Monday, July 14, 2003
(SPOILERS FOR HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX)
I'm now around 170 pages into Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix with the same sort of dread as when I read Goblet of Fire and realised that Rowling isn't going to be able to sustain a story over such a long book. Maybe I'll have to reconsider as I get deeper in but I'm not holding my breath.
We've just had the obligatory one-mention-per-book of the apparently only non-white pupils (Cho Chang has really got that "Hello Harry" thing down) and Harry is all moody this chapter because apparently the most important thing in his life isn't stopping Lord Voldemort but being a school prefect.
So, plot points so far?
Well, Harry's aunt knows more than she's previously made clear about the magical world. She may be one of those non-magical types like the woman who saw Harry with the Dementors, but it will hopefully explain exactly why Dumbledore doesn't seem to mind sending Harry to live with people who are so serially unpleasant to him even when murders and monsters are after him. It's hard to imagine why someone from Voldemort's group hasn't gone to the Ministry of Magic and got the address Harry lives at and attacked the place. Of course, that could just be because of Rowling following the literary tradition of children having to live with unpleasant aunts and uncles. Am I looking for depth in all the wrong places?
Dumbledore seems to be keeping his distance from Harry. I'm certainly wondering what the real connection is between him and Voldemort although the fact that he was headmaster when Tom Riddler was at school (in book two) would possibly puncture my 'they are the the same person' theory (unless everything both Riddler and Dumbledore told Harry was a lie). Again, the fact that Rowling is writing CHILDREN'S books (as opposed to someone like Pullman who writes books that children read) means that it's hard to tell whether the fact that in four years the students have never had a decent 'Defense Against The Dark Arts' teacher is significant or just accidental.
Sirius Black not Sirius Black? Possibly a way for Sirius to get his freedom (at least long enough to clear his name), I can't believe Rowling would play the impersonation game again, after what happened in Goblet of Fire.
The Ministry of Magic. Apparently Voldemort is using the Malfoys. Whether it's to destroy the Ministry from within or to turn it against Dumbledore is unclear, knowing who is involved, probably both. As everyone who works for the Ministry in the last four books has had a silly name and a comedy job title I can't see them being something that Voldemort is particularly scared of.
And on we go...
I'm now around 170 pages into Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix with the same sort of dread as when I read Goblet of Fire and realised that Rowling isn't going to be able to sustain a story over such a long book. Maybe I'll have to reconsider as I get deeper in but I'm not holding my breath.
We've just had the obligatory one-mention-per-book of the apparently only non-white pupils (Cho Chang has really got that "Hello Harry" thing down) and Harry is all moody this chapter because apparently the most important thing in his life isn't stopping Lord Voldemort but being a school prefect.
So, plot points so far?
Well, Harry's aunt knows more than she's previously made clear about the magical world. She may be one of those non-magical types like the woman who saw Harry with the Dementors, but it will hopefully explain exactly why Dumbledore doesn't seem to mind sending Harry to live with people who are so serially unpleasant to him even when murders and monsters are after him. It's hard to imagine why someone from Voldemort's group hasn't gone to the Ministry of Magic and got the address Harry lives at and attacked the place. Of course, that could just be because of Rowling following the literary tradition of children having to live with unpleasant aunts and uncles. Am I looking for depth in all the wrong places?
Dumbledore seems to be keeping his distance from Harry. I'm certainly wondering what the real connection is between him and Voldemort although the fact that he was headmaster when Tom Riddler was at school (in book two) would possibly puncture my 'they are the the same person' theory (unless everything both Riddler and Dumbledore told Harry was a lie). Again, the fact that Rowling is writing CHILDREN'S books (as opposed to someone like Pullman who writes books that children read) means that it's hard to tell whether the fact that in four years the students have never had a decent 'Defense Against The Dark Arts' teacher is significant or just accidental.
Sirius Black not Sirius Black? Possibly a way for Sirius to get his freedom (at least long enough to clear his name), I can't believe Rowling would play the impersonation game again, after what happened in Goblet of Fire.
The Ministry of Magic. Apparently Voldemort is using the Malfoys. Whether it's to destroy the Ministry from within or to turn it against Dumbledore is unclear, knowing who is involved, probably both. As everyone who works for the Ministry in the last four books has had a silly name and a comedy job title I can't see them being something that Voldemort is particularly scared of.
And on we go...
