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Here is another installment in a series that will
probably enchant generations of kids, teenagers and adults alike...
The summer is is here, and with it the boring
succession of days and nights at the Dursleys's. Fortunately, Harry
doesn't have to
suffer too long nor mourn his dear godfather Sirius alone, since
Dumbledore is soon coming to fetch him and take him to the Wealseys. Times are hard, and nobody is carefree anymore: people are scared,
Death-Eaters are loose in the streets, Dementors have joined
them, and Voldemort's shadow is looming over strange incidents and
tragedies that occur everywhere. But Dumbledore's presence is not
for Harry's protection: he needs his help for a particular task...
A new year at Hogwarts announces many (more or
less) studious hours, new love interests (now that Harry and his
friends all turned 16), new spells, charms and potions to learn, new
battles to fight, and of course... a new Defense Against the Dark
Arts Teacher, about whom I will say no more!
In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,
a much matured (and less rebellious!) Harry Potter will try to find
out exactly why and how Draco Malfoy is up to no good, and he will
discover more about the complex and troubled personality of his
archenemy Lord Voldemort. He will also wonder who the Half-Blood
Prince, who intervenes unexpectedly in is life, could possibly be...
There is some funny stuff in the latest HP
book, but
mostly, the tone is more serious than it used to be. I would
not think this volume suitable for very young children, since there
are some pretty scary parts involving dark spells. It is
a good thing that Rowling leaves less room for things that were
becoming quite repetitive or annoying over time (Quidditch,
house-elves, Hagrid's lessons or the whole subject of Giants, which I
found pretty boring in the last book).
If
Harry Potter and the Order of the
Phoenix was, in my opinion, leading to a revelation that was
neither surprising nor essential (as stressed by Dumbledore in the
present volume!), and could have easily be named "an almost
"ordinary" year at Hogwarts", this present volume sets up various
elements for her next book, and leaves Harry on the threshold
of adulthood (his realization of what responsibilities lie upon him
reminded similar coming-of-age scenes in some well-known superheroes
movies). Therefore, the reader mustn't expect a story in which
everything ties up nicely, otherwise he will be very disappointed.
We turn the last page with more questions than answers, which does
not really bothers me, that is, if we don't have to wait too long
for the conclusion (and if my theory about Snape and Dumbledore
proves
correct!). Another (great, great) series comes to mind,
with each volumes ending with a cliffhanger: the
Dark Tower
series by Stephen King. Let's hope the last HP book will meet our expectations....
Rating: 
© Discussing Books, 08/18/2005 |
Critiques