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Summary: "He's at Hogwarts... He's at Hogwarts..."
Review: In 1999, J. K. Rowling completed the third book in her famous series about Harry Potter, the young wizard whose parents were killed by a dark wizard, but is being raised reluctantly by his non-wizard uncle and aunt (the Dursleys) and attending the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, just as his parents did when they were his age. This third book, entitled "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban", follows Harry's life when he is 13 years old and preparing to attend his third year of studies at Hogwarts. Before the beginning of the third term, Harry must endure another summer away from his magical friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and live with his ever-unpleasant Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and cousin Dudley. Unfortunately, things only get worse with the announcement that his Aunt Marge is coming for a weeklong visit. Aunt Marge makes life even more miserable than ever for Harry, even though he and Uncle Vernon have made a deal that if Harry "behaves himself" while Marge is there, that Uncle Vernon will sign a permission slip so that Harry, with his friends, can visit the village of Hogsmeade, the only completely wizard village in England. However, on Aunt Marge's last night, Harry can't take any more and accidentally causes her to inflate like a balloon. Fearing that he will be expelled or even sent to the dreaded Azkaban Prison, Harry decides to run away from the Dursleys to wait his final week prior to the start of third year. Alone at night in the "muggle" (non-magic) suburb, Harry sees something coming at him that turns out to be the magical Knight Bus to take him to wherever he wants to go. Harry rides the bus to Diagon Alley where Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge has been waiting for him. Thinking that he's about to be severely punished, Harry is stunned instead to be told that the Ministry has taken care of the entire incident with his Aunt Marge and that he will not be punished. The Weasley family and Hermione Granger arrive the night before the Hogwarts Express leaves London for school and Harry begins to learn about Sirius Black, who recently escaped from Azkaban Prison. Sirius Black, regarded as the heir apparent to the dreaded dark wizard Voldemort, was convicted of murdering 13 people 12 years earlier and is believed to be looking for Harry! Will this affect Harry at Hogwarts, and will Harry meet Sirius Black? You'll just have to read this exciting novel to find out!Having read the first three books about Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling, I can say that the third book by far is the most exciting and best of the three. The primary plot line with Sirius Black is very engaging, as are the several subplots which include Hagrid's hippogriff named Buckbeak, Hermione's heavy class load, Hermione's cat, Griffindore's quidditch matches, Draco Malfoy being as bad as ever, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher named Professor Remus Lupin, Harry's introduction to divination with Professor Trelawney, the trips to Hogsmeade and Fred & George Weasleys' gift to Harry. More is learned about Professor Severus Snape in this very well written novel, as well as Harry's parents. This book is also much darker than the first two with the dreaded dementors of Azkaban lurking about. With over 430 pages (nearly 100 pages longer than the second book), J. K. Rowling's third book "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" earns a resounding 5 out of 5 stars and I highly recommend it to everyone! I look forward to reading the fourth and fifth books that are already published, as well as the sixth (currently being written) and seventh in the series. I'm also very glad that I read this book before seeing its film version that opened in theaters two days ago.
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Summary: The best of the best
Review: In a series of great books, this is the best. Enough said
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Summary: I'm 23 and I've read it twice
Review: In anticipation of Harry Potter, Book 4, I had to read the first three books again. What I was struck with, again, is the sheer imaginative nature of J.K. Rowling's books. Simply put, these books are instant classics. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" is the third in the series following Harry Potter at Hogwart's school of wizardry. Harry is now a 13-year old (his birthday occurring at the beginning of the book), and concerned mostly with classes, Quidditch (a wizard sport), and the fact that he's not allowed to visit the local wizard village of Hogsmeade with his friends on the weekends. One of the reasons for this is that Sirius Black, a convicted murderer, has broken out of Azkaban, the wizard prison, and word has it that he's out to get Harry. In keeping with Harry Potter tradition, the reader can expect surprises, twists and turns, malicious rivals, uncommonly kind professors, terrible relatives, amazing magic candy, true friendships, and a whiz-bang ending. It's delightful to see how Rowling can stay true to the feel of the previous books, and yet allow Harry and friends to mature. This book is a little longer than the previous books, but the imagination never lets up, and gradually Harry's world is widening. I would recommend this book to ANYONE (any age) who enjoys the writings of Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L'Engle, or J.R.R. Tolkien. This is a very fun, humourous, and enjoyable fantasy novel, and one that should be read more than once!
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Summary: Wonderful book ful of suspense and laughter for all ages
Review: In Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban there is a lot of suspense, humor, and imagery. The author descibes the events and characters so well you feel like you are in the situation yourself. There are many cliffhangers that urge you to read on. So much humor that this book will send you into tears, out of happiness or sadness.
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Summary: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Review: In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling, Harry experiences a third year at Hogwarts that is very unlike his previous two. It is a year full of mystery, fear, and unexpected happenings. A very violent and dangerous criminal, Sirius Black, has escaped from Azkaban, and is a man on a mission - to find Harry Potter. While Harry must stay on his guard at all times, Sirius Black is just one of his many concerns. This book is very suspenseful and action-packed, and is a thrill to read. It will keep you guessing until the end!
Although some may think that the Harry Potter series is for children, I believe that it is for anyone. Its continual action and mystery make it exciting to read and easy to get caught up in, while its complex series of events and unrevealed secrets keep you guessing. This book is for anyone who can get past the whole "children's book" stereotype and give it a chance. I believe they will be pleasantly surprised!
