Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6)
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| Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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We could tell you, but then we'd have to Obliviate your memory.
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The long-awaited, eagerly anticipated, arguably over-hyped Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has arrived, and the question on the minds of kids, adults, fans, and skeptics alike is, "Is it worth the hype?" The answer, luckily, is simple: yep. A magnificent spectacle more than worth the price of admission, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will blow you away. However, given that so much has gone into protecting the secrets of the book (including armored trucks and injunctions), don't expect any spoilers in this review. It's much more fun not knowing what's coming--and in the case of Rowling's delicious sixth book, you don't want to know. Just sit tight, despite the earth-shattering revelations that will have your head in your hands as you hope the words will rearrange themselves into a different story. But take one warning to heart: do not open Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince until you have first found a secluded spot, safe from curious eyes, where you can tuck in for a good long read. Because once you start, you won't stop until you reach the very last page.
A darker book than any in the series thus far with a level of sophistication belying its genre, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince moves the series into murkier waters and marks the arrival of Rowling onto the adult literary scene. While she has long been praised for her cleverness and wit, the strength of Book 6 lies in her subtle development of key characters, as well as her carefully nuanced depiction of a community at war. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, no one and nothing is safe, including preconceived notions of good and evil and of right and wrong. With each book in her increasingly remarkable series, fans have nervously watched J.K. Rowling raise the stakes; gone are the simple delights of butterbeer and enchanted candy, and days when the worst ailment could be cured by a bite of chocolate. A series that began as a colorful lark full of magic and discovery has become a dark and deadly war zone. But this should not come as a shock to loyal readers. Rowling readied fans with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by killing off popular characters and engaging the young students in battle. Still, there is an unexpected bleakness from the start of Book 6 that casts a mean shadow over Quidditch games, silly flirtations, and mountains of homework. Ready or not, the tremendous ending of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will leave stunned fans wondering what great and terrible events await in Book 7 if this sinister darkness is meant to light the way. --Daphne Durham Visit the Harry Potter Store
Why We Love Harry Favorite Moments from the Series There are plenty of reasons to love Rowling's wildly popular series--no doubt you have several dozen of your own. Our list features favorite moments, characters, and artifacts from the first five books. Keep in mind that this list is by no means exhaustive (what we love about Harry could fill ten books!) and does not include any of the spectacular revelatory moments that would spoil the books for those (few) who have not read them. Enjoy. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Magic, Mystery, and Mayhem: A Conversation with J.K. Rowling Find out more about Harry's creator in our exclusive interview with J.K. Rowling.
A Few Words from Mary GrandPré |
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| Reader Reviews Below Sorted by Newest First | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 02-20-07 | 5 | 0\1 |
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The Deluxe Edition is rather nice-same great story, book was shipping quickly.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-02-21 03:25:08 EST)
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| 02-20-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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If you are not a Potter fan, I suggest you become one so you can read this book!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-02-21 03:25:08 EST)
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| 02-20-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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Nice cover artwork, extra illustrations and slipcase...for a few extra bucks - more than worth it...
