This is the sixth book in the Harry Potter series, and for me this is where the story started to go bad.

And since it was a long time ago that I read it I will leave it to this: I liked it, but this is where the story started to turn and lost quality. It didn't get bad, but I don't find it as good as the books before it. ( )

Excuse me while I cry my eyes out. ( )

2008 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature (for the series)

There's some nitpicky stuff about this book that bugged me:

The first two chapters about the Prime Minister and Snape making the Unbreakable Vow felt very out of place. I could be wrong, but I think these are the first chapters in the whole series that were not written from Harry's point of view. The Prime Minister one probably could have been edited out and Scrimgeour introduced later. The Snape one I think is meant to set us up to wonder about Snape and increase the suspense for the whole book, so that one kind of worked for me, but it was still awkward to introduce a new viewpoint other than Harry's third-person limited one.

It's hard for me to buy the Ron-Hermione relationship. Even the Harry-Ginny one seems a little bit forced, although less so. I get why it makes sense plot-wise for Harry and Hermione to both end up attached to the Weasley family--then at least they both have an extended family. I still kind of agree, though, that Harry and Hermione would have made a saner couple. I don't get what Hermione sees in Ron at all--he's jealous, dense, and at times very petty. It almost seems like they just end up together because Ron can't even function without Hermione, which is not a recipe for a healthy relationship. I guess nobody said it had to be healthy, though.

Other than that, I like the way this book again deals with grief, although not really until the end, in which Harry learns that choices in how we deal with life's problems matter maybe especially when we feel like we have no choice.

The theme of love, lust, snogging, etc. is pretty consistent throughout, and I liked how it was tied together with the idea of potions and Snape's character (Voldemort's mother having entrapped his father with a love potion; Harry finding Snape's book that led him to create better potions; Ron swallowing a love potion by accident, then almost being poisoned to death by another potion, etc.)

Looking forward to reading the final book and watching the film version of this one again.

"It was, he thought, the difference between being dragged into the arena to face a battle to the death and walking into the arena with your head held high. Some people, perhaps, would say that there was little to choose between the two ways, but Dumbledore knew - and so do I, thought Harry, with a rush of fierce pride, and so did my parents - that there was all the difference in the world." ( )

Honestly, my least favorite out of the HP series. Harry in this book was insufferable, and I didn't care about his thing with Ginny at all. ( )

Mini HP6 Review:
Did not disappoint. The story reaches a crescendo through Book 6 of the HP series, and I raced through the latter 400 pages.

Let's see, what "happens"... Ron and Hermione grow up a little bit, Harry grows up a lot, Ginny becomes a "young lady," and we can see why she's so popular. Professor Snape shows some true colors and perhaps some strength. Professor Slughorn shows more colors and perhaps some strength. We see Draco's pressure. We see Hagrid's pain. We see Dumbledore's love and we hear Fawkes' pain.

We laugh, we cry, we hope, and we feel anger.

Although I love this series, i feel that Book 6 is where Rowling takes a step up. This is the best book in the series (in my humble opinion) because the characters show the most dynamics and the storytelling shows the most range. So much happens in a "mere" 600-some or 700-some pages (depending on your version).

Eager to finish the series again!
I will be taking my time w/ Book 7 this time around... ( )

First sentence: It was nearing midnight and the Prime Minister was sitting alone in his office, reading a long memo that was slipping through his brain without leaving the slightest trace of meaning behind.

Premise/plot: Harry Potter (and company) face their biggest challenges yet. Lord Voldemort's return/resurrection is no longer being ignored by the powers that be. Harry Potter (and company) are no longer being ridiculed for spouting 'nonsense' about Voldemort. The threat is acknowledged. Some precautions are being taken. (But are they ever going to be enough?)

This one does take place mostly at Hogwarts. Harry Potter (and company) are doing their best to prepare for inevitable showdowns. Harry is taking special lessons with Professor Dumbledore. They are 'visiting' Voldemort's past memories. They are preparing for the 'war to come' by learning as much as they possibly can about every moment of his life. Looking for anything and everything they can use against him.

This one has quite the ending. It is SUPER intense. More intense than any of the other novels.
My thoughts: Yes, it's taken me ABSOLUTELY forever to start this series. I'm glad I waited this long to be honest. Harry Potter has fallen out of favor, these days, is being canceled--this time by the Left. But that is neither here nor there. (That's not why I'm reading the books now. That's not my motivation). I'm glad I waited so that I could read all the books back-to-back-to-back. No waiting. And since it was impossible to avoid spoilers there in early-to-mid 2000s, I know just enough about the characters.

