22 July 2005 @ 01:00 pm
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince  
Before I really start, let me just say that I loved loved loved this book. It brigthened my Sunday and Monday :) This is probably best documented in the fact that I read it so fast. And 8 hours..or maybe 10 hours for me...is fast... I only read that fast if I enjoy the book. The pacing was far far better than in OOTP, which was dragging in the beginning.

I found it interesting that JK deviated from ber usual way of storytelling in the beginning. Usually, it's Harry who sums up what happened before and introduces it, sort of... this time it was the nameless prime minister. I think it's interesting that she deviated from it.

It all felt different from the previous books, mainly because there were less classes talked about... just two Defense about the Dark Arts classes, no transfiguration classes.. it felt weird... all was potions and there was also far less trio action. I get it that basically it was because a) Hermione and Ron weren't speaking for parts of the book and Harry had the time he usually had with Ron and Herimone with Dumbledore. That said, I loved the romance stuff. I know people had loads of misgivings and that there were big blow-outs between shippers.. Thing is, there was a point when I thought Harry and Hermione could be a cute couple, however anyone who think that Ron and Hermione were not hinted at in the book, seriously haven't read it right. Or chose to not read certain parts. It's not a betrayal to them, it's the vision of the author which was always there.

Besides, there is a German saying called "Was sich liebt das neckt sich", which basically means..who love each other tease each other and that one is so true for Hermione and Ron. Besides, it creates a great dynamic and loads of tension and passion.

Oddly enough..I loved the Harry/Ginny parts and I didn't think I would like that pairing. No I read a review stating all the romances were rushed and that..imo... is total bullshit. For Lupin and Tonks I can just say, we barely see them and it is totally possible that they started something even in OOTP. And for Harry/Ginny, there were signs and besides, do you even remember romances in Highschool? Most of them are sudden and th feelings just popping up and it was all very fast. Very very fast. As for JKR jumping on the ships and pairing eveyone off...Yeah..it's true, however, remember what Dumbledore said on several occasions in all the books. The most powerful weapon against the Dark Arts.. is LOVE.

I loved that this book had a little bit for everyone... I cackled for all the slashers when I rwad the lines, Harry Potter is obsessed with Draco Malfoy. It was highly amusing. I find it weird that JKR insists that Draco is a onedimensional bad guy. He's not. He's a fully feldged out three dimensional character and she made him that. She gave him motivation and emotion and so much more. He's a guy who isn't good, but there is a lot of room for redemption.

Now to Snape, let's just say I still don't believe that he is bad guy, even after reading it. I will try and explain later.

I read the part where dumbledore dies in the train. I screamed. Next to Remus Lupin, Dumbledore is my favorite HP character. I love that he is wise and that he helps people by only giving hints and that way letting them find solutions on their own. He alsways seems to know and anticipate everything. It was a shock that he died. Cos he was an equal to Voldemort and was Harrys strongest supporter. That said, I think he knew it was gonna happen even in the beginning of the book.

He knew it.

And there ais proof.

Because he wanted to have Harry know everything about Tom Riddle and find out about the Horcruxes.

Because he wanted to have Harry uncover Slughorns memory as fast as possible.

But most importantly, because he assigned Snape to the position of Defense against the Dark Arts teacher.


He knew, and it is stongly hinted in the book, that after he refused to give Voldemort the position of DA teacher, that the Dark Lord hat cursed the position, so that a teacher would only have the position for one year and not more. That's why Dumbledore hadn't given the position to snape before this year. Because he knew that snape would have to leave the school then, cos he had to, cos that was his plan. Snape killed Dumbledore, yes and Dumbledore pleaded. But Dumbledore wasn't pleading so that snape would spare him. He knew he was dying. He was plading with snape to kill him as they had agreed upon.

Remember that scene, where Snape and Dumbledore are seen arguing. Later Dumbledore tells Harry he trusts Snape. But why would they be arguing. It is never explained. Which is why I think that snape told Dumbledore he didn't want to kill him and that is what they were arguing about. I also think that the only reason snape made the unbreakable vow in the first place, was because he already knew of Dumbledores plan back then.

