Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6)
by J.K. Rowling
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Read in January, 2006
J.K. Rowling's writing is getting better and better with each Harry Potter book. This is definitely one of the best books in the whole series. And one of my favourites too. So many new angles, new shades to it. Half-Blood Prince could easily stand independently as a story, without even needing to be a part of this saga. It has everything - the hero's journey, hero's romance, mentor's last best teachings and death, ambiguous character who seemigly betrays the hero, the Big Vi...more
J.K. Rowling's writing is getting better and better with each Harry Potter book. This is definitely one of the best books in the whole series. And one of my favourites too. So many new angles, new shades to it. Half-Blood Prince could easily stand independently as a story, without even needing to be a part of this saga. It has everything - the hero's journey, hero's romance, mentor's last best teachings and death, ambiguous character who seemigly betrays the hero, the Big Villain and his story, silly sidekick romance... and a lot more. It is full of gritty English humour, sarcasm and general darkness. Plus a lot of beautiful imagery and symbolism which is always icing on the cake when it comes to such multi-layered epic tales with roots in mythology. It's very fast-paced and intense and keeps you reading with your heart beating in your throat. And all the twists, whether you approve them or not, are surprising, even shocking.
The most powerful and emotion provoking moments in the book are of course Dumbledore's death and his funeral. I personally knew about the OHMYGODSNAPEKILLSDUMBLEDORE!!! thing through the spoilers I had. So, for me the intriguing part was HOW it would happen... circumstances surrounding it. It wasn't hard to guess that old Dumbly would go soon. And I don't think there's any point in complaining "Why oh why Dumbledore??? It was so unfair!". No, it wasn't. Mentors die - they have done their job and the hero needs to go on alone. It's just how it is in stories with this kind of structure. I did shed a tear myself, but this was actually during the cave scene, when Dumbledore tells Harry "I am not worried, I am with you". The Harry/Dumbledore relationship reaches both its depths and its highs in this book and is the most touching of all relationships in this story.
My favourite chapter though has to be Spinner's End. It's just so different from Rowling's usual style. She so rarely breaks away from Harry's point of view that once it happens it's a very refreshing and unique reading experience. AND it's all about Snape The Spy, 'nuff said.
In this novel we are also provided with the backstory of Lord Voldemort. When we enter the house of Voldemort's mother and grandfather (in the Pensieve memories), it is very easy to picture all the scenes. Voldemort's mother Merope leaning against the dirty walls of the dim kitchen in cold fear, Marvolo's violent shouting, his son Morfin with his knife... They're all more or less insane due to the Gaunts' history of intermarrying with their own cousins and that indeed gives a spine-chilling feel to the whole Voldemort aspect of the saga.
The crux of it all - the idea of Horcruxes (fragments of someone's soul kept in objects) is a motive that's been used before in fantasy literature, but that doesn't make it less convincing or less fitting in the Harry Potter tale.
In Half-Blood Prince Harry is finally acquiring that something I can't put my finger on but that I felt was missing in him in all the previous books. Harry is no more a kid, he's growing up into his own person, an individual, and along with this is growing his character. The character bursting into life like a phoenix from the ashes and becoming someone you always knew he was, eagerly waiting for the author to let you see it. Harry in Half-Blood Prince is very-very adorable, charming and funny. His sense of humour is different than Ron's goofy humour... it's very cynical and snarky and just lovely like that. And it's Harry who, hands down, delivers the best lines in this book. He pays a price for his curiosity though, for his obsessive interest in Draco Malfoy. Yes, Harry's flaws are still there. He's reckless, he tries out strange spells he finds in a strange potions book and the consequences of his thoughtless actions astound him so much that he wallows in guilt for days. Also, for some reason, Harry seems so... defenseless and still so innocent at heart and I feel even more sorry for him than before. I felt it particularly strongly when they were in that cave and he told Dumbledore "You've d-done it!", while he was wet and shaking. I just wanted to wrap him in a blanket. HBP is definitely the Vulnerable!Harry book. But the imperfect, "clumsy" side of him that is exposed in this book is to deceive us; it is to make us identify with him one last time before he demonstrates how special he is, the hero he is, and does the impossible. Before that, the reader has to feel the hopelessness of the situation, so that his victory, the climax everything has been building up to would have the appropriate impact. There's a saying that it's always darkest before the dawn. And it describes very well this atmosphere Half-Blood Prince creates, leaving the reader to fear for Harry's life. But he'll make it. He has shown tremendous strength of character even in his vulnerable state... like doing something so disgusting for greater good that makes him hate himself - forcing Dumbledore to drink the potion he knows is most likely going to kill the old man. It's kind of like the same strength of character Snape might show while ending Dumbledore's life, because it's the only way out of a situation where you have to choose between bad or worse. And in both cases, they would be dealing with Dumbledore's strict orders that they are used to following. These are not the only parallels we can find between Harry and Snape actually, there's a lot more. In fact, shocking parallels run between Harry, Snape and Voldemort, all three. Not only are their personalities and physical features compared, but also their origins and upbringings and their lives in general... and under all of this we feel the vague hinting towards the destinies that await them. Destinies that will all be different, in spite of the things they have in common.
The Half-Blood Prince himself, the main character of the
book and the juiciest character of all Harry Potter characters is of course Severus Snape. It is quite apparent to me that the evidence showing "good" Snape outweights the evidence showing "bad" Snape. He's not a nice boy, I think we have all figured that out by now - he's a nasty bastard, but that doesn't mean he's evil. I think he's purposefully written as a morally ambiguous character, but one who doesn't seem to be out for himself. He must be either on the side of the Order or the Death Eaters and is either fooling Voldemort or Dumbledore, cause he most certainly is/was fooling one of them. In my opinion, it's Voldemort. No, I don't think Dumbledore exactly PLANNED his death or wanted to die, but I think he saw the bigger picture and knew that if the circumstances demanded that he sacrificed his own life for the greater good, then he would do it. He prepared Snape for it (like he prepared Harry throughout the whole 6th book to handle things without him around) and told Snape that if it comes down to it, Snape has to do what he has to do. I imagine Snape wasn't very enthusiastic about this horrendous task and that he was quite pissed at Dumbly for picking him out for it.
I tend to believe that Snape won't be alive anymore by the end of this saga. There is a redemptive pattern associated with him and a sacrificial end would retain the complexity and depth of his character. Also, it would go well with the central theme of the series about our choices being what matters, and would teach Harry his last very important lesson of life - a lesson of forgiveness.
But Half-Blood Prince is not only Snape's book, it is Dumbledore's book almost as much. It is Dumbledore's chance to shine with the power of his heart and mind, really demonstrate his formidable intellect and share some of his wisdom and impressive assemblage of info with us and Harry. At the same time it is a book that puts out the light of his life, ends his journey as an archetypal "good wizard" or "the wise old man" in the style of Merlin or Gandalf, and as the one who guides Harry into manhood. The book in general starts to prepare us for his death at once. There are numerous hints. One of the most ominous definitely Dumbledore's dead and blackened hand, then him descending into the cave (metaphorically the "underworld") where his self-sacrifice is foreshadowed with him willing to drink the potion that has a green glow just like the Avada Kedavra curse. And the whole trip across the water has so many images of death in there. Dumbledore's behaviour in this book is a behaviour of a person who feels and knows that the end of his days is approaching. He's suddenly very busy with pushing Harry close to Harry's limits. He really pressures him and makes the boy feel supremely guilty when he doesn't take his "homework" seriously enough. At the same time there's this undescribable sweetness between them, mixed with sadness... like an aura of the last, very important and unforgettable moments of two exceptional people together. Two people who would still have so much to talk about, so much to go through together, so much to agree on... but all of it is not meant to happen, because they both know that it is not what matters, and they're working for what truly is important, with every breath they draw.
The main point of Half-Blood Prince the book seems to be that if they both could put aside their mutual hate, Harry could actually learn some things from Snape. Snape was a useful teacher to Harry when Harry didn't know it was him.
There's a wonderful (literary) irony in here - the man Harry now hates as much as Voldemort ends up being his very last mentor, in a way.
