Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

[piasharn]

I doubt anyone was waiting for my review of the latest Harry Potter book. After all, I was one of the last people to read it. (I tried to pick up a copy while in California, but all of the bookstores I went to were sold out.) Still, for those of you who give a damn, here's my initial response.

I quite enjoyed it. J. K. Rowling's writing gets progressively better, and I simply adore her naming system. (I dare anyone to think of a better name for a werewolf than 'Remus Lupin'.) Speaking of names, I may have to write an entry about that later. Poking through the HP Lexicon has brought references and connections to my attention that I hadn't noticed before.

First of all, was I right about the 'Old Crowd' or what? Several other predictions that came true: Hagrid visiting the giants, Percy choosing his ambitions over his family and Hermione becoming a Prefect. (All right, I never stated that last one. I figured it was a given... what do you want to bet that she will be Head Girl as well?)

What I wasn't right on... the Big Death.

I had gotten over-confident in myself and my predictions. Thus, I kept assuming that it would be Dumbledor. Instead, it was Sirius, and I never saw it coming.

I had had mixed feeling on Sirius for a while. On the one hand, he inrigues me. However, I was hesitant about him. What sort of friend would lure Snape into an encounter with Lupin-as-a-wolf? Did he ever stop and think how Lupin would have reacted had James not stepped in? Even with someone like Snape, I can't see Lupin taking an attack lightly, even if he had no control in the matter.

We learned so much about Sirius in this book, though. I think his childhood was worse than Harry's has been. But Sirius pulled through and ended up on the right side. If he had been a good little boy, he would have doubtless ended up like that prat Draco Malfoy.

(Speak of the devil... while it was nice that the little git wasn't in this book as much, he seems to have made up for it by being three times as annoying. I still don't understand how anyone can like him.)

Still, I finally got to really respect Sirius, and then he goes and dies ;_; Yes, that scene (and the ones after it) made me cry. Stop laughing. The character I really feel sorry for is Remus, though. That poor man... He never had many friends in the first place, and now the one close friend he had left is dead.

Moving on to more cheerful topics...

Neville and Professor McGonagall now officially rock. I've grown rather fond of Neville, and I was delighted to see him improving his self-esteem and abilities. I've also added Nymphadora Tonks to my Favourite Character List. I wish I could change my hair every day like that...

Luna Lovegood is another interesting addition. Funny, but not annoying, and I think there's more to her than meets the eye. There's a few scenes where I think she's really on to something.

There's more I'd like to write. However, I want to reread the book (possibly the first four novels as well) and think about some things before I do.

Comments

Yes!

[fuujin81.livejournal.com]

I know how you feel! I had to dig through 15 boxes of packed stuff to find the rest of my HP books and read them, right after I finished book 5... then I had to reread it to tie things properly together in my mind.
Poor Remus... I want to cry when I think of him :( I think he is quite possibly the most tragic character in the series. At this point, at least...