Besides, Snape must have known that Harry had used his potions book when he used his spell on Malfoy, but he never did anything about it. If he realyl hates Harry all that much and wants him to suffer, diem or else, why didn't he say anything. Harry clearly cheated.


[livejournal.com profile] kia_ora planted something in my head while we were talking HP on monday and it makes sense, that the message in the locket had been from Regulus Black. I kind of let that idea roll in my head and it is entirely possible. Maybe he took Kreacher with him or someone else... it is possible. He did state in the note that he would be dead by then. Maybe this is how he died and not because Voldemort killed him.

What I also loved about this book, is how JKR's vision is coming together. I just love the continuety. There are several instances in the book where is just hit me.

This would also imply that one of the Horcruxes would be in the Black house, anways, I'm already excited about the nxt wook. Such a shame it is going to be the last. :( Anyways, I hope...even though Harry said he won't go back to Hogwarts, that this won't be the case. Harry Potter without Hogwarts would be bad. But who knows, maybe after Dumbledores death, there won't be a Hogwarts. Anyways, I cannot wait. Tell me what you think and link me to your own reviews if you have some.

 
 
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[identity profile] coffeejunkii.livejournal.com on July 22nd, 2005 01:02 pm (UTC)
i basically agree with everything you said aside for your enthusiasm for harry/ginny, which i pretty much hated. not because i like harry/draco or i dislike het or dislike ginny, no, because it was so trite and predictable and all around uninteresting. now, harry dating luna, that would have been interesting.

anyway, i wrote a little something here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/coffeejunkii/271955.html) and here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/coffeejunkii/272381.html). jkr has also been giving interviews recently that i linked to yesterday. very interesting stuff :).
[identity profile] elli.livejournal.com on August 3rd, 2005 06:28 pm (UTC)
I can understand why someone might not like Harry/Ginny. It was a bit over the top. Adn actually Harry dating Luna would have been more interesting to me.

I guess tasts differ :)

and jkr always says a lot more or less of what she means.

[identity profile] amandajane5.livejournal.com on July 22nd, 2005 01:19 pm (UTC)
Also, in OotP when they're cleaning the house, they find a locket that they can't open. Could it be the horcrux that Regulus stole?
[identity profile] nebt-het.livejournal.com on July 23rd, 2005 04:31 am (UTC)
Ohh good one. Do you remember what chapter that was?
[identity profile] amandajane5.livejournal.com on July 23rd, 2005 04:40 pm (UTC)
It's Chapter Six (The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black), and it really is just a passing mention - from p. 116 of the American edition:

"They found an unpleasant-looking silver instrument, something like a many-legged pair of tweezers, which scuttled up Harry's arm like a spider when he picked it up, and attempted to puncture his skin; Sirius seized it and smashed it with a heavy book entitled Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy. There was a musical box that emitted a faintly sinister, tinkling tune when wound, and they all found themselves becoming curiously weak and sleepy until Ginny had the sense to slam the lid shug; also a heavy locket that none of them could open, a number of ancient seals and, in a dusty box, an Order of Merlin, First Class, that had been awarded to Sirius's grandfather for 'Services to the Ministry.'"
[identity profile] nebt-het.livejournal.com on July 23rd, 2005 10:48 pm (UTC)
Cool! What a memory. *grin*
[identity profile] elli.livejournal.com on August 3rd, 2005 06:29 pm (UTC)
That is my guess too,..I just forgot to write it... lol.
[identity profile] in-the-bottle.livejournal.com on July 22nd, 2005 03:06 pm (UTC)
I just finished the book myself 3 mins ago. For some reason, Dumbledore dying didn't surprise me at all, the moment he turned up with his injured hand and all, I had the feeling that he was going to die, but the fact that it was Snape who had killed him *was* a bit of a surprise. I like your thought on why he would've done it, and that definitely makes the character much more complex than just a simple theory of him being a double agent and had been loyal to Voldie all along.

