it and it is great my books are safe and they won't get damaged at all. I would tell more then a friend about it. I am gonna order from here again.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6)
Product Description
This must-read fantasy takes you inside Hogwarts again for Harry's 6th year. What's in store for the wizard and his friends? What danger does his greatest enemy have planned? And who is the half-blood prince? Find out in this long-awaited adventure! Winner of two 2005 Quill Book Awards: Best Children's Chapter Book in the middle grade category and readers' choice for Book of the Year!
function registerNamespace(ns)Good, but too much tell rather than show ***relatively minor spoilers below*** Once I got started, I devoured HP and the Half Blood Prince in about a week. This was a nice change from the plodding Order of the Phoenix, which I forced down over the course of several months. The HBP focuses primarily on the development and evolution of the main characters. There are only a few big events but boy, are they shocking. The final pages throw the ball high into the air, to be caught somewhere in Book 7. I fault the HBP on two points: First off, many reviewers have observed that HBP is largely a setup for Deathy Hallows (which I have yet to read). But HBP also spends many pages attempting to wrap up and weave together the events of Books 1-5. Rowling tries to pull it all together-- characters, incidents, items from HP's past-- into one over-arching plotline. At times it feels very strained, and it's evident that Rowling dreamed up most of these explanations and connections far after the time they were originally written. Secondly, there are, of course, a number of rather astounding twists towards the end. However, unlike in previous volumes, I don't feel that these twists were handled very well. Their explanations seem feeble, half-hearted, and overall unsatisfactory. The twists inevitably result in character assassination of cast members whose reliability served as much of the foundation of previous volumes. The destruction of reliability is a bit too abrupt, and subsequent attempts to patch or explain away this loss feel like a band-aid over a dagger through the heart. Perhaps the Deathly Hallows will help bridge these rifts. Overall, it's still a very enjoyable, engrossing read. I feel like a young school girl in admitting that intrigue over the various romances prodded me to continue flipping pages. Several scenes and lines made me laugh out loud or smile, always a sign that a reading is time well spent.
Build-up "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by itself is a very good novel. When compared to its predecessor "Order of the Phoenix" and the last installment "Deathly Hallows", it doesn't quite measure up. The sixth book of the series is largely a build-up to transition to the final stand-off in the seventh book, but it seems like there is just a little too much talking and not enough classic Harry Potter action. I guess this was a pretty necessary transition, however, as it does set up the conclusion of the series very nicely. I suggest that if you have not read this book yet to make sure that you have the seventh book handy as you are going to want to continue on as soon as you finish this one.
Great book just like the rest. Like all the books before its a great work. My entire family (that can read) has read every book (my wife and I listen to them on cd). My 5 yr old has been harry potter for the past 3 years for holloween.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)
Amazon.com Readers beware. The brilliant, breathtaking conclusion to J.K. Rowling's spellbinding series is not for the faint of heart--such revelations, battles, and betrayals await in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that no fan will make it to the end unscathed. Luckily, Rowling has prepped loyal readers for the end of her series by doling out increasingly dark and dangerous tales of magic and mystery, shot through with lessons about honor and contempt, love and loss, and right and wrong. Fear not, you will find no spoilers in our review--to tell the plot would ruin the journey, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is an odyssey the likes of which Rowling's fans have not yet seen, and are not likely to forget. But we would be remiss if we did not offer one small suggestion before you embark on your final adventure with Harry--bring plenty of tissues.
The heart of Book 7 is a hero's mission--not just in Harry's quest for the Horcruxes, but in his journey from boy to man--and Harry faces more danger than that found in all six books combined, from the direct threat of the Death Eaters and you-know-who, to the subtle perils of losing faith in himself. Attentive readers would do well to remember Dumbledore's warning about making the choice between "what is right and what is easy," and know that Rowling applies the same difficult principle to the conclusion of her series. While fans will find the answers to hotly speculated questions about Dumbledore, Snape, and you-know-who, it is a testament to Rowling's skill as a storyteller that even the most astute and careful reader will be taken by surprise.
A spectacular finish to a phenomenal series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a bittersweet read for fans. The journey is hard, filled with events both tragic and triumphant, the battlefield littered with the bodies of the dearest and despised, but the final chapter is as brilliant and blinding as a phoenix's flame, and fans and skeptics alike will emerge from the confines of the story with full but heavy hearts, giddy and grateful for the experience. --Daphne Durham
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