My thoughts PART TWO: I am rereading the whole series. My initial thought was to read July through December, but, I am zooming through some of these books. So I think I'll finish the series in November instead. The ending of this one is outstanding. I can only imagine the experience for those who started the series back in 97 or 98 and waited between books. I am liking the series more the second time around. Perhaps because I know the characters better and have a more grounded reaction. ( )

I forgot Dumbledor died in this one. The angst seemed to reduce here. Last Hogwarts year - sad... but moved the story well. ( )

Spannend einde van een steengoede serie. ( )

So affecting, spawning so many theories (mine was half right). I have this in two versions: the UK/Canada version, and the US version. ( )

'Harry Potter e o enigma do príncipe' dá continuidade à saga do jovem bruxo Harry Potter a partir do ponto em que o livro anterior parou - o momento em que fica provado que o poder de Voldemort e dos Comensais da Morte, seus seguidores, cresce mais a cada dia, em meio à batalha entre o bem e o mal. A onda de terror provocada pelo Lorde das Trevas estaria afetando, até mesmo, o mundo dos trouxas (não-bruxos), e sendo agravada pela ação dos dementadores, criaturas mágicas aterrorizantes que 'sugam' a esperança e a felicidade das pessoas. Harry, que acabou de completar 16 anos, parte rumo ao sexto ano na Escola de Magia e Bruxaria de Hogwarts, animado e ao mesmo tempo apreensivo com a perspectiva de ter aulas particulares com o professor Dumbledore, o diretor da escola e o bruxo mais respeitado em toda comunidade mágica. Harry, longe de ser aquele menino magricela que vivia no quarto debaixo da escada na casa dos tios trouxas, é um dos principais nomes entre aqueles que lutam contra Voldemort, e se vê cada vez mais isolado à medida que os rumores de que ele é O Eleito - o único capaz de derrotar o Lorde das Trevas, se espalham pelo mundo dos bruxos. Dois atentados contra a vida de estudantes, a certeza de Harry quanto ao envolvimento de Draco Malfoy com os Comensais da Morte e o comportamento de Snape, suspeito como sempre, adicionam ainda mais tensão ao já inquietante período. Apesar de tudo isso, Harry e os amigos são adolescentes típicos - dividem tarefas escolares e dormitórios bagunçados, correm das aulas para os treinos de quadribol, e namoram.

'Harry Potter e o enigma do príncipe' dá continuidade à saga do jovem bruxo Harry Potter a partir do ponto em que o livro anterior parou - o momento em que fica provado que o poder de Voldemort e dos Comensais da Morte, seus seguidores, cresce mais a cada dia, em meio à batalha entre o bem e o mal. A onda de terror provocada pelo Lorde das Trevas estaria afetando, até mesmo, o mundo dos trouxas (não-bruxos), e sendo agravada pela ação dos dementadores, criaturas mágicas aterrorizantes que 'sugam' a esperança e a felicidade das pessoas. Harry, que acabou de completar 16 anos, parte rumo ao sexto ano na Escola de Magia e Bruxaria de Hogwarts, animado e ao mesmo tempo apreensivo com a perspectiva de ter aulas particulares com o professor Dumbledore, o diretor da escola e o bruxo mais respeitado em toda comunidade mágica. Harry, longe de ser aquele menino magricela que vivia no quarto debaixo da escada na casa dos tios trouxas, é um dos principais nomes entre aqueles que lutam contra Voldemort, e se vê cada vez mais isolado à medida que os rumores de que ele é O Eleito - o único capaz de derrotar o Lorde das Trevas, se espalham pelo mundo dos bruxos. Dois atentados contra a vida de estudantes, a certeza de Harry quanto ao envolvimento de Draco Malfoy com os Comensais da Morte e o comportamento de Snape, suspeito como sempre, adicionam ainda mais tensão ao já inquietante período. Apesar de tudo isso, Harry e os amigos são adolescentes típicos - dividem tarefas escolares e dormitórios bagunçados, correm das aulas para os treinos de quadribol, e namoram.2005

After over 20 rereadings, I believe it's time to review "Harry Potter". To those of you saying that I'm crazy (like my mum) - mind your own business. And to those of you admiring me - thank you.
I'll try to keep these short.


