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"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" What did you think? (expect spoilers)
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Posted on 06/24/2003 10:17:24 AM PDT by El Sordo

I'm a bit of a slow reader, so I did not finish the book until last night.

I must admit that this was not as enjoyable of a read for me as the previous books have been. The ending was a bit of a letdown, as was Harry's tendency to irrational anger.

Maybe I've alredy forgotten what it's like to be a teenager....

Regardless, what have other Freepers thought of the book?


TOPICS: Books/Literature
KEYWORDS: faq

1 posted on 06/24/2003 10:17:24 AM PDT by El Sordo
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To: El Sordo
Only read up to p. 330 so far, but there seems to be a bit of a Second-Amendment undertone (or, to put it another way, the book seems to be modeled on what happens when a government like Her Majesty's throws the right to bear arms for self-defense out the window). Does that undertone hold through the rest of the book?
2 posted on 06/24/2003 4:27:30 PM PDT by supercat (TAG--you're it!)
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To: El Sordo
I just finished it this morning. Couldn't put it down. I think portraying Harry as an angry teenager was perfect; look at all he has been through and he felt so helpless not knowing what was going on. Professor Umbridge was truly a despicable villian. I loved the fact that Harry prepared the students for their upcoming battle with defense against the dark arts classes, and the whole battle against the Voldemort and Death Eaters. Am glad Harry did not end up with Cho, and was not as upset about Sirius dying as I would have been if it would have been Dumbledore, one of the Weasleys, Hermione, etc.

I think by the seventh book, Harry will be an Auror apprentice and will kill Voldemort; Harry and Ginny Weasley will be dating; and Ron will be head boy and captain of the Quidditch team and engaged to Hermione. (Hey, I'm a woman, I like a little romance in a book.)

3 posted on 06/24/2003 5:09:36 PM PDT by padfoot_lover
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To: JenB; Dawntreader; Corin Stormhands
Ping
4 posted on 06/24/2003 5:38:43 PM PDT by HairOfTheDog (Not all those who wander are lost)
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To: El Sordo
Well, Harry has never been my favorite character but I liked some of the responsibilities he tried to shoulder, particularly the DA. He was, however, incurably stupid.

I'm extremely depressed over Sirius' death. Sirius was the coolest, best-drawn character in the series, and all the stuff we learned about him - coming from a dark pureblood family, running away to live with the Potters, even that he and James really were arrogant gits some of the time - just made him more so. I felt his death was very wrong. It just didn't fit.

Other than that... can you say Neville Longbottom! That kid amazed me. His poor parents, though. Dumbledore is clearly manipulating matters for his own reasons. I'd really like to know what the Order was up to all year, and where Dumbledore went. Oh, and anyone else think Remus took Sirius' death remarkably well? I don't think I'd have been so calm if my last, best friend in the world died.
5 posted on 06/24/2003 6:51:16 PM PDT by JenB
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To: supercat
I absolutely could not put this book down. I picked it up Saturday morning and finished it Sunday morning.

I'm glad that Dumbledore finally came clean about Harry's past. It's about time that Harry knew the truth about his scar and ties with Voldemort. However, what else does Dumbledore know?

I think Rowling's protrayal of Harry as an angry teenager is brillant. It's also interesting how his idealistic views of his father and Dumbledore start to disappear. Rowling has really captured what the average 15-year-old goes through. I also loved that Ron gets some props here. The poor boy has had to live for four years in Harry's shadow. He deserves the attention.

I didn't see Sirius'death coming. However, his character really wasn't going anywhere. It made sense for him to die, as cruel as that is.

