When Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens, the war against Voldemort has begun. The Wizarding world has split down the middle, and as the casualties mount, the effects even spill over onto the Muggles. Dumbledore is away from Hogwarts for long periods, and the Order of the Phoenix has suffered grievous losses. And yet, as in all wars, life goes on. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, having passed their O.W.L. level exams, start on their specialist N.E.W.T. courses. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate, losing a few eyebrows in the process. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Harry becomes captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, while Draco Malfoy pursues his own dark ends. And classes are as fascinating and confounding as ever, as Harry receives some extraordinary help in Potions from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince. Most importantly, Dumbledore and Harry work together to uncover the full and complex story …
When Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens, the war against Voldemort has begun. The Wizarding world has split down the middle, and as the casualties mount, the effects even spill over onto the Muggles. Dumbledore is away from Hogwarts for long periods, and the Order of the Phoenix has suffered grievous losses. And yet, as in all wars, life goes on. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, having passed their O.