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.
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“It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be.”
The book lengths keep growing with each new sequel, and it seems those extra pages are bringing a deeper shroud of darkness with them. This book excites, it tugs hard on the heartstrings, and it made me spiral even further into the wonderful series.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire starts as the others did, where Harry has to leave the dastardly Dursley's and come to Hogwarts. Once there the book picks up again, but the small, darker themes seen before have become magnified. While Quidditch was the game in the previous books, this time they have a special and bizarre wizarding tournament that has some seriously scary stuff. You have to wonder what goes on in the mind of school administrators in the wizarding world.
The tests and trials are divided up into months and scenes since they can relax in between (thank God.) The trials themselves are interesting, especially the last as it shows the twist of betrayal and the resurrection of a certain big-bad of the series. Besides in between the trials, Harry has to contend with his friend Ron's growing jealousy and frictions that added an in interesting and realistic touch. It's small and evens out quickly, but it highlights Ron again as one of the best series characters. Mrs. Weasley is even more likeable- she was always rockin' before, but she's even more so now as she's taken over the mothering role for our favorite orphaned wizard.
There's a lot of good characters introduced in this one, especially One-Eyed Mad Moody; the professor is a riot and has a twist of a surprise at the end. Sirius is present a lot too, loving the godfather role and protectiveness he feels toward Harry. I feel so bad for him, however, for first he's committed to Azkaban for crimes not committed and now he has to struggle with wanting that connection with Harry so badly because of the loss of his friends. Such sad stuff. Dumbledore has always been a great character, and he's even larger than life than before with plenty of heroic scenes.
Hermione has always been likable because she stands out as different - but she is even more so likable now with the S.P.E.W. angle and her passion for fighting for the rights of those who she feels is treated unfairly. We also get to see a further side into the Ministry of Magic, their powerful fingers in all sorts of pies, flawed moral ineptitude, and the potential of all that leading to holes and working against the wizards instead of for them.
The story has taken it into darker waters, showing it's definitely not a series just for children anymore. There's a tragic death that affects Harry and others (readers included). You can almost see the graveyard and all scenes through Rowling's talented writing style. She can bring forth a surprising range of depth from her characters from the simplest scenes and events.
We even get bizarre mermaids in one particularly riveting scene, a flying dance of dragons, and finally a maze that ends up to a horrific finish.
Some people have said this was their favorite - it's not my top favorite of the first four (I preferred Prisoner of Azkaban a little more), but we get more in-depth glimpses into favorite characters, new characters introduced that are amazing, and an excellent adventure into the wild and complex wizarding world that is Harry Potter.
Book Quotes:
“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
Trailer:
Check out the full list of Harry Potter Featured Posts for Harry Potter Week
- Book Reviews: The Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, Deathly Hallows
- Book-To-Film Comparison: The Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, Deathly Hallows
- Site Features: Mailbox Monday, Cover Crush, Tune-in Tuesday, Universal Studios Trip
- Themed Posts: RIP Alan Rickman, Philosophers Versus Sorcerers, Magical Quotes
