Posted on 07/19/2005 5:23:41 AM PDT by maryz
The burning questions in our household in the days before the release of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" were: Is it going to be a kissy book? And which character dies? For the rumor was that someone whom readers care about was going to get the chop.
It would be wicked of me to answer the second question except in the broadest terms. I have to assume that not everyone rushed out to get copies of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" as soon as they went on sale at midnight on Saturday or spent the weekend, as my daughter and I did, supine on the sofa devouring the 652 pages of this superb yet harrowing installment in the Harry Potter saga.
First, to romance: Yes, the sixth in J.K. Rowling's phenomenally popular series about the eponymous boy-wizard is a kissy book, but in a light, witty way that is unlikely to cause offense except among the most prune-faced matrons. Harry and his classmates are now 16 and subject to the violent waves of mutual attraction characteristic of the age. Under Ms. Rowling's amused pen, however, their entanglements are not so much embarrassing as they are a cheery counterpoint to the darkness of the underlying tale.
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
I don't know whether this would be considered a spoiler, but I thought it was a terrific review!
There is a little bit of spoiler action toward the middle so I will throw up a warning just in case.
Potter Ping!! This review contains *SOME SPOILERS* (spoiler alert level yellow) so click at your own risk!!
TS
(...who is disconnecting now and reading another chapter)
A friend of mine in high school used to swear that, when she had kids, the first-born would be assigned to laundry, the second to ironing, the third to vacuuming, etc. (Haven't seen her in years -- wonder how it turned out!)
Just got back from the familial Potter weekend. Most excellent book. Is there a "discuss" thread?
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