Unlike the prevous novel, "Half-Blood Prince" is less about the action and more about the romance and relationships. There is still politics, but in a lesser extent. I love the relationships in the book. Especially the weird dinamics between Cormac, Hermione, Ron and Lavander. Ron is clearly jealous and so is Hermione, but they are too scared to do anything. I love them so much. The other major ship in this novel is Hinny. Harry (finally) starts to develop feelings for Ginny, but he's also scared to do anything. And that goes on for the 85% of the novel, but is resolved in the end. Romione pretty much doesn't move anywhere. (It will in the following novel, though)
Let's not forget the wonderful relationship between Lupin and Tonks. I love them so much. (I'm gonna cry now. Stop it.)
Also, there are Bill and Fleur. Even though Ginny and Molly are against their relationship, I'm not. I like their dinamics and they make a nice couple.
Onto the plotlines. The biggest being: Dumbledore. I'll always bawl my eyes out. Harry lost his parents, then his godfather, and now - his mentor. Which had to happen, because the main characters always have to lose a mentor so that they can prove themselves. And the Horcruxes are a great invention of Rowling's. She was inspired by "The Picture of Dorian Gray", don't you think?


FILM NOTES:
Well. Most of the stuff is in the film. I like the added scene at the Burrow. I get why some of the flashbacks were omited. What I really hate is that we never got to see DUmbledore's funeral. C'mon. That was pretty important. And one other thing, I love the first chapter with the Muggle primeminister. Too bad they've omited that.But, other than that, it's a preatty decent adaptation. Although I believe that the Ginny-Harry relationship felt out of place for for the non-readers.

PERSONAL NOTES:
I did not see this film in the cinema due to the renovations at the time of the release. I've watched it on the internet and I was so pumped up that I've translated the film to Serbian. Looking back, I know I could've done a better job (which I did when I corrected a bunch of things in 2013) but it was my first subtitle and I was proud. It launched my translator "career".
As for the book, it was actually the last book I've bought. It was the new 2008 edition by Euro Giunti. That's the reason why I've checked out this book the most from the library. ( )

Harry Potter e o enigma do príncipe' dá continuidade à saga do jovem bruxo Harry Potter a partir do ponto em que o livro anterior parou o momento em que fica provado que o poder de Voldemort e dos Comensais da Morte, seus seguidores, cresce mais a cada dia, em meio à batalha entre o bem e o mal. A onda de terror provocada pelo Lorde das Trevas estaria afetando, até mesmo, o mundo dos trouxas (nãobruxos), e sendo agravada pela ação dos dementadores, criaturas mágicas aterrorizantes que 'sugam' a esperança e a felicidade das pessoas. Harry, que acabou de completar 16 anos, parte rumo ao sexto ano na Escola de Magia e Bruxaria de Hogwarts, animado e ao mesmo tempo apreensivo com a perspectiva de ter aulas particulares com o professor Dumbledore, o diretor da escola e o bruxo mais respeitado em toda comunidade mágica. Harry, longe de ser aquele menino magricela que vivia no quarto debaixo da escada na casa dos tios trouxas, é um dos principais nomes entre aqueles que lutam contra Voldemort, e se vê cada vez mais isolado à medida que os rumores de que ele é O Eleito o único capaz de derrotar o Lorde das Trevas, se espalham pelo mundo dos bruxos. Dois atentados contra a vida de estudantes, a certeza de Harry quanto ao envolvimento de Draco Malfoy com os Comensais da Morte e o comportamento de Snape, suspeito como sempre, adicionam ainda mais tensão ao já inquietante período. Apesar de tudo isso, Harry e os amigos são adolescentes típicos dividem tarefas escolares e dormitórios bagunçados, correm das aulas para os treinos de quadribol, e namoram.

