46 of 53 people found the following review helpful:
The hero's journey continues, 25 Jun 2003
By A Customer
Harry Potter is now a phenomenon. Who would have predicted 4-5 years ago that youngsters would be clamouring for a hardback book numbering more than 750 pages making it the fastest selling novel of all time?
Book 5, The Order of the Phoenix is the next stage of Harry's journey from uncertain and unhappy childhood to fully-blown adult hero. But his journey is not an easy one, for as this installment opens he is unpopular and mistrusted by almost the entire wizarding fraternity, victim of an all-too familiar press-campaign to besmirch his previous good name.
If you're already a Harry Potter fan, chances are you've already bought this. If you're not then it would be unwise to read The Order of the Phoenix without having read books 1-4 first. JK Rowling litters the text with references back to her previous novels, and the impact of certain key moments would be greatly reduced if you aren't familiar with her characters and world (and that most definitely means the BOOKS, not the film versions, to which she makes few concessions).
As with the fourth book The Goblet of Fire, Rowling presents us with an extended sequence before Harry and his fellow-pupils reach Hogwarts. Unlike the overlong and frankly rather tedious Quidditch World Cup chapters in the previous novel, however, the episodes building up to and containing Harry's trial are quite engaging, and serve to introduce a significant number of new characters.
Unfortunately the extended page count does not mean an increase of action in The Order of the Phoenix, and to be brutally honest this book is the slowest paced yet of the series. While the third novel The Prisoner of Azkaban is the most wholly satisfying, this is just good in places, there being three or four stand-out chapters. The rest is often overlong and overwordy and readers will not miss much if they skim through some pages.
The Ministry of Magic, headed by Cornelius Fudge takes a central role in this book. Rowling is unafraid here to call into question the motives and methods of politicians and the media, a bold move which allows older readers to make useful parallels with the real worlds and which could even encourage younger ones to develop an open-minded attitude to what they see and hear on TV and in the papers.
It is interesting to note that while the characters of Harry, Ron, Hermione et al are now aged fifteen, their behaviour and attitudes haven't really changed that much since they were eleven. They are still worried about House points, scoff chocolate frogs and swop cards, and think that owning your own joke-shop is the pinnacle of unorthodox achievement. And there's nothing wrong with that. Rowling's principal readership will be several years younger now than the characters they are reading about and will have no problem identifying with their feelings and priorities. The prospect of Harry and his pals undergoing a more realistic adolescent transformation into unsociable and unlikeable brats is enough to make this reviewer shudder with apprehension.
The love-story between Harry and Cho is tastefully handled, and again is more akin to what might happen between younger readers than genuine 15-16 year-olds. And Rowling avoids the anticipated outcome quite slickly, with Hermione's deconstruction of their disastrous date something of a master-stroke on the writer's behalf.
The much-heralded death-sequence is effectively handled, and Rowling slyly foreshadows it with a series of 'death-moments' involving almost every other key-character in preceeding chapters. Though whether the character involved will be resurrected despite what Nearly-headless Nick tells Harry, remains to be seen. My money would be on some kind of later involvement in the remaining books.
Of the regular characters, Hagrid is kept almost entirely in the background, while we are allowed some pretty revealing insights into Snape's past. We also find out what the adolescent James Potter was really like, a complexity Rowling has built into the storyline which makes Harry question his previous hero-worship of his dad.
Finally a word on the new characters. Umbridge is easily identifiable as the sort of teacher every school has at least one example of, and the mutiny against her by staff and pupils alike is staggeringly effective. She stands alongside Gilderoy Lockhart (who makes a cameo appearance-- hooray!) as one of Rowling's best creations. Tonks is underused but has potential to be a key figure (and another positive female role-model) in the remaining books in the series.
Overall I enjoyed reading this book, but feel it could have lost 200-300 pages without compromising either the characterisation or storyline. The sequence in which Dumbledore takes responsibility for the DA and the moment when the Weasley twins leave Hogwarts are genuinely uplifting and memorable. Dumbledore's revelations towards the novel's end of the link between Harry and Vol- sorry, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named set up the remainder of Harry's journey and point to a potentially very dark conclusion.
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I have always found Harry Potter books very entertaining, and I am tired of feeling embarrassed about the fact that I am supposed to be a bit too old for them. From an adult point of view I think that the general idea is brilliant, because it vividly encapsulates all the illusions that we have had some time in our lifes about magic. And anyway, who cares about the psycological aspect when you just cannot stop reading?
I think that this fifth book is up to expectations, because in spite of its intimidating size the story is quite captivating. One could point out some flaws: some unnecessary characters and descriptions, an irregular rhythm (the first two chapters are breathtaking but then it slows down), a love story a bit distracting and not very convincing and above all a villain which finally becomes tiresome. We have been told how frightening Lord Voldemort is and he has been defeated (or challenged) too many times to be taken seriously. That's probably why I think that the best book of the series is the third one (looking forward to the movie, by the way!), where the bad guy is a much more real and convincing character with a complex personality. This transition from black and white (good and evil) descriptions to a more colourful variety of feelings and situations is gaining importance as Harry grows up, but apparently it does not affect all the characters.
