Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4) [Paperback]

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the long-awaited, heavily hyped fourth instalment of a phenomenally successful series that has captured the imagination of millions of readers, young and old, across the globe. For J K Rowling the pressure is certainly on to continue to come up with thrilling, pacey storylines that allow her hero to mature into a young man without detracting from the magical secret that has made Harry into a superstar. In this book, the teenage Harry has a certain gawky charm that fits well with his advancing adolescence. As the story moves on, Harry too moves on to a new level of maturity that leaves the reader wondering how he will learn from his experiences, and liking him all the more as a character.

Once returned to Hogwarts after his summer holiday with the dreadful Dursleys and an extraordinary outing to the Quidditch World Cup, the 14-year-old Harry and his fellow pupils are enraptured by the promise of the Triwizard Tournament: an ancient, ritualistic tournament that brings Hogwarts together with two other schools of wizardry--Durmstrang and Beauxbatons--in heated competition. But when Harry's name is pulled from the Goblet of Fire, and he is chosen to champion Hogwarts in the tournament, the trouble really begins. Still reeling from the effects of a terrifying nightmare that has left him shaken, and with the lightning-shaped scar on his head throbbing with pain (a sure sign that the evil Voldemort, Harry's sworn enemy, is close), Harry becomes at once the most popular boy in school. Yet, despite his fame, he is totally unprepared for the furore that follows.

This is a hefty volume: 636 pages, of which probably at least 200 could have been cut without detracting from the story. The weight and complexity of the book is perhaps a hint that Rowling now has her eye sharply focused on her adult audience, and the average child-reader (particularly one who is coming to Harry Potter for the first time) may well find its girth daunting. Rowling's ironic and pointed observations on tabloid journalism and the nature of media hype is just one of the references littered through the book that will tickle the grown-ups but may well fly over the heads of her young fans.

However, after a slow start, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire really starts to sparkle halfway through with Rowling's familiar magic (and yes, there is a death--sudden and tragic--and yes, Harry does start to notice girls). The crux of this story, however, is Harry's gradual coming-of-age and his handling of the increasingly determined threats to his own life.

This book is pivotal, not just for the author for whom the heat is well and truly on, but for Harry and his readers who, by the last chapter, are left in little doubt that there is much more to come. (Ages 10 to adult) --Susan Harrison

'Hooray for Harry Potter... [Harry's] adventures are as funny as Roald Dahl's stories and as vivid as Narnia books - and adults seem to enjoy them as much as their children' Daily Mail 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire has finally been unleashed. And is it good? You bet it is. Harry's - and our - fourth year at Hogwarts is funny, full of delicious parodies of our own world, and wildly action-packed' The Times 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is inventive, open-minded, and carries the hallmark of Rowling's imagination and scholarship ... pure magic' Mirror 'There isn't a dull page ... the plot fits together like a wondrous jigsaw' Sunday Express --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

'I can honestly say I can't remember the last time I encountered an author who has had this effect on me. For the first time in years the book lives up to the hype perfection' Daily Express 'The most remarkable publishing sensation for a generation the story is told with such momentum, imagination and irrepressible humour that it can captivate both adults and children' Sunday Express 'Rowling deserves all the plaudits that are being heaped upon her. For once, the word phenomenon is an understatement' Scotland on Sunday 'Extraordinarily vivid and exceptionally well-imagined' Independent on Sunday

The summer holidays are dragging on and Harry Potter can't wait for the start of the school year. It is his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and there are spells to be learnt and (unluckily) Potions and Divination lessons to be attended. But Harry can't know that the atmosphere is darkening around him, and his worst enemy is preparing a fate that it seems will be inescapable ...With characteristic wit, fast-paced humour and marvellous emotional depth, J.K. Rowling has proved herself yet again to be a master story-teller.

comments of the Harry Potter Cassettes and CDs
This release is complete and unabridged with not a word added nor a word taken out.

As with

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

this long-awaited fourth instalment of the Harry Potter adventures is available on both cassette and CD with Stephen Fry as the narrator.

A review from The Times said that "Stephen Fry is your Potter-perfect narrator" and The Guardian considers that "Fry's reading is sublime".

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone made history when it was broadcast in its entirety on Boxing Day 2000 on Radio 4. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was J.K. Rowling's first novel, followed by 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, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, as well as two books written specifically for Comic Relief and based on the Harry Potter novels: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages. The Harry Potter novels have now sold over 325 million copies worldwide and been translated into 64 languages. J.K. Rowling has generated huge popular appeal for her books across the generations in an unprecedented fashion: she was the first children's author to be voted the BA Author of the Year, and also to win the British Book Awards Author of the Year.