Goodreads | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Part 1 (Book 4

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Jason rated it:

(review of isbn 0439139597)

02/08/08

Read in July, 2000

recommends it for: Any Harry Potter fan

The fourth book opens as Frank Bryce,the Riddle manor's elderly caretaker,sees lights inside the abandoned house. Investigating, he overhears Lord Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew (Wormtail) plotting Harry Potter's death. Frank is discovered and killed; at that same moment, Harry awakes with his scar hurting and having seen the murder in his dream.

Soon after, Harry departs for the Quidditch World Cup with Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, the Weasley family and Minor Ministry officials, and Cedric...more The fourth book opens as Frank Bryce,the Riddle manor's elderly caretaker,sees lights inside the abandoned house. Investigating, he overhears Lord Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew (Wormtail) plotting Harry Potter's death. Frank is discovered and killed; at that same moment, Harry awakes with his scar hurting and having seen the murder in his dream.

Soon after, Harry departs for the Quidditch World Cup with Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, the Weasley family and Minor Ministry officials, and Cedric Diggory. Following the match, Death Eaters, Lord Voldemort's servants, storm the camp, creating panic and mayhem. The trio flee into the forest where they see the Dark Mark, Lord Voldemort's sign, shot into the night sky. The head of the Department Of International Magical Co-operation, Barty Crouch Sr., arrives and accuses the trio of Ron, Harry and Hermione of conjuring it, but upon investigating, Crouch's house elf Winky, is found clutching Harry's stolen wand. Crouch is furious and fires Winky.
Professor Dumbledore announces during the Welcoming Feast that Hogwarts will host the Triwizard Tournament. The centuries old inter-school competition was discontinued because it became too dangerous, but has been recently revived. The tournament includes three difficult tasks, one held during each school term.

The Goblet of Fire chooses one student from each competing school. Because the tournament is so dangerous, students must be at least 17 years old to enter. Cedric Diggory is chosen as Hogwarts' champion, Fleur Delacour is selected for Beauxbatons Academy and Viktor Krum represents Durmstrang Institute. The Goblet unexpectedly selects a fourth champion, Harry Potter, even though Harry never entered and is underage. This leads to a falling out with Ron, who thinks Harry cheated to enter.

Harry is guided through the tournament by Professor Alastor Moody, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and a former Auror. In the first task, the champions must retrieve a golden egg from a dragon. With advice from Hagrid, Moody, and Hermione, Harry uses his broom to fly past the dragon and capture the egg, earning high marks. Seeing how dangerous the task was, Ron realises Harry would not have cheated, and they reconcile. Meanwhile, Hermione begins the Society For the Protection of Elfish Welfare (S.P.E.W).

The champions are required to attend the Yule Ball, a tradition associated with the Triwizard Tournament. Harry wants to invite Cho Chang, but when he learns she is attending with Cedric Diggory, he agrees to take Parvati Patil, while her twin sister, Padma, goes with Ron. Hermione Granger attends with Viktor Krum ? sparking Ron's jealousy, made worse by Hermione's unexpectedly beautiful appearance at the Ball.

The second task requires retrieving something important to each champion that is hidden in Hogwarts' lake. Harry has delayed in finding a way to stay submerged for an hour. As the event is about to begin, Dobby gives Harry gillyweed so he can breathe underwater (In the movie version, it is Neville that gives the gillyweed to Harry). Harry stays by Ron, watching as Cedric and Krum rescue Cho and Hermione, respectively. He waits for Fleur to show up and save her little sister Gabrielle, but when she does not, Harry rescues Gabrielle, losing time but awarding him additional points for "moral fiber". This ties him for first place with Cedric Diggory.

For the third task, the champions must navigate through a large maze filled with dangerous obstacles. Shortly before the event, Harry and Viktor Krum are startled when a dishevelled Mr. Crouch emerges from the forest, mumbling incoherently and demanding to see Dumbledore. Harry makes his way through the forest, running for help, but when he returns with Dumbledore, they find Krum unconscious and Crouch missing. While waiting in Dumbledore's office for Dumbledore to search for Mr. Crouch, Harry peers inside a Pensieve containing the professor's memories. In one, Harry sees a wizarding trial in which Barty Crouch, Jr., a Death Eater, was sentenced to Azkaban by Crouch Sr, his father. Harry also hears testimony that Severus Snape was once a Death Eater.

During the third task, Harry and Cedric successfully navigate the maze and, because they helped each other, agree to grab the Cup simultaneously. Unknown to them, the Cup is actually a portkey that transports them to an old cemetery in Little Hangleton. Awaiting them is Peter Pettigrew carrying what appears to be a deformed infant, but is actually Lord Voldemort who orders Pettigrew to "kill the spare". Pettigrew kills Diggory with the Avada Kedavra curse and then ties Harry to a tombstone. He then uses Harry's blood, a bone from Voldemort's long-dead father, and his own severed hand in a bizarre ritual that restores Lord Voldemort to his full body and power. Voldemort now carries Harry's blood within him and is no longer affected by the magic that has protected the boy since infancy.