...less
The most powerful and emotion provoking moments in the book are of course Dumbledore's death and his funeral. I personally knew about the OHMYGODSNAPEKILLSDUMBLEDORE!!! thing through the spoilers I had. So, for me the intriguing part was HOW it would happen... circumstances surrounding it. It wasn't hard to guess that old Dumbly would go soon. And I don't think there's any point in complaining "Why oh why Dumbledore??? It was so unfair!". No, it wasn't. Mentors die - they have done their job and the hero needs to go on alone. It's just how it is in stories with this kind of structure. I did shed a tear myself, but this was actually during the cave scene, when Dumbledore tells Harry "I am not worried, I am with you". The Harry/Dumbledore relationship reaches both its depths and its highs in this book and is the most touching of all relationships in this story.
My favourite chapter though has to be Spinner's End. It's just so different from Rowling's usual style. She so rarely breaks away from Harry's point of view that once it happens it's a very refreshing and unique reading experience. AND it's all about Snape The Spy, 'nuff said.
In this novel we are also provided with the backstory of Lord Voldemort. When we enter the house of Voldemort's mother and grandfather (in the Pensieve memories), it is very easy to picture all the scenes. Voldemort's mother Merope leaning against the dirty walls of the dim kitchen in cold fear, Marvolo's violent shouting, his son Morfin with his knife... They're all more or less insane due to the Gaunts' history of intermarrying with their own cousins and that indeed gives a spine-chilling feel to the whole Voldemort aspect of the saga.
The crux of it all - the idea of Horcruxes (fragments of someone's soul kept in objects) is a motive that's been used before in fantasy literature, but that doesn't make it less convincing or less fitting in the Harry Potter tale.
In Half-Blood Prince Harry is finally acquiring that something I can't put my finger on but that I felt was missing in him in all the previous books. Harry is no more a kid, he's growing up into his own person, an individual, and along with this is growing his character. The character bursting into life like a phoenix from the ashes and becoming someone you always knew he was, eagerly waiting for the author to let you see it. Harry in Half-Blood Prince is very-very adorable, charming and funny. His sense of humour is different than Ron's goofy humour... it's very cynical and snarky and just lovely like that. And it's Harry who, hands down, delivers the best lines in this book. He pays a price for his curiosity though, for his obsessive interest in Draco Malfoy. Yes, Harry's flaws are still there. He's reckless, he tries out strange spells he finds in a strange potions book and the consequences of his thoughtless actions astound him so much that he wallows in guilt for days. Also, for some reason, Harry seems so... defenseless and still so innocent at heart and I feel even more sorry for him than before. I felt it particularly strongly when they were in that cave and he told Dumbledore "You've d-done it!", while he was wet and shaking. I just wanted to wrap him in a blanket. HBP is definitely the Vulnerable!Harry book. But the imperfect, "clumsy" side of him that is exposed in this book is to deceive us; it is to make us identify with him one last time before he demonstrates how special he is, the hero he is, and does the impossible. Before that, the reader has to feel the hopelessness of the situation, so that his victory, the climax everything has been building up to would have the appropriate impact. There's a saying that it's always darkest before the dawn. And it describes very well this atmosphere Half-Blood Prince creates, leaving the reader to fear for Harry's life. But he'll make it. He has shown tremendous strength of character even in his vulnerable state... like doing something so disgusting for greater good that makes him hate himself - forcing Dumbledore to drink the potion he knows is most likely going to kill the old man. It's kind of like the same strength of character Snape might show while ending Dumbledore's life, because it's the only way out of a situation where you have to choose between bad or worse. And in both cases, they would be dealing with Dumbledore's strict orders that they are used to following. These are not the only parallels we can find between Harry and Snape actually, there's a lot more. In fact, shocking parallels run between Harry, Snape and Voldemort, all three. Not only are their personalities and physical features compared, but also their origins and upbringings and their lives in general... and under all of this we feel the vague hinting towards the destinies that await them. Destinies that will all be different, in spite of the things they have in common.
The Half-Blood Prince himself, the main character of the
book and the juiciest character of all Harry Potter characters is of course Severus Snape. It is quite apparent to me that the evidence showing "good" Snape outweights the evidence showing "bad" Snape. He's not a nice boy, I think we have all figured that out by now - he's a nasty bastard, but that doesn't mean he's evil. I think he's purposefully written as a morally ambiguous character, but one who doesn't seem to be out for himself. He must be either on the side of the Order or the Death Eaters and is either fooling Voldemort or Dumbledore, cause he most certainly is/was fooling one of them. In my opinion, it's Voldemort. No, I don't think Dumbledore exactly PLANNED his death or wanted to die, but I think he saw the bigger picture and knew that if the circumstances demanded that he sacrificed his own life for the greater good, then he would do it. He prepared Snape for it (like he prepared Harry throughout the whole 6th book to handle things without him around) and told Snape that if it comes down to it, Snape has to do what he has to do. I imagine Snape wasn't very enthusiastic about this horrendous task and that he was quite pissed at Dumbly for picking him out for it.
I tend to believe that Snape won't be alive anymore by the end of this saga. There is a redemptive pattern associated with him and a sacrificial end would retain the complexity and depth of his character. Also, it would go well with the central theme of the series about our choices being what matters, and would teach Harry his last very important lesson of life - a lesson of forgiveness.
But Half-Blood Prince is not only Snape's book, it is Dumbledore's book almost as much. It is Dumbledore's chance to shine with the power of his heart and mind, really demonstrate his formidable intellect and share some of his wisdom and impressive assemblage of info with us and Harry. At the same time it is a book that puts out the light of his life, ends his journey as an archetypal "good wizard" or "the wise old man" in the style of Merlin or Gandalf, and as the one who guides Harry into manhood. The book in general starts to prepare us for his death at once. There are numerous hints. One of the most ominous definitely Dumbledore's dead and blackened hand, then him descending into the cave (metaphorically the "underworld") where his self-sacrifice is foreshadowed with him willing to drink the potion that has a green glow just like the Avada Kedavra curse. And the whole trip across the water has so many images of death in there. Dumbledore's behaviour in this book is a behaviour of a person who feels and knows that the end of his days is approaching. He's suddenly very busy with pushing Harry close to Harry's limits. He really pressures him and makes the boy feel supremely guilty when he doesn't take his "homework" seriously enough. At the same time there's this undescribable sweetness between them, mixed with sadness... like an aura of the last, very important and unforgettable moments of two exceptional people together. Two people who would still have so much to talk about, so much to go through together, so much to agree on... but all of it is not meant to happen, because they both know that it is not what matters, and they're working for what truly is important, with every breath they draw.
The main point of Half-Blood Prince the book seems to be that if they both could put aside their mutual hate, Harry could actually learn some things from Snape. Snape was a useful teacher to Harry when Harry didn't know it was him.
There's a wonderful (literary) irony in here - the man Harry now hates as much as Voldemort ends up being his very last mentor, in a way.
...less
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Read in July, 2005
recommends it for:
any Harry Potter fans
As Voldemort and his Death Eaters openly wreak havoc throughout Britain, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge has been forced to resign following public outcry over his mishandling the situation. Rufus Scrimgeour succeeds him. At his home in Spinner's End, Severus Snape is sworn to an Unbreakable Vow by Draco Malfoy's mother Narcissa. Although her sister, Bellatrix Lestrange, distrusts Snape, he agrees to protect Draco during his task assigned by the Dark Lord and complete the mission should he fai...more
As Voldemort and his Death Eaters openly wreak havoc throughout Britain, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge has been forced to resign following public outcry over his mishandling the situation. Rufus Scrimgeour succeeds him. At his home in Spinner's End, Severus Snape is sworn to an Unbreakable Vow by Draco Malfoy's mother Narcissa. Although her sister, Bellatrix Lestrange, distrusts Snape, he agrees to protect Draco during his task assigned by the Dark Lord and complete the mission should he fail.
During the summer, Albus Dumbledore enlists Harry Potter's unwitting help to persuade retired professor Horace Slughorn to return to his old Hogwarts post. Harry then spends the remaining holiday at the Burrow with the Weasleys and Hermione. To his family's dismay, Bill Weasley has become engaged to Fleur Delacour, the Beauxbatons champion in the Triwizard Tournament, while Harry realises he is developing romantic feelings for Ginny. Harry, Ron, and Hermione receive their O.W.L. results. To become Aurors, Harry and Ron must take N.E.W.T.-level Potions as a prerequisite, but their grades in the subject are too low for Snape's advanced class, thus ending their career ambitions. While in Diagon Alley, Harry, Ron and Hermione spot Draco Malfoy and follow him. At Borgin & Burkes, a dark magic shop in Knockturn Alley, Malfoy threatens Mr. Borgin about repairing one item and keeping another safe. Suspecting Draco may be a Death Eater, Harry resolves to keep a close watch on him.
