RE-READ | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

My epic re-read of the Harry Potter series has come to an end!  I'm not sure what about it was particularly epic but it just sounds good and the books are pretty epic.  It was a really rewarding experience which has convinced me that I need to take more time for re-reading. 

This was only my second time through the series and I found that my opinion about several of the books changed radically.  Also there had been enough time since I'd read them, that while it wasn't like coming at them anew, I had forgotten a LOT and they did still feel very fresh.

Speaking of forgetting, I think Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows wins the award for the book I had forgotten the most about.  I remembered very little of this book.  I had vague memories of endless camping, Dobby dead on a beach, a visit to Luna's father (though I remembered it incorrectly) a final showdown at Hogwarts where some very beloved people died.  To sum up, in my mind this book was one long angsty camping trip where nothing happens followed by lots of people dying. That. Was. It.  Seriously.  The first several chapters of the book were completely wiped from my mind which is a shame because there is lots of good stuff there and a more careful reading would have likely helped with some of my bad attitude moments later in the book.  I had no recollection of the raids on the ministry of magic and Gringotts, them spending any time at Grimmauld place, the wedding at the beginning, Ron being a jerk once again and leaving.  Nada.  So it was truly almost like a whole new book:).

Unfortunately what I remembered most clearly was why I was so disappointed in the book the first time around.  I thought it was too long and that about 200 pages of the endless camping could have been cut and I was super duper frustrated that Harry and the gang would not bring in the adults and enlist their help.  Probably the most notable thing about this re-read was that those things?  Didn't really bother me a bit this time.  I still didn't love it as much as all the rest of the books but the reasons why I felt that way were very different and it was definitely better than my poor memory of it.

Some random thoughts:

• I mentioned above how first time around I was really frustrated with the threesome not consulting any of the adults.  Someone who might you know, KNOW something.  I think during the first reading I was too focused on Harry's "but Dumbledore didn't say to tell anyone else" and would roll my eyes. However there is more to it than that and it is all set up quite well in the first part of the book if I had paid closer attention.  The adults are not helpful. None of them.  Lupin lights into Harry for not killing an innocent person (an Imperiused Stan Shunpike during the chase).  This is pretty out-of-character for Lupin (Sirius sure, but Remus no) but it does illustrate that the adults are approaching this whole situation very differently than Harry.  There is also a lot of infiltration into the adult community by Deatheaters while they pretty much ignore the kids.  In short, it makes sense that they would keep their distance and be a little wary.  

• The goodbye to Privet Dr. scene is very bittersweet and just as it should be, with Dudley's change of heart unlikely but still a sweet note.  Again showing how the young people may have more wisdom in this particular world than the adults.

• Ron again annoys, this time with his overbearing brother routine.  And then with the immature abandonment.  Good for Hermione not immediately forgiving him even if his insecurity made him more susceptible to the Horcrux's influence - he was still an ass.  That was a pretty major change this second read through.  I really don't like Ron very much.

• So I had this revelation.  I think the reason I loved Avatar, The Last Airbender so much is that it is quite similar to HP!  Right about now you are saying "Uh...Stephanie?  You do realize that the "chosen one" child hero vanquishing evil with his band of friends is like the biggest trope out there?"  Yes, of course, but HP does it so well and so does Avatar with a few other similarities too.  Harry and Aang are very similar in a deeper way - both are pacifists at heart.  They both have one girl and one guy friend in similar roles (Katara/Hermione both uber-talented, mature, a little up tight and much more concerned with the rules and Sokka/Ron as the goofy pal that keeps things light and contributes quite a lot despite not being particularly talented). The dynamic is different because Katara and Sokka are siblings so the romance is between Aang and Katara.   They also reject the help of the adults in their lives and for pretty good reasons.  The both have an enemy who ends up being an ally. 

• I don't know if it is because I am listening rather than reading but the camping portion of the book does not feel needlessly long this time around.  Besides the format change, I think I am also a bit more interested in the angsty bits of the whole series this time around.  Harry's petulance no longer really bothers me.  I get his total frustration with Dumbledore.  Not the "Why didn't he tell me everything about himself" part but definitely on the "why the hell didn't he give me a little more guidance on what the hell I'm supposed to do" part.  I also recognize that this bit is like The Empire Strikes Back - it's taking our heroes down to the very bottom so that when they vanquish it feels that much more triumphant. 

• Other important things I had no memory of: Harry's wand breaking, the talk with Ravenclaw's daughter's ghost and the search for the Diadem.  The existence and participation of Aberforth.  Basilisk fangs from the chamber of secrets - brilliant and lovely continuity!  Seriously did I even read this book? 

• Harry to Ron and Hermione during their smooch fest:  "could you just hold it in until we've found the horcrux?"  Hee! and poor Harry. 

• SPEW continues not to be resolved and it almost seems like the whole business was orchestrated so that Ron could finally say something decent about the house elves that would push Hermione into his arms.  I'm guessing that now that Hermione has demonstrated that even Kreacher can change perhaps Harry and Ron really will put a little more effort into the movement now that Voldemort's kaput.

• These books really are a pretty vociferous criticism of government. The Ministry at its best is rather inept and at its worst is corrupt and evil.  That's politics for you:/.  As a government employee myself I struggle with how hostile Harry is to the government though his animosity is completely understood. I could probably write a whole treatise on this but I'd demand some sort of degree if I spent that much time on it so that's all I'm going to say on it.

• I love when Harry ultimately realizes the kinship between he, Snape and Voldemort - three boys who spent a childhood unloved and for whom Hogwarts was the first home that felt like home.  The two people he has despised so much for all the books - for him to realize and embrace this kinship is quite lovely.  Interesting also that all three took different paths - had different responses to their childhood.  Voldemort chose and embraces unremitting evil and selfishness.  Snape is horribly bitter but eventually chooses to do the right and brave thing, because of love. And guilt.  Harry's hardships have made him rebel against the unkindness shown him as a child and be that much more kind and humble.  

• Speaking of Snape:).  One wonders how different he might have turned out if Lily had loved him back and if she hadn't instead loved the person he least liked in the world.  I didn't remember just how single-minded Snape was.  He really was horribly bitter and he really did not like Harry - for him it was 100% about Lily.  It's amazing that that was enough to sustain him and make him put up with what must have been a mostly miserable life.  Love this character so much.  