Voldemort then summons his Death Eaters, then reveals that his servant at Hogwarts helped him ensure that Harry would participate in the tournament, win it and be brought to the graveyard. Voldemort then challenges Harry to a duel. he first punishes Harry with the "" curse. Harry then, through determination tried to subdew Voldemort, while Voldemort tries to kill him. As the two curses simultaneously meet, Voldemort and Harry's wands interlock and a special magical effect takes place. Voldemort and Harry's wands are "twins", each containing the same magical core (a tail feather from Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes). This bond causes the spirit echoes of Voldemort's victims, including Cedric Diggory, Bertha Jorkins, James and Lily Potter, and even the Muggle Frank Bryce, to spill out from his wand. The echoes shortly protect Harry by distracting Voldemort, allowing him to grab the portkey and escape to Hogwarts with Diggory's body.
After Harry returns to the school grounds through the portkey, Moody takes Harry to his office immediately. He reveals that he has been helping Harry throughout all of the tournament's events including helping Harry pass some obstacles in the maze from the exterior. He tells Harry that he did this so that Harry would reach the portkey, and thus send him to the cemetery so that Voldemort could be restored. After the explanation, Mad-Eye attempts to attack Harry but is stopped by Dumbledore, Snape and Minerva McGonagall. Dumbledore states that when he saw Moody take Harry out of sight after returning from the maze, he knew instantly that something was not right, and thus he followed. When Dumbledore feeds Moody 3 drops of Veritaserum obtained from Snape's private store, Moody is exposed as Barty Crouch, Jr. who escaped Azkaban and used a Polyjuice Potion to impersonate the real Alastor Moody, who is trapped in a magical trunk. Crouch Jr. murdered his father and entered Harry's name into the Goblet of Fire, covertly ensuring that Harry completed each difficult task. Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, arrives at Hogwarts accompanied by a Dementor. Fudge denies Dumbledore's claim that Voldemort has returned and before Crouch can repeat his confession, his soul is sucked out when the Dementor performs the Dementor's Kiss on him (on Fudge's orders to silence him).

Dumbledore swiftly and urgently revives the Order of the Phoenix and against the Ministry's orders, tells students the truth about Cedric's death and that Voldemort has returned, stating "It would be an insult to his memory" to claim otherwise. As for Harry, he is crowned the Triwizard Tournament champion and is awarded one-thousand Galleons, which he gives to Ron's twin brothers, Fred and George, telling them to use it to open their own joke shop, their life-long ambition.

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Atre rated it:

(review of isbn 0439139600)

01/14/08

bookshelves: use-your-imagination

tahun ini final Piala Dunia Quidditch. Harry, Hermione, Ron dan keluarganya pergi menontonnya. namun, pada malam hari terjadi kekacauan di perkemahan. tiba2 para Pelahap Maut yang mengenakan topeng muncul dan membakari tenda-tenda. bayangan menggumamkan sesuatu dan mengirimkan Tanda Kegelapan berbentuk tengkorak dibelit ular ke angkasa. Harry, Hermione, dan Ron nyaris dituduh sebagai orang yang melepaskan Tanda Kegelapan itu.

tahun ini pula Hogwarts jadi tuan rumah Turnamen Triwizard, turname...more tahun ini final Piala Dunia Quidditch. Harry, Hermione, Ron dan keluarganya pergi menontonnya. namun, pada malam hari terjadi kekacauan di perkemahan. tiba2 para Pelahap Maut yang mengenakan topeng muncul dan membakari tenda-tenda. bayangan menggumamkan sesuatu dan mengirimkan Tanda Kegelapan berbentuk tengkorak dibelit ular ke angkasa. Harry, Hermione, dan Ron nyaris dituduh sebagai orang yang melepaskan Tanda Kegelapan itu.

tahun ini pula Hogwarts jadi tuan rumah Turnamen Triwizard, turnamen yang diadakan untuk mempererat persaudaraaan antar sekolah sihir. dua sekolah lain yang mengikuti turnamen ini adalah Beauxbatons pimpinan Madame Maxime dan Durmstrang yang dipimpin oleh Igor karkaroff. tiap sekolah diwakili oleh satu juara sekolah, yang akan dipilih setelah memasukkan nama mereka ke dalam Piala Api.

Piala Api telah memuntahkan 3 nama untuk 3 sekolah, yaitu Fleur Delacour dari Beauxbatons, Victor Krum dari Durmstrang, dan Cedric Diggory dari Hogwarts. namun ternyata Piala Api kembali memuntahkan satu nama, Harry Potter. meski kedua sekolah lain mengajukan protes, akhirnya Harry ditetapkan sebagai salah satu juara.

tugas pertama adalah keempat juara diperintahkan untuk mengambil telur emas dari seekor naga. di dalam telur berisi petunjuk tugas kedua.

turnamen ini diselingi oleh pesta dansa di hari Natal. para juara diwajibkan memiliki pasangan. Harry yang mengincar seeker Ravenclaw yang cantik, Cho Chang, ternyata kalah cepat dari Cedric Diggory. akhirnya Harry ke pesta tersebut berpasangan dengan Parvati Patil, Ron dengan Padma Patil, dan Hermione (yang mengejutkan semua orang) berpasangan dengan Victor Krum, seeker nasional Bulgaria, sang juara Durmstrang.

tugas kedua menyelamatkan sandera di bawah laut. sandera Harry adalah Ron, sandera Krum Hermione, sandera Cedric adalah Cho Chang, dan sandera Fleur adalah adiknya, Gabrielle. Fleur tidak bisa menyelamatkan adiknya akibat serangan Grindylow. Harry yang mengira tugas ini betul-betul serius memaksakan dirinya membebaskan Ron dan Gabrielle sekaligus.