As school begins, Snape is unexpectedly announced as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor while Slughorn replaces him as the Potions teacher. Slughorn only requires a minimum "E" grade (Exceeds Expectations) at O.W.L. to take his N.E.W.T.-level Potion classes, making Harry and Ron eligible for the class. Slughorn lends them old Potions textbooks until they buy their own. Harry's copy is marked on the bottom of the back cover, "This book is the Property of the Half-Blood Prince". The talented former owner's notes help Harry excel in the class. As a reward, Slughorn gives him a small vial of Felix Felicis, a good luck potion.
Death Eater attacks continue throughout the year and may be linked to events at Hogwarts. On the first Hogsmeade visit, Katie Bell, a Gryffindor student, is seriously injured while carrying a cursed necklace, apparently while under the Imperius Curse. In another incident, Ron accidentally drinks poisoned mead intended for Dumbledore. Harry reacts by administering the Bezoar he had submitted previously as an assignment to Slughorn. Hermione is so distraught over this that she and Ron, who were feuding mostly over Ron dating Lavender Brown and her relationship with Viktor Krum, reconcile; Ron soon breaks up with Lavender. Meanwhile, Harry realises his true feelings for Ginny, although she is now dating Dean Thomas.
Dumbledore privately tutors Harry using his Pensieve to view collected memories about Voldemort's past. Dumbledore speculates that Voldemort splintered his soul into six fragments called Horcruxes to attain immortality, while leaving a seventh piece in his body. Two Horcruxes have been destroyed (Tom Riddle's diary by Harry[HP2] and Marvolo Gaunt's ring by Dumbledore).
When Harry finds Malfoy sobbing in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, they hurl curses at each other. Harry casts "Sectumsempra" inflicting huge gashes across Malfoy's body. Snape arrives and saves Malfoy. He attempts to re-possess the Half-Blood Prince's Potions book, but Harry hands him "Roonil Wazlib's (a.k.a. Ron's) copy . Harry receives detention, causing him to miss the Quidditch finals. Nonetheless, Gryffindor wins the Cup, and during the victory celebration, Harry's suppressed feelings for Ginny are revealed when he spontaneously kisses her; Ginny has just broken up with Dean Thomas, and she and Harry begin dating.
Harry reports Malfoy's suspicious behaviour to a seemingly unconcerned Dumbledore. He reassures Harry that he trusts Severus in keeping a lookout. Soon after, Harry learns from Professor Trelawney that it was Snape who passed a prophecy to Voldemort that ultimately led to James and Lily Potter's deaths. Enraged, Harry confronts Dumbledore, but he affirms Snape's loyalty. Dumbledore, meanwhile, has located another Horcrux and asks Harry to accompany him in retrieving it. Distrusting Malfoy and Snape, Harry asks Ron, Hermione, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom and Ginny to patrol the halls while he and Dumbledore are gone and gives them the remaining Felix Felicis potion for luck. Harry and Dumbledore disapparate to a secret cave. They retrieve the Horcrux (Salazar Slytherin's locket). Dumbledore, however, has been greatly weakened due to the mysterious liquid he had to drink in order to acquire the locket.
Returning to Hogsmeade, Harry and Dumbledore see Lord Voldemort's Dark Mark hovering over Hogwarts. They fly to the Astronomy Tower on borrowed broomsticks and are ambushed by Draco Malfoy. Dumbledore paralyses Harry, who is under his Invisibility Cloak, just before Draco disarms Dumbledore. Draco admits he was behind the school attacks and has helped Death Eaters secretly enter Hogwarts via the pair of Vanishing Cabinets, although Dumbledore discerns that Voldemort has coerced the obviously frightened boy.
As members of the Order, and the few from the DA battle Voldemort's followers in the castle below, Death Eaters appear in the tower and urge Draco to fulfil his mission?killing Dumbledore?but Draco hesitates. Snape arrives and a weakened Dumbledore entreats him with an ambiguous plea; Snape casts Avada Kedavra that hits Dumbledore squarely in the chest. The impact hurls his body over the tower wall. Upon Dumbledore's death, Harry is released from the paralysing spell. Harry pursues Snape and Malfoy as their only way of escape would be to disapparate outside the boundaries of Hogwarts. Malfoy escapes as Snape duels Harry. During the duel, Snape reveals that he is the Half-Blood Prince. Though instructive, the duel was ended by Buckbeak's intervention. Snape disapparates and escapes. Harry recovers the locket from Dumbledore's body, only to discover it is a fake. Inside is a note from someone with the initials R. A. B. who has stolen the real Horcrux.
The school year ends abruptly with Dumbledore's funeral. Professor McGonagall is appointed Hogwarts's interim headmistress and Professor Slughorn replaces Snape as the head of Slytherin House. Hogwarts is rumoured to close down due to the murder of Dumbledore. Harry decides to leave school in search for the remaining Horcruxes. Ron and Hermione vow to accompany him, while Harry ends his relationship with Ginny to protect her from Voldemort. The book concludes as Harry looks forward to Bill and Fleur's wedding and being comforted that "...there was still one last golden day of peace left to enjoy with Ron and Hermione."
...less
During the summer, Albus Dumbledore enlists Harry Potter's unwitting help to persuade retired professor Horace Slughorn to return to his old Hogwarts post. Harry then spends the remaining holiday at the Burrow with the Weasleys and Hermione. To his family's dismay, Bill Weasley has become engaged to Fleur Delacour, the Beauxbatons champion in the Triwizard Tournament, while Harry realises he is developing romantic feelings for Ginny. Harry, Ron, and Hermione receive their O.W.L. results. To become Aurors, Harry and Ron must take N.E.W.T.-level Potions as a prerequisite, but their grades in the subject are too low for Snape's advanced class, thus ending their career ambitions. While in Diagon Alley, Harry, Ron and Hermione spot Draco Malfoy and follow him. At Borgin & Burkes, a dark magic shop in Knockturn Alley, Malfoy threatens Mr. Borgin about repairing one item and keeping another safe. Suspecting Draco may be a Death Eater, Harry resolves to keep a close watch on him.
As school begins, Snape is unexpectedly announced as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor while Slughorn replaces him as the Potions teacher. Slughorn only requires a minimum "E" grade (Exceeds Expectations) at O.W.L. to take his N.E.W.T.-level Potion classes, making Harry and Ron eligible for the class. Slughorn lends them old Potions textbooks until they buy their own. Harry's copy is marked on the bottom of the back cover, "This book is the Property of the Half-Blood Prince". The talented former owner's notes help Harry excel in the class. As a reward, Slughorn gives him a small vial of Felix Felicis, a good luck potion.
Death Eater attacks continue throughout the year and may be linked to events at Hogwarts. On the first Hogsmeade visit, Katie Bell, a Gryffindor student, is seriously injured while carrying a cursed necklace, apparently while under the Imperius Curse. In another incident, Ron accidentally drinks poisoned mead intended for Dumbledore. Harry reacts by administering the Bezoar he had submitted previously as an assignment to Slughorn. Hermione is so distraught over this that she and Ron, who were feuding mostly over Ron dating Lavender Brown and her relationship with Viktor Krum, reconcile; Ron soon breaks up with Lavender. Meanwhile, Harry realises his true feelings for Ginny, although she is now dating Dean Thomas.
Dumbledore privately tutors Harry using his Pensieve to view collected memories about Voldemort's past. Dumbledore speculates that Voldemort splintered his soul into six fragments called Horcruxes to attain immortality, while leaving a seventh piece in his body. Two Horcruxes have been destroyed (Tom Riddle's diary by Harry[HP2] and Marvolo Gaunt's ring by Dumbledore).
When Harry finds Malfoy sobbing in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, they hurl curses at each other. Harry casts "Sectumsempra" inflicting huge gashes across Malfoy's body. Snape arrives and saves Malfoy. He attempts to re-possess the Half-Blood Prince's Potions book, but Harry hands him "Roonil Wazlib's (a.k.a. Ron's) copy . Harry receives detention, causing him to miss the Quidditch finals. Nonetheless, Gryffindor wins the Cup, and during the victory celebration, Harry's suppressed feelings for Ginny are revealed when he spontaneously kisses her; Ginny has just broken up with Dean Thomas, and she and Harry begin dating.