• I thought it was interesting to delve a little more into the politics of the wizarding world - the dynamics between non-human magical creatures and the wizards and witches. I'm glad Rowling included this in the books.

• The Epilogue -Ugh. So bittersweet. I hated it the first time around and it didn't really improve this time.  Essentially, I apparently hate being an adult because the message of the epilogue feels very much like the adventure is just starting for their kids while it's over for them.  And that makes me sad.

The reason this book doesn't quite rank with the rest is simply that I miss Hogwarts and all the characters that we encounter there.  I think this book does what it needs to quite well but it just feels so, so dark and dreary with almost no humor and light.  This change in tone is entirely appropriate but it's also depressing and makes the book a slightly less enjoyable read for me.

FINAL VERDICT:  While it doesn't quite get full stars, this is an impressive and appropriate end to the Harry Potter story.  4 out of 5 Stars

MOVIE(s)

Deathly Hallows was very intelligently broken into two movies so they are much more able to represent the events of the books.  I don't love the last-book-into-two-movie trend with other series, which just seems like a money making ploy, but here it is completely warranted and they honestly should have considered doing it for books 4-6 as well. 

Here are my notes for Parts I and II:

Part I

The movie starts off with a bang.  I thought the description of what Hermione does with her parents was extremely sad in the book but the visual representation of her obliviating them was even more emotional for me.  The death eater meeting at the Malfoys is extremely sinister and disturbing (Alan Rickman's portrayal of Snape is fantastic). On a different note the scene with the 7 Harrys is appropriately fun.

I've never been a big fan of Harry and Ginny and unfortunately I don't really think Daniel Radcliffe and the actress who played Ginny have much chemistry.  On the flip side, Rupert Grint is doing a very convincing job illustrating that he's pretty smitten with Hermione at this point:). The movie also does a better job showing how Ron could be insecure about Hermione and Harry's relationship especially when wearing the horcrux.  I like the decision to introduce the radio show earlier  - the staticy broadcast is the perfect background to the stress and distress the three friends are feeling.  The addition of the dance scene with Harry and Hermione is awesome as well - so awkward at the beginning but then dispelling briefly the miserable tension between them only to have it descend again at the end of the song.


The choice of locations for the camping is very effective and well done and it also does a good job illustrating the crushing boredom and anxiety.  There are a number of other visual effects that really caught my eye. The apparition effect is awesome.  When Harry and Hermione come out of the Horcrux to taunt Ron they look unreal - cold and cruel - they look like themselves but not.  It's well done.  I love the cartoon illustrating the Deathly Hallows story.  It's a particularly lovely piece of artistry.


Movie Part 1 was excellent - the best of the series and supporting my feelings that at least for the last three books the problem with the movies was too short a running time.

PART II

Again there are some really lovely visual and sound effects that work so well. The ominous music at the beginning is almost horror movie quality signalling that we are in a very dark place indeed. The multipying treasure at Gringotts is awesome.  The stone knights which McGonigle brings to life are awesome.  The whole battle for Hogwarts is very visually intense, chaotic and stunning.  It looks epic.

There are also many sad and emotional character moments.  The Weasley family gathered around Fred in the great hall with George inconsolable.  In fact, as soon as Fred and George appeared on screen I got teary-eyed and again when they share a quiet moment on the ramparts before the battle.   Snape's death is really effective - they do it on the other side of an opaque pane of glass so we can't see Nagini attacking him (I think it would have been too disturbing for the PG13 rating) but we can hear it and see the pane jump as Snape flinches against the glass.  Very effective and Alan Rickman rocks Snape's last scene as well as the scene where he cries over Lily in his memories. He had some fantastic moments in these final two movies.  Daniel Radcliffe does a great job displaying how he is feeling with his face when he realizes the need for his death.  The half hug Voldemort gives Draco as Draco crosses over is creepy and awkward and awesome.  Luna sitting next to Neville and eyeing the sword of Gryffindor and then eyeing Neville and Neville grinning all proud - it's adorable. And awkward.  So many great moments that the movie and actors capture perfectly.

There were a couple of changes from the book. Hermione instigates the ride on the dragon out of Gringotts instead of Harry and I'm not sure why they made that change.  Also Harry doesn't have all the angst at everybody coming to Hogwarts for a final showdown - the movie glosses over his mixed feelings which I think was a good call.  McGonigle orders all the Slytherins to be taken to the Dungeon which seems a little out of character but the Slytherin dorm is in the dungeon so maybe it's not meant as punishment:).


Finally, I love the final image of the three friends standing on the bridge to Hogwarts holding hands in the sunshine.  We'll just gloss on by the epilogue:). 

FINAL VERDICT:  I think this pair of movies are definitely the strongest in the series.  Prisoner of Azkaban is perhaps more visually creative but these two deal with the content of the books really well and give scope to the actors so they can create those moments that are really important in the books.  4 out of 5 stars.

Well that wraps up my Harry Potter re-read and re-watch.  I'm quite sad to be saying goodbye to it once again for a time but I did break down and buy the Illustrated copy of Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone!  It is as gorgeous as everyone says and I think I will spend some quality time with it over the holidays. And of course there are the upcoming movies.... So maybe it's not quite over yet....

 

RE-READ | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

This whole re-read of Harry Potter has been like a comfortable reunion with an old dear friend.  There is no memory of imperfections or discord just pure affection and love and a sad reflection on why you just don't make friends like this anymore.  Reading Half-Blood Prince for me was a little like entering into the 6th straight hour or day of the reunion when you start to remember those little quirks and foibles that your friend had that irritated you:0).  I still love this book but it is the first one in my re-read where my unalloyed delight in the reunion has been ever-so-slightly slightly dimmed. 

The most interesting part of my re-read has definitely been re-discovering the character of Snape with the full knowledge of his motives.  I adore nothing more than a good gray character or anti-hero and Snape is a doozy.  Overall, Rowling did such a fantastic job; slowly developing him, dropping hints all along, having Dumbledore flat out tell the reader over and over that Snape is on the side of right but still having the revelation of just how heroic he is being a jaw dropping twist.   It is insane that Dumbledore does not reveal, at the very least to Harry, why he has such faith in Snape's.  Oh, I know there's good reasons for him holding his tongue - Snape would not thank Dumbledore for sharing his personal business and the fewer people that know of Snape's duplicity makes Snape's job of getting close to Voldemort easier.  However, Dumbledore must see the sheer immensity of hatred Harry feels for Snape, even before Harry witnesses Dumbledore's murder, and realize that it is a dangerous distraction that could easily end in disaster.  Of course, the real reason it is kept a secret is to set up the big twist in book 7, which is a totally legitimate reason, but this time around I can feel the manipulation and I resent it just a little.

