Phoenix THE BOOK

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   No wonder some father let his 8 year old skip Book 5 in the HP series. It is full of aggressive cues, but perhaps this is what gives verisimilitude to Harry Potter's adolescence, and of course the dawn of the return of Voldemort. I'm glad Hermione dares say the Dark Lord's name in this book too though Ron and others are still being p'ussy about it.

The book contains juvenile elements, the singing of the Weasley song was kind of cringe-inducing to me... yet as characters mature, so does the tone of Rowling's writing. Having read Book 1 and 3 only prior to this, I could at least appreciate some foreshadowings, references and payoffs contained in those books. And even those plot elements that are dropped earlier in Book 5 itself, and then exploited as payoffs later in the book's furious finale.

Not quite as uplifting as Book 1, or Prisoner of Azkaban, but for what the character's fights are worth, no one is left empty-handed for resolve.

5/5

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Paolo Macachor Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Guru Joined: June/05/2006 Status: Offline Points: 1756	Post Options Post Reply Quote Paolo Macachor Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Phoenix THE BOOK Posted: May/08/2007 at 2:12am
	No wonder some father let his 8 year old skip Book 5 in the HP series. It is full of aggressive cues, but perhaps this is what gives verisimilitude to Harry Potter's adolescence, and of course the dawn of the return of Voldemort. I'm glad Hermione dares say the Dark Lord's name in this book too though Ron and others are still being p'ussy about it. The book contains juvenile elements, the singing of the Weasley song was kind of cringe-inducing to me... yet as characters mature, so does the tone of Rowling's writing. Having read Book 1 and 3 only prior to this, I could at least appreciate some foreshadowings, references and payoffs contained in those books. And even those plot elements that are dropped earlier in Book 5 itself, and then exploited as payoffs later in the book's furious finale. Not quite as uplifting as Book 1, or Prisoner of Azkaban, but for what the character's fights are worth, no one is left empty-handed for resolve. 5/5

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masha99 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Guru Joined: July/20/2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2102	Post Options Post Reply Quote masha99 Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: October/23/2007 at 3:20am
	SPOILERS******************************* Oh man, where do I start. I can see how this has become people's favorite. It's definitely the darkest and most serious so far, and it works on many levels. The whole thing with rebellion about the ministry and the decrees is wonderfully subversive, a not-so-subtle satire of government bureaucracy and politicians who would go to any length of stupidity and denial to remain in power. Umbridge's first class also made me think of the American public school system, but that's another story. My favorite thing about the story as a whole is how it shows the way that even the smallest actions can have huge consequences. Sirius's petty cruelty towards his house elf started the chain of events that led to his death. The adults' desire to protect Harry from, in their view, unnecessary knowledge led him to tragic mistakes. (This part kind of reminded me of Ender's Game, the way the adults arrogantly thought they could manipulate the situation.)Hagrid's irrational desire to help out his giant half-brother ends up getting Harry and Hermione out of a dangerous situation in the forest. And finally, the big confrontation was spectacular. No more Talking Killer, no more fantastic rescues breaking the logic of the story, just pure greatness. I loved how Harry's innate goodness, on the one hand, kept him from using an Unforgivable Curse effectively, and on the other hand prevented Voldemort from possessing him at the crucial moment. Doesn't get any better than that.
	Maybe all you've got is what you get to... -- Brad Cotter Pity for the guilty is treason to the innocent -- Ayn Rand/Terry Goodkind

FinalExam Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Guru Joined: February/08/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 8753	Post Options Post Reply Quote FinalExam Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: October/23/2007 at 3:25am
	I think the answer is no, it doesn't get any better. I believe this to be Rowling's masterpiece. Not that the final two novels are not worth reading, but for me the story was never as powerful and seamless as this one. And Umbridge was one of the nastiest villains around, and I loved it.
	We are not strangers to ourselves, we only try to be. --Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

masha99 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Guru Joined: July/20/2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2102	Post Options Post Reply Quote masha99 Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: October/23/2007 at 3:39am
	I liked how justice was meted out to her in precisely the right way.
	Maybe all you've got is what you get to... -- Brad Cotter Pity for the guilty is treason to the innocent -- Ayn Rand/Terry Goodkind

christophersnow Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Guru "Snowballman" Joined: February/01/2004 Status: Offline Points: 11195	Post Options Post Reply Quote christophersnow Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: October/23/2007 at 8:51am
	Dumbledore taking on the five ministry wizards all by himself is my all time favorite scene in the series. Though he did have some help from Kingsley Shacklebolt.
	"It had to be said. The world is perishing from an orgy of self-sacrificing." - Howard Roark Dean Koontz= Always working!