Predictions: I think that Ron and Hermione will end up together. It's pretty obvious. I also think that Harry could possibly be a Defense Against Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts. Look at how talented he was with the D.A. Also, did Harry get enough O.W.L.s to become and Auror?
6 posted on 06/24/2003 8:00:15 PM PDT by RockyTop4GOP
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To: RockyTop4GOP
The test results on the O.W.L.s aren't known until sometime in the summer so we won't know until the next book if Harry has good enough marks to become an Auror, but remember Professor McGonigal said she would do everything she could to help him become one if he wanted. I agree that Harry would also make a good Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher since he's already unofficially taught the subject.
7 posted on 06/25/2003 6:34:29 AM PDT by padfoot_lover
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To: JenB
Sirius and Lupin just seem to me to be tragic characters, two of those people for whom life was never meant to have a happy ending for. I think Lupin was just resigned to Sirius' death since he has seen so many of his friends die.

I was very happy, however, to see that Neville has had the courage to step up to the challenges presented to him and that he joined the battle against Voldemort and the Death Eaters. He's definitely following in his parents' footsteps. Maybe he'll turn out to be an Auror. The Sorting Hat obviously knew what it was doing when it placed him in Gryffindor. Hurray, Neville!

8 posted on 06/25/2003 6:58:39 AM PDT by padfoot_lover
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To: JenB
I don't think Sirius is dead. Expect more info on what goes on "behind the veil".

This was my second favorite of the Potter Books (Azkaban is first). Longbottom was definately the surprise of the book. And to think that Longbottom MIGHT have been in HArry's place. Stunning!

Rowling certainly didn't dissapoint with this novel. It was a good thing my boss was out of the office two days, or I would have been caught reading at my desk!

Now...On to book six!

9 posted on 06/28/2003 10:43:32 AM PDT by Portnoy (No complaints here....as long as I'm fly fishing.)
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To: padfoot_lover
Rowling has said that one of the students will become a teacher at Hogwarts, but it won't be Harry, Hermione or Ron.

After this past novel, my bet is on Longbottom.

10 posted on 06/28/2003 10:45:46 AM PDT by Portnoy (No complaints here....as long as I'm fly fishing.)
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To: Portnoy
Well, I've been debating it all week. I think Sirius is really dead - Remus wouldn't just give up hope unless there was a reason, and he said Sirius was dead. That doesn't mean we won't see more of Sirius. Obviously not as a ghost, but maybe Harry will visit the country of the dead, or we'll see more of Young Sirius in memories.

Azkaban is also my favorite of the Potter books. The last howevermany chapters - from "Cat, Rat, and Dog" - are just so well written. I cried the first time I read through.

We read the book over last weekend, so no worries about reading at work. I'd have gone bonkers trying to finish it, though.
11 posted on 06/28/2003 10:59:31 AM PDT by JenB
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To: El Sordo
Loved it. May even read it again.
12 posted on 06/28/2003 11:10:55 AM PDT by Chancellor Palpatine
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To: JenB
Big question - will Snape change allegiances again?
13 posted on 06/28/2003 11:14:04 AM PDT by Chancellor Palpatine
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To: RockyTop4GOP
I thought the battle in the Minister of Magic was very well done. From one moment to the next I did not know who was going to die, although I knew someone was because of Rowlings comments after the book was released.

I felt sure that at one moment it was going to be Ron, the next Hermione. I have to say I would rather it have been an adult than one of the kids.

Neville has turned into quite an interesting fellow. There may be further play on the connection between him and Harry.

14 posted on 06/28/2003 11:15:48 AM PDT by mware
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To: Chancellor Palpatine
No - Snape will stay ok - Dumbledore trusts him. He's also... well, it's complicated, but he has, I think, a very strange sense of honor. Snape's on the side of angels even if he's not very nice himself.
15 posted on 06/28/2003 12:53:14 PM PDT by JenB
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To: mware
I thought the battle in the Minister of Magic was very well done.

Except for one thing I didn't get (maybe because it was 2:00am): Given that Voldemort was willing to go to the Ministry of Magic (Harry confronted him there) why wasn't he willing to simply retrieve the prophesy himself?

Otherwise, did anyone sense anything resembling an RKBA message in the book?

16 posted on 07/01/2003 3:20:34 PM PDT by supercat (TAG--you're it!)
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