Too bad they started this format with Volume 5 and 6.... how do we get them to release vol 1 - 4 in this format??? later (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-02-21 03:25:08 EST)
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| 02-18-07 | 2 | 1\4 |
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Now, before I begin, I think that what J.K. Rowling has done is great. Tons of kids have put extra time into learning to read just so that they can soak up these books, and her novels have themselves started campaigns to raise literacy rates across the globe. And that ain't worth nothing. That isn't to say, though, that I believe that all of her praise is due. Hardly a word of what is written in the standing 6 installments of the Harry Potter series is even approaching original. Hardly a word is anything less than predictable, either, and it is clear that Rowling herself has written each novel increasingly reacting to pressure from fans. It isn't the mark of an author to sculpt books around what fans clamor for, but much of what she has written is not her ink. For example: it is clear that the ever-increasing death rate in the books has been placed in deliberately, at the will of those wanting more realism. Oh, yeah, spoiler alert. So, in the fourth, we were all told pre-release that "oh no! Someone dies!" And, of course, being avid fans, we ate it up. Yeah, all of us. Who did it turn out to be? A nobody. A minor, secondary character, that was never given any depth whatsoever (the treatment that Rowling gives to many of her characters). The next book comes along, and to react to the readers realization that the last death meant nothing and was Rowling trying to bring the book to more "adult" readers by making the series dark, another character dies. This time, an important one. But, oh no, once again, a one-sided character that was never developed or played any large role in the story that we read. Sure, he was important to Harry; he was never made important to the reader, however, which seems to be Rowling's M.O. So, in the following book, just to reassure everyone that she is ready to churn out something "serious" and "dark" and "adult," Rowling kills off a major character, finally one of the, oh, five that have been in any way developed. Stunning, I'm sure, to the readership who weren't able to read at the time of the American popularization of the series. Anyone older than that, though, is fooling themselves to say that they were surprised by anything that has happened since the start of Book 1. This book, like it's predecessors, was unoriginal, unsurprising, and remains firmly mediocre.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-02-21 03:25:08 EST)
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| 02-14-07 | 3 | 1\1 |
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There's 3000 reviews here, but all that I saw where for the book, not the audio book. Perhaps this review will just get lost amid all those, but for what it's worth this is a review of the audio book by Jim Dale.
I'm a adult fan of the HP books and got the Audio CD set of book six to play in the car during trips, or to play around the house while working. I enjoy the books and this version is the only audio book choice, so if you want that format, go ahead and get it. But for what it's worth I found Mr. Dale's reading style very stuffy. True, I'm a Yank and the reader is appropriately Brit, so maybe I just don't have the ear for this, but Harry and his friends are kids. They say things like "I'm such an idiot!" When Dale reads this sort of dialog as if it's Hamlet, the HP kids don't sound the correct age, or even like they live in the 20/21st century. Some of his character voices are highly amusing. Luna Lovegood's voice is so loopy that you can easily understand why her fellow students call her "Loony." However - and this is a huge problem to me - Dumbledore sounds so feeble he belongs in a rest-home for the aged. Dale's interpretation of Dumbledore's voice makes it difficult not to think of him as senile. It makes the character's legendary powers of perception and his strenuous adventure at the cave difficult to believe. This is nit-picking, but I had problems with a couple of name pronunciations as well. Dale pronounces Scrimgeour as "Scrimjaw" but perhaps the name is different in the American version of the book - I don't know. Or maybe I just don't know the proper English pronunciation of "geour." LOL Anyway, this CD is the only choice for the sight impared or those who want to listen while they do other activities, so you'll get it anyway. However, I thought the overall interpretation of the material rather dry and formal. But that's from a Californian, not a Londoner. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-02-18 04:36:21 EST)
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| 02-13-07 | 5 | 1\3 |
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This month I read aloud Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to my 12-year-old son. I guess that calls for a confession: I love this series. (There go half my readers.) J. K. Rowling knows how to write a book. Her plots are complex; her characters are engaging; her setting is irresistible; her language is fun. I am currently writing a youth fiction series, and I will model my work after hers--not because of her sales but because of her talent.
Simon and I had heard that one of the main characters would die in this book, and we got most of the family making bets on who it would be. I noticed the older kids pretending not to listen in, but they were as curious as we were. When we got to the end, I threw the book on the floor in agony--I was wrong, cruelly wrong. All the clues Ms. Rowling had given me had fallen on deaf ears (or blind eyes) until the last moment. And now I have to wait two thousand years for the next book... SCORE (on a scale of 1-10, 1 being poor, 10 being excellent) Readability: 10 Message: 7 [I do like the ancient story of good vs. evil, and she's clearly on the side of the good--but I'm starting to get depressed by her apparent belief in the power of evil] (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-02-16 07:26:37 EST)
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| 02-13-07 | 3 | 2\3 |
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After her rather dissaisfyingly written fifth volume, Ms Rowling apparently felt the need to reconsider her writing.