Still and all.  The way she sets up and describes Dumbledore's murder is pretty perfect.  The hatred on Snape's face which Harry interprets understandably as directed at Dumbledore but which is really directed inwardly and at the horrible thing he must do. And Dumbledore's "please" is not a plea for mercy but one for Snape to follow through on his promise to kill Dumbledore when the time came. Dumbledore seems to be the only friend Snape has ever had and is probably the only person to believe in him  - in other words Dumbledore is as important to Snape as he is to Harry.  In fact, by killing Dumbledore, Snape renders himself alone and completely without support in the middle of an incredibly dangerous and stressful mission.  It had to have been the most difficult thing he has ever had to do.

Okay, as you can see I can get carried away talking about Snape:0).  I feel like he's the hero for the adult readers in many ways.  Harry is lovable of course and while Rowling does not fall into the trap of making him too heroic and perfect, he is still a very straightforward and iconic young hero.  Snape is much more complicated and I would argue that his job is more difficult and the choices he must make could not be made by a child. 

You know what else I can go on about?  How much I really dislike Ron this go round! The first time around I think I liked him a lot and was completely behind the idea of he and Hermione getting together.  This time around I understand why Rowling recanted and said it was a mistake to pair these two.  I couldn't agree more and for all the reasons she cites  - they would have needed counseling.  I don't necessarily think Hermione should have been paired with Harry though their relationship is generally much healthier and happier.  Hermione pushes Harry when he gets too fixated or too lost in his hero complex.  He gets angry with her but ultimately realizes that she's usually right and respects her.  All Ron and Hermione do is bicker and fight and they seem to have little in common but Harry.  Ron's crushing insecurity is worthy of compassion but is also a serious issue when it leads to him being with a girl he doesn't like, even when he knows it is crushing the girl he does like, simply to stroke his fragile ego.  I spent most of this book feeling incredibly put out by Ron and by Harry who keeps begging Hermione to fix things with Ron even though the situation is not even the tiniest bit her fault.

Add the manipulation and Ron's bad behavior to Harry's obsessive (even if he is partially correct) hate and suspicion of Draco and Snape and this book didn't quite come together for me as beautifully as all the others do.  There is of course many good things.  I really appreciated Harry and Dumbledore's conversations particularly the one where Dumbledore impresses upon Harry the role that love has played in his life and how powerful it is:

“By attempting to kill you, Voldemort himself singled out the remarkable person who sits here in front of me, and gave him the tools for the job! It is Voldemort's fault that you were able to see into his thoughts, his ambitions, that you even understand the snakelike language in which he gives orders, and yet, Harry, despite your privileged insight into Voldemort's world (which, incidentally, is a gift any Death Eater would kill to have), you have never been seduced by the Dark Arts, never, even for a second, shown the slightest desire to become one of Voldemort's followers!"
"Of course I haven't!" said Harry indignantly. "He killed my mum and dad!"
"You are protected, in short, by your ability to love!" said Dumbledore loudly. "The only protection that can possibly work against the lure of power like Voldemort's! In spite of all the temptation you have endured, all the suffering, you remain pure of heart, just as pure as you were at the age of eleven, when you stared into a mirror that reflected your heart's desire, and it showed you only the way to thwart Lord Voldemort, and not immortality or riches. Harry, have you any idea how few wizards could have seen what you saw in that mirror? Voldemort should have known then what he was dealing with, but he did not!”

I also really liked learning more about Voldemort, his origins, childhood and rise to power.  Other thoughts:

• The Felix Felicis scene that gets the memory from Slughorn is really clever and awesome though (see below) there were some things I think the movie did better with this scene.  
• I love that Harry takes Luna to Slughorn's party and think it is these acts of kindness and acceptance that really embody what makes Harry such a great character.
• It's very odd that the way Ginny is described, in looks and personality, seems to so closely resemble Lily Evans, Harry's mother.  I'm surely not the only one to have noticed this, right?  It's an odd little Oedipal note.
• Harry came across pretty ineffectual, at least until the end, during the Horcrux retrieval scene.  He doesn't seem ready to do all this on his own does he?

FINAL VERDICT:  The Half-blood Prince takes the story where it needs to go but I just wish I didn't notice the strings so much this time around.  4 out of 5 stars.

The Movie
I've whined a lot about the last two films, mostly about the fact that they have to cut out HUGE chunks of the books so that the movie isn't 17 hours long.  I think they did a horrible adaptation of Goblet of Fire, got a little better with the Order of the Phoenix and got even a little better with Half-blood Prince.  There are still things I miss, like Fleur and Bill if only because Fleur's scene towards the end of the book where she shows she's not just a shallow, stuck up girl but is as stout-hearted as any of the Weasleys, is awesome.  I'm also disappointed we miss meeting Tom's forebears who promised to have been super creepy and horrible.  And while the films frequently remove or change scenes they don't usually add scenes, so the fact that instead of Harry having a walk around the garden with Scrimjaw (sp?) at Christmas, The Burrow is attacked by Deatheaters who blow it up and then fly away using special evil flying skills seems an odd addition.

Another change the movie makes which I think undermines the scene is not having Harry petrified during Dumbledore's death scene.  It doesn't fit with Harry's character that he would just sit by and let all that go down without recklessly throwing himself into the situation, promises to Dumbledore or no.  I do think Michael Gambon does a good job with his "please", adequately leaving it open for interpretation but making it clear for folks in the know that he is asking Snape to do it rather than not to do it.

I think Gambon does a good job with this despite the fact that I have never really warmed up to him as Dumbledore because he...well...lacks warmth.  He comes across as straight up kooky with no accompanying twinkle in the eye and general feeling of bonhomie that Dumbledore exudes in the books.  For example, the scene in Dumbledore's office after he and Harry have just gone into the pensieve for the first time and they have this oddly flat conversation about how Slughorn would try and "collect" Harry and how Harry should let himself be collected comes across as...creepy.  I think that off tone is set by Gambon.   I like Gambon generally as an actor but think Richard Harris (R.I.P.) played Dumbledore better. 

