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When I read a series of any sort, I expect a certain degree of continuity
in the author's universe- not just consistent locations and chronology, but
also a basic retention of characters' personalities. As an author, J.K.
Rowling has an obligation to pay meticulous attention to sustaining the
wonderful world she has created, but with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood
Prince, she fails utterly.
The nuts and bolts of the story: Harry, Ron, and Hermione, three
pubescent wizards at the Hogwarts School of Magic, continue their sixth year
of magical studies while remaining vigilant for agents of the dark wizard,
Lord Voldemort. Even in the midst of an epic battle between good and evil,
Harry must deal with a crush on his best friend's sister, captainship of
his house's Quidditch team, and a strange but helpful textbook belonging to
the mysterious 'Half-Blood Prince'. There are good teachers and bad teachers,
bullies and mentors, the usual fare for the Potter books.
Rowling's writing is fast-paced, simple, and has enough wit and suspense
to both keep an intelligent reader fairly stimulated, and make a younger
reader feel as though he is reading a 'real book.' Some of her superbly
British diction made it past the translation into Americanese, such as
'snogging:' a euphemism for awkward-to-watch public kissing in a school
hallway.
The ultimate failure of the book doesn't come until the very end. I can
see Rowling with her head in her hands, racking her brain for a good
conclusion to a pretty good book, and coming up empty-handed. She falls into
a depression for months, drops a few glasses of scotch, and betrays
everything she's created. I won't spoil the book, but the author undermines
the essence of a few major characters, altering their perception, mental
faculties, and magical capacities to suit her cheesy, contrived plot twist.
I'm not against killing off main characters-its only natural as a series
comes to a close. However, the entire last few chapters feel sloppy,
honestly.
The book is not all bad, though. Like most of the rest of the novels, it
keeps you reading on, page after page, to solve the mysteries presented. I
had fun with it, at least until the end. The characters are easy enough to
sympathize with, and the plot is good, for the most part. I have now lost a
lot of respect for J.K. Rowling, and mentally strip her of all her
literary credibility, but Harry Potter is Harry Potter, and I'll probably end
up going out and getting the next one that comes around.
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