This sixth episode closely recalls the second one: once again she uses a fairy tale approach, rich in descriptions of everyday magical life at school to tell a gloom story of death and insanity. It worked very well in the Chamber of Secrets but does not really work here: the story holds of course, Hogwarts is alive and keeps the reader's imagination alive too, but the plot is lacking in suspence and even, strange to say, in her author's usual sense of humour. I could not really worry about Malfoy's machinations nor could I really relate with the characters' love troubles because they never really came to life to me; a sort of detachment filters through the lines as if Ms Rowling were a little tired of her novels. The whole conclusion, soon after the final battle, felt rhetorical and unconvincing, not to mention the fact that it is hard to understand how Harry keeps on surviving deadly foes being after all an average wizard. I really hope the soon to be published seventh book will make up for all these flaws so that we shall not have to complain about an excellent story gone to waste. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-02-16 07:26:37 EST)
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| 02-13-07 | 5 | 1\1 |
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I ordered the paperback version because I'm cheap. Working with a paperback of this girth is difficult to handle for extended periods of time.
In retrospect, I should have bought a used hardcover version instead of the new paperback. The binding on my paperback is cracked in several places because I forced it open to lessen the pressure required to keep the book open. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-02-16 07:26:37 EST)
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| 02-13-07 | 5 | 0\1 |
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This was a fast moving book with lots of character development and twists in it. While we enjoyed it, we were also saddened by the ending. We are eager to get to book seven in the hopes that J. K. Rowling will keep the faith with the reader and twist the plot into one that will make us want to continue reading the books over and over again. Because we have enjoyed these books so much we have them on CD and tape so we can listen to them while we are taking trips in the car. Seattle to Kansas City and back again with Harry Potter.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-02-16 07:26:37 EST)
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| 02-12-07 | 4 | 0\1 |
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I bought the british hardcover with the black dust jacket - just to be different - but the story filled my greedy need for this tale to go on to a such a point that now my greed cannot be quenched!
If it was action packed, it was - but Rowling stays true to the baseline, and that's what keeps a thirty-something hooked. :) (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-02-14 14:51:03 EST)
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| 02-06-07 | 5 | 0\1 |
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The Harry Potter books keep getting better, unlike most series where they get old. Once you start reading it you can't put it down. If you liked the other Harry Potter books, than I suggest you get a copy of the sixth as soon as you can.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-02-12 08:53:00 EST)
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| 02-02-07 | 3 | 1\2 |
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"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" has an interesting blend of strengths and weaknesses.Its highlights are Harry's glimpses in the Pensieve of the young Voldemort,realizing his similarities with the wizard who nearly destroyed him as an infant.It's a fascinating and well-done use of flashbacks.Another highlight is the concept of the Horcrux.Rowling has developed her own mythology,and it's coherent.Finally,there is Dumbledore's death.While it is moving,it also leaves questions for the reader-did Dumbledore REALLY die?Was it someone else?Will he be raised from the dead like Gandalf?Again,the open-ended ending leaves the reader wanting more.