Harry reports Malfoy's suspicious behaviour to a seemingly unconcerned Dumbledore. He reassures Harry that he trusts Severus in keeping a lookout. Soon after, Harry learns from Professor Trelawney that it was Snape who passed a prophecy to Voldemort that ultimately led to James and Lily Potter's deaths. Enraged, Harry confronts Dumbledore, but he affirms Snape's loyalty. Dumbledore, meanwhile, has located another Horcrux and asks Harry to accompany him in retrieving it. Distrusting Malfoy and Snape, Harry asks Ron, Hermione, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom and Ginny to patrol the halls while he and Dumbledore are gone and gives them the remaining Felix Felicis potion for luck. Harry and Dumbledore disapparate to a secret cave. They retrieve the Horcrux (Salazar Slytherin's locket). Dumbledore, however, has been greatly weakened due to the mysterious liquid he had to drink in order to acquire the locket.
Returning to Hogsmeade, Harry and Dumbledore see Lord Voldemort's Dark Mark hovering over Hogwarts. They fly to the Astronomy Tower on borrowed broomsticks and are ambushed by Draco Malfoy. Dumbledore paralyses Harry, who is under his Invisibility Cloak, just before Draco disarms Dumbledore. Draco admits he was behind the school attacks and has helped Death Eaters secretly enter Hogwarts via the pair of Vanishing Cabinets, although Dumbledore discerns that Voldemort has coerced the obviously frightened boy.
As members of the Order, and the few from the DA battle Voldemort's followers in the castle below, Death Eaters appear in the tower and urge Draco to fulfil his mission?killing Dumbledore?but Draco hesitates. Snape arrives and a weakened Dumbledore entreats him with an ambiguous plea; Snape casts Avada Kedavra that hits Dumbledore squarely in the chest. The impact hurls his body over the tower wall. Upon Dumbledore's death, Harry is released from the paralysing spell. Harry pursues Snape and Malfoy as their only way of escape would be to disapparate outside the boundaries of Hogwarts. Malfoy escapes as Snape duels Harry. During the duel, Snape reveals that he is the Half-Blood Prince. Though instructive, the duel was ended by Buckbeak's intervention. Snape disapparates and escapes. Harry recovers the locket from Dumbledore's body, only to discover it is a fake. Inside is a note from someone with the initials R. A. B. who has stolen the real Horcrux.
The school year ends abruptly with Dumbledore's funeral. Professor McGonagall is appointed Hogwarts's interim headmistress and Professor Slughorn replaces Snape as the head of Slytherin House. Hogwarts is rumoured to close down due to the murder of Dumbledore. Harry decides to leave school in search for the remaining Horcruxes. Ron and Hermione vow to accompany him, while Harry ends his relationship with Ginny to protect her from Voldemort. The book concludes as Harry looks forward to Bill and Fleur's wedding and being comforted that "...there was still one last golden day of peace left to enjoy with Ron and Hermione."
...less
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recommends it for:
EVERYONE!
Everything about Lord Voldemort is fascinating. The character is so richly evil. The past, the detail, so yummy, I ate it up. Delectable (I like food and I have the munchies. ) He isn't featured either, just indirectly. Lord Voldemort never makes a present personal appearance. Just the possibility of it though. One of my favorite scenes is when he comes back to Hogwarts to speak with Dumbledore so he can get the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, and then we find out that there hasn't been a teacher in that position for over a year since he turned him down. GREAT INFO. The Horcruxes were amazing also... so cool. Great imagination she has (Yoda talk).
The new Professor for Potions, Slughorn, great character. Also a good twist. So that Harry could take Potions and become an Auror. LOVE Albus Dumbledore. The first Potions class that they have when they smell the Love Potion and Harry smells that smell I knew that it was Ginny. I'm surprised that after they get together he ends it for her safety, freaking over protective males, and predictable. I admire her character for not fighting with him about it, and allowing it. I love Ron and Hermione. Of course they go with him, what would book 7 be like if the 3 of them weren't together? AWFUL... plus the two of them have to fall in love. No Duh.
The two of them throughout the whole book are hilarious. Secretly in love with eachother, and it is possible that Ron isn't entirely aware of his feelings for her. So funny with Lavender Brown... what a skank. Totally annoying as a girlfriend too. It is great that Harry takes Luna Lovegood to the Slug Club Party but the best part of that whole scene is Hermione running away from that doof McLaggen with messed up hair because he pinned her under the mistletoe. Neville isn't really featured either. The book is so interesting. SO GOOD. Really well done. I laughed out loud a lot.
I want some Felix Felicis. Sounds GREAT.
...less
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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling is one amazing book. I was slightly pissed that it was only 652 pgs and the last book was over 800 pgs. I guess I'll have to get over it. I did hear that she has already begun writing Book 7. The book was fantastic. The way that the beginning starts with a character that isn't Harry, which I believe hasn't happened since Book 1, and then Chapter 2, yummy. Plus does anyone remember that in Book 3 Dumbledore tells Harry that beca...more
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling is one amazing book. I was slightly pissed that it was only 652 pgs and the last book was over 800 pgs. I guess I'll have to get over it. I did hear that she has already begun writing Book 7. The book was fantastic. The way that the beginning starts with a character that isn't Harry, which I believe hasn't happened since Book 1, and then Chapter 2, yummy. Plus does anyone remember that in Book 3 Dumbledore tells Harry that because he saved Wormtail's life even though he escaped and went back to Lord Voldemort that now Wormtail is indebt to him... do you think that she will bring that up in book 7? Anyhow, I loved Chapter 2. Who else knew that Snape was guilty from day 1... you know, deep down. But when Snape says that Dumbledore's weakness is that he has to believe that everyone has good in them... oooo that was so great, and then J.K. doesn't really feature him throughout the whole book. I did notice that there is a loss of presence from Hagrid, Snape as I mentioned earlier, other teachers. Of course Rowling does this. Ron, Harry and Hermione are getting older it is a natural age progression for them to have seperated themselves from the adults that they have previously looked up to so much. Everyone is just in the background. Mainly it was just Harry and his friends and then Dumbledore... which is why the ending is such a shocker, you get close to good ol' Albus and then Snape shows his true colors, finally. The beginning is so great because from straight off Harry and Dumbledore are much more involved with eachother and you get to really see the funky sweet bizarre and brave person that Albus is. If you are an avid Harry Potter fan than you know that we have seen a glimpse of this quirky brilliant man in past books, the passwords to his office alone, not many wizards keep up on names of candy in the Muggle community, at least that is what I am guessing. So Dumbledore died... well in retrospect it makes sense. But I must say that at first it wrecked me and I'm still sad. Yup, I cried like a baby for most of the end of the book.
Everything about Lord Voldemort is fascinating. The character is so richly evil. The past, the detail, so yummy, I ate it up. Delectable (I like food and I have the munchies. ) He isn't featured either, just indirectly. Lord Voldemort never makes a present personal appearance. Just the possibility of it though. One of my favorite scenes is when he comes back to Hogwarts to speak with Dumbledore so he can get the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, and then we find out that there hasn't been a teacher in that position for over a year since he turned him down. GREAT INFO. The Horcruxes were amazing also... so cool. Great imagination she has (Yoda talk).
The new Professor for Potions, Slughorn, great character. Also a good twist. So that Harry could take Potions and become an Auror. LOVE Albus Dumbledore. The first Potions class that they have when they smell the Love Potion and Harry smells that smell I knew that it was Ginny. I'm surprised that after they get together he ends it for her safety, freaking over protective males, and predictable. I admire her character for not fighting with him about it, and allowing it. I love Ron and Hermione. Of course they go with him, what would book 7 be like if the 3 of them weren't together? AWFUL... plus the two of them have to fall in love. No Duh.
The two of them throughout the whole book are hilarious. Secretly in love with eachother, and it is possible that Ron isn't entirely aware of his feelings for her. So funny with Lavender Brown... what a skank. Totally annoying as a girlfriend too. It is great that Harry takes Luna Lovegood to the Slug Club Party but the best part of that whole scene is Hermione running away from that doof McLaggen with messed up hair because he pinned her under the mistletoe. Neville isn't really featured either. The book is so interesting. SO GOOD. Really well done. I laughed out loud a lot.
I want some Felix Felicis. Sounds GREAT.
