Pete Nattress Cheesy Bits img src/uploads/sccheesegif
Registered 23/09/2002
Points 4811
18th July, 2005 at 19:12:07 -
If you didn't read the title, this post contains spoilers for the 6th Harry Potter book, and I would advise you not to read any further if you're a fan and haven't finished the book.
Who else has read the book yet? I have, and personally, I thought it was pretty crap. Seemed more like the first part of a 2 part book rather than a standalone story - yes, it is part of a series, but the previous books have managed to stand alone and draw conclusive endings. This one didn't. The insight into Riddle's past was interesting enough, and the death of Dumbledore was very well written, yet... I found the pacing off, the plot too formulaic, and the writing self indulgent. Love stories popping in and out every chapter, yet written as though the characters were 6 rather than 16. More questions asked than answered. Attempts to create a sense mystery (e.g. who the Prince was, what Malfoy was doing) were just tedious. And, most surprising of all, very little of the flair Rowling exhibited in her previous books. The whole thing was written as though she was rushing, just wanting to get to the final book in the series.
That said, I can't say I'm not already anticipating the finale, and the last chapter of this book did provide a good sense of grim foreboding. There's a sort of sense that it couldn't possibly be bad, like with Star Wars 3. All the buildup is now done. As a sidenote, do you think Snape is really bad, or just involved with a scheme of Dumbledore's that entailed his own murder? I like to think the latter: it would be a pretty raw deal if Snape really did turn out to have been "evil"; egg on Dumbledore's face at any rate.
Peblo Custom ratings must be 50 characters or less
Registered 05/07/2002
Points 185
18th July, 2005 at 20:01:57 -
I thought they rushed the book. There was little suspence and the little there was was uninteresting. I could have cared less what Malfoy was doing, or who the half-blood prince was. Also, I think that becasue of the way it ended, there will be more than 7 books. Now that he's not at Hogwarts the plot could be taken anywhere. I did not like the book at all. Harry Potter is going downhill fast.
"Isn't it always amazing how we characterize a person's intelligence by how closely their thinking matches ours?"
~Belgarath
My sister seemed to like it, I think that she read it too quickly because now she has to wait even longer until the next one.
She told me about what happened but to be honest I don't really care too much, ive not read any of the books.
My sister finished it at 9 in the morning after we got it at midnight. She liked it too, but everyone else I've talked to thought it wasn't as good as the rest of the series.
it was 600 pages of nothing, after #4 it seemed to go downhill. the last two were like plot setups for #7. it is too bad. I didn't even feel very sorry for dumbledore. and that cave adventure was lacking at best.
Steve Zissou: Anne-Marie, do all the interns get Glocks?
I liked it- but it didn't seem to have a plot. There wasn't anything in-between to get excited about.
Plot-out line (if you can call it a plot): They go to Hogwarts (again). They fall in love (pointlessly, might I add). They try to solve a very obvious mystery. Harry takes privite lessons with Dumbledore. They go into a cave to find 'Horcauxs' or whatever. They come back. Dumbledore snuffs it.
Where was the adventure? Where was the danger?
Dumbledore dies in a really anti-climactic way. I wanted him to go down fighting rather then him just sitting there moaning for Snape's help (Snape turned out to be a b*****d after all). Tonks popped up everywhere just to be miserable, and Lupin was hardly in it at all.
Somehow I enjoyed it, but not as much as the previous installments.
I hope the next one is better...
Fine Garbage since 2003.
CURRENT PROJECT:
-Paying off a massive amount of debt in college loans.
-Working in television.
Peblo Custom ratings must be 50 characters or less
Registered 05/07/2002
Points 185
21st July, 2005 at 01:13:07 -
And there's a link to buy the book at the bottom too. How fitting.
"Isn't it always amazing how we characterize a person's intelligence by how closely their thinking matches ours?"
~Belgarath
I think 4 was far too formulaic. 5 managed to break the formula and was bloody good but 6 was a little rushed feeling. The whole horcrux plot was alright, but just didn't seem to work that well.The best bits were Riddle's past.
I didn't mind the pensieve as a plot device, but then having Dumbledore explain how this affect's Voldy's character development was really stretching it.
i read the book pretty quickly, didn't buy it at midnight though
it kept me reading even though bits of it were rather dull
i kinda didn't care about malfoy but i did wonder about snape
always hated him, as if i actually, no...
Just finished the book, not bad I don't think, but not as great as the previous books.
I liked finding out about Voldemort and the Horcroxes or whatever.
And Harry deciding not to go to Hogwarts, is this Rowlings way of extending the series of books past 7? That would be a bit crazy.
I admit, im a major fan of the books, the films being okay but somewhat ruined by the cheesy acting. Ive just finished the 6 book at 4 this morning and i was shocked that such a majoy character was killed and yet there werent really many rumours going around about it. In the 5th book i seem to remember EVERYONE asking me who dies in the book, it was like a big secret. I was disapointed with the way dumbledore died. I thought it would have been better if voldemort had killed him, or perhaps even harry without realising it, some kinda trap that voldemort sets up- that would have been cool. JUST LIKE THE FIFTH BOOK THOUGH! Both Sirius and Dumbledore die Without needing to, its kinda old. Im not really sure what to think of the book. It didnt seem as magical and full of creatures etc as the other books.
The last point, when harry kept going into the pensieve, i found this annoying, becasue then they would come back and have indepth discussions on what they had seen, i began to go off track, aswell as the time Dumbledore rambles on about Horcruxes! ALSO! i cant believe Hermione would not return to school to be with harry.. Please shes meant to be seriously brainy why would she miss out on her NEWTS?
The horcruxes are in places that were significant to Voldemort, theres probably one in that orphanage.
That R.A.B. guy knew Voldy well, I'm thinking it's probably Burke from Borgin and Burkes
I also think its kinda obvious that Harry will have to vistit Azkaban prison.. I mean, were gonna have to know what its like, like we know what the castles like. I think Harry and Voldemort will die, and ron and hermione will screw, have a kid called Harry weasley and hey presto the next series is born... or maybe not.
Ack, I hate the HP books. They're all sloppily written and the literature grinds my mind the way Photoshopped blur & layer effects on photos do. The only difference between the new ones and the old ones is that the new ones are a very slight increase in literature, with a heavy drop in fun.
If I wanted to read something of the genre, I'd write a novel on it. But I just HATE the way people compare my stuff to JKR & Tolkien. "The language is too hard to understand, but easier than JKR", "It doesn't have enough little kids waving wands", "Why does magic have to be scientific, it's MAGIC". If HP never existed, my novel would have long been finished.
Disclaimer: Any sarcasm in my posts will not be mentioned as that would ruin the purpose. It is assumed that the reader is intelligent enough to tell the difference between what is sarcasm and what is not.