Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

[sethsez]

Harry Potter offers more intellectual stimulation than The DaVinci Code. Dan Brown is a hack.

[Rumpy]

Great book, much better than 5. I'm with Frito, I'm happy Harry wasn't a total DB, thank god she dumped that shit after 5. I thought the end was really well written and it sets up 7 to be the best one in the series.

This could be a sick movie too.

[Opaque]

I accidentally read Cows stupid spoiler.

Fuck you, bastard.

[SonofdonCD]

I managed to totally skip it, thank God.

I really, really liked this one. It probably was my favorite. But I really, really hated the end. Not because it was badly written, but because what I know had to happen did. As the first 2/3 of the book seemed much more happy and formulaic, the last 1/3 was fast paced and very dark. Perhaps too dark for young children, like some reviews have suggested.

Now to talk more candidly about that huge spoilerific...




chapter 27 and beyond...

I knew Dumbledore had to die.It was too obvious. But part of me thought that JK Rowling wouldn't go for the obvious pick. But since she did, who finished him off surprised me greatly. Actually, not so much, considering the second chapter's events. But just how quick and effortless it was. Snape was cold and merciless, not even giving Dumblebore a reason for his treason. Very shocked at that.

The last chapter almost had tears in my eyes. There was some beautiful imagery conjured up. But at the same time, it seemed too brief. Wasn't Dumbledore one the wizaring worlds's greatest wizards? No big eulogy from the ministry of magic or any other big wig wizard? That seemed wierd. I hope they remedy that somewhat for the movies.

And at the end, when Harry tells Ginny that they shouldn't see each other anymore, that was very Spider Man-esque. Put a smile on my face.

But overall, I was extremely pleased with this one, and as soon as I closed the book, wished I had the next one. I guess that's a good of a sign as any that it was worth my money.

[lithium]

They're children's books. The media just happened to trick everyone into thinking it was ok for full-grown adults to read them too.

I'm sure they're full of fun characters and cool situations but I could never get over how overexposed the whole fucking thing is. It's also why I never bothered reading the DaVinci Code.

Children books that are over 800 pages long. I'd be willing to bet Harry Potter's largest audience is older teens and adults. I think a truer classification for these books is light reading for those who don't normally like to read.

I read the first two books and don't understand the hype at all. They were decent, but nothing to cream one's pants over. "But they're children's books!". Oh ok.

[Cowutopia]

the first two are the weakest in the series.

[SonofdonCD]

the first two are the weakest in the series.

Yeah, this series definitely gets better the further it goes.

While there are I'm sure better books and stories out there, this one is by no means a slouch, either. It has interesting characters and such inventive, clever utilization of the world and specifically of magic. Yeah, she apes a lot from other sources, but how she cleverly weaves them into her world is one of the greatest aspects of her books.

Even moreso than Goblet of Fire or Half-Blood Prince, I can't wait so see how Order of the Phoenix gets translated into film. I think the imagery from the last third of that book is the most exciting in the entire series.

[Dolemite]

I just read that this book is selling 250,000 copies an hour, sold 6.4 million copies in its first 24 hours in release, and outgrossed the top two movies at the box office this weekend. wtf.

[Regus]

Thank god I avoided all the spoilers that people have been tossing around, because I did not see that ending coming at all, and it blew me away, and I had tears in my eyes during certain parts of the ending. What really hit me hard was the bit about Dumbledore's office in that said "There was now a new image among the previous head masters on the wall, Albus Dumbledore could be seen slumbering peacefully.", I'm paraphrasing that, but it was such wonderful imagery. What a great book, Rowling did an excellent job with this one. I was happy to see that Harry wasn't such an angsty asshole in this, but his obsseive personality did annoy me at times. This is going to make a hell of a movie. I can't wait to see where this goes next, I especially want to know who that mystery man is.

[Port]

I can't wait to see where this goes next, I especially want to know who that mystery man is.

The only person who they have mentioned that fits into the initials is Sirius's brother, Regulus Black. The book says he was offed by the Death Eaters, but something tells me he's still alive and kicking somewhere, if it's indeed him, and will help Harry nuke the remaining 3 Horcruxes. (The cup, the house piece, and the snake) The necklace has probably been destroyed already.

I saw Snape as the Half Blood Prince. Too obvious. Expert potions maker... when Snape taught it for 5 years, and then when he requests Harry's books.

I saw Dumbledore dying coming, more or less by reading US Today yesterday.

I did not see Snape doing the deed. Nice touch, especially with Dumbledore saying when he does make a mistake, it's usually pretty big and bad.

Best book so far. It almost poked fun at all the boring Ron/Hermione/Harry sitting around and bastardizing Malfoy from the previous books, with Ron and Hermoine, more or less, thinking Harry had gone insane about Malfoy. I called it in book 2, Ginny and Harry hooking up. They'll be back together at the end of book 7, either before the final fight or right after.