Moving on to the other actors?  I reflected while watching that I am so happy and grateful that the actors that were chosen to play Harry, Ron and Hermione aren't drop dead gorgeous.  A bit of a crap shoot, of course, hiring them as kids and not knowing how they will look as they grow up and I am in no way implying that any of the actors are ugly. They're just regularly attractive, not CW teen star handsome/beautiful.  It's refreshing.

They also seem to be having a lot of fun in this installment particularly Grint and Radcliff.  This may actually be the funniest of the films which is surprising considering that it's quite sad overall.  Anyway, the film captures the "these kids are finally giving in to their crazed hormones" better than the book does. The discussion between Ron and Harry about Ginny and Hermione's "nice skin" is hilarious and Rupert Grint is laugh-out-loud funny under the influence of the love potion.

My last few small comments are:

• I don't think Harry and Ginny have much chemistry in the movie which is a shame though romantic chemistry is not something Rowling did particularly well in the books either.  
• I liked the actor who played the teenage Tom back in Chamber of Secrets better than this teenage Tom though apparently the original actor had aged well out of the part by Half-blood Prince.
• During the scene where Slughorn reveals his memory to Harry, I love the imagery of a petal that turns into a fish which then later disappears signalling to Slughorn that Lily is dead.  This is not in the book but I think it is an effective way of conveying Slughorn's real affection and admiration for Lily and how sad he was at her death.

FINAL VERDICT:  I liked this film better than the last two and think it did a better job adapting the book despite some weird changes. Overall, I would say, watching the movies this closely to reading the books does not serve the movies well.  I think the books would be much better portrayed with a series of mini-series.  3.5 out of 5 Stars.

Pssst.... There's a bunch of other good blogger folk over at The Estella Society who are also doing an HP re-read.  You may want to check it out! #potterbinge

RE-READ | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling

First time around this was easily my least favorite book of the series.  Don't get me wrong, I’m sure I snarfed it down with a quickness as I did most of the others but Harry is so moody and sullen and...well...unpleasant in this book.  No matter that his attitude is understandable and probably inevitable considering his age, Harry is a hero and heroes don't get to be self-pitying.  At least that was my feeling on first read. 

At the time I read Harry Potter the first time around, I wasn't a regular reader of YA fiction.  For a couple years now that has changed and I wonder if that had something to do with my being able to be much more sympathetic towards Harry during this second reading.  In fact, I absolutely adored this book second time around and it may end up tying with Goblet of Fire as my favorite of the series.  Rowling puts her characters through the emotional hoops in this book and adds some fascinating complexity to almost all of them.  The book has a decidedly grimmer tone than all the books that have come before but it's a necessary progression of the story and it didn't bum me out this time around.   I have a lot of thoughts about characters and relationships in this book so I'll get right to them:

o - O - o

• New Characters: Dolores Umbridge, Luna Lovegood, Nymphadora Tonks.  Two really wonderful additions and one brilliant villain. 

• My disillusionment with Ron continues but he has definitely gained some maturity in this book and there is a subtle shift in he and Hermione's relationship.  There is not quite as much arguing and bickering because they are united in their worry about Harry.  You can see more how they may complement each other - Ron keeping Hermione from getting too intensely naggy and Hermione giving Ron some complexity.

• As I said I was much more sympathetic to Harry's tantrums this time around.  Dumbledore’s insistence on keeping Harry in the dark about things and not communicating well with him is incredibly frustrating even if Dumbledore's reasons for it makes sense and even serves to illustrate that he is in fact only human. He admits that it was a mistake to pull away from Harry as he did.  The scene between he and Harry towards the end where Dumbledore admits how much he cares for Harry and how he has wanted so badly to not burden him with more responsibility made me cry this time around.  However, Harry’s anger and frustration is understandable.  He doesn’t feel like he’s a kid anymore, especially after dueling Voldemort and watching Cedric be killed, so to be treated like a child is infuriating.  There is also a lot of trauma from his ordeal and instead of being able to talk it out with his friends and loved ones, he is shunted to a place where he is at best ignored and at worst actively emotionally abused.  He could’ve used some counseling and instead he is basically thrust into solitary confinement. Also there is nothing more frustrating and infuriating than being told you’re a liar when you are telling the truth especially when it is about something important. I kept comparing Fudge, Dolores Umbridge and all the other magical folk that don’t believe Voldemort is back, to Climate Change deniers.  Less sympathetically, Harry has got a full on hero complex at this point and all the blows to his ego – Ron being made a prefect, lots of his friends not believing him, getting kicked off the Quidditch team etc…help to undermine his foundation. And then the blow of Sirius.  ALSO, it struck me this time around that some of Harry's sulkiness may be some bleed over from Voldemort since Harry can feel some of big V's emotions.  Long story, not so short I really appreciate what Rowling did with Harry's character and the journey he went on in this book. 

• The scene with Molly Weasley trying to deal with the Boggart and seeing all her family dead was really emotionally affecting for me.  I was also wondering 1) why on earth are the Weasleys living at the Order’s headquarters?  It seems a little odd as no one else but Sirius is really living there full time and they apparently don't continue to live there once the kids are back at school.  2) Also interesting was why the Weasleys weren’t a part of the Order during the first go round?  They are certainly older than Harry’s parents and would have had many children during the first go round – Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George and newborn Ron – was it just all the kids that kept them out of it?

• Are Ron and Harry more clueless, less mature about girls than the average 15 year old boy?  They seem extra especially clueless about girls. 

• I just expressed my curiosity in my Goblet of Fire re-read, about why Hermione was not sorted into Ravenclaw given that her number one trait is her cleverness and Hermione actually addresses it in this book!  Apparently, like with Harry, the sorting hat went back and forth about whether to put her into Gryffindor or Ravenclaw and decided on Gryffindor.  THAT makes me wonder why? With Harry it was because he begged the hat not to put him in Slytherin.  I’m sure Hermione wouldn’t have had a strong preference at that point so I wonder if the hat can see the future and knew that Hermione needed to be in Gryffindor to play a particular and very important role in what was to come.   

• Should I talk about Dolores Umbridge?  She is really odious and in many respects, scarier than Voldemort.   Cruel and masochistic as well as being a control freak.  Her whole persona is seriously wacko and deliciously evil.  All the technicolor kittens on plates *shivers*.

