Well, a month after the last post, here I am. I actually finished the book a couple of weeks ago, but hadn't thought to post here until then.
My trauma, of course, was that my wife had this thread up on the screen one evening, just before I started the book, with the Sirius spoiler up on the screen. Ah, well.
General Review: possibly the best book in the series, easily one of the best of an excellent series. A real page-turner that was hard to put down, and too easy to pick back up.
Specific Thoughts: Rowlings writes for her audience, and writes for them well. She portrays them very accurately (if perhaps they curse a little less) and I found them all
very believable.
We get excellent new characters, a fine returning cast, and characters that we hadn't seen for a while coming back. Secondary characters get much more attention, and the cohesive whole is cemented together well.
Cho and Harry may get back together...or they may not. Personally, I think Harry will eventually end up with Ginny. No one else can understand Harry's situation as much as she can (quick show of hands...who here has been dominated by Voldemort?). She's coming into her own as both an independent character, a Weasley and a Gryffindor. She's also more self-confident, and no longer afraid to speak her mind. The ability to see Harry as an equal, and have Harry do the same is important.
JKR plays her audience like a fiddle in some points...such as Ron's apparent death at the House of Black.
I liked how she modifies her formula by little bits each time out, but still manages a pattern. Some see this as a hack, I see it as consistency. YMMV.
We now have 3 characters who are intimately related to Harry in interesting ways. Ginny, Neville and Snape all are tied to Harry in different ways that parallel him. The revelation that Neville is so closely tied to Harry's future and past was welcome...as was Neville's growing resolve. Sooner or later, you stop being scared and start being angry, and that's where he is, now. Ginny is the only person who can understand some of Harry's worries/feelings, as she's the only one who can truly understand what it is to be used directly by Voldemort.
And then there's Snape.
Severus is quite an interesting character. All at once a foil for our hero and unliked ally, he is, in many ways, the closest to Harry's situation. Let's look at some comparisons:
- Unhappy childhood: We see a flash of the unhappy Snape home. Shouting and abuse. Parents who probably have little love for their son.
- An outcast: Obviously not popular or rich, young Snape is target for bullies, and has no friends. Clearly torn between wanting to be accepted and being his own person, young Snape is labelled and trapped. Awkward, not handsome and alone.
- Expectations: Everyone thinks they know or understand Snape, even after they're proven wrong. They are willing to believe what they want to believe, regardless of the truth.
- Marked by Voldemort: Bearing a symbol he cannot remove, that everyone immediately recognizes. While not exposed like Harry's symbol, his causes him pain and is a tragic reminder of an unpleasant past.
I suspect we'll find out more about Snape that will continue to reveal things about him. It's interesting to note that among the death eaters mentioned, we never hear about Snapes parents. I suspect he may have watched them die at Voldemort's hand, or perhaps he killed them himself (though I strongly suspect the former). In many ways, Snape represents the 'road-less-travelled' that Harry could have taken. He's an object lesson to what happens when you let your emotions rule you, the way Harry has been letting himself do too much lately.
Biggest thing that I was waiting for that didn't happen: Ron and Hermione doing more than scowling at each other. Shouldn't there have been another formal dance this year? I was suprised at it's absence.
The grudging revelation that Harry's aunt insisted they take him in was intriguing, even as it was odd. Very believable, but complicated. And that was one of the things I most liked in this book...the adults become much more defined, as Harry becomes more able to understand them.
And let's be honest, the showdown in the Ministry rocked on toast. Especially to see Dumbledore open up a can.
And if you think I accept that Sirius is dead AND gone, you'd best think again. I don't buy it, not for a second. Either he gets rescued or he becomes a ghost. Dead? I'll wait and see. Of course, I'm interested in what that thing was? Execution device or way to investigate the afterlife? VERY odd that no one wanted to really discuss it.
All in all, the worst thing about the book is that it ended, and we have to wait for a long time for the next one.