...less
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Read in March, 2008
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WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!!! I have not read the final book of the Harry Potter Series yet, so keep that in mind when reading my review. So far, the Half-Blood Prince is easily the best book in the series in my opinion. It kept me riveted. This book is right up there among the best fantasy I've ever read. Rowling has finally earned a place in my mind among the best fantasy writers. I know, I came to that realization kind-of late, but this was the first book of hers that really blew me away. It was ...more
WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!!! I have not read the final book of the Harry Potter Series yet, so keep that in mind when reading my review. So far, the Half-Blood Prince is easily the best book in the series in my opinion. It kept me riveted. This book is right up there among the best fantasy I've ever read. Rowling has finally earned a place in my mind among the best fantasy writers. I know, I came to that realization kind-of late, but this was the first book of hers that really blew me away. It was fascinating to see the scope of the story expand and long-time mysteries be illuminated. In any great fictional story, the scope of the story expands as the story arc progresses. That was definitely the case with this book. The scope of the story expanded, and your knowledge of what's going on greatly increased. Everything that happened up to this point is seen in a larger context.
Now that the Ministry is convinced that Voldemort is back, the real war against Voldemort has begun. People are dying every day. Has Snape betrayed the Order of the Phoenix? The books gets off to a suspenseful start. Then Dumbledore decides to give Harry private lessons, and each lesson is fascinating as they use the pensieve to explore memories of different people to try to figure out Voldemort's origins, motives, and plans. Voldemort gives Harry an assignment to collect a memory from Professor Slughorn, one of the new teachers on the staff, that holds the key to understanding Voldemort's plans. Harry obtains the memory, and from that point forward I could not put the book down. Each chapter from that point on was riveting. Each one contained incredible, amazing events that expanded the scope of the story arc and expanded your understanding of what was happening. The chapter on on 'horcruxes' in particular blew me away. Finally we know how Voldemort achieved immortality! Now it was clear what had to be done to defeat him! It changed everything. That chapter changed and defined the course of the rest of the series. Later, Dumbledore took Harry on a mission to destroy one of the horcruxes, and the account of that excursion was brilliant. I was totally riveted. It was so descriptive, so suspenseful. Upon their return to Hogwarts, they discovered that the school had been infiltrated by Death Eaters, and a full-blown battle erupted. Again, it was so suspenseful, I could not put the book down.
Somehow I knew that Dumbledore had to die. Harry had been under Dumbledore's tutelage and protection throughout the whole series. I could see why Dumbledore dying was necessary for Potter's further growth and development. It sets things up so that Potter will have to face Voldemort one last time in the last book, alone, totally unaided. It had to be that way. One thing worries me though. Is Harry ready? After all, he hasn't completed his education and training. Harry was no match for Snape in their duel at the end of Half-Blood Prince. He still has a lot to learn. How can he ever track down and destroy 4 horcruxes, and then destroy Voldemort, all by himself? This is by-far the largest task he's ever had to face, and seems too much for him. Well, we'll just have to see, shall we? I won't waste any more time. I'm going to dive into the final book right now.
P.S.: Am I the only one that has a reasonable guess as to who R.A.B. stands for? Without having read Deathly Hollows or knowing anything about how things actually turn out, I think I have it figured out. Think about it: Who in the entire series do we know with a last name that begins with a B? Well of course, there's the Black family. Now there are lots of Blacks, but who among the Blacks has a first name beginning with an R, who opposed Voldemort? Of course! Sirius's brother Regulus! Who else could it possibly be? Regulus stole the horcrux, and soon after Voldemort killed him. It all makes sense. Why hasn't anybody else figured it out? Remember, this is just a theory. I haven't read Deathly Hallows and I know nothing about how things actually turn out. I'll have to read on and see if I'm right....less
Now that the Ministry is convinced that Voldemort is back, the real war against Voldemort has begun. People are dying every day. Has Snape betrayed the Order of the Phoenix? The books gets off to a suspenseful start. Then Dumbledore decides to give Harry private lessons, and each lesson is fascinating as they use the pensieve to explore memories of different people to try to figure out Voldemort's origins, motives, and plans. Voldemort gives Harry an assignment to collect a memory from Professor Slughorn, one of the new teachers on the staff, that holds the key to understanding Voldemort's plans. Harry obtains the memory, and from that point forward I could not put the book down. Each chapter from that point on was riveting. Each one contained incredible, amazing events that expanded the scope of the story arc and expanded your understanding of what was happening. The chapter on on 'horcruxes' in particular blew me away. Finally we know how Voldemort achieved immortality! Now it was clear what had to be done to defeat him! It changed everything. That chapter changed and defined the course of the rest of the series. Later, Dumbledore took Harry on a mission to destroy one of the horcruxes, and the account of that excursion was brilliant. I was totally riveted. It was so descriptive, so suspenseful. Upon their return to Hogwarts, they discovered that the school had been infiltrated by Death Eaters, and a full-blown battle erupted. Again, it was so suspenseful, I could not put the book down.
Somehow I knew that Dumbledore had to die. Harry had been under Dumbledore's tutelage and protection throughout the whole series. I could see why Dumbledore dying was necessary for Potter's further growth and development. It sets things up so that Potter will have to face Voldemort one last time in the last book, alone, totally unaided. It had to be that way. One thing worries me though. Is Harry ready? After all, he hasn't completed his education and training. Harry was no match for Snape in their duel at the end of Half-Blood Prince. He still has a lot to learn. How can he ever track down and destroy 4 horcruxes, and then destroy Voldemort, all by himself? This is by-far the largest task he's ever had to face, and seems too much for him. Well, we'll just have to see, shall we? I won't waste any more time. I'm going to dive into the final book right now.
P.S.: Am I the only one that has a reasonable guess as to who R.A.B. stands for? Without having read Deathly Hollows or knowing anything about how things actually turn out, I think I have it figured out. Think about it: Who in the entire series do we know with a last name that begins with a B? Well of course, there's the Black family. Now there are lots of Blacks, but who among the Blacks has a first name beginning with an R, who opposed Voldemort? Of course! Sirius's brother Regulus! Who else could it possibly be? Regulus stole the horcrux, and soon after Voldemort killed him. It all makes sense. Why hasn't anybody else figured it out? Remember, this is just a theory. I haven't read Deathly Hallows and I know nothing about how things actually turn out. I'll have to read on and see if I'm right....less
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Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
Popular Fantasy Geeks
I was first introduced to Harry Potter in a Children’s Lit class in college. I had resisted this popular phenomenon until I was forced to pick it up for a grade, and Book 1 was short enough that I could read it in the course of 2 hours. I have to admit I wasn’t impressed to any extent, nor did I dislike the experience, but I was critical on grounds of its being derivative, even if reading the first led to reading the second. After all, if I was bored and looking for something light, I could ...more
I was first introduced to Harry Potter in a Children’s Lit class in college. I had resisted this popular phenomenon until I was forced to pick it up for a grade, and Book 1 was short enough that I could read it in the course of 2 hours. I have to admit I wasn’t impressed to any extent, nor did I dislike the experience, but I was critical on grounds of its being derivative, even if reading the first led to reading the second. After all, if I was bored and looking for something light, I could do worse than a fantasy about a child wizard who fights evil with his friends. But it was really the third book, with its increasing darkness, that took me in and made me a fan.
With a movie coming out for Order of Phoenix and Deathly Hallows on the horizon, I decided I would reread Half-Blood Prince. I figured it would take four sittings, of course, with its 600 pages, but time does fly when reading this one, and I’ve come to the conclusion that this is my favorite so far. What I wouldn’t have been willing to admit in college that I’m perfectly comfortable saying now is that J.K. Rowling is a fantastic storyteller; she writes with great clarity, wit, and humor; and she’s created a cast of loveable characters with whom most people, due to the common experience of growing up, can relate closely.
That said, the reason for my preference for the 6th book is that it’s the most emotionally rich in the series. Here we get the backstory of Voldemort (*spoiler alert*) through a series of flashbacks (coming in HP by way of magically extracted memories), and in this way, we come to understand the villain’s similarities and differences with our hero. After all, the villain has to have reasons for committing heinous acts, and until now, we don’t know what these are.
Voldemort is from a once-powerful wizard family reduced to poverty that lives in a dilapidated hovel on the edge of a small town, wary of outsiders, and their main point of pride is their pure blood, the lineage having cross-bred for generations so as not to pollute the line. Voldemort’s mother lives with her father and brother and yearns for the love of a nonmagical man (“muggle” in this world) and when her father and brother are arrested, she uses the opportunity to bewitch her beloved and run off. She ends up pregnant, the man deserts her, and she dies while giving birth to her half-wizard, half-muggle son, thus making him an orphan (like Harry).