• Two of my favorite parts of this book are the formation of the DA which once again proves what a genius Hermione is and the O.W.L.s because I apparently love standardized testing?  The formation of the DA is a lot of fun and it serves to give Harry an ego boost he needs as well as giving him something productive to focus on.  Not sure why I think the O.W.L.s are such a fun plotline but I do.

• There are two more characters which I particularly want to highlight because I really enjoyed their development:
• The heroic Sirius of the last two books is somewhat muddled in this installment.  It becomes clear that while Sirius loves Harry very much and is in fact a very good person, he may not have ended up being a great influence on Harry if he had been able to be a full guardian for him.  Sirius has his own petulant streak and isn't always the most kind or forgiving which is understandable given his upbringing.  In fact, his death is especially sad because Sirius' life has been very hard and had very little happiness.  It is that which makes him a heroic character, that despite all he's been through he will still not flinch from sacrificing himself for others. 
• Snape. Snape, Snape, Snape.  He is for me one of the most fascinating characters in the whole serious.  I think it's clear that he is in fact a pretty unpleasant sort of guy and yet... still a hero.  Perhaps the biggest damn hero in the series next to Harry.  Because while Harry gets to be the up front, good guy everybody-can-see-how-brave-I-am hero, Snape has to do all that is odious and horrible and completely under the radar while enduring many of his allies' contempt.  In this book, we learn that he has very good reason to despise James Potter and his childhood was likely as miserable as Harry's.  Instead of getting to Hogwarts and making some great and true friends however, he is just tormented some more.  We also learn that while he has joined the right team, his past still owns him - transferring his hatred of James to Harry and not even being able to be the adult when Harry invades his privacy.  Harry's continued hatred of and lack of trust towards Snape is understandable but REALLY annoying. 

FINAL VERDICT:  A book that took a second reading for me to really appreciate it and boy do I appreciate the heck out of it now.  Takes the series down a darker road and provides so much good character development fodder for contemplation.  5 out of 5 Stars.

o - O - o

The Movie

Like with Goblet of Fire, the movie has to do a lot of cutting to fit all the major happenings of the book into the movie and thankfully it does it just a little bit better.  I remember the first time around really loving this movie, because I could apparently deal with watching Harry's surliness and the darker tone of the story better than reading it.  This time the movie did not work for me as well probably because I enjoyed the reading so much more so the movie was bound to pale in comparison.

The first thing I have to say is thank God Harry got his hair cut!  Well thank goodness all of the fellows got their hair cut!  And yes I suspect I sound like a curmudgeonly old person but seriously all the shaggy hair from Goblet of Fire was TERRIBLE.  Everybody looks 1000% better.

Other important things?  Daniel Radcliffe does do a really good job of showing us Harry's emotional state.  He makes Harry completely sympathetic while also being...you know...kind of a jerk.  The film also does a good job of portraying the alienation between Harry and his two best friends and how hard they are trying to be there for him.  

The film makes use of a LOT of montages to show all the changes Umbridge is making within a compressed time allotment.  It's an effective way of doing it but perhaps gets used a little too much.  Again, the film struggles to fit everything from the book in and it at least does a little bit better job then movie 4 in capturing the overall feel of the book.

I think the scene that I found to be the emotional climax of the film was different than in the book.  In the book it was the quieter moment in Dumbledore's office and Harry struggling to come to grips with Sirius' loss and Dumbledore reaching out to him.  In the movie it is the confrontation between Dumbledore and Voldemort and particularly the internal struggle Harry has when V tries to possess him.  It's a really well done scene.

Finally, the casting as ever is pretty spot on.  Imelda Stanton as Umbridge is great though she is, perhaps, a tad too nice.  I believe Alan Rickman, though not a new casting, deserves some recognition as perhaps the best piece of casting in the whole series (though Maggie Smith as McGonagle is also pretty perfect).  

FINAL VERDICT:  Better than Goblet of Fire but still losing the battle with effectively transferring the awesomeness of the book to screen.  3 out of 5 Stars. 

Romance Re-Read | Romancing Mr. Bridgerton and One Good Earl...

This is perhaps a somewhat random post.  Last month I got a wild hair to re-read a couple of romance novels: one because I loved it so much and writing a review for it made me want to re-read and one that I read a couple years ago and for which I had high expectations which were dashed and disappointed. Both are beloved by readers in general.  Read on for more if you dare. It does get a little ranty at times and there may be some spoilers though can you really spoil a romance novel? In this case I think you really can  - there is a spoiler for the entire first part of the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn.  You've been warned!

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One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah Maclean

So I literally just posted a review of this book but I mentioned that just writing the review made me want to re-read.  I won't even make you wait in hushed suspense for the verdict. It was still super awesome.  The End.  Okay I have a little more to say about it but not too much more because it really did remain awesome on a second reading.  In fact, it may have improved a little bit.  One of my complaints originally was that reading it so soon after A Rogue by Any Other Name, made Cross seem a little generic and that we didn’t get to see much of his nerdtacularness.  With some distance his sameness to Bourne no longer stood out and there is a little bit more exhibition of the pair’s dorkiness then I remembered.  There is also just not a lot of room in the story to really spend too much time on sciencey goodness which is a crying shame but I have no choice but to forgive because this book owns me. 

I loved Pippa and Jasper a little more the second time around and I appreciated even more the journey they went on.  Pippa’s discomfort at marrying Castleton is so well done. It doesn’t even occur to her that her anxiety and panic are signs (among other signs) that the marriage is not right – for either of them.  Instead she is focused on those elements of marriage that she doesn’t feel she has control over.  As always she tries to bring order to her life by pursuing greater knowledge but when she finds that knowledge all she gets is a whole lot of disorder. Blissful, dreamy disorder.  I love the imagery of a broken heart and how she had always scoffed at this notion as being anatomically ridiculous until it happens to her.  Anyway, I love her.  Also I think the sexy times in this book are some of my all-time favorites. 

