Rating: Summary: A Good Read, but Not the Best Yet... Review: While this Harry Potter book is yet another must read for fans, I contend that while it makes my 2nd favorite in terms of storyline (I prefer Goblet of Fire), it's also perhaps the most poorly written of the series. I think it's been too long since Ms. Rowling was 15, and she's never had the displeasure of being a boy. These two facts seem evident that when she tries to pain Harry as having rebelious streaks, he merely comes across as being annoying, and angry for no real reason. Also, the scenes with Cho seemed somewhat contrived, and too few for the book, in my opinion. Aside from this, I also took issue with two other parts of the book: the centaur scene near the end & the death of the major charector. Both were too short, and both deserved more space in a book already 870 pages. After taunting every student at Hogwarts and nearly destroying the school, Dolores got off far too easy in the end. Also, when "padfoot" falls through the arch, it seems mystifying to believe he's really gone. Everyone else hit with similar curses merely got treated and moved on. "Padfoot" however died. It didn't make sense, nor did I feel the scene was well written. In addition to that, when Neville can't speak correctly, he can't cast a spell, and yet when Haromie casts a spell to silence a Death Eater, she's struck back with a curse that nearly kills her. Since when can mute wizards cast spells? And if so, why couldn't Neville, just cause he was pronouncing things just a bit off..? Aside from these flaws, it was still an amazing book, and I anxiously await book 6. :-)
Rating: Summary: the wait was too long for too little Review: I thought that this book was well written, however was far too long and the promised climax never came. The book seemed to continue almost indefinately with very little plot or substantial story development. I was very keen to read it, and I will still read the rest of the series however I found this a very long and disappointing read.
Rating: Summary: Good But Depressing Review: Although it was wonderful to return to J. K. Rowling's magical world, a world I was so keen to re-enter for the last three years, I couldn't help finding Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix very depressing both while reading it and afterwards.If you expect a light and happy ending you should read another book. Harry is pitiful, suffering from the beginning to the end. The book is not about good vs. evil anymore since most of the good characters are not totally good anymore. This rule, however, doesn't apply to the bad ones which are as worse as ever. The story begins with Harry and Dudley being attacked by two dementors.Harry performs the Expectro Patronum spell and save their lives, breaking, however, the Underage Reasonable Restriction Act. Meanwhile, Fudge tries to control Hogwarts through Dolores Umbridge, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Harry is still traumatized by the events of the year before - which are nothing compared to what will happen in the final chapters of this book. In spite of the dramatic tone, Book 5 surely is well-writen. Its so exiting it makes you race through the pages, and HPfans will be very pleased since most of the older characters like Lupin and Lockhart return in this book. I tell you one thing, it definitely changes the course of the story from now on. Can't wait 'till Book 6!!!
Rating: Summary: If you still bear the somewhat gothic ending..., Review: ..of the 4th volume in mind, you might find yourself eagerly gulping down this one, searching for clue's of Voldemort's return.. But, I found myself breathlessly reading ... and ... reading ... and reading ... through almost 600 pages till the first encounter of the impersonated good and evil occured. It somehow felt like this whole volume was some sort of an interlude to prepare the grounds for volume 6, where the ultimate battle might begin.However, Rowlings storytelling is as terrific as ever, and I particularly enjoyed her side blows on the media and her empathetic description of the main characters maturing and experiencing teenager turmoil. Now I have no alternative but to wait impatiently for volume 6.
Rating: Summary: Slow..... Review: This book in the series is far too slow and isnt worth the wait. I kept hoping it would pick up but it never did. She's lost her touch with this one and made it far too long. Read it if your a fan of the series , but beware it's not what you would hope for. Big let down!
Rating: Summary: Legendary Herry Potter - confused and stupefy Review: The 5th continuation of legendary Herry was probably the most expected book ever, however, his quality and style differs from previous books very much. It begins extremely slowly with description of the overview of Herry's suffering at home, unlogically complicated with Dementors in the Mudworld, following with weird behavior of Dumbledore and all-the-time-keeped-secrets. Clause seems like usual Rowlings style with a new element of Prof. Umbridge as a bad girl, torturing and bullying everybody in school. I quite appreciate this negative element in the school, but sometimes it seems to exceed the limits (when torturing Harry until he is bleeding). If the final combat between Death Eaters and Dumbledore's Army was left out, the book might be quite readable and hasty.... Anyway, I recommend everybody not to let themselves be disgusted with that unhappy 120 fighting pages, it is worthy to read it to the very end.
Rating: Summary: less would have been more Review: I like the Harry Potter books and have read all 5 so far. This is my least favorite. It is too long and doesn't really have the oomph that the other books had. I imagine Rowling would not let her editor trim the book down and thus it suffers. The quality of the writing itself could use some improvement, too. Phrases are used too often. For example, everyone "turns on his/her heel" and Harry sees Cho and and his stomach "feels like he skipped a step going down stairs" more than once. I also was irritated that Rowling kept building up aspects of the plot and "dangling" them in front of you, but not giving it to you until the end. Then when we finally get it, it is fairly anti-climatic. This book doesn't really teach you anything new about the characters, it is mostly just there. The new things we do learn could easily fit into a book 1/10th the size of this one and not leave anything out. To sum up, the other HP books are good, this one was OK, but mostly a let-down.