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Summary: Winner Number Three
Review: In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Rowling once againsurprises readers with her wealth of magical "stuff".Harry's problems with the Dursleys can be escaped for a while, but he always (so far) goes back patiently to wait out another vacation time. With all the magic in Azkaban, and as Harry's powers grow as he grows, he again proves that the real magic is his belief in himself. I have read all three books to my fifth graders. With each one they have improved in their thinking abilities-looking for clues and discussing the possibilities of "who is the bad guy?" and "How will Harry, Hermione, and Ron get out of this one?" The threads that Rowling weaves through the mystery leads readers and listeners to another surprise ending, yet wanting ever more. Thanks to Rowling for depicting adults as adults and kids as kids with no disparaging remarks except for those who have chosen the dark magic. Reserve my next book please!!
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Summary: Harry is a fantastic character
Review: In his third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter shows courage, wit and humor. Harry is so well decribed that he come to life in the minds of readers. Everyone can imagine Harry sneaking out of Hogwarts or fighting the dementors. Like the two other books, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a thrilling, suspenful book. I recomend it to any one who loves to read!
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Summary: Excellent installment
Review: In his third year at Hogwarts, Harry and his friends have even harder classes to master, as well as worrying about the escape of Sirius Black from the Azkaban prison. Black was convicted of killing thirteen people with one curse and is supposedly You-Know-Who's main henchman. And he's on his way to Hogwarts! Continuing her breathtaking storytelling, Rowling gives readers an exciting mystery, as well as loads of thrills with Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they take on not only the henchman who helped get Harry's parents killed, but also as they face off with the dreaded Professor Snape and the unlikeable Draco Malfoy.
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Summary: The Best of All
Review: In my opinion, J.K. Rowling's third book was the best. If you read this book, you should expect the unexpected. [...] The book was interesting because of the realistic dialogue. For example, I thought it was real the way she describes when Hermione, Ron, Harry and Lupin are in the willow tree with Black. I liked the book Prisoner of Azkaban because of friendship and loyalty. Lupin knows that he's going to be in trouble because most people think that Black is bad, but Lupin will never doubt his friend no matter what. [...]
In this book, you will learn about trust. Dumbledore covers up for Harry and Hermione when they go back in time. He trusts them to be back in time. So far, the Prisoner of Azkaban is the best book J.K. Rowling has written. I think everyone should read it!
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Summary: As if you care what a 15 year old thinks of this book
Review: In pure honesty, I will be astounded if anybody actually reads my review, but in case you actually would like my prognosis of this novel, read on. Before I begin, though, if you are a new reader who has never read any of the Harry Potter series, I would strongly recommend reading them in order. An avid fan, I have read all of the current ones several times, but I'm reviewing "The Prisoner of Azkaban" for the reason it is my favorite. Although "Goblet of Fire" (4) is undeniably deeper and well-written, I personally favor this one so far. For me, the first two books of this series served merely as an introduction into the wonderful world of Harry Potter. They allow the readers to begin to expand their mind enough to absorb the pure imagination in this magnificent fantasy. Again, that is why I urge new readers to read the first two before delving into this one. Grammatically, it is no more difficult to read than the first two. Content wise, however, J.K. Rowling goes all out in this one; as if she were holding back in the earlier ones. For a reader unexposed to this world, it may be overwhelming. For me, this book secured J.K. Rowling's legitimacy as an author and was the turning point to get me hooked to the whole series, since it works on so many more levels than the previous two. In "Prisoner of Azkaban",Rowling finally begins to shed some light on Harry's past, an element very briefly touched in the prior two. You also begin to see the development of familiar characters; the progression and maturity from their initial introduction in Book One. Part of Rowling's gift is making the reader feel as if they are at Hogwart's School of Wizardry with the Harry and the rest. Once accustomed to the characters, we can see how they grow. Harry begins to experience some situations typical of a young, confused boy his age (ie, he starts to stand-up for himself more against his foster family, he starts rebelling more against his professors, he finds himself in the middle of a conflict between his two best friends, etc) As a growing teenager myself, I can relate. Also, in the previous books, the story was pretty clear-cut. Of course there were unexpected twists and curveballs thrown, but when it came down to it, the reader could easily discern between the good hero and the evil antagonist at the climax. This story focuses less on the ongoing battle between Harry and his archenemy and more on the inner turmoil of a young man as he is faced with several obstacles he has to face within himself. However, make no mistake, this story is jam-packed with action and humor that makes the book so appealing to begin with. And as I stated earlier, Rowling allows our imaginations to soar as she expands on the already well-developed world she has created. In a delightful turn of events, Harry is on his own for a few weeks, so we get a firsthand account about a "normal" city for wizards. Another plus is a newly introduced wizard settlement known as Hogsmeade, in which Rowling vividly describes the various wild shops and landmarks. Finally, the introduction of a new Defense Against Dark Arts teacher, a very interesting and well-developed man. Professor Remus Lupin's class allows Rowling's creativity to shine as she shows all these magical creatures and entities who are obviously researched and well-developed. Not only is it just fun to read, it's a great prerequisite for the totally outta-this-world follow-up, "Goblet of Fire". I love this series, and I recommend that everybody at least read "Sorceror's Stone" (1) Thanx fer taking the time to read this, I hope it was helpful in convincing you that Harry Potter is one of the best examples of literature at its best.
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