FINAL VERDICT: Stands up and remains awesome upon re-read. Yay! :0)

o - O - o

Romancing Mr. Bridgerton By Julia Quinn

I’ve been meaning to re-read this book for a while and was suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to do so.   My reasons for wanting to revisit this book were very different than for One Good Earl.... This book and I have a rocky past. It goes something like this.   I was swimming along in the marvelous Bridgerton series, happy as a sunfish when suddenly this book came along (Book 4).  In the first three books, Colin was by far my favorite Bridgerton (though on the re-read here I developed quite a crush on Hyacinth) and when I read the blurb that he was going to be matched up with Penelope Featherington, the awkward wallflower, I was SO EXCITED!!!  I ADORE the whole popular guy falls for geeky girl trope so hard (hhhmm…I wonder why…) – it’s so clichéd but so awesome.  Safe to say, my excitement for this book was extremely high and ………I ended the book completely disappointed.  It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t the magical confection I had anticipated. It was a three star read.  I have yet to read another Bridgerton series book since, that’s how deflated I was. 

As a few years have passed, I began to feel the need to re-read, to make sure it wasn’t just my super high expectations that had led to the disappointment.  I think it’s safe to say this book is considered a favorite in the series and a number of book bloggers I admire really liked it.  So in I dived. 

Interestingly (well at least to me), the things I remembered really bothering me, didn’t as much this time – specifically I remember being really annoyed early on at how whiny Colin was and woe is me about his lack of purpose in life.  I was still a little put off by this but was able to empathise a lot more this time and didn’t think it was too emo or out of character for him.  My whole remembered impression of him from this book was as broody and domineering, just like his brothers and not at all like he had been portrayed in the previous books.  The out-of-character issue was still a problem for me but it wasn't his dissatisfaction and questioning of life that was really the problem.  In fact I can pinpoint exactly when the book lost me and became a three star instead of a five star: the carriage ride and proposal.  Colin can be really damn sinister in this book and I really really hated that.  I’m going to write about two scenes in particular and there will be massive spoilers not only for this book but the series so beware! 

First of all just in general, I think Colin’s whole response to the Whistledown thing felt out of character for me.  Up to this point in the series he has been portrayed as witty, extremely good-natured and a bit of an irreverent prankster. He is not overly concerned with society’s rules or its snobbier citizens. Colin should think what Lady Whistledown has done, and the possibility that it is his sister, hilarious and great.  Yet when he suspects it’s his sister Eloise and then finds out it’s Penelope he becomes obsessed and seriously deranged and angry about it.  Even if it is just out of concern for these ladies’ reputations, we are told several times that Colin solves problems with charm and by always knowing the right thing to say - it doesn’t ring true that his response would be autocratic browbeating and saying cruel things aimed to hurt and shame.  Yet that is exactly what he does with both Eloise and Penelope.  Quinn introduces the idea that he feels jealousy at Lady Whistledown's accomplishment and that it is that which is driving his ill humor. However, she also tries to make the case that his losing his temper, which he apparently never does, is a sign that he cares about Penelope.  Okay, but I think Quinn takes him a little far.  The things he says to Penelope are quite cruel.  Then there is this odd switch from really scary anger to “I think you’re the beautifullest” followed by some heavy petting and making out and Penelope just melting like he hadn’t just been berating and belittling her.  THEN, his marriage proposal is just awful.  He doesn’t even really bother to ask Penelope, he just jumps out of the carriage and when Penelope is a little confused by what’s going on states rather irritably “are we getting married or what?” He then charges into her house without waiting for her answer and asks her mother for permission while Penelope just blinks stupidly with stars in her eyes.  While I do love how he sets down her mother, I really hate the rest of this “proposal”.  I wanted to see Penelope wooed and courted properly and Colin is supposed to be the most charming man in Regency England and yet he practically bullies her into marriage with an arrogance that I don’t think his character should have.

The other scene that really bugged me was the engagement ball.  Colin and Penelope are still at odds over the Whistledown papers so when the Whistledown column they were arguing about in the carriage, gets delivered in the midst of their ball, Colin is understandably upset. However again his response borders on abuse. He drags Penelope (bruising her arm) up in front of their crowd of guests for the official toast by his brother and then forces her in front of the crowd to drink a glass of champagne by holding it to her mouth and not taking it away until she has drunk it all.  It is hugely disturbing, cruel and controlling.  He then drags her off to a bedroom where there is some more berating and belittling before another abrupt change into loving, kind Colin after which he lays her down and makes sweet sweet love to her for the first time.  It’s completely wacko.  Again, we are supposed to see the anger as evidence that he truly cares for her, the problem is that the way he displays that anger is seriously inappropriate.  I think he is written too harshly and it does not jive with how he had been been described or written in the other books.  

So my conclusion is that it stays at 3 stars which means, I liked it.  Despite Colin morphing into the autocratic Alpha male character I despise and the two pretty atrocious scenes above, there was still a lot about the book I liked.  Lots of witty banter and as I mentioned above my previously unrealized love for Hyacinth which is pushing me towards finishing the Bridgerton series.  I was also able to appreciate Colin’s search for more purpose in his life much more this time around so there’s that I suppose.

FINAL VERDICT:  Still disappointed and perhaps even a little more so upon a re-read. Boo. :0( At least now I know it wasn't just my high expectations that scuppered the book for me.

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So have you ever re-read a book hoping you were too hard on it the first time around?  If so how'd that go for you?  How about books by authors you like with premises that are to die for...that just fizzle and don't work?  Why do the books torture us so?

RE-READ: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

From my first read of Harry Potter many years ago, this was my favorite book in the series and I think it’s easy to see why.   It’s the first chunkster of the series at 734 pages and so much happens in those pages.  There’s the Quidditch World Cup, and the Tri-wizard Tournament which introduces other magical schools and a whole wider world of wizarding.  This is also the book where things get real.  At my local library this is the book where the series starts getting shelved in Young Adult rather than children’s fiction.  The death of Cedric Diggory was shocking and devastating on my first read.  Rowling lets us get to know him and we like him.  He's a good and decent person and young, the apple of his father’s eye and then he is dead.  People say George R.R. Martin isn’t afraid of killing people but Rowling in her way is just as brutal. And of course Harry meets the real LIVE Voldemort in person for the first time and the struggle he is up against becomes very real as well.  So this book represents a definite turning point for the series on top of all the adventure and happy mayhem.   It will be interesting to me to see if it holds onto the top spot by the end of my re-read. 

THOUGHTS
- As I mentioned this is where the books start getting longer.  It feels like the books were popular enough at this point that the publishers were like "J.K., you write as long a book as you like!"  I am perfectly happy with this, though there is at least one book of the last 4 four that could have used a little heavy editing. 