setelah tugas kedua, Harry menemukan mayat Barty Crouch, wakil dari Kementrian Sihir untuk Turnamen Triwizard, dan bergegas mendatangi kantor Dumbledore untuk melaporkannya. Harry diminta menunggu di kantor Dumbledore, dan saat itulah Harry masuk ke dalam Pensieve, membawa Harry ke dalam ingatan Dumbledore bertahun lalu, ketika Kementrian mengadili putra Barty Crouch dengan tuduhan sebagai Pelahap Maut.

tugas ketiga adalah labirin. Piala Api terletak di tengah labirin tersebut. Siapa yang terlebih dahulu menemukan Piala, dia yang tampil sebagai juara Turnamen Triwizard. Cedric dan Harry masuk lebih dahulu, diikuti Krum, dan Fleur. ternyata Krum telah berada di bawah Kutukan Imperius, dan ia menyerang siapa saja yang ditemuinya.

Harry dan Cedric sepakat menjadi juara bersama. ketika mereka menyentuh Piala Api bersamaan, Harry sadar Piala tersebut portkey. Sebelum sadar mereka di mana, Cedric dibunuh oleh Peter Pettigrew. Mulailah ritual pembangkitan Voldermort. Voldermort hidup kembali dan segera bereunifikasi dengan Pelahap Mautnya yang muncul ber-Apparate. Harry melihat Lucius Malfoy ada di antara mereka. Voldermort bermaksud membunuh Harry dengan cara duel. namun ketika tongkat mereka bertemu, terjadilah efek yang langka disebut Priori Incantatem. tongkat Voldermort mengeluarkan bayangan orang-orang yang pernah dibunuhnya, termasuk orangtua Harry. Ayah dan Ibu Harry menyuruhnya kembali ke Piala agar dapat kembali ke sekolah. Harry menyeret tubuh Cedric kembali menyentuh Piala yang membawanya kembali ke Hogwarts.

para penonton awalnya bersorak kegirangan, kemudian berganti dengan jeritan histeris ketika sadar bahwa Cedric Diggory telah menjadi mayat. Harry yang kalut dibawa oleh Moody kembali ke kastil. dan beberapa saat kemudian terkuaklah rahasia, bahwa ternyata selama ini dia adalah Barty Crouch Jr, yang ditugasi untuk membawa Harry di malam Voldermort bangkit kembali....less

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Susan rated it:

(review of isbn 0439139600)

09/04/07

bookshelves: yomr

Read in August, 2007

Now THAT'S a book! The groove that J.K. Rowling starts to find in HP 3 is fully realized in 4. Partly it's that the kids (and therefore the readers) are getting older so she can delve into more adult, complex themes and situations, and partly it's that I think she's really finding her voice. We finally got our very own HP's, I am happy to report, and it's so funny to look at them all side by side b/c of the HUGE leap in size between 3 and 4. Then they get a little tricky b/c while 4 and 5 lo...more Now THAT'S a book! The groove that J.K. Rowling starts to find in HP 3 is fully realized in 4. Partly it's that the kids (and therefore the readers) are getting older so she can delve into more adult, complex themes and situations, and partly it's that I think she's really finding her voice. We finally got our very own HP's, I am happy to report, and it's so funny to look at them all side by side b/c of the HUGE leap in size between 3 and 4. Then they get a little tricky b/c while 4 and 5 look to be about the same length, the font in Order of the Phoenix is much smaller, hence a longer book. I just started that one and it honestly feels longer already. More of a book book and less of a fun afternoon's diversion. But I like these books as they get both darker and longer.

But to focus on Goblet of Fire specifically for a moment...again, not that I think I can bring anything new to the table in discussing these books. Nevertheless, I'll throw a few ideas out there just for your reading pleasure. One thing that struck me, as I mentioned before, was the increasing maturity and complexity of situations and themes. Clearly having someone die is a huge deal and I found that whole series of events really moving this time around. I may have last time as well, but I don't remember. In a way, though, some of the more complex issues feel jarring next to the goofy concepts she originally created. Calling non-magical people "Muggles," for instance. It's just a stupid word and yes, it sounds funny and makes kids laugh, but sometimes it's hard to take all these people seriously. "Mud-bloods" on the other hand is vicious and definitely drives the point home. I just wonder if she was to do it over again if some of those terms or ideas would change a bit. Yes, we'd all like to revisit what we did/wrote when we were less sure of ourselves and our voices and ideas, but of course we can't and neither can she. And what do I know? She claims she always knew what would happen to Harry, so maybe for her "Muggle" is the ideal word.

Since, as usual, I find it impossible to discuss the books without referencing the films, let me just say that although I hated Dobby in the movie (2?) and was glad to see him mostly cut from subsequent screen incarnations, I really loved him in this one. The dialogue is actually quite funny and Hermione's whole S.P.E.W. thing just cracks me up. Yes, I know a lot of people hate it and find it annoying and whatever, but I love it. Of course she would have a cause like that. That's who she is! And poor Winky. They're weird creatures (and OH how I love Kreacher in the next one!) and I can't decide whether I am with Hermione or everyone else on their "plight." Either way, I like that they exist; they provide a bit of moral ambiguity in a world that is mostly cleanly divided between good and evil. You might wonder about people, but for the most part they end up squarely one or the other. Other than Snape - another great piece of moral ambiguity whose complexity grows from book to book.