Rating: Summary: This is a fake, right? Review: I am a very devoted fan of this series but I noticed in book 4 that it was just starting to drop. In Order of the Phoenix, I was convinced I was reading a fake. I mean, everyone likes a little bit of emotion in books, but too much makes me sick and I bet it's the same for you too. As another reviewer put it, Harry Potter needs Prozac. Kids can deal with this book, it's not really very violent, but don't waste your money, wait until the paperback comes out or you can get it at the library. People should start realizing that the magic can't last forever. Plus the addition of the two movies made it harder to imagine the characters and settings, almost as if your imagination is dictated. Reading is not school. When you read for pleasure, your imagination should stretch. I found it hard to stretch with this installment. If you want a good book with a good ending that you can understand, a good villian who does really villian-like things, and a good plot that makes sense and doesn't take 800+ pages to glorify on, please just read Lord of the Rings, Eragon, or something by Garth Nix. I know that when the next book comes out, I'll be waiting to get it at the library, not rushing to buy it and waste my hard-earned forty bucks. And you should too. The spell is beginning to die. Realize that.
Rating: Summary: Good book Review: A very good book, what a joy to enjoy a book with my grandchildren!!
Rating: Summary: GREAT Review: RAMBLING It took me a very long time to get this book, as it was sold out everywhere I went for about 3 weeks after its release (and mark you, I was in 5 different countries!). Only by chance, because a customer had failed to pick it up, I finally got my copy (again the last on stock!). The advantage of online-booking is obvious. Two things to say beforehand: Firstly I hope desperately that J.K. Rowling will soon finish the next book, I just can't wait to read it; Secondly I wonder why book illustrators or publishers seem to think that books for children need to be illustrated in such a childish manner. I remember the time well when I was something between 9 and 11 and used to love books all the better because of beautiful the-more-naturalistic-the-better illustrations, and despise them as much as their illustrations failed to satisfy my aesthetic tastes. I didn't buy the first four books for at least two years (heaving read them anyway;) because I hoped I would sooner or later run across beautiful cover-art. Not that I think Mary GrandPré's work ugly (at least mostly, and the colour-composition is usually nice enough), but I really dislike it when I think that illustrations by somebody like GILES GREENFIELD (the illustrator of my 4th volume) might have been put on the covers on it's stead. I really consider sending a letter to the publishers asking them to use decent cover-art. But now to the book: REVIEW The most important information for anybody who has liked (or disliked) the last four volumes and is not sure whether to buy this one or not: The Order of the Phoenix is at least as good as the best of the former four, whichever that may be (or as bad, if you dislike fantasy). I was especially pleased about the fact that this time the first chapter was not a boring and annoying summary of "what had happened so far" (the only thing I used to dislike about volumes 2-4), but rather a nice beginning of a very interesting story. Some people claim that "noting happens" in the first 700 pages. If you ask me, that is pure nonsense, the only thing that doesn't happen is a lot of fighting whatsoever. Which is not so horrible, I enjoyed the rest of the book more than the fighting scenes, although of course they might have been more "exiting". But as a matter of fact, it is just such a great book as a whole, with both funny (I had a laughing fit at one place) and sad things going on. As the funny things are mostly rather on the subtle side and the injustice and sadness more pronounced in the actions, I sometimes had to wonder whether it was such a suitable book for children, some things described were really a bit too serious and too sad. On the other had, they are sure to learn a few important things from it, such as being aware of the dependence of the media on the political regime and their lack of trustworthiness as a whole, as well as the fallibility of individuals, just as much through egoism and evil as through altruism and goodness. This criticism of society is one of the many things that make especially the last 3 Harry Potter books recommendable for adults, not talking about the humour and the enjoyability (well, sometimes the happenings were just too outrageous or sad to be enjoyable) of the story as a whole. The one thing (apart from the fact that the book was "meant" for children) that might be criticised from an adult's point of view is the fact that many of the characters just delight too much in evil to appear real, and some are just a little too perfect. But on the other hand especially the main characters are drawn in quite a realistic way, having both their faults and their qualities and appearing very alive by how much they can change because of a mood or certain circumstances, and many of them seem to develop or have developed in the course of the series. The last thing that somebody might consider criticising is the fact that many parts of the world and the plot are comprised from already existing stories. This person should just look at The Lord of the Rings or other pieces of world literature, and then claim that they were altogether original and revolutionary. The human mind cannot start from nowhere, it needs a fundament to built upon and material to use. It is the new way in which old things have been put together, the new approach, the underlying idea and the bits and pieces of individual creativity coming from the author that will make something old appear new and revolutionary, as the Harry Potter series undoubtedly is.
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