-Characters introduced:  Rita Skeeter, Madame Maxine, Karkaroff, Victor Krumm, Barty Crouch, Mad-eye Moody, Fleur DelaCouer

- My re-read is seriously making me dislike the character of Ron and wonder why on EARTH J.K. put him and Hermione together?  He's not a bad friend to Harry despite his petulant jealousy in this book but he could not be less supportive of anything Hermione does and is constantly sniping at her.   Most of the arguing he and Hermione do in this book isn't even in a “I like you and don’t know how to express it way” but frequently in an annoyed or patronizing way.  He says things like “They enjoy being enslaved” about the house elves which how am I supposed to like him after that (not that anyone is much better)?  In this installment he is also so shallowly obsessed with appearances and fame (Victor and Fleur).  Basically he’s an idiot and perhaps relatively typical for a 14 year old boy but Jeez! 

- Speaking of Ron being a jerk, there is he and Harry’s fall out.  While Ron's feelings and behaviors are immature, the issue of what it is like being Harry Potter's best friend really needed to be addressed.  It's amazing that no jealousy has flared up before quite frankly.  Being Harry's best friend can't be easy for Ron and for that matter he kind of floats in the shadow of both Harry and Hermione so it was only a matter of time before he rebelled.  It was a good way to get it out of the way.   

-S.P.E.W.:  This is a really problematic story line for me mostly because NO ONE thinks what Hermione is doing makes sense – not even folks like Hagrid.  Ron is openly disgusted by it.  Hermione is not trying to take away the house elves work, she is simply saying that they should be rewarded for that work as any human would be.  I get that most folks, out of guilt or shame, may avoid dealing with it but folks like Ron, Hagrid, Fred and George are openly derisive and hostile to the idea  and there is no resolution in this book.  There are a lot of story lines in this book and this didn’t really serve any purpose besides giving Hermione something to do and making everyone else look like gigantic assholes.  I honestly can't remember where this ends up going in the series  - I'm sure J.K. isn't making a case for slavery - so I guess I will re-visit later in the series.  I was just really surprised how little support Hermione gets for her campaign.

- I am very curious about the sorting hat and which houses people get put into.  Hermione, while she certainly is brave, is equally clever - so why not Ravenclaw?

- I love  how the character of Neville develops and that in some ways his story is harder and more heartbreaking than Harry’s.  Harry also has to face how unfair he has been to Neville - never asking him about himself and his family and not even thinking about seeking his help with any of the tasks.  
- Floods of tears at the end of this one. Just floods.  The loss of Cedric, the betrayal/overall douchebaggery of Fudge, Fawk's and Mrs. Weasley’s sympathy and compassion for Harry and the Weasleys wanting to take Harry in, Snape’s unflinching readiness to do something completely dangerous and terrifying (this is more apparent on a re-read, knowing what he is agreeing to), the standing cheers for Diggory and the tough talk that Dumbledore gives the students.*sobs*

- Jim Dale’s reading was particularly good for this book.  Although he does pronounce certain names oddly like  - "Uh-Lester" instead of "Al-i-Ster" Moody.

FINAL VERDICT:  I still really love this book and can't imagine it being rousted from the top spot.  It effectively marries the lighter more charming tone of the earlier books with the grimmer more serious tone of the later books.  Plus, I love the tri-wizard tournament stuff and Voldemort's return is suitably dramatic and emotional.  5 out of  5 stars!

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THE MOVIE

So I feel for the filmmakers on this one.  This is a long book and there is so much that happens.  Trying to fit all of it in a 2.5 hour film must have been a real challenge.  I'm sorry to say that with this particular film they did not meet the challenge.  It's not a very good movie, at least for someone who is a fan of and has just read the book.  It's choppy and too condensed so that it misses out on a lot of what makes the book so fantastic.  There are also some changes that don't make a lot of sense to me like turning Beaux Baton and Durmstrang into single sex schools which serves no purpose besides perhaps allowing for the dramatic entrances of the schools' students.  They also added a couple of small things which I liked because they give Neville some color (dance lessons and him coming in from the dance late) but which seems indulgent when they're cutting and slashing everywhere else.  It makes me covet a Harry Potter TV series.  The first few books may only need a 3-4 episode series but once you get to Goblet of Fire you could have a 10 episode series that would really give the book room to come to life. 

I'm not sure I have anything else very profound to say about the movie except to outline all the things I wish had been included.  There's no Ludo Bagman, no Bill or Charlie Weasley, no Percy Weasley for that matter, no Dobby or Winky.  They completely change the Barty Crouch and junior story line and I'm not sure it works as well as in the book.  All the boys in the film inexplicably have really long shabby, unkempt hair - no idea why.  Emma Watson's acting is back to being a little stilted and forced after I thought she had improved in Prisoner of Azkaban.

There are a few things that I liked of course.  Viktor Krum is quite a bit more attractive than how he is described in the books which makes me happy for Hermione.  She deserves to be coveted by hot boys:0).  The scene when Harry comes back with Cedric after the third task is well done; very emotional and effective.  It's fun seeing Robert Pattinson and David Tennant before they were quite the thing.  


FINAL VERDICT:  Being that this is my favorite book of the series, this movie was perhaps always destined to not work for me.  The movie struggles to handle all the books content and doesn't quite succeed in capturing the magic of the book.  3 out of 5 stars.

RE-READ: The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

The Chronicles of Narnia have always held a place on my favorite books shelf.  I've re-read the whole series countless times but it's been several years since my last re-read, probably at least a decade.  In the meantime, I've had a good bit more experience with reading widely in YA and MG literature as an adult.  I wondered how it might affect how I reacted to the Narnia books now.   I think it is safe to say that these books, for nostalgia's sake will always have a place in my affections but I was curious how I might react to them semi-objectively.  My goal is to re-read the whole series on audio this year.

The Magician's Nephew was the sixth Narnia book published but chronologically it is a prequel and tells the story of the creation of Narnia.  I decided long ago that I preferred to read the series chronologically rather than in publication order though I perhaps would not recommend that approach to a new reader of the series.  The Magician's Nephew is a strange little book - I remember thinking so when I first read it as well  - and has a different feel to it than the rest of the Narnia books besides perhaps The Last Battle.  The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is a much less strange introduction to the world of Narnia. 