I also continue to marvel at Rowling's ability to write about the teenage mind. Ron and Harry's fight is spot on, as are Hermione's various reactions to it. And oh these poor boys having to ask the girls to the feast. I wish I had known when I was in middle school how truly hard it was for boys to talk to girls like that. Although I probably wouldn't have cared, being the good self-involved teenger that I was.

I still want to go to Hogwarts....less

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Carmen rated it:

(review of isbn 0439139600)

10/22/07

Read in January, 2001

recommends it for: Everyone

What stands out in book 4:

* Hermione's disgust at the reception for the veela (Bulgarian National Team Mascots) at the Quidditch World Cup. Rowling's fourth book addresses issues about growing up--the dynamic between the boys and girls at Hogwarts starts to change. Nowhere is this more plain than the hilarious scene in which magical cheerleaders nearly convince Harry and Ron to jump from the stands to impress them.
* Viktor Krum's crush on Hermione--and Ron's objection to it.
* Malfoy's ...more What stands out in book 4:

* Hermione's disgust at the reception for the veela (Bulgarian National Team Mascots) at the Quidditch World Cup. Rowling's fourth book addresses issues about growing up--the dynamic between the boys and girls at Hogwarts starts to change. Nowhere is this more plain than the hilarious scene in which magical cheerleaders nearly convince Harry and Ron to jump from the stands to impress them.
* Viktor Krum's crush on Hermione--and Ron's objection to it.
* Malfoy's "Potter Stinks" badge.
* Hermione's creation of S.P.E.W., the intolerant bigotry of the Death Eaters, and the danger of the Triwizard Tournament. Add in the changing dynamics between girls and boys at Hogwarts, and suddenly Rowling's fourth book has a weight and seriousness not as present in early books in the series. Candy and tickle spells are left behind as the students tackle darker, more serious issues and take on larger responsibilities, including the knowledge of illegal curses.
* We encounter death in this book the likes we haven't seen before (R.I.P. Cedric Diggory)
* We get a glimpse of the friendship and absolute loyalty that is shown to Harry by Ron and Hermione (after Ron throws his little hissy fit of course and comes to his senses)

Amazon Review
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling offers up equal parts danger and delight--and any number of dragons, house-elves, and death-defying challenges. Now 14, her orphan hero has only two more weeks with his Muggle relatives before returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Yet one night a vision harrowing enough to make his lightning-bolt-shaped scar burn has Harry on edge and contacting his godfather-in-hiding, Sirius Black. Happily, the prospect of attending the season's premier sporting event, the Quidditch World Cup, is enough to make Harry momentarily forget that Lord Voldemort and his sinister familiars--the Death Eaters--are out for murder.
Readers, we will cast a giant invisibility cloak over any more plot and reveal only that You-Know-Who is very much after Harry and that this year there will be no Quidditch matches between Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Instead, Hogwarts will vie with two other magicians' schools, the stylish Beauxbatons and the icy Durmstrang, in a Triwizard Tournament. Those chosen to compete will undergo three supreme tests. Could Harry be one of the lucky contenders?

Long before her fourth installment appeared, Rowling warned that it would be darker, and it's true that every exhilaration is equaled by a moment that has us fearing for Harry's life, the book's emotions running as deep as its dangers. Along the way, though, she conjures up such new characters as Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, a Dark Wizard catcher who may or may not be getting paranoid in his old age, and Rita Skeeter, who beetles around Hogwarts in search of stories. (This Daily Prophet scoop artist has a Quick-Quotes Quill that turns even the most innocent assertion into tabloid innuendo.) And at her bedazzling close, Rowling leaves several plot strands open, awaiting book 5. This fan is ready to wager that the author herself is part veela--her pen her wand, her commitment to her world complete.
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Sue rated it:

(review of isbn 0439139600)

11/14/07

Read in November, 2007

Harry can’t believe it. The Weasley’s have invited him to the Quidditch World Cup, which means he’ll get to leave the Dursley’s house early and go see a game that anyone would kill to see.

The game is intense, but not just because of the stellar players and non-stop action. Voldemort’s servants, the Death Eaters, make an appearance and the wizarding world is shocked when Voldemort’s sign appears in the sky after the game.

When Harry, Ron, and Hermione finally make it back to ...more Harry can’t believe it. The Weasley’s have invited him to the Quidditch World Cup, which means he’ll get to leave the Dursley’s house early and go see a game that anyone would kill to see.

The game is intense, but not just because of the stellar players and non-stop action. Voldemort’s servants, the Death Eaters, make an appearance and the wizarding world is shocked when Voldemort’s sign appears in the sky after the game.

When Harry, Ron, and Hermione finally make it back to Hogwarts a few weeks later, they’re shocked to find that the school will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament this year. It’s a competition between the three wizarding schools of Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons. A champion is chosen for each school and competes in very difficult challenges that test their skill and daring.

When the students from the other schools arrive in October, the students begin putting their name in the Goblet of Fire in order to be chosen as their school's champion. Harry is shocked beyond belief when, in spite of his inability to compete because of his age, he’s chosen as the fourth school champion.