Harry Potter e o enigma do príncipe' dá continuidade à saga do jovem bruxo Harry Potter a partir do ponto em que o livro anterior parou o momento em que fica provado que o poder de Voldemort e dos Comensais da Morte, seus seguidores, cresce mais a cada dia, em meio à batalha entre o bem e o mal. A onda de terror provocada pelo Lorde das Trevas estaria afetando, até mesmo, o mundo dos trouxas (nãobruxos), e sendo agravada pela ação dos dementadores, criaturas mágicas aterrorizantes que 'sugam' a esperança e a felicidade das pessoas. Harry, que acabou de completar 16 anos, parte rumo ao sexto ano na Escola de Magia e Bruxaria de Hogwarts, animado e ao mesmo tempo apreensivo com a perspectiva de ter aulas particulares com o professor Dumbledore, o diretor da escola e o bruxo mais respeitado em toda comunidade mágica. Harry, longe de ser aquele menino magricela que vivia no quarto debaixo da escada na casa dos tios trouxas, é um dos principais nomes entre aqueles que lutam contra Voldemort, e se vê cada vez mais isolado à medida que os rumores de que ele é O Eleito o único capaz de derrotar o Lorde das Trevas, se espalham pelo mundo dos bruxos. Dois atentados contra a vida de estudantes, a certeza de Harry quanto ao envolvimento de Draco Malfoy com os Comensais da Morte e o comportamento de Snape, suspeito como sempre, adicionam ainda mais tensão ao já inquietante período. Apesar de tudo isso, Harry e os amigos são adolescentes típicos dividem tarefas escolares e dormitórios bagunçados, correm das aulas para os treinos de quadribol, e namoram.

Harry Potter e o enigma do príncipe' dá continuidade à saga do jovem bruxo Harry Potter a partir do ponto em que o livro anterior parou o momento em que fica provado que o poder de Voldemort e dos Comensais da Morte, seus seguidores, cresce mais a cada dia, em meio à batalha entre o bem e o mal. A onda de terror provocada pelo Lorde das Trevas estaria afetando, até mesmo, o mundo dos trouxas (nãobruxos), e sendo agravada pela ação dos dementadores, criaturas mágicas aterrorizantes que 'sugam' a esperança e a felicidade das pessoas. Harry, que acabou de completar 16 anos, parte rumo ao sexto ano na Escola de Magia e Bruxaria de Hogwarts, animado e ao mesmo tempo apreensivo com a perspectiva de ter aulas particulares com o professor Dumbledore, o diretor da escola e o bruxo mais respeitado em toda comunidade mágica. Harry, longe de ser aquele menino magricela que vivia no quarto debaixo da escada na casa dos tios trouxas, é um dos principais nomes entre aqueles que lutam contra Voldemort, e se vê cada vez mais isolado à medida que os rumores de que ele é O Eleito o único capaz de derrotar o Lorde das Trevas, se espalham pelo mundo dos bruxos. Dois atentados contra a vida de estudantes, a certeza de Harry quanto ao envolvimento de Draco Malfoy com os Comensais da Morte e o comportamento de Snape, suspeito como sempre, adicionam ainda mais tensão ao já inquietante período. Apesar de tudo isso, Harry e os amigos são adolescentes típicos dividem tarefas escolares e dormitórios bagunçados, correm das aulas para os treinos de quadribol, e namoram.

'Harry Potter e o enigma do príncipe' dá continuidade à saga do jovem bruxo Harry Potter a partir do ponto em que o livro anterior parou - o momento em que fica provado que o poder de Voldemort e dos Comensais da Morte, seus seguidores, cresce mais a cada dia, em meio à batalha entre o bem e o mal. A onda de terror provocada pelo Lorde das Trevas estaria afetando, até mesmo, o mundo dos trouxas (não-bruxos), e sendo agravada pela ação dos dementadores, criaturas mágicas aterrorizantes que 'sugam' a esperança e a felicidade das pessoas. Harry, que acabou de completar 16 anos, parte rumo ao sexto ano na Escola de Magia e Bruxaria de Hogwarts, animado e ao mesmo tempo apreensivo com a perspectiva de ter aulas particulares com o professor Dumbledore, o diretor da escola e o bruxo mais respeitado em toda comunidade mágica. Harry, longe de ser aquele menino magricela que vivia no quarto debaixo da escada na casa dos tios trouxas, é um dos principais nomes entre aqueles que lutam contra Voldemort, e se vê cada vez mais isolado à medida que os rumores de que ele é O Eleito - o único capaz de derrotar o Lorde das Trevas, se espalham pelo mundo dos bruxos. Dois atentados contra a vida de estudantes, a certeza de Harry quanto ao envolvimento de Draco Malfoy com os Comensais da Morte e o comportamento de Snape, suspeito como sempre, adicionam ainda mais tensão ao já inquietante período. Apesar de tudo isso, Harry e os amigos são adolescentes típicos - dividem tarefas escolares e dormitórios bagunçados, correm das aulas para os treinos de quadribol, e namoram.

