Jul 21 2007
Author: J.K. Rowling
ISBN: 9780747591054 DDC: 823.914
Book Seven in the Harry Potter series.
See also: LibraryThing ; Heather Anne (spoilers) ; Andrea’s Atrium (Spoiler LADEN) ; Klondar Industries (contains spoilers) ; Things Mean A Lot(some spoilers) ; Answer the call (spoiler Free)
The two men appeared out of nowhere, a few yards apart in the narrow, moonlit lane.
Jul 18 2007
Dir: David Yates
Writ: Michael Goldenberg Based on novel by J.K. Rowling
I don’t remember much of the book. I know that I did read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and I do remember the ending, but a lot of what went on in the middle. No recollection whatsoever. So in a way you could say that I wasn’t faced with comparing the novel and the film. Which is a good thing. And without that comparison I’d have to say that this is a good film. (there are spoilers for the previous books/films below the cut. None for The Order of the Phoenix.)
Tags: 8 Stars, based on book, Daniel Radcliffe, David Yates, Dementors, Emma Watson, family film, flashbacks, Gary Oldman, Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Imelda Staunton, J.K. Rowling, Julie Walters, magic, Mark Williams, Michael Gambon, Michael Goldenberg, Ralph Fiennes, Rupert Grint, series, sff, special effects, wizardsJul 24 2005
Do you know why I really hate labels[1], especially genre labels?
Well it is because everyone has their own definition of what fits a certain label, and they are only aware of what they know. Yet this lack of knowledge doesn’t stop them from commenting on the rest of their genre, or their relation to a particular genre.
It is a common theme of Dave Langford’s, and often comes up in his opinion piece in SFX. In his piece this month[2] he tells us that Stephen Fry believes that Douglas Adams didn’t write any sci-fi and that Battlestar Galactica isn’t sci-fi, at least according to the Boston Globe.
So you’ll be glad to hear then that, although she doesn’t like fantasy, J.K. Rowling thinks she has subverted the genre in the Harry Potter books. But at least she admits she writes fantasy. And according to the article[3] today in the Sunday Times she didn’t even realise that the first book was fantasy until after it was written.
So despite the fact that she hasn’t actually read all that much in the fantasy genre Rowling still thinks that she was trying to subvert the genre. Well, see, you can’t subvert something unless you have a vague idea what it is actually all about. So many people seem to think of fantasy as mindless escapism, with fairies and elves and oh-so-obvious bad guys and good guys that always win. And while books like that certainly exist they aren’t the only examples of fantasy. And sci-fi is not just Star Wars and Star Trek!
Of course there are a lot of sci-fi and fantasy clichés. The fact that something is a cliché means that it exists and is overused. That doesn’t mean they are the only forms of sci-fi and fantasy. Anyone who has read a fair amount of these genres will know that there are authors already out there subverting the cliches, and that HP is as far from subversion as it is possible to be.
This doesn’t mean I don’t like Harry Potter, but I don’t think it is earthshatteringly good either, it is a very readable entertaining children’s book.
[1] - I don’t really hate labels, I just hate them when they are used in a limiting fashion, and when the attitude seems to be, “oh, but that’s only *insert label* and so not worthy of anything” (back)
[2] -See As Others See Us, a previous example of Langford’s SFX columns. (back)
[3] - This article was previously published in Time and can be read online here
Tags: BSG, clichéd, Dave Langford, Douglas Adams, J.K. Rowling, labelling, sci-fi, sff, subverting genreJul 24 2005
Author: JK Rowling
ISBN: 0747581088
SPOILERS for book 5, NOT for this book.
Book six in the series and I really should have reread number 5 before this one but I didn’t. Ah well, I’d say I have plenty of time to read the entire series again before the final book in the series is written and published.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince starts off in the muggle world, with the Prime Minister getting a visit from the wizard world, maybe Tony Blair will get a chance to have a little cameo in the film version, if he stays in power long enough. This allows for a brief recap of the events so far, just to refresh your memory. It also allows the reader to realise that Voldemort and the Death Eaters are having an impact on the ordinary world.
I read it one day, and when it finished I was felt a little disappointed by it, I’m not quite sure. I’ve never thought the writing in any of the books exceptional, but normally the plot is more than entertaining and sweeps you along until the book finishes and you are forced to wait around for the next instalment. In this case however I felt that everything was a little predictable.
As for who dies, well I’m not going to spoil it, but I will say that I don’t think Rowling does a good job of writing death scenes. Sirius was one of my favourite characters, but his death in the last book didn’t really have an impact on me. It is almost skimmed over, and there is a similar feeling here.
Overall the book is readable and entertaining, there are some great touches here and there, but all things considered this is just an okay read.
Flourish and Botts: for discussing all the HP books |
Tags: 6 Stars, entertaining, Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling, series, sff