What’s even worse is that Ron doesn’t believe that Harry didn’t put his name in the goblet. They get into a huge fight, and Ron stops talking to Harry. The rest of Hogwarts is also incensed that Harry is "looking for more fame", and the only person who stands by Harry’s side is Hermione.

In the tournament, the first task of fighting dragons goes great for Harry, and what’s even better is that it convinces Ron that Harry was telling the truth all along, and they become friends again.

As the school year progresses Harry is beset with troubles. Snooping journalist, Rita Skeeter, continues to publish gossipy articles about Harry that alienate him from the rest of the school, he’s turned down by his crush, Cho Chang, when he asks her to the Yule Ball, and in the days leading up to the second task of the tournament, which involves retrieving something important from the bottom of a lake filled with mer-people, he almost doesn’t find a way to accomplish what he’s got to do. Saved at the last minute, however, Harry again gets almost full marks and is tied for first place.

Sirius returns to keep an eye on Harry, as well as the mysterious happenings that keep taking place at Hogwarts. There is someone at the school who wants Harry dead, but no one knows who it is.

During the final task of the tournament, Harry and Cedric both tie for first place, but as soon as they grasp the winner's cup, they are transported to a creepy graveyard where Cedric is immediately killed and Harry tied up by Wormtail. He witnesses Voldemort’s return to power, and barely makes it back to Hogwarts alive, clutching Cedric’s body.

When he gets back he discovers that "Professor Moody",the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, was the traitor all along. He’s a magically disguised Death Eater who risked everything to kidnap Harry for Lord Voldemort. Harry tells Dumbledore what happened with Voldemort, and although the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, doesn’t believe Harry, Professor Dumbledore begins to take steps to mobilize against Voldemort.

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Teresa rated it:

(review of isbn 0439139600)

08/12/07

bookshelves: readandreviewed

Read in October, 2005

******POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!! (Just in case I'm not the only loser who has yet to finish the Harry Potter books)*****************************

I finished reading this a while ago...but here's the review I've been sitting on for a while...
Did JK Rowling lose her editor? I'm serious....did she? 'Cause I'll help her find it. It's gotta be around here somewhere....here editor, editor, editor....

"You have in your hands the pivotal fourth novel in the seven part tale of Harry Potter's train...more

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Samantha rated it:

(review of isbn 0439139600)

01/28/08

Read in July, 2007

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Fourth installment finds Harry & Co. back at Hogwarts and facing the Triwizard Tournament -- an event in which the three best students from three wizarding schools would compete for fame, fortune and glory and face great strain, perils and quite likely death in doing so. Mysteriously enough, Harry (despite being too young to legally enter the Tournament) is chosen as a fourth champion and those who care for him are certain it was done as an attempt on his life.

I really ought to not listen ...more Fourth installment finds Harry & Co. back at Hogwarts and facing the Triwizard Tournament -- an event in which the three best students from three wizarding schools would compete for fame, fortune and glory and face great strain, perils and quite likely death in doing so. Mysteriously enough, Harry (despite being too young to legally enter the Tournament) is chosen as a fourth champion and those who care for him are certain it was done as an attempt on his life.

I really ought to not listen to these books in the car anymore, because I'll be driving along, listening, enjoying the many voices Jim Dale creates for each character, and will discover something of note and think to myself, "Hey, I need to remember to mention that!". And I don't! Cause I'm a 'tard. Instead I finish the book, wait a few hours before posting my write up, forget everything I wanted to mention, and inevitably compare the book to the movie. Or more specifically, bitch about what was left out of the movie. And honestly that's not a book review, is it?

This was not my favorite in the series, as you already know from reading my other posts, and it didn't have as much foreshadowing as previous volumes have had so far -- at least not through book six. I did enjoy the final few chapters when Voldemort returns incarnate in the cemetery; he gives quite a bit of back story which is reinforced by Dumbledore in Half-Blood Prince and is helpful to keep in mind, especially after seeing the movie ten thousands times recently on cable.

One point in particular that I do recall (because it was during the last chapter or so) is when Harry's retelling Dumbledore about what happened in that cemetery, when Wormtail cut his arm and used his blood to bring back the Dark Lord. Dumbledore's eyes briefly twinkled. Something about Voldemort taking Harry's blood sparked his interest -- and it was beyond the fact that Old Voldy'd be able to literally touch the Boy Who Lived now, I'm willing to bet. Thing is, I've read book 5 several times now but I don't recall this topic, which means I could have simply overlooked it (having not noticed it before in GOF, or even appearing in HBP), or it could have not resurfaced yet.