Have to say I'm one of those who were damn amuse/delighted over the whole Harry being obsessed with Draco thing. And when Moaning Marthyle mentioned that there had been a boy crying in the toilet, I don't know about anyone else, but I immidietly thought it was Draco. And yes, that does make him more than a one dimensional character, much more. It also show us that he really isn't necessarily loyal to Voldie if he had to be threatened to do it, and even then, at the end, he couldn't go through with it.

As for the ships, I like Ginny in this book more than the others, she's just... really really cool. Yeah, deep I know. LOL! But I also don't want her to end up with Harry, I don't know why, I just don't want her to. *shrug*

Remus and Tonk, now that's a couple I would really love to see more of, they're kinda adorable in my mind. :D

Hmm... I think I've blab on enough. ;)
[identity profile] elli.livejournal.com on August 3rd, 2005 06:33 pm (UTC)
Yeah, the hand was kind of an aweful forwshadowing. I just didn't want it to happen. It was more the way he died, killed by snape..-that surprised me.

And I think Snape has been portrayed to clearly to just be bad all of a sudden--or always have been.

And yeah..Draco has a big mouth and a big ego...he sort of needs to prove himself...

[identity profile] endlessnights.livejournal.com on July 22nd, 2005 08:55 pm (UTC)
that is an extemely good theory you have about snape and dumbledore...i hadn't really thought of it like that, but i believed that snape did not want to kill dumbledore, but really had to because of the vow...
[identity profile] elli.livejournal.com on August 3rd, 2005 06:34 pm (UTC)
I just thought that the fight he and dumblodore had that harry witnessed didn't make sense since Dumbldore denied it in front of harry, so there must be a better explanation.

Had the fight been about trust, I'm sure that Dumbldores reaction would have been differentt.
ext_8587: naked[identity profile] tyffi.livejournal.com on July 22nd, 2005 11:46 pm (UTC)
That was really a long review. But I agree with most of your points. Though I wouldn't say that I loved loved loved the book ;)
I didn't like all the teenie!romance!stuff. Though I liked the Ginny/Harry parts. They were cute.

And I really like your theory about Dumbledore and Snape. It's similar to that what I was thinking. Snape is probably still at the good side and just pretending to be a Death Eater. It's all a part of Dumbledore's evil perfect masterplan *nods*

You can find my thoughts (or whatever it was when I was writing it *g*) here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/tyffi/2230.html).
But now I guess I have to re-read the book. I wanna find out what all this means. I can't wait for Potter VII.

And BTW: I friended you. Hope you don't mind :)

[identity profile] elli.livejournal.com on August 3rd, 2005 06:38 pm (UTC)
I just started writing..and as I was done..loads written :)

I liked the romance stuff...cos I love romance..and it is so fitting for teens to fall in love all the time.

and dumbledore has to have a masterplan.. he's dumbledore!!
and I cannot wait either...I'm so excited about the next part...not funny.
[identity profile] nebt-het.livejournal.com on July 23rd, 2005 04:38 am (UTC)
There is definitely more going on with Snape then they have said. I wish there had been more Lily though. Maybe in the last one. I love your idea about a Horcrux being in the Black House. I'll take any backstory I can get! *grin* Good review!
[identity profile] elli.livejournal.com on August 3rd, 2005 06:40 pm (UTC)
Yeah..I love the web JK spun here... she created such a wholesome universe. and I have this suspicion that we will see more of lilly in the next book.

Glad you like the review.. since I'm usually not very coherent.
[identity profile] stone-princess.livejournal.com on August 10th, 2005 10:37 pm (UTC)
I haven't decided how I feel about the author's deviation from the usual structure of the books. Usually I'm for such changes, but in this case, I kind want all the books to really fit together and part of that is having the same structure for each one. BUt OotP deviated too, having having all the outside of Hogwarts stuff. I'm a little worried that she won't be able to tie up all the stuff she introduced in just one more book.

Regulus Black was also my first thought for the mysterious "RAB."
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