To sum up, I would say that this an interesting book. Let's hope that the huge monster of marketing that the Harry Potter series is moving worldwide does not affect the quality of the material. And let's wait for the other two left to judge them all.
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The seven year saga of Harry Potter and his travails in the "magical" world continues to its fifth instalment, and take a distinctly darker turn. Frustration piles upon frustration for Harry as the wizarding world begins to show its darker and distinctly illiberal side, first hinted at in The Prisoner of Azkaban. The Ministry of Magic sheds the amaible, bumbling aura of the early books, and takes on a disturbing Orwellian hue as the Minister imposes a senior mandarin as Hogwarts' Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher, with a mandate to avoid teaching any actual defences against Dark Arts. These events prompt Harry to begin to shoulder some of his responsibilities and to actually demonstrate the prowess he has always supposed to have had within him. But as he is kept out of the loop by a seemingly distant Dumbledore he grows angrier, lashing out against not only his traditional foes, the Ministry, Professor Snape and the followers of the Dark Lord, but also against his closest friends and helpers.
After a mammoth HP-reading weekend, comprising Prisoner, Goblet and Phoenix, I am primarily impressed with the extraordinary consistency that J.K. Rowling has maintained throughout the books, so that it is impossible to tell that The Order of the Phoenix has appeared three years after its predecessor. Characters previously only briefly met, or at best with walk on parts, take on increasing significance as the saga begins to approach its climax. And that climax looks darker and more terrifying with each book, never more so than in Phoenix, the last of the period of uneasy peace in the wizarding world which has lasted since Voldemort first put the mark on Harry. From now on, it's going to be harsh, horrifying war.
Rowling's ability to keep all her various threads in play in order to develop the overarching story without losing the essential story structure for each novel fills one with admiration. In addition, Rowling details the trials and tribulations of growing up and the beginning of maturity in painful, wonderfully observed detail. The three main child characters are growing up, but at different rates; Hermione, of course, is the most mature and sensible, Harry still has the occasional child-like urge, and Ron, now struggling with some additional responsibilities of his own, has of course matured the least.
There are those who might be disappointed that this book contains less of the charm and amusement of the various magical items, spells and creatures Rowling has delighted us with in the past, but for the most part they have served their purpose of introducing the world and the characters who inhabit it, and the purpose of the saga itself must now take precedence. However, I have only given the new book four stars, because the way the story of The Order of the Phoenix develops from the halfway mark to the climax begin to show Rowling losing some of her ability to resolve her story difficulties with the same kind of originality shown previously, with the result that you close this book with a much lesser sense of satisfaction than a Harry Potter book was hitherto capable of generating. One major problem was the Hagrid subplot, which ultimately seems to only be there to provide a Deus ex Machina resolution to a later crisis (although again it is clearly part of the larger picture which will develop in the last books of the series).
It's no secret that Dumbledore finally tells Harry "everything", as this is mentioned in the blurb - but his reasons for keeping Harry in the dark hitherto may strike some readers as inadequate, not least because they somewhat diminish Dumbledore as a character.
Any 10-12 year olds (or even younger) who are just discovering the world of Harry Potter through the first four books, should probably not be allowed to read this fifth instalment until they're older, or at least not without a warning that it is going to be somewhat heavy going, emotionally. But this book, for all its, perhaps excessive, length, is still an essential part of the Harry Potter library.
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I was adamant that I would not be sucked in by the hype of Harry Potter and consequently did not read any of the books until I finally relented when the fourth came out. Shortly after this, I had read them all to my daughter and we have waited with baited breath for this one.
I think the timing of the books is excellent. My daughter is now old enough to appreciate the more adolescent story lines. I don't think the intended readers of say the Chamber of Secrets are the intended readers of Order of The Phoenix (OotP) but they are not that far away in ages.
I am sad to say that I have now read OotP and now have to wait for the next one. It was full of JK Rowling's colourful writing although it didn't give very much away. There weren't the surprises that there had been in the other books, especially the best of them all so far, Prisoner of Azkaban, but much was alluded to which will no doubt come into Books 6 and 7.
I have to applaud JK who is reputed to have more money than the queen but can still be bothered to finish off the set. It would have been easy for her to just decide to call it a day.
I cannot wait for the next one.
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Worth the wait, but not the best in the series, 24 Jun 2003
By A Customer
I like many others have anxiously waited the 3 long years for this book, and it did live up to expectations. Harry now 15 & in his 5th year at Hogwarts has become an angry & confused teenager, this constant temper tantrum throughout the book can be a bit irritating, but that's maybe just the view point of an adult reader.