(Faulkner anyone?)
But whereas Harry comes to Hogwarts and befriends Ron and Hermione creating unity and strength through positive emotions, Voldemort, when growing in the orphanage shuns other children, torturing them at times (without the awareness of adults) and stealing their possessions. What fuels him is his hatred of his beginnings, his mother’s weakness at having died like a common person despite being a witch, and the “muggle” blood inherited from his father. Over the course of his time at Hogwarts, Voldemort, charming as only evil can be, learns to win over people as a means to an end and disguise his insidious purposes, but he never befriends anyone. He moves, through his hatred, further away from many of the emotions that drive Harry, namely the desire to protect the people he loves and avenge his parents’ death.
With Dumbledore’s help in exploring Voldemort’s past, Harry begins to understand that he’s come to be where he is through the choices he’s made, that his greatest strengths are an alliance with his friends, and that this might hold the key to destroying his enemy, a fact that’s made all the more poignant when Dumbledore, in an all-out assault on Hogwarts by Voldemort’s Death Eaters, is killed at the end. The stakes are higher than before, the action and pace increase as the conclusion draws near, and things are looking darker than ever, which is the setup that any fan wants when the end is looming and it leaves us with the question: How will our hero prevail?...less
With a movie coming out for Order of Phoenix and Deathly Hallows on the horizon, I decided I would reread Half-Blood Prince. I figured it would take four sittings, of course, with its 600 pages, but time does fly when reading this one, and I’ve come to the conclusion that this is my favorite so far. What I wouldn’t have been willing to admit in college that I’m perfectly comfortable saying now is that J.K. Rowling is a fantastic storyteller; she writes with great clarity, wit, and humor; and she’s created a cast of loveable characters with whom most people, due to the common experience of growing up, can relate closely.
That said, the reason for my preference for the 6th book is that it’s the most emotionally rich in the series. Here we get the backstory of Voldemort (*spoiler alert*) through a series of flashbacks (coming in HP by way of magically extracted memories), and in this way, we come to understand the villain’s similarities and differences with our hero. After all, the villain has to have reasons for committing heinous acts, and until now, we don’t know what these are.
Voldemort is from a once-powerful wizard family reduced to poverty that lives in a dilapidated hovel on the edge of a small town, wary of outsiders, and their main point of pride is their pure blood, the lineage having cross-bred for generations so as not to pollute the line. Voldemort’s mother lives with her father and brother and yearns for the love of a nonmagical man (“muggle” in this world) and when her father and brother are arrested, she uses the opportunity to bewitch her beloved and run off. She ends up pregnant, the man deserts her, and she dies while giving birth to her half-wizard, half-muggle son, thus making him an orphan (like Harry).
(Faulkner anyone?)
But whereas Harry comes to Hogwarts and befriends Ron and Hermione creating unity and strength through positive emotions, Voldemort, when growing in the orphanage shuns other children, torturing them at times (without the awareness of adults) and stealing their possessions. What fuels him is his hatred of his beginnings, his mother’s weakness at having died like a common person despite being a witch, and the “muggle” blood inherited from his father. Over the course of his time at Hogwarts, Voldemort, charming as only evil can be, learns to win over people as a means to an end and disguise his insidious purposes, but he never befriends anyone. He moves, through his hatred, further away from many of the emotions that drive Harry, namely the desire to protect the people he loves and avenge his parents’ death.
With Dumbledore’s help in exploring Voldemort’s past, Harry begins to understand that he’s come to be where he is through the choices he’s made, that his greatest strengths are an alliance with his friends, and that this might hold the key to destroying his enemy, a fact that’s made all the more poignant when Dumbledore, in an all-out assault on Hogwarts by Voldemort’s Death Eaters, is killed at the end. The stakes are higher than before, the action and pace increase as the conclusion draws near, and things are looking darker than ever, which is the setup that any fan wants when the end is looming and it leaves us with the question: How will our hero prevail?...less
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recommends it for:
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SPOILER ALERT: do not read if you haven't read the book yet!!!
jk rowling spins out another awesome chapter of harry potter adventures. i just finished reading it and i'm feening for more.
i read a couple of other reviews and some people were disappointed in the lack of action this book had. i'd have to disagree. while there was significantly less adventures than the previous books, rowling still managed to maintain an aura of mystery. some questions that were running through my mind as i ...more SPOILER ALERT: do not read if you haven't read the book yet!!!
jk rowling spins out another awesome chapter of harry potter adventures. i just finished reading it and i'm feening for more.
i read a couple of other reviews and some people were disappointed in the lack of action this book had. i'd have to disagree. while there was significantly less adventures than the previous books, rowling still managed to maintain an aura of mystery. some questions that were running through my mind as i read:
1. who the hell is the half-blood prince? i was disappointed cuz i was sure it was voldemort; how could rowling be so transparent? so i was surprised when it turned out to be snape.
2. that was another question i had: was snape really a good guy or a bad guy? even when he murdered dumbledore, i was half-expecting it to be a hoax, to allow dumbledore to escape. even when dumbledore was finally encased in a tomb, i was fantasizing about harry glancing into the distance with the realization that dumbledore is still alive; kinda like how professor X did when jean grey died in X2. and i'm still expecting him to pop up later on in the 7th book as a surprise good guy, that he was working for potter's side the whole time.
3. when are ron and hermoine gonna hook up?! i swear, they should put some hot and heavy sex scenes in these books already. the kids are already 16; lord knows they've all got more than a little wand action goin' on.
another reviewer criticized the book for focusing too much on voldemort's past. while i can see how that can be kind of a drag for some people, i found in fascinating. i don't know if rowling has done her psychological research, but voldemort sounds like a certified antisocial psychopath. i thought this added more depth to the entire saga, rather than took away from it. and it's not like there wasn't ANY action. sexual and otherwise.
i guess the only critiques i'd have to give the book is as follows:
1. snape's admission that he is the half-blood prince. it kinda came out in the middle of a battle so it was rushed and didn't allow enough time for harry potter to register the news. as a reader, i was imaging the battle scene in my mind: all the confusion and the chaos. it was hard to really let the news sink in that snape was the half-blood prince because there was already so much going on. maybe if rowling had written it so that harry felt the battle scene melt away as snape's admission struck fear into his heart. or something like that! or maybe if rowling had written it so the truth came out as snape was killing dumbledore.
2. some of the twists and turns were a little sloppy. like when it came out that rosemerta had been cursed. there was nothing in the book that suggested that. i like it when authors drop little hints here and there that are very easy to overlook but come rushing back to you once the twist is revealed. one twist that was good was when harry suddenly realizes that snape is working for the other side. shoo, i should've been rowling's creative writing consultant. get a share on some of them royalities, ya dig?
perhaps i would've been disappointed if this had been the last book. but i'm kinda looking at it as a build-up to the finale. now that we have a first-look into voldemort's insanity, i'm soooo looking forward to reading how harry kicks his ass.
another question: what a shame that dumbledore's death was all in vain. harry found a note saying that the horcrux they thought they had stolen was a fake. and the note was written by RAB who the hell is RAB?? so glad the 7th book is out this month, though there's a slim chance i'll get a hold of one until more copies are made. tsk!
EDIT: oh, shit, it comes out in JULY? goddammit....less
jk rowling spins out another awesome chapter of harry potter adventures. i just finished reading it and i'm feening for more.
i read a couple of other reviews and some people were disappointed in the lack of action this book had. i'd have to disagree. while there was significantly less adventures than the previous books, rowling still managed to maintain an aura of mystery. some questions that were running through my mind as i ...more SPOILER ALERT: do not read if you haven't read the book yet!!!
jk rowling spins out another awesome chapter of harry potter adventures. i just finished reading it and i'm feening for more.
i read a couple of other reviews and some people were disappointed in the lack of action this book had. i'd have to disagree. while there was significantly less adventures than the previous books, rowling still managed to maintain an aura of mystery. some questions that were running through my mind as i read:
1. who the hell is the half-blood prince? i was disappointed cuz i was sure it was voldemort; how could rowling be so transparent? so i was surprised when it turned out to be snape.
2. that was another question i had: was snape really a good guy or a bad guy? even when he murdered dumbledore, i was half-expecting it to be a hoax, to allow dumbledore to escape. even when dumbledore was finally encased in a tomb, i was fantasizing about harry glancing into the distance with the realization that dumbledore is still alive; kinda like how professor X did when jean grey died in X2. and i'm still expecting him to pop up later on in the 7th book as a surprise good guy, that he was working for potter's side the whole time.