At the same time,it has weaknesses.The romance between Harry&Ginny feels tacked on.It's stuck on the end,as if Rowling suddenly realized,"Oh no!Harry hasn't been dating for most of the book!" It feels like an afterthought,and is unconvincing.What's also interesting is that Rowling makes it clear that Harry&Cho still have feelings for each other.Who knows?Another weakness is the explanation for the "Half-Blood Prince." Since there's no royalty at Hogwarts...it comes across as a gimmick. Rowling is an original writer,and I look forward to the 7th book. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-02-06 06:12:41 EST)
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| 01-30-07 | 5 | 0\3 |
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This series only gets better. Too bad there's only one more.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-02-03 03:20:39 EST)
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| 01-27-07 | 5 | 0\1 |
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I own and have heard the five other Harry Potter novels done by Jim Dale, so of course I had to finally add this one to my collection. I am so glad that I did! Not only does he continue to amaze me with the sheer number of voices that he has created for this series, but his delivery of the large volume of sarcastic wit peppered throughout is always spot on, and the end of this particular set is specifically magnificent because of the emotions he conveys on the characters' behalf. I actually got chills during a few scenes. His voice adds that extra something to the story that brings it to life for the listener. I am an adult, and a very enthusiastic Harry Potter fan, and though the books are magnificent on their own, these books on CD, especially "Half-Blood Prince," are certainly their own entity. Even if you don't like to read, these CDs will not fail to entertain you.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-30 14:46:40 EST)
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| 01-26-07 | 5 | 0\1 |
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I love this book and everything about it. The death at the end was sad and expected. It's darker tone is more adult and suprisingly enjoyable. I recomend this book for any Harry Potter fan.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-30 14:46:40 EST)
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| 01-23-07 | 5 | 1\2 |
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I love this book, and I can't wait until the last one!!! :)
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-27 02:25:04 EST)
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| 01-21-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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As always the Harry Potter books do not disappoint. It's easy to read through to the end in a day or two because you're so "into it". Can't wait for the last book ... only I wish there were more.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-24 16:01:51 EST)
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| 01-20-07 | 5 | 0\2 |
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I have read all the Harry Potter books and again when is the next one I may die before I get to read it Im old exciting and kept me read straight throught it Jan
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-24 16:01:51 EST)
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| 01-19-07 | 4 | 0\2 |
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I don't think this one is as good as the others before it, but maybe that's because it's so much darker. And
I'm just saying.... (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-22 02:28:30 EST)
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| 01-19-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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The shipping was timely and secure. The book was packaged so there was no way the book could be damaged in shipping. The book was exactly in the condition that the seller described.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-22 02:28:30 EST)
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| 01-18-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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Buy the book. you will be lost in the world of harry potter.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-21 02:28:24 EST)
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| 01-16-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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As all of the other Harry Potter books. This one is just a great a read. All the series of Harry Potter books are a wonderful fantasy. They all leave you in waiting for another continuing story. Now, that i have read and own all the series, i can't wait until the last book comes out. I am sure that i will be a dissappointment thast there will be no more. I also own all the audio books. My children have also read them and read them over and over again. We find that every time you re-read the books there is something that we missed. This is a great set of boooks.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-19 02:53:19 EST)
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| 01-16-07 | 5 | 1\1 |
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My Harry Potter experience begins at some point when I was little. I dont quite remembering getting the first four books, but what I barely remeber is holding the Fifth one in my hand, calling my freind lazily that I had gotten it...At this point I hadnt read ANY of the Harry Potter books...weird huh?...For some reason I bought the books but never read them. My brother was the only one who read them in our family because our grandfather had told him about it. So, on the night the Half-Blood Prince came out, I said to myself, Well alright...big deal, it's probally exciting to ALOT of people. And ofcourse im ok with that! I've seen all 3 movies!(at that point, it was three movies) So, finally, the clock strikes 12 am..everybodies getting in line for the book, my annoying cousins being uncontrabbly annoying, and once its our turn, I got the book. I couldnt help, even though I wasnt a Harry Potter reader yet, a exitment surging threw my body. (At a time, I had tried to read Prisoner of Askaban, not having read the other 2, and lazily gave up.) So, we get home(I was with my brother), and we go into to my room and my brother watches me slide the book with the others i havent read. I just sighed inside i guess( i dont remeber) and decided...I have all these books, my brother is urging me too read. So, I start on the Fourth book, since i alrdy have seen the movies for 1-3. I sit on the couch, and start digging in.