Reading it makes all the difference, but gosh does it hurt. Harry's character and his friendships continue to grow stronger, keeping him going and cultivating his perception of being the 'Chosen One'. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince depicts great and cunning, occasionally Draco, Snape and Voldemort and reinforcing the true divide between protagonist and antagonist.

"his mother, his father, his godfather, and finally Dumbledore, all determined to protect him, but now that was over." ( )

I've really been enjoying Rowling's later books--her writing is more complex and poetic, and she is not afraid to go places where her earlier books didn't. She has such a grasp of plot and a talent for weaving myriad elements together almost seamlessly. Great book! I will be sad to see the series end. ( )

The Book is my Favourite one in the series.It has a fast and interesting plot.It is overall positive and much more merrier than its previous part (Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix). It wonderfully portrays Harry's feeling as an teenager and how his feelings arouse for Ginny. Quidditch matches are also interesting and Hilarious.Loona's Commentary and Roonil Wazlib are some hilarious moments.
The book also shows how harry matures to become a adult from a rude and moody teenager of Order of Phoenix.Snape killing Dumbledore is also one of the epic moments in the book.Dumbledore crying while reliving his worst memories is always emotional.
( )

Re reading this so a lot of it I had forgotten, exciting to read and a real page turner for me, 'Childress literature' seems to be my forte ( )

Yet another fantastic entry in the Harry Potter franchise. Yes, this one is not as "important" as Order of the Phoenix or Deathly Hallows when it comes to the grand scheme of the story, but that's actually one of the reasons why I kinda like it. This is the final Harry Potter book to take place, for the most part, in Hogwarts. It is the last time we get to spend a lot of time inside this wonderful, magical castle and have a ton of fun with Quidditch, school lessons, romance, and comedy. I love the fact that we get a decent amount of all that before jumping into the final battle. This is easily the most fun Harry Potter book as a result of that. There are so many funny lines of dialogue and events that take place.

While it is not as dark as Book 5 or Book 7 for the aforementioned reasons, it still has an air of maturity that we've come to expect from this series over the last few entries. The last 50 pages are possibly the darkest in the entire series thus far. The feeling of devastation has never been as pronounced as it is now that Dumbledore is dead. It's not like Sirius's death, where the Harry's grief is so overwhelming that he refuses to accept reality; instead, the air of grief is much more hopeless and oppressing. Everyone's practically quiet, trying to accept this dreadful reality that they are now facing. Harry and Ginny's relationship is no longer about childish fancies; it is about adult sacrifice and responsibility. Harry is no longer thinking about how much he wants to be with Ginny, but he's thinking about how best to keep her safe and whether that might involve leaving her. It's a wonderful representation of how much this character and this franchise have matured.

Voldemort's past is extremely interesting as well. Devoting several chapters to his history makes him that much more of a fascinating villain. He's not just some evil tyrant who hates muggles and muggle-borns; he's a complex and nuanced wizard with a backstory worthy of such a high status among iconic fictional characters.

The stars of this book, however, are Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape. I already know what the major reveal at the end of the Deathly Hallows is, but I can't help but be entranced by these two characters' history together. Every single time I re-read Harry Potter, these two characters are the ones I gravitate to the most. What Rowling did with them is a master-stroke of creative writing. It is absolutely ingenious, but I will talk about this more in my Deathly Hallows review.

Overall, I wouldn't say I like this as much as Goblet of Fire or Order of the Phoenix, but it is definitely a close third. It is an entertaining, light-hearted read with some truly emotional and brilliant moments sprinkled throughout. ( )

Witches

I can't get past what I see as irritating behaviors of the characters that only seem to exist to pull the plot forward. Other than that though I found the story thoroughly engaging. It gripped me and I was very interested in what happened. There is a lot of character development that occurs. ( )

This is truly the point at which the story matures—in many senses. While the previous books retained their youthful innocence, this book solemnly lifts the Wizarding World to a whole new level. It is a world apart from the rather half-baked, borderline first books, which relied too much on clichees.

Book six is the maturity of the story: for the epic mystery that is finally lifted; for the gloomy prospects ahead. But also for Harry himself, as he finally gets drowned in teen drama. And lastly, it's the maturity of Rowling's writing. Her earlier books were nowhere near these later masterpieces. She has definitely learned a lot in the process of writing five books and here, in the sixth book, it finally shows. ( )

I read this for the third time because the movie is coming out and I want to be prepared to complain about all the ways it varies from the book. I still think it's amazing. Dumbledore! ( )