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| Purchase: Amazon | Chapters |
Published: 1999
Pages: 317
ISBN: 1551924781
Genre: Series (Harry Potter, book #3)
Start Date: May 30, 2011
Finished Date: June 6, 2011 (7 days)
Where Found: Birthday gift (the first 4 books)
Why Read: Re-reading for fun & to finish off the series
Summary: In his 3rd year at Hogwarts, Harry is threatened by the escaped convict Sirius Black, a former follower of Voldemort, while discovering more secrets about his parents' past.
Review:
I had forgotten how much darker this book is than the first two in the Harry Potter series. Murder, capital punishment...but then there's a flying griffin, a secret passage to a candy store, mysterious happenings with Hermione, and a nail-biting Quidditch championship to lighten the load.
From the beginning, I could remember why this book was not my favourite of the three. It does take some time to get the plot rolling, then at about the time where *spoiler* (highlight here: the Fat Lady portrait gets slashed), the story breezes on to a fantastic finish, more than making up for what seemed to me to be a bit of a sluggish start. Then again, everything prior to the spoiler incident above was intentional and comes into play later on. So maybe it was just me & my impatience :)
What I loved most about book #3, and forgive the cliche, is the thickening of the plot. There is much more risk and even greater reward. The chapter covering the Quidditch match was written with great excitement and was exhilarating to read. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are getting a little more mature with age, a little less trusting (at least immediately) of new faces at Hogwarts given their past encounters, and even more secrets of the school & Harry's parents come to light.
So far, 3 down, 4 to go with the series. I haven't read The Goblet of Fire before, so I can't wait to dive into it as many bloggers count it among their favourites of the series. I would count Prisoner of Azkaban as my 2nd favourite so far. It was better than The Chamber of Secrets but still doesn't have the same effect for me as The Philosopher's Stone.
Rank: (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend
I've been seriously considering a reread on this series. Book 3 was the first book that blew me away. The multiple plot twists at the end were truly spectacular and inspired my attendance at the next 4 midnight release party...
ReplyDeleteIf you love the greater risk = greater reward bit about this one I think you'll like the next books. They are darker, but that's because the stakes keep increasing as the war approaches. Love them!
ReplyDeleteThis is my second favorite HP book in the series. There's just so many things I love about it! Sirius, Lupin.. their confrontation towards the end. Flawless character and plot development!
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love the HP books. I kind of envy you for not having read the 4th book yet. Boy are you in for a treat!
ReplyDeleteTwoBibliomaniacs~ I definitely recommend re-reading them. I've had a blast doing this & it's just getting warmed up as I've never read the last 4 books before.
ReplyDeleteAvid Reader (Melissa)~ I think the books' metamorphoses are so interesting. As Harry ages, the story gets darker and more mature.
Jillian~ Yes, the plot sure was precise in how it unfurled. Surprises around every corner.
Sarah~ He he...that's what everyone tells me :) Can't wait!
This is actually my favorite, tied with the 7th. I really like Sirius (my #2 favorite, #1, to be revealed later, or did I already tell you?:)
ReplyDeleteLove your capital punishment reference. Having your soul sucked out certainly fits the category. I can never decide if book 3 or 4 is my favorite. Book 4 is the series's climax as Voldermort returns to power, but in book 3 I like that for once Harry isn't fighting the Dark Lord and we learn some of the background on the story/characters.
ReplyDeleteI would actually say this is the best book in the series. The way Rowling writes the time travel section of the book is simply the best part of the series. Furthermore, little ideas such as the map and the dementors really made this the best book of the series in my opinion.
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