Once, we had moved, (About a few days later) on about the second day, i had finished GOF and the duel with Voldemort was SO exciting, so intense, so addictive, I just HAD to read the fifth and find out what Harry Potter will do to protect his freinds and himself from the return of Lord Voldemort. Finishing, the fifth one a few weeks later, I get more urge to wanting it more. (Ofcourse, i was hooked since book four) And I come to, finally, Half-Blood Prince. If I were givin the chance to choose which boo kwas best, I'd say Sixth was the greatest, hands-down. It's SO easily written, so clever. Harry is maturing, and hes becoming more confident. Of course, with a death in the book, I promise for NO SPOILERS. But please, take my word when I say: once the 7th book comes out, the final intallment, Half-Blood Prince WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN. Of course, seventh, in my guess wil be the greatest of all Harry Potter books. It has to be, but Half-Blood Prince, will, no matter what, be RIGHT next to it. It's hilarious, addictive, comftrable, action pack, suspenseful, and cliff hanging at the begining to finish. The ending will have a BIG BANG. And when I say big bang like i say, I want it to move you forward to buy this Priceless book and chew threw it till the end. and realize what I mean. It's flawless. Truly flawless. I cannot call myself a true Harry Potter fan JUST yet. But I am making it a life long dream to become one. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-19 02:53:19 EST)
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| 01-12-07 | 4 | (NA) |
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My kids (17,16,13 and 11) and I used this product on our holiday trip through Western Canada and on Vancouver Island in August 2006. We had read the book before and thought it would be fun to listen to it on our travels. An extra bonus was that it is read by the same fellow that narrates the bonus items on the DVDs. Though it was a tad pricey, I would recommend it to any Harry Potter fan.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-16 04:35:16 EST)
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| 01-11-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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Paperback is good from a ecology point of view, but I would like
a best quality paper. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-16 04:35:16 EST)
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| 01-09-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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I couldn't make time to sit and read the book. I only read the first couple of chapters and had to stop. So I bought this CD set. I spend 40 minutes a day driving to work and now I look forward to getting in the car and listening for what happens next. The reader on this set of CD's really brings the characters alive, using different voices, tones, inflection, etc. If you need someone to read the book to you, this is the way to go.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-12 04:35:41 EST)
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| 01-09-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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Much of 'Scary Harry' book 5 seemed to turn upon explaining the whole Harry universe. There was more to qualify the existence than action within it. However, with this book, pacing carries you on a frenetic journey that whets your enthusiasm for book 7, indeed.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-12 04:35:41 EST)
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| 01-09-07 | 3 | (NA) |
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The Half-Blood Prince overall is an excellent addition to the Harry Potter series. Perhaps the best part of this book are the informal instruction that is given to Harry by Dumbledore. The insight into Voldemort's past gives him a good deal more depth. Rather than just seeing a despicable amoral villain, we know understand that he was a troubled child that progressed into a souless monster. It makes the story more believable, as other characters similarly become rounded-out and more real.