Another point: Prior Incantato. This is the spell that occurred when Voldemort's & Harry's wands attacked each other. "When two wands are forced to duel that have core material from the same single creature, the result will be "Priori Incantatem," a display in sequence of the last spells one of the wands cast. Which wand will show the spell effect depends on the willpower of the two wizards involved; When Harry and Voldemort duelled, their wands, which share a core of a feather from the same phoenix, were linked in the Priori Incantatem effect (GF36)" -- HP Lexicon. I would like a bit more clarification on this one, because if these brother wands cannot fight each other, how is it Harry has any chance in the end? Guess we'll all soon find out, won't we?...less

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CheriePie rated it:

(review of isbn 0439139597)

04/06/08

Read in April, 2008

Harry is starting his 4th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and already the mischief has started before he's even arrived at the school. It starts with Harry having strange dreams—or are they visions?—of Lord Voldemort, which leave him with a scorching pain in his forehead scar. And at the Quidditch World Cup, someone conjures the Dark Mark, Voldemort's sign, right in front of Harry and his friends. Do all these signs point to the imminent return and rise to power of Vol...more Harry is starting his 4th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and already the mischief has started before he's even arrived at the school. It starts with Harry having strange dreams—or are they visions?—of Lord Voldemort, which leave him with a scorching pain in his forehead scar. And at the Quidditch World Cup, someone conjures the Dark Mark, Voldemort's sign, right in front of Harry and his friends. Do all these signs point to the imminent return and rise to power of Voldemort? Or are they just coincidence?

Well, it just so happens that Hogwarts will be hosting a very special event this year, a competition which hasn't taken place for several hundred years—the Triwizard Tournament. Perhaps that'll take Harry's mind off his problems. Or maybe it'll just make them worse since someone has decided to enter him as a Hogwarts Champion, an honour normally reserved only for older students with more experience. But since the Goblet of Fire has given his name, he is obliged to compete, whether he wants to or not. And perhaps someone is hoping that Harry just may die for it!

After finishing Goblet of Fire, I immediately wanted to see the movie again because I felt I understood so much more than when I saw it initially. Many of the new characters and some of the things that happened in this one seemed rather random to me when I saw the movie, but after reading the book, I see how everything (and everyone) all fits together. Since Goblet of Fire was a hefty 734 pages, whereas the previous three books were quite a bit shorter, I can see how a two-hour movie might not quite do this book proper justice. I'm glad to hear that the movie deal made for book seven is going to be done in two parts instead of trying to squish it all into one.

So though I was initially thinking this was the weakest one so far, after having only seen the movie, I now have to retract that thought after reading the book. There is some additional depth given to many of the characters here, and we learn a few new secrets about some of them. A lot of it is very mysterious and dark. We also start to see hints of a burgeoning romance between Ron and Hermione....

I really enjoyed this one a lot, so much so that I immediately wanted to start reading Order of the Phoenix right away. (And I'm holding off on seeing that movie until I read the book first.) Unfortunately, I have a number of other books I really need to get read before the end of the month; this was my short, quick detour to read one of my personal collection books that has been sorely neglected because it doesn't have an agenda after, or I don't owe a review for it, or something like that. ;-)...less

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Stephanie rated it:

(review of isbn 0439139600)

06/08/08

Read in June, 2008

Great volume of the Harry Potter series. They definitely do keep getting better and better. The plot was much more intricate and complex and less obvious than the other three books before it. I loved the whole Tri-wizard tournament was a welcome change to the setting. I really enjoyed the new characters and learning more about the magical world (port keys, forbidden curses, etc.). I also appreciate how Harry, Ron and Hermione are coming of age. They and their relationships are changing and...more Great volume of the Harry Potter series. They definitely do keep getting better and better. The plot was much more intricate and complex and less obvious than the other three books before it. I loved the whole Tri-wizard tournament was a welcome change to the setting. I really enjoyed the new characters and learning more about the magical world (port keys, forbidden curses, etc.). I also appreciate how Harry, Ron and Hermione are coming of age. They and their relationships are changing and maturing very well.

I really liked how all the books are coming together and referencing each other (i.e. return of the polyjuice, Wormtail, unregistered animagi, Harry's crush on Cho (which was completely left out of movie 3)). As I said before, one great thing about the series is that it keeps getting better! Even with all the complexity, the story-line wove together and revealed itself nicely -- a big improvement from the last installment.

Now on to my points of criticism:
1) The beginning was SLOW. In all my Harry Potter experience, I have never had the problem of drudging through the text until this book. The Quidditch World Cup and all the action that occurred pre-Hogwarts was too long and slow (170 pages before they set foot on the grounds, that's almost a quarter of the book, and over half the length of the first book). Once I got past that part -- and don't get me wrong, some important stuff happened there, it just wasn't a good read-- the book really took off.

2) Now my issues with the tournament itself -- some inconsistencies if you will:
a) First task: Why -- instead of summoning his Firebolt-- didn't Harry just summon the golden egg itself instead?
b) Second task: Why was Harry permitted to have gillyweed in addition to his wand? I thought it was wands only -- which was why he had to summon the Firebolt for the first task. Wouldn't it be more consistent if he had to summon the gillyweed too?

3) How did Lord Voldemort keep a hold of his same wand all those years without a body?

4) Also, not criticism so much as commentary: All the innocent death! Yikes! I understand that it's all evil and Voldemort's doing -- but it is kind of dark and shocking. I couldn't believe when Cedric died! Up until now, deaths had been merely referenced from a prior time (of Voldemort's reign), or they have been deaths of villains which is much easier to stomach in a fairy tale book. I think these books are more of a teenage read, but maybe I'm just soft-hearted.

Order of the Phoenix, here I come!...less

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Crazy Uncle Ryan rated it:

(review of isbn 0439139600)

04/17/08

bookshelves: books-that-rock

Read in July, 2002

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Once again, not much to add to the story of how I started reading Harry Potter. When I finished the third book I brought it back to the girl I burrowed it from with a plate of cookies and she loaned me this one.

