Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
J.K. Rowling
As Rowling's brilliant series draws to a close, perhaps it is to be supposed that the mysteries will become fewer, the action less suspenseful, the outcomes more predictable. Such is absolute tripe when it comes to this superb author and this superbly crafted work of fiction. Just as the reader thinks it is all coming to a close, we learn the true secrets of Lord Voldemort's longevity and of his descent into evil. Half-Blood Prince only further underlines the incredible amounts of thought and passion that goes into Harry Potter- the backstory is intricate and elaborate and the book forges a connection with things mentioned in passing in Chamber of Secrets, book two. Years after Harry sees things and assumes things, he learns the reasons behind them. Rowling is a master of suspense and plot and always keeps her readers guessing to the very end. The book again hurtles to its climax, but gives a feeling that the real story of Harry and Voldemort is just beginning.
Perhaps the most amazing feature of Half-Blood Prince is Rowling's ability to insert ambiguity into almost everything. Long have we revered Albus Dumbledore, but here we learn that he may sometimes be mistaken, in more ways than one. Magic that is paraded triumphantly at a joke shop becomes deadly when placed in the hands of evil, as can an adversary unwittingly aid his enemy. Magic is neither good nor evil in the Harry Potter series, and Rowling refreshingly refrains from black-and-white depictions of wrongdoing. Characters we want to trust turn bad and those we have grown to loathe have a few surprises of their own in store. Never has Harry been this enchanting and exciting, and it remains only to see how his marvelously spun story will conclude.
Grade: A
J.K. Rowling
As Rowling's brilliant series draws to a close, perhaps it is to be supposed that the mysteries will become fewer, the action less suspenseful, the outcomes more predictable. Such is absolute tripe when it comes to this superb author and this superbly crafted work of fiction. Just as the reader thinks it is all coming to a close, we learn the true secrets of Lord Voldemort's longevity and of his descent into evil. Half-Blood Prince only further underlines the incredible amounts of thought and passion that goes into Harry Potter- the backstory is intricate and elaborate and the book forges a connection with things mentioned in passing in Chamber of Secrets, book two. Years after Harry sees things and assumes things, he learns the reasons behind them. Rowling is a master of suspense and plot and always keeps her readers guessing to the very end. The book again hurtles to its climax, but gives a feeling that the real story of Harry and Voldemort is just beginning.
Perhaps the most amazing feature of Half-Blood Prince is Rowling's ability to insert ambiguity into almost everything. Long have we revered Albus Dumbledore, but here we learn that he may sometimes be mistaken, in more ways than one. Magic that is paraded triumphantly at a joke shop becomes deadly when placed in the hands of evil, as can an adversary unwittingly aid his enemy. Magic is neither good nor evil in the Harry Potter series, and Rowling refreshingly refrains from black-and-white depictions of wrongdoing. Characters we want to trust turn bad and those we have grown to loathe have a few surprises of their own in store. Never has Harry been this enchanting and exciting, and it remains only to see how his marvelously spun story will conclude.
Grade: A
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