3. when are ron and hermoine gonna hook up?! i swear, they should put some hot and heavy sex scenes in these books already. the kids are already 16; lord knows they've all got more than a little wand action goin' on.
another reviewer criticized the book for focusing too much on voldemort's past. while i can see how that can be kind of a drag for some people, i found in fascinating. i don't know if rowling has done her psychological research, but voldemort sounds like a certified antisocial psychopath. i thought this added more depth to the entire saga, rather than took away from it. and it's not like there wasn't ANY action. sexual and otherwise.
i guess the only critiques i'd have to give the book is as follows:
1. snape's admission that he is the half-blood prince. it kinda came out in the middle of a battle so it was rushed and didn't allow enough time for harry potter to register the news. as a reader, i was imaging the battle scene in my mind: all the confusion and the chaos. it was hard to really let the news sink in that snape was the half-blood prince because there was already so much going on. maybe if rowling had written it so that harry felt the battle scene melt away as snape's admission struck fear into his heart. or something like that! or maybe if rowling had written it so the truth came out as snape was killing dumbledore.
2. some of the twists and turns were a little sloppy. like when it came out that rosemerta had been cursed. there was nothing in the book that suggested that. i like it when authors drop little hints here and there that are very easy to overlook but come rushing back to you once the twist is revealed. one twist that was good was when harry suddenly realizes that snape is working for the other side. shoo, i should've been rowling's creative writing consultant. get a share on some of them royalities, ya dig?
perhaps i would've been disappointed if this had been the last book. but i'm kinda looking at it as a build-up to the finale. now that we have a first-look into voldemort's insanity, i'm soooo looking forward to reading how harry kicks his ass.
another question: what a shame that dumbledore's death was all in vain. harry found a note saying that the horcrux they thought they had stolen was a fake. and the note was written by RAB who the hell is RAB?? so glad the 7th book is out this month, though there's a slim chance i'll get a hold of one until more copies are made. tsk!
EDIT: oh, shit, it comes out in JULY? goddammit....less
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Read in January, 2006
recommends it for:
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What stands out in book 6:
* The introduction of the Horcrux.
* Molly Weasley asking Arthur Weasley about his "dearest ambition." Rowling has always been great at revealing little intriguing bits about her characters at a time, and Arthur’s answer "to find out how airplanes stay up" reminds us about his obsession with Muggles.
* Harry's private lessons with Dumbledore, and more time spent with the fascinating and dangerous pensieve, arguably one of Rowling’s most in...more What stands out in book 6:
* The introduction of the Horcrux.
* Molly Weasley asking Arthur Weasley about his "dearest ambition." Rowling has always been great at revealing little intriguing bits about her characters at a time, and Arthur’s answer "to find out how airplanes stay up" reminds us about his obsession with Muggles.
* Harry's private lessons with Dumbledore, and more time spent with the fascinating and dangerous pensieve, arguably one of Rowling’s most ingenious inventions.
* Fred and George Weasley’s Joke Shop, and the slogan: "Why Are You Worrying About You-Know-Who? You Should Be Worrying About U-NO-POO--the Constipation Sensation That's Gripping the Nation!"
* Luna's Quidditch commentary. Rowling created scores of Luna Lovegood fans with hilarious and bizarre commentary from the most unlikely Quidditch commentator.
* The effects of Felix Felicis.
* We get a fascinating view of the history of Tom Riddle.
* The major question of the book: Whose side is Snape really on?
Amazon Review:
The long-awaited, eagerly anticipated, arguably over-hyped Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has arrived, and the question on the minds of kids, adults, fans, and skeptics alike is, "Is it worth the hype?" The answer, luckily, is simple: yep. A magnificent spectacle more than worth the price of admission, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will blow you away. However, given that so much has gone into protecting the secrets of the book (including armored trucks and injunctions), don't expect any spoilers in this review. It's much more fun not knowing what's coming--and in the case of Rowling's delicious sixth book, you don't want to know. Just sit tight, despite the earth-shattering revelations that will have your head in your hands as you hope the words will rearrange themselves into a different story. But take one warning to heart: do not open Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince until you have first found a secluded spot, safe from curious eyes, where you can tuck in for a good long read. Because once you start, you won't stop until you reach the very last page.
A darker book than any in the series thus far with a level of sophistication belying its genre, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince moves the series into murkier waters and marks the arrival of Rowling onto the adult literary scene. While she has long been praised for her cleverness and wit, the strength of Book 6 lies in her subtle development of key characters, as well as her carefully nuanced depiction of a community at war. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, no one and nothing is safe, including preconceived notions of good and evil and of right and wrong. With each book in her increasingly remarkable series, fans have nervously watched J.K. Rowling raise the stakes; gone are the simple delights of butterbeer and enchanted candy, and days when the worst ailment could be cured by a bite of chocolate. A series that began as a colorful lark full of magic and discovery has become a dark and deadly war zone. But this should not come as a shock to loyal readers. Rowling readied fans with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by killing off popular characters and engaging the young students in battle. Still, there is an unexpected bleakness from the start of Book 6 that casts a mean shadow over Quidditch games, silly flirtations, and mountains of homework. Ready or not, the tremendous ending of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will leave stunned fans wondering what great and terrible events await in Book 7 if this sinister darkness is meant to light the way.
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* The introduction of the Horcrux.
* Molly Weasley asking Arthur Weasley about his "dearest ambition." Rowling has always been great at revealing little intriguing bits about her characters at a time, and Arthur’s answer "to find out how airplanes stay up" reminds us about his obsession with Muggles.
* Harry's private lessons with Dumbledore, and more time spent with the fascinating and dangerous pensieve, arguably one of Rowling’s most in...more What stands out in book 6:
* The introduction of the Horcrux.
* Molly Weasley asking Arthur Weasley about his "dearest ambition." Rowling has always been great at revealing little intriguing bits about her characters at a time, and Arthur’s answer "to find out how airplanes stay up" reminds us about his obsession with Muggles.
* Harry's private lessons with Dumbledore, and more time spent with the fascinating and dangerous pensieve, arguably one of Rowling’s most ingenious inventions.
* Fred and George Weasley’s Joke Shop, and the slogan: "Why Are You Worrying About You-Know-Who? You Should Be Worrying About U-NO-POO--the Constipation Sensation That's Gripping the Nation!"
* Luna's Quidditch commentary. Rowling created scores of Luna Lovegood fans with hilarious and bizarre commentary from the most unlikely Quidditch commentator.
* The effects of Felix Felicis.
* We get a fascinating view of the history of Tom Riddle.
* The major question of the book: Whose side is Snape really on?
Amazon Review:
The long-awaited, eagerly anticipated, arguably over-hyped Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has arrived, and the question on the minds of kids, adults, fans, and skeptics alike is, "Is it worth the hype?" The answer, luckily, is simple: yep. A magnificent spectacle more than worth the price of admission, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will blow you away. However, given that so much has gone into protecting the secrets of the book (including armored trucks and injunctions), don't expect any spoilers in this review. It's much more fun not knowing what's coming--and in the case of Rowling's delicious sixth book, you don't want to know. Just sit tight, despite the earth-shattering revelations that will have your head in your hands as you hope the words will rearrange themselves into a different story. But take one warning to heart: do not open Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince until you have first found a secluded spot, safe from curious eyes, where you can tuck in for a good long read. Because once you start, you won't stop until you reach the very last page.
A darker book than any in the series thus far with a level of sophistication belying its genre, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince moves the series into murkier waters and marks the arrival of Rowling onto the adult literary scene. While she has long been praised for her cleverness and wit, the strength of Book 6 lies in her subtle development of key characters, as well as her carefully nuanced depiction of a community at war. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, no one and nothing is safe, including preconceived notions of good and evil and of right and wrong. With each book in her increasingly remarkable series, fans have nervously watched J.K. Rowling raise the stakes; gone are the simple delights of butterbeer and enchanted candy, and days when the worst ailment could be cured by a bite of chocolate. A series that began as a colorful lark full of magic and discovery has become a dark and deadly war zone. But this should not come as a shock to loyal readers. Rowling readied fans with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by killing off popular characters and engaging the young students in battle. Still, there is an unexpected bleakness from the start of Book 6 that casts a mean shadow over Quidditch games, silly flirtations, and mountains of homework. Ready or not, the tremendous ending of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will leave stunned fans wondering what great and terrible events await in Book 7 if this sinister darkness is meant to light the way.