I kind of enjoy the mind games JK plays on the readers regarding Snape, a character I grow to appreciate more and more. Where are his loyalties? Was Dumbledore's trust in Snape his tragic flaw, as he viewed the best in everyone (such as Tom Riddle) or is there another explanation? Either way Snape is clearly a double (triple) agent and hopefully he will factor heavily with the outcome of the series. When looking back on Book 5 and how it connects with this book, I see how failure, along with death, both reveal hard lessons for the characters and the reader. In previous volumes, Harry triumphs over evil, with astouding skill and intellect (and help from his friends). What we see in book 5 and 6 is that even the best fail in some manner, and that ultimately makes the characters more real for the reader. There are of course some moments which distract slightly from the quality of the book. Some dramatic moments and possiblities are left out, such as an account of Dumbledore's trouble with the ring. Some of the battle with the Order and Death Eaters prior to Harry's arrival could have been seen first hand rather than reported later. But these are minor problems in a rather good book. Harry's obsession with Malfoy is hard to take at some moments, as well as the teenage melodrama. In Young Adult fiction, those things are all excusable however, and this book was entertaining like the rest, one of the best in the series. I'm looking forward to the last book in the series and hoping that all the plot threads come together and there is a fitting end. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-12 04:35:41 EST)
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| 01-09-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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I can only repeat what so many have already said. The Half-Blood Prince is a great story of fantasy and fun, with story twists that keep the reader turning pages. Rowling has her eye on the adult with this novel of Harry Potter, especially. One keeps speculating who the Prince was or is, but that in itself is just one of the puzzles in this complicated, yet easy to follow, great read. Now that months have gone by since I finished it, I realize this is one of those books that one must read and read again. If you haven't read it yet, then you're overdue. Get the book, grab a blanket to snuggle under if it's winter, a cup of your favorite coffee, and ENJOY!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-12 04:35:41 EST)
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| 01-09-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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Great, kept your interest, loved the reader, able to recognize the characters by change in voice. Lover her books.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-12 04:35:41 EST)
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| 01-05-07 | 2 | 0\6 |
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Before anyone bites my head off for the two star rating, I used to be the biggest HP fan in the world. I read the first five books straight in about a week. Then I got my hands on the sixth book. "The Half-Blood Prince". I thought it was just fine, up until Dumbledore ...well, you know. You can call me unfaithful at this point, but I WILL NOT read the seventh book because of Dumbledore's ...well, you know. Granted, I want to see the destruction of Voldemort through the finding of the Horcruxes, but really, NO DUMBLEDORE??? Unless he comes back or something stupid like that...no one can survive the Unforgivable Curse...except Harry. Maybe Dumbledore could too...wait. Maybe I will read the seventh book.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-08 05:08:21 EST)
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| 01-04-07 | 5 | 1\1 |
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This book was great. Another awesome job of J.K. I can't wait for the final book to be available.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-08 05:08:21 EST)
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| 01-03-07 | 5 | 1\1 |
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If you are new to Harry Potter, start at book 1. And then go all the way through them all. Fast reads.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-06 02:24:57 EST)
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| 01-03-07 | 5 | 2\2 |
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As with all of her books, Rowlings has written a first rate story. Keeps the mystery, unexpected happenings and, of course, the ending demise of a very prominent principle. The next and last book has a lot to live up to, but I have no dought that Rowlings will live up to the high standards she has set for herself.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-06 02:24:57 EST)
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| 01-02-07 | 2 | 0\2 |
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The other books up to this one were good. Half-Blood Prince was...not so much. J.K.'s writing style was not as good; the plot was not as developed; overall, this book does not demonstrate the skill that showed in the other books.
Unfortunately, you have to read it. The next book promises to be good, and it won't make any sense unless you read this one. Of course, I would have thought from Order of the Pheonix that Half-Blood Prince was going to be good, too, so who can say. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-05 02:24:33 EST)
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| 12-29-06 | 5 | 0\3 |
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I absolutly love this book. This is one of the BEST Harry Potter books ever. J.K. Rowling never ceases to amaze me with her plots.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-01-02 07:50:55 EST)
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| 12-27-06 | 4 | 2\3 |
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Occasionally the dialogue was mediocre, but overall, the book moved well and developed the characters nicely. I'm looking forward to the next one, er whenever that is.
And in light of some other stuff I've been reading, this one's pure bliss to read. (Review Data Last Updated: 2006-12-30 02:36:07 EST)
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| 12-23-06 | 2 | 0\1 |
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J K Rowling is looking hot these days, but alas, the price she has paid is bit too steep, at least for her readers'! I can't believe she is the same author who has entertained and had had so much to do with popularization of this genre! This garbled nonsensical offering at times strange and whimsical and most sadly of all, very boring, leaves us with one question - should we buy her next book? Dear Person, you see lots of competitors are just yapping at your heels, namely Colfer, Garth Nix and many more! There is still time, you know!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-12-28 02:23:30 EST)
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| 12-22-06 | 4 | 1\1 |
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An astonishing turn of the screw. How could Dumbledore make such a big mistake about Snape? Snape is an obviously nasty character and what's more he has always behaved as one. So is it possible that Dumbledore really trusted him?
