Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I finally finished reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.  I’d planned to be finished a lot sooner, but had already started another long book right before “Harry” arrived, and besides, it took me another week and a half to figure out a way past the gargoyle guarding the book:

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I love the Harry Potter books, and the 6th in the series was good enough to keep me up past my bedtime, reading, and to entice me to leave the computer to go read during the day.  However, I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped I would.  I’d read some reviews which opined that The Half-Blood Prince was the best of the series, but I found it lacking in the “fun” department.  Hagrid was practically missing from the entire story, and mainly appeared when a very specific plot device was needed about three-quarters of the way through.  I don’t think Professor McGonagall had more than half a dozen lines, and the usual “guest professor” who generally shows up each school year to teach “Defense of the Dark Arts” was pompous and rather dull.  There were cursory appearances by Luna Lovelood (her name should really be “Luna Lovejoy”, no?), and Moaning Myrtle and Dobby the house elf, but they never stayed long enough.  I miss the grandeur of plots like the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and I miss being introduced to new weird and wonderful characters.  I’m also getting a bit blase about the “Harry Potter knows something is going on but no one will believe him until it’s too late” storylines, because after always being right on previous occasions, shouldn’t all the residents of Hogwarts be hanging on Harry’s every word?!

Most people already know there’s a death in the book, but I won’t spoil it by revealing who dies.  Some reviewers have said they wept when the death occurred, but I didn’t really feel anything except regret at the loss of an interesting character.  I’ll give J.K. Rowling props for actually killing a major character, though—it’s not like when she killed off Cedric Diggory.  This is a death which will change the course of book 7.

Speaking of book 7, I’m anxiously awaiting its release because book 6 has ended with yet another “danger” cliff-hanger, as well as some unresolved issues between Ron and Hermione, Percy Weasley and his family, etc.  How many years until book 7?  Will I need reading glasses by then?

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 08/03 at 03:16 PM

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