The story line lacks the central quest that the other 4 books have had, eg rescuing the philosophers stone, killing the basilisk etc. The plot is more just a mass of sub plots with an emphasis on the ministry of magic's general incompetence.
This is a very dark book, the only humour is provided by the Weasley twins who are on top form with their magical mischieve making. The new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher is a villian rivalled only be Snape in terms of hating Harry, and her handing out of a life ban from quidditch for Harry shows that JKR is now slightly bored of the whole quidditch thing.
Overall this is another classic Harry Potter, the length is an issue, I feel with editing the book could be a much shorter, slicker affair. The battle scenes are amazing reading, but I felt the much hyped death scene didn't quite live up to expectation and the character wasn't as central as many had speculated. However, the main disappointment in this book was the prophecy. The much anticipated revelation about the link between James & Lilly Potter and Lord Voldemort was what any fan worked out years ago, and did not live up to JKR's usual standard of leading us along one path, then completly surprising us with something totally different.
Although I seemed to have only critised in this review I do love this book. If it stood alone it would be an amazing book, however, it must be compared to its predecessors. I feel that this is the turning point of the series leaving behind the child Harry, and introducing the young man. I also think that I may understand this book more once having read 6 & 7, so I'll get back to you in a few years time to see if my opinion has changed.
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I got the latest Harry Potter by pre-ordering off Amozon. When it arrived everything was put on hold.I was soon engrosed!It was supposed to be left to be read on holiday but the temptation was to strong so I started reading.By the first night of my holiday I had finished it! What was I to do? So good was it that as soon as I got to the end I started it again just incase I had missed anything. So now having read it THREE TIMES in a row, I can honestly say what a brilliant story, I was totaly lost in the magical world of Harry Potter and this is my favourite book in the series so far and am waiting in anticipation for the next book. JK has left me wanting to know more about what will happen to Harry next, I have imagined all sorts of different things that might happen to him. I will just have to wait for the next book for all to be revealed.
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Despite being twenty-one this summer, I eagerly awaited the release of the newest Harry Potter book. I'd read the previous four books in the space of a week and couldn't wait to get my mitts on the most recent addition! Generally I thought the book was pretty fantastic, well written, humerous, mainly thanks to Harry's disasterous attempts at dating Choo, and as always the imagination of Rowling was on fine form. However, despite the fact that it read well and was generally a lot of fun, I was a little saddened and dissapointed by the character who died, and Dumbledores "big revelation" which didn't arrive until I'd read seven hundred and sixty odd pages! I found myself thinking that the death was a bit obvious and the revelation was simply a summary of what we'd already managed to piece together from the other books(Although I may have been misled by the media into thinking that the plot was far more enourmous than it actually was!). I also think that this book may have been a little bit too much talk and not enough action, particularly if being read to smaller children.I found that unlike the previous books, especially books four and three, I seemed to be waiting for something exciting to occur only to find a complete mystery until I had finished the book. A few hints for us to work on while wading through would have been fun, even if our theories were completely wrong! Despite all this i did really enjoy the book (hence the four stars) but felt that it didn't quite live up to the excitement and fun of the previous two books which made them such page turners. Not to mention, i spent the whole time wishing that Harry would just chill out and stop bellowing at everyone!
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I am so sick and tired of seemingly constant criticism of this book. People seem to over analysing it to a ridiculous extent,for example, one reveiwer described it as a metaphor for New Labour! It is a children's book! Order of the Phoenix is overlong and not the best in the series but it is still excellent. Just read it and enjoy it
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I had never read a Harry Potter book or even seen the movie and I thought "what the hell" about 6 weeks ago, "if you can't beat em ...."
I LOVED them all and I think they get better as they go along, much more complex and so cleverly linked with each other, I wish I had kids so I could read these books to them, they reminded me of how fab it was to read the Narnia books when I was young.
I only knocked a star of this review because "Prisoner of Azkaban" was my fave and I am just so sad I have to wait for the next book now it was great at the end of each one knowing there was another just waiting to be read.
Thanks JK
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This book has received mixed responses from those I know who've read it. For me, coming to the book with no expectations (I enjoyed the previous ones but not excessively) I found it surprisingly compelling and refreshingly biting.
What makes this the best Harry Potter book for me is the way Rowling widens the scope of the novel. This is no longer only about Hogwarts and Quidditch - we get an insight into ministerial careerism and media manipulation. The world of Potter is no fairy tale, but one where wizards have a shameful history of slavery and where governmental intrusion is becoming commonplace.
Harry's first love is dealt with delicately and with subtlety, and is excellently handled. Characters are well developed and the plot littered with events to keep you reading. The 766 pages doesn't seem longer than the New Testament at all - I read it in five days. The only problem is, I'll now be anticipating the next one with more expectations...
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