I think the question cannot be answered yet. We need more information. I do think, though, Dumbledore must have realised the danger involved in the whole situation (that is, Snape might eventually treason him and murder him, as it actually happens) and I think he must have made his plans counting on that too. But we don't know his plans very well so we are left to wait for the last book of the series. (Review Data Last Updated: 2006-12-28 02:23:30 EST)
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| 12-21-06 | 5 | (NA) |
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I got this book the very first day it was released (yes, I stood in line and waited for hours on end for my number to be called!). I can honestly say that this is one of the best books I have ever read. J.K. Rowling is so creative in her work, and she makes Harry a character we can all love and relate to. I have read all five Harry Potter books; each one is fantastic, and this one is no exception. I would definitely tell you to buy this!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-12-23 09:26:14 EST)
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| 12-19-06 | 2 | 0\3 |
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I read the first Harry Potter book when I was young and fell in love with the series. I enjoyed the first five books and was expecting to like this one as well. However, I immediately really dislike the "Half Blood Prince." The first five books of the series were technically kids' books that were relatively easy to understand. However, this one is basically a drama. The characters and scenes were overly melodramatic. It seemed like a character was crying throughout the whole novel. The romantic relationships between the characters were also horribly done. Due to this, most of the book seemed like a combination of a teen romance novel and a Mexican telanovela. JK Rowling demonstrated that she really had no idea how to write love stories.
The problem was that (as I have said), JK tried to make the book into a serious novel. The trouble is, you can't make a serious novel out of a kid's story, especially if the school is named Hogwarts and the main sport is called Quidditch. It's like trying to make "Blue's Clues" as serious as "24." Also, the good guys vs. bad guys is very present in this novel, making it seem like JK stole the plot from George Lucas. If you add two and two together, it seems like "The Half Blood Prince" is a combination of John Wayne and Michael Bay. This book, in my opinion, wasn't very good. (Review Data Last Updated: 2006-12-21 02:25:54 EST)
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| 12-19-06 | 5 | 0\1 |
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LOVE Harry Potter books. This one will give you a good upper arm workout but well worth it. Can't go wrong with Harry Potter. Just great writing and can't wait to see what happens next.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-12-21 02:25:54 EST)
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| 12-15-06 | 5 | (NA) |
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Rowlings' sixth book exceeds her book five
Though another main character doesn't survive She ties the loose ends with a stroke of her pen Answering the previous who's, why's and when,Romance is in bloom behind Hogwarts' thick doors. Spreading like fire or wild mushroom spores `Twixt the O.W.L.S. and the N.E.W.T.S. there is love in the air The girls are on fire, so wizards beware. The darkest so far in terms of the plot. You're guessing someone's a Death Eater, or not When Voldemort's mark appears in the sky Those who can see it know trouble is nigh, The Dark Lord has split up his black, evil soul. It takes seven foul parts now to make him a whole So now the big battle at last has begun Destroy them, all seven, and he will be done. The titular Prince is involved in a killing The ending is action-packed, thrilling and chilling We're down on our knees and praying to heaven That J.K. will sit down and write number seven. Joshua Hagerman, December 15th, 2006 (Review Data Last Updated: 2006-12-17 05:43:05 EST)
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| 12-14-06 | 2 | (NA) |
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As noted by many reviewers, "The Half Blood Prince" fails as a literary work but succeeds as transitional material or as a prequel to the 7th Harry Potter book. There is no plot. Frankly, without the other books in the series it cannot stand alone, has no merit whatsoever as an individual work.