THOUGHTS

- I have always liked the connections Lewis makes in this book to The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.  Digory is the Pevensies' great Uncle who they go and stay with and the Wardrobe is made out of the wood of the tree that was grown from a magic Narnian apple.  The presence of a lamp post in the middle of a wood is explained as is the great uncle's unexpected response to the children's stories of Narnia.  It also explains who the White Witch is.  It's neatly done and I like the connections.

- There is much more winking and nodding to his audience in the book than I remembered.  He addresses young readers directly and makes several more "adult" jabs at the Uncle's lasciviousness and fondness for brandy.  It is really very slyly funny.

- In comparisons with some of the other MG and YA I have been reading I do have to to say that this book (and I suppose the entire series) comes across as less sophisticated, simpler and more deliberate in its message delivery.  It may just be the writing style which doesn't delve too deeply into the characters.

- I listened to the audio narrated by Kenneth Branagh and as you might expect, he does a great job though I wasn't crazy about his Aslan.  But how does one adequately portray Aslan?  I'm not sure it can be done.

- I was kind of keeping an eye out for sexism, as the topic had recently come up in a discussion about his books.  I ended up being thoroughly confused on the matter.  Lewis was definitely a product of his time - when Aslan chooses the first council among his new creations, he chooses only male animals.  However, I do think he had a very high opinion of women as Polly, and Digory's Aunt for that matter, are portrayed as being smarter and having a good bit more sense then their male counterparts.  *shrugs*

- The strange and eerie.  The wood between the worlds with all the ponds and quiet that makes one drowsy is such a creepy image.  There is a moment when the children almost forget to mark their "home" pond that is really frightening.  Jadis' world with the empty buildings and the row of thrones occupied by frozen giant human beings is also quite an eerie image.  Narnia for me produces happy comforting feelings but there is very little of that feeling in this book.

FINAL VERDICT:  This book still gets 4 out of 5 stars but one of those just might be awarded because of my love for the book in the past.  Lewis is definitely like no other but my greater experience with YA literature these days has rubbed a tiny bit of the shine off.  I'll be interested how I feel about the other books in the series as I get to them.

So what's your verdict on this book?  Have your feelings about it changed over time?  Where does it fall in relation to the other books in the series?

RE-READING: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

This won't be a proper review but I wanted to note down some general thoughts about my re-reading of the first book in the Harry Potter series AND about re-watching the movie.

First of all, I was surprised at how really perfect this first book is.  With trepidation, I admit that I was ever so slightly disappointed in the latter installments in the series, particularly the last book, and it was that taste that was most recently on my tongue.  I love the series but my relationship with it was one of many years of association; where there is love but also a recognition of faults.  I had forgotten what the first flush of the relationship was like:0).  Also, one might expect that the first outing, the debut, might be a bit shakier then those written by the practiced veteran, but actually it is perfect in almost every way. Sure, the actual plot only fills a quarter of the book and the rest is pretty episodic but those episodes are the perfect vehicle for being introduced to the world and to Harry, Hermione, Ron, Hagrid, Snape, Dumbledore etc....

Some other thoughts:
1) I'd forgotten how middle-grade this first book is and having realized that I have decided that what Rowling did with the series was utterly brilliant.  In each successive book she aged it up with her characters and her initial audience.  Has any other author done this with a series?  I've said it before, I am most sad that I was not of an age to grow up with these books (I was older) and I am hugely jealous of the cohort who did get to do that!

2) I've mentioned this before on the blog but I really appreciate an author, particularly one writing a series of books, with a plan.   Rowling definitely had one and I love how things build and how you can see the initial sparks in this book.  She does trip up from time to time though.  I was surprised to hear Hagrid say, in the first or second chapter, that he borrowed the flying motorcycle from Sirius Black.  As we know from two books later, that would have been difficult considering that Sirius was in Azkaban and presumed to be a servant of Voldemort.

3) Harry has very little personality at the start of the book and really throughout this first book.  His childhood with the Dursleys has made him kind of a blank slate  - his personality has been completely repressed.  One of the joys of the book and the series is to watch him flower into such a strong individual.

4) I'd forgotten how funny Fred and George are.  My favorite exchange is after they've received sweaters from their mum with an F and G embroidered on them, speaking to Ron: "You haven't got a letter on yours,' George observed, 'I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid – we know we're called Gred and Forge."  Dumbledore is also pretty hilarious with his first speech being: "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you."  The best thing is those are some totally wicked cool words:0)!  Point being I laughed out loud several times.  I'm not sure any of the rest of the books is quite this funny.

5) I listened to the audio by Jim Dale which is really excellent BUT I am dying to listen to the British versions of the audio books narrated by Stephen Fry.  There is apparently a great and heated debated on the internets about which narrator does better, encapsulated I think in this summation on Book Riot.  It appears that it is very tricky for someone in the States to get their hands on a Stephen Fry narration though *grumble, grumble*.

THE MOVIE!

I'm just going to come right out and say it - this movie is kind of terrible.  If the book improved upon my memory of it the movie did the opposite.  I think at the time it came out it was just so exciting seeing all the magical things from the books and to be fair the visuals for the most part really work. The casting was also pretty excellent or, at least, would end up working out.  Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid is great, Maggie Smith as McGonagall, and Alan Rickman as Snape are particularly great. 

The main issue with the movie is the acting by the three main children, made worse by the stiltedness of the script and the removal of a lot of the humor I mention above as well as some of the more interesting scenes from the book.   As for the acting of the three main children, I don't entirely blame them - I think they were inexperienced, but they were also directed poorly.  The forced and completely unnatural dialogue between them is jarring throughout.  I've since watched The Chamber of Secrets and it's amazing how much they've improved as well as how much they've grown up.  They become bearable to decent in movie two but this first one is kind of a mess.  That said, Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe do grow up to be how I imagine Harry and Hermione.  Rupert Grint as Ron is okay for me but isn't exactly how I pictured Ron and I'm not sure he ever captures Ron's humor. 

To Wrap Up:  The book is a five star read for me and is nearly flawless.  I've always thought of Goblet of Fire as my favorite book in the series but I'll be interested to see if that holds up as I continue to re-read. I am all googly with admiration for this book right now. The movie.... was a disappointment. 

Give me all your thoughts on this beginning of a classic series!  Gimme Gimme!  I want them all!