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Read in July, 2005
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
As we pick up the thread of this epic tale which is my Harry Potter experience nearly two years had passed since the release of “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.” The world has been told the name of the sixth book and I, like every other Harry Potter fan, am making my predictions as to who the Half-Blood Prince is. I also got a jpg of the cover and wondered what Harry and Dumbledore were looking at.
By this time I had met a lovely young lady who was also a big Harry Potter f...more As we pick up the thread of this epic tale which is my Harry Potter experience nearly two years had passed since the release of “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.” The world has been told the name of the sixth book and I, like every other Harry Potter fan, am making my predictions as to who the Half-Blood Prince is. I also got a jpg of the cover and wondered what Harry and Dumbledore were looking at.
By this time I had met a lovely young lady who was also a big Harry Potter fan. When book 5 had been released she had gone to one of those parties at a bookstore where you could get your copy of the book at the stroke of midnight. I had never been to one of the midnight Harry Potter parties and we decided that neither of us would go to one for this book. The main reason for this was that we thought that if we did go to one that we would find ourselves far too tired on the morning of the books release. You see; we wanted to be fully awake on that morning in July 2005 because in addition to it being the day of the release of “Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince” it was also our wedding day. What’s up with J.K. Rowling releasing her books on weekends when my family has weddings? Anyway, at the wedding luncheon my sister handed me a copy of the book as a wedding gift.
For our Honeymoon we went on a cruise and we brought our books with us. Everywhere we went whether in the airport or on the ship we saw countless purple books as innumerable people around us were as anxious as we were to find out what was going to happen.
Throughout this books in this series leading up to this one we find statements indicating that Dumbledore was the only person Voldemort was ever afraid of and that as long as Dumbledore’s around Voldemort can’t hurt Harry. So, I predicted pretty early in my reading that eventually Dumbledore was going to have to die before the end of the series. Honestly I thought it would be in book 7. However, even though I predicted this it didn’t really prepare me for when it actually happened. I know he’s not real but it was really hard to read the scene where he died, especially at the hands of Snape. Rowling really is a superb writer. The way she wrote the scene of Dumbledore’s funeral is absolutely heart wrenching and powerfully moving. I think the whole idea of the horcruxes was brilliant. I am really impressed with J.K. Rowling’s ability to weave an incredibly complex and believable story.
OK, so I gotta say I’m a little confused about something. We learn throughout these books and in this book in particular about the fact that many wizarding families are obsessed with being “pure-bloods.” The thing that seems strange to me is that if these people are so obsessed with keeping their blood “pure” why don’t they have more children. The Malfoys, the Crabbes, the Goyles, the Notts, the Crouches; they all have only one kid each. You would think that if they want so badly for their children to only marry pure-bloods and they want pure blood wizarding families to survive they would want to make sure there were as many pure-blood wizards as possible. I mean, if every pure-blood couple only has only one kid the number of pure-bloods will diminish by half every generation. Of course, as we also learn from the books, none of those who claim to be pure-blood really are. They simply choose to erase any muggles, muggleborns or squibs from their family trees and pretend they didn’t exist....less
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Read in May, 2007
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Where do I even begin to describe this book? At first I was disappointed because it wasn't longer than the fifth book, but it more than made up for the lack in length with such a great plot! Harry & Co. are headed back to Hogwarts for their sixth year but this time everyone knows and believes Voldemort's returned and actively attacking both the Wizard and Muggle worlds. The Ministry of Magic is trying to coerce Harry's support, despite past mistreatments. A new professor has been recruited w...more
Where do I even begin to describe this book? At first I was disappointed because it wasn't longer than the fifth book, but it more than made up for the lack in length with such a great plot! Harry & Co. are headed back to Hogwarts for their sixth year but this time everyone knows and believes Voldemort's returned and actively attacking both the Wizard and Muggle worlds. The Ministry of Magic is trying to coerce Harry's support, despite past mistreatments. A new professor has been recruited with Harry's help to teach Potions this year, because Dumbledore's at last allowed Severus Snape to teach his most beloved subject: Defense Against the Dark Arts.Early on we learn that Voldemort's replaced Lucius Malfoy (who is imprisoned in Azkaban after the attack on the Ministry last year) with his 16 year old son, Draco Malfoy, and whatever task The Dark Lord has set before Draco, while yet unknown, is so horrendous that his mother appeals to Snape for his protection. Of course Harry distrusts Malfoy, and the others do to some extent, but as per usual, no one fully believes Harry's suspicions. Throughout the year, the Trio are exposed to the typical heartaches and tension of adolescence -- such as when Ron and Hermione finally start switching on to each other, and the struggle of more advances classes to pass -- on top of the tragedies of war.
Harry acquires a new potions book as well, full of the previous owner's notations which greatly improve his attempts in that class. The author calls himself the Half-Blood Prince and his spell alterations come in handy repeatedly, despite the resentment of Hermione. But not all spells are good, per se, which Harry discovers in a tragic event.
The Order of the Phoenix (those who oppose Voldemort and his Death Eaters) are fully engaged in the battle and are less inclined to exclude Harry, Ron and Hermione, but still try to keep them from harm. But Dumbledore knows that Harry must learn as much as he can about Voldemort and the prophecy (from the previous book) if he is to ever defeat the Dark Lord. Dumbledore takes a more personal approach to Harry's education in special sessions, where rather than learning some new spell or skill, they explore the world of Voldemort's past and speculation through various collected memories. The most vital memory Harry and Dumbledore explore unveils a term neither knows much about: Horcruxes. I do not want to spoil the story any more than I already have, but suffice it to say Harry is then commissioned to destroy the horcruxes.
Have I already said how much I love this book? This was (I think) my third reading of it and it took less than two weeks for me to finish. Of course I was a bit obsessive -- listening to the tapes on the way to & from work, reading the paperback during lunch, and reading the hardback just before bed each night. I started this one before we finalized this year's Summer Reading Program because I wanted to be refreshed for the seventh (and last -- sob!!) book. I've actually read the fifth book the most, my fifth time coming up later this summer for the SRP, and I've read book four at least a couple times, but the first three I have not read since before the movies came out. A couple years ago I would have said The Prisoner of Azkaban was my favorite in the series, but now it's hard for me to decide between this one and The Order of the Phoenix. I imagine the final book will be my favorite, and right now HBP is really just the first part of the end....less
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Read in April, 2008
recommends it for:
hm, I think everyone in the world has already had this recommended to them
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
I always find it kind of hard to review books in a series because I feel like a lot of my observations apply to the whole series and not just to the individual book. I understand Krystl's frustration with this book in that J.K. Rowling kept her characters in the dark about things that were too obvious to the reader; there weren't very many surprises in this one (well, maybe there would have been if Katrina hadn't given me a completely unsolicited spoiler about the ending, gr. But who knows, mayb...more
I always find it kind of hard to review books in a series because I feel like a lot of my observations apply to the whole series and not just to the individual book. I understand Krystl's frustration with this book in that J.K. Rowling kept her characters in the dark about things that were too obvious to the reader; there weren't very many surprises in this one (well, maybe there would have been if Katrina hadn't given me a completely unsolicited spoiler about the ending, gr. But who knows, maybe it's better that I went into it prepared.)
The structure of this book reminded me a lot of A Swiftly Tilted Planet. And it definitely felt like a "bridge" book, suffering the sort of strain people always accuse 2nd books in trilogies of having (I usually like 2nd parts in trilogies best, but this book helped me understand what other people are talking about with their frustrations with bridge books). I was over halfway through the book and still wondering what the main conflict / story thread in this one was supposed to be. And once again, I wish that J.K. Rowling would've done one more edit -- there are always places that feel a little unfinished, like she rushed through them to get to the next "interesting" scene. But, what can I say? She's still a wonderful story-teller, and for all my criticisms, this is the only Harry Potter book I've read in "marathon" style, causing me to suffer my very first Hogwarts Headache ever.
OK, now that I've done the critique, I just want to gossip a bit about the storyline of this one. I was really frustrated that J.K. Rowling spent about 200 pages on Hermione's and Ron's fight and only two paragraphs on the beginning of Harry's relationship with Ginny. I also had trouble wrapping my mind around Ginny as a post-pubescent character, so Harry's horniness over her weirded me out a little. I also had trouble getting a grip on