To its credit, there is some interesting information concerning Voldemort's past, but this was often long-winded and could have been severely condensed. The romance was irrelevant and unnecessary. Yes, they're 16 and "in love," but this does not have to take up half the book. Also, I could care less about Tonks and her relationship blues. There were far too many clichés in this book; the one-sidedness is getting annoying (all Slytherines are deceitful, all Gryffindors rule, etc). The interesting characters (Neville and Luna) have been pushed into the background for mundane, clichéd Slughorn and Ginny's many lovers. Cliché death; I cannot re-read the book without grimacing. (Review Data Last Updated: 2006-12-17 05:43:05 EST)
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| 07-30-06 | 2 | (NA) |
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Ah here it begins
another bold tale Of Dark Lords and Wizards Yes, how it is stale The plot and the kids They make me quite sick From Voldy to Potter Their not worth a lick The romance is gross It makes me go hurl Sometimes I wonder If Harry's a girl. I think it would be best For young kids to read A better story Their minds to feed Try Lord of the Rings Or maybe Earthsea But Wizards and Schools It upsets me. And now I finish My sarcastic rhyme As Potter fans cry And waste some more time On Potter Six The most infamous one Oh Potter six I am glad that you're done (Review Data Last Updated: 2006-07-31 01:18:10 EST)
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| 07-28-06 | 5 | 0\1 |
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Loved the book as I have all the others. This one however left me hanging more than the others for the next and unfortunatly the last in the Potter series.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-07-31 01:18:10 EST)
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| 07-27-06 | 3 | 4\7 |
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I was excited to get this book, and shelled out the money to buy it. I read a lot of it on the way home from Wal-Mart, and then the rest of it that very same night. That has been a long time ago now. Yes, it has been a while since it has came out. And yes, this review is a little late. So I will make it short.
There are many things I liked about H-BP; some of the content was just impossible not to like. But as I read, I noticed that the characters seemed very distant. There was a certain lack of introspection throughout the entire book, which kind of bugged me. It was all 'action' and 'talking' but no 'feeling'. The kissing parts... were dragged out, and lagged the book down, to make it too sappy to ever come close to earning five stars from me. But I am not a huge fan of romance novels, so that is just my personal opinion. Yes, the book introduced a new angle to Harry Potter... and it did have a lot of twists and turns that I am still looking forward to see how they play out in the next book. But overall, The Half-blood Prince wasn't captivating, like the predecessors. Hopefully book seven will be better, and will shed new light on this one. (Review Data Last Updated: 2006-07-31 01:18:10 EST)
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| 07-26-06 | 5 | 1\1 |
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LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT its so awesome. i was out of town when it came out. my cousin and i went at midnight, had a ball. we got the book and driving home we were reading the book with the mirror lights from the car, along with the headlight shadows. We didnt look a page ahead. at all. we didnt look to see how many pages their were. we didnt look at the chapter list. that gives it away. i was at his house for the night, and i was downstairs when my brother and he came down and grabbed my book so my bro could read my copy. i got it back. so anyways the next day all we did was eat and read. eat while reading that is. we didnt stop. it was so GOOD. not the food- the book. we finished it in 11 hours, and we wanted to read it again. the laughter, the tears, everthing!!!!!! a must read!!!!!! although if youre gonna read the seiries out of order DO NOT START WITH THIS ONE
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-07-29 01:19:56 EST)
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| 07-20-06 | 1 | 3\29 |
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I was a Harry Potter fan up to this abomination of literature. It is shallow, boring, and far from thoroughly explained. A complete waste of money.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-07-27 01:10:00 EST)
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| 07-18-06 | 5 | 1\2 |
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My seven year old daughter and I both love Harry Potter. This author writes enjoyable stories. Her fantasy books takes you to a place in the life of the book. My daughter loves reading Harry Potter books. The books are great for all children of all ages.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-07-21 01:22:14 EST)
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