I remember the first time I read this book I was sitting in a squishy armchair in my college library reading the part were the champions were being selected. As I read I was convinced that somehow Harry was going to end up being one of the Triwizard Champions. I was of course cor...more Once again, not much to add to the story of how I started reading Harry Potter. When I finished the third book I brought it back to the girl I burrowed it from with a plate of cookies and she loaned me this one.

I remember the first time I read this book I was sitting in a squishy armchair in my college library reading the part were the champions were being selected. As I read I was convinced that somehow Harry was going to end up being one of the Triwizard Champions. I was of course correct. Thank you very much. This book also contains my favorite chapter in the whole Harry Potter series. This is Chapter 22: The Unexpected Task. This is the chapter in which Ron and Harry are trying to get dates to the Yule Ball. It’s absolutely hilarious. I think that anyone who has ever been an adolescent can relate to this chapter and the way Rowling portrays the awkwardness that epitomizes boy-girl relationships at this age.

This is one of the more exciting books in the series because the return of Voldemort constitutes the real turning point in the story. This book ended with such a cliffhanger that I am actually kind of glad I didn’t start reading these books when they first came out. The reason for this is that after reading this I only had to wait about a year for book five. After graduating from college in 2003 I bought these first four books for myself as a graduation present and read them a couple more times before “Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix” came out.

Time for me to do a little rant. In this book Hermione organizes a group called S.P.E.W. (The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare) in which she advocates that house elves ought to be free, get paid, have time off, get pensions, etc. As great as this may sound to some this kind of reminds me of the way celebrities or others of the “Cultural Elite” try to tell people how to vote or think. It’s always annoying to me how so many think that just because they have a bit of fame or money or power that they know better than we do what we should think and what we should want. House elves are not people and it’s a bit arrogant of Hermione to assume that she knows better than they do what is best for them and what they ought to desire in their lives. Now, if her aims were simply to stop wizards from mistreating or abusing their house elves than that would be different but this is a case of her trying to tell house elves that there’s something wrong with them for not thinking like and being like humans.
...less

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Jake rated it:

(review of isbn 0439139600)

07/11/08

bookshelves: fantasy, series, young-adult

Many years ago, I read the first Harry Potter book. And lo, I was under whelmed. It wasn’t that it was BAD, per se. It was a half-way decent kids book. But I didn’t understand the big fuss that everyone was making over it. I saw the movie, and still didn’t understand the fuss.

Flash forward a few years, and I figured “hey, I’m really interested in fantasy. Rowling is having a huge effect on that genre. I might as well read the rest of these f-ing things.” So I read book two, and lo...more Many years ago, I read the first Harry Potter book. And lo, I was under whelmed. It wasn’t that it was BAD, per se. It was a half-way decent kids book. But I didn’t understand the big fuss that everyone was making over it. I saw the movie, and still didn’t understand the fuss.

Flash forward a few years, and I figured “hey, I’m really interested in fantasy. Rowling is having a huge effect on that genre. I might as well read the rest of these f-ing things.” So I read book two, and lo, it was a little better. And then I read book three, and lo, I started to actually like this series. Now I’ve finished book four, and am listening to book five, and have to admit…I’ve become pretty hooked. It’s a good read. Book five actually has a lot of interesting stuff I want to talk about, particularly in relation to the martial arts (ya didn’t see that coming, did you? DID YOU? Ok, it’s me, maybe you did.), but I’ll confine myself to book four, since I’ve actually finished that one.

So, Goblet of Fire, like the other HP books, sends Harry back to school for another year of antics and mysteries. The main plot revolves around the Triwizard Tournament, a competition between representatives from three schools of wizarding, which ends up with four contestants, because our boy Harry somehow gets shoved into the tourney. Hilarity/danger ensues. So does some teenage awkwardness, for those who like that sort of thing. And you start to get a sense of a larger world, much in the way that most teenagers do.

Gah. It’s hard for me to say much about this book, at this point. It’s very good, and engaging, but in a way, I feel like it’s just a bridging point. It sets up a lot of the bad crap that’s happening in book five, and that’s what’s occupying my brain when I think of Harry Potter now. While I was reading book four, however, I was quite hooked. Rowling is actually a pretty good mystery writer, which is really what a lot of these books are. She does a great job of dropping clues in a manner that makes it obvious only after the fact…she kind of reminds me of Timothy Zahn in that way. Which is weird, because the two are otherwise quite different....less

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Keely rated it:

(review of isbn 0439139600)

08/16/07

bookshelves: contemporary-fiction, fantasy, novel

I am beginning to regret reviewing these all in a row, as I feel I need repeat myself. Then again, the theme and structure of the books is repetitious, so perhaps there is little else I can add.

By this point, Rowling has caught her stride, and begun that inescapable page-climb for which she became--especially in the young-adult genre--especially infamous. This book is, more than anything, an expansion of the world and of events. She puts off Quidditch at the school--perhaps out of a fear tha...more I am beginning to regret reviewing these all in a row, as I feel I need repeat myself. Then again, the theme and structure of the books is repetitious, so perhaps there is little else I can add.

By this point, Rowling has caught her stride, and begun that inescapable page-climb for which she became--especially in the young-adult genre--especially infamous. This book is, more than anything, an expansion of the world and of events. She puts off Quidditch at the school--perhaps out of a fear that Harry's Gryffindors playing every year would grow dull. Instead, we have the Tri-Wizard Tournament and the World Quidditch Cup (to tide us over). Many critiques of Rowling's world-building--previously grumblings--can begin in earnest here, as she expands the world of wizards from a small cadre into a full-blown, worldwide community of secret-keeping.

Not only are there the questions of Why all the secrecy, but now How, as well. The plot leaps around as is its wont, aided by a magical urging here or a convenient villain there, and the promised 'dead character' is, of course, one almost entirely given importance solely in this text. This certainly isn't the most underwhelming that her promise of future deaths will become, but it is a foreshadowing.

The characters and conflicts are exciting as ever, and as she finally developed the pacing in the last book to prevent us losing ourself in a plot which twists and turns not so much like a maze, but like a meandering goat trail, we can at least now feel the wind in our hair as we gallop along it.

I really wish that the various psychological and foreshadowed elements would resolve themselves, but one often as not finds that the climax comes with a sense of "oh, are we here already?" rather than "I've been waiting for this".

Rowling seems to do better when things are darker and more hopeless (or perhaps those are the only moments when she cannot draw into the waistcoats of her child's lit contemporaries for inspiration), and this book continues the trend that began with a darker change in tone in 'Prisoner of Azkaban' and culminating in the next offering....less

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Bell rated it:

(review of isbn 0439139600)

06/16/08

Still as humorous and thrilling as J.K. Rowling's last three--but adding a mixure of an intense anxiety to it makes me want to go and pick the 5th one up immediately. (Which is what I did)

I read this series when I was younger and I did not really get any of it. I just read it because the movies were so intriguing. But now only a few years' difference has given me a new love for Rowling's books. It draws me in, it is so intense, the humor makes sense to me and I know the characters better. My...more Still as humorous and thrilling as J.K. Rowling's last three--but adding a mixure of an intense anxiety to it makes me want to go and pick the 5th one up immediately. (Which is what I did)

I read this series when I was younger and I did not really get any of it. I just read it because the movies were so intriguing. But now only a few years' difference has given me a new love for Rowling's books. It draws me in, it is so intense, the humor makes sense to me and I know the characters better. My feelings for this amazing book is really hard to explain.

The story went along really well and I wish they could've fit it all into the movie and I found myself shaking with excitement even though I knew the ending to the story and how it was all going to turn out. Because I've read it before. So that shows that it can still draw you in just as intently as if it were your first time. (Even though, as of reading all of the books, I know even more and I know what exactly is happening because I know all of the stuff about the horcruxes and things)

But I never really truly understood just how horrifying it was to have Voldemort rise again. Actually, I never really understood how truly frightening it was before he even lost all power. J.K. Rowling never really went into full detail about him. I kind of had to force myself into realizing that he was really awful. Having Harry face Voldemort every year except one just kind of abused the fact that Voldemort was really terrifying, and made my expections of his greatness reduce. So this meeting didn't feel too different from the last two. The build up could have been better within the last three books.

But Rowling's books still absorb me completely. Her ideas and plots are all so brilliant! I still loved it a lot! And I'm torn between loving it and then realizing that I could have enjoyed it more. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that...It was really good, but the build up could have been better.

Has this review even made any sense? But all the same, it was simply wonderful....less

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Maddy rated it:

(review of isbn 0439139600)

08/11/07

bookshelves: harrypotter

Tahun keempat Harry Potter diawali dengan menonton Piala Dunia Quiddtch, yang harus diakhiri dengan kedatangan Pelahap Maut, pengikut setia Lord Voldemort. Kembali ke sekolah, Harry dan teman2nya diberitahu tentang terpilihnya Sekolah Sihir Hogwarts menjadi tuan rumah Turnamen Triwizard. Turnamen ini mempertemukan 3 sekolah sihir terkemuka, yaitu Hogwarts, Beauxbaton, dan Durmstrang. Hanya murid2 yang berumur 17 tahun saja yang bisa berpartisipasi. Tapi tanpa diduga, Harry yang masih berumur 14 ...more

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Amelia rated it:

(review of isbn 0439139600)

07/23/08

Read in July, 2008

Brilliant! Loved it! But, I fear that I am reading these too quickly and in rapid succession, because my dreams are laden with Potter-isms and when I close my eyes I see things like Quiddich and Wizard Chess. It reminds me of the time I played WAY too much Tetris and when I closed my eyes I would see the little cubes dropping and would mentally try to put them in the right spot!

As far as watching the film afterward...holy axe job! Now, don't get me wrong Shell, I liked the film very well...more

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Ria rated it:

(review of isbn 0439139600)

09/30/07

Read in January, 2003

Piala Dunia Quidditch yang seru abis, ada Victor Krum yang dipuja-puja sama Ron (dan dia baru 17 tahun dan di film juga kelihatan ganteng banget :), hehe...). Inggris sebagai tuan rumah dan pas pertandingan Final antara Bulgaria VS Irlandia, semua orang dunia sihir datang untuk menonton. Stadion yang megah, lapangan tempat semua orang mendirikan tenda untuk menginap - full of magic. Buku ini tebel banget dan sedikit rumit dengan banyaknya karakter dan intrik, tapi as always tetep seru dan oks d...more

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Part 1 (Book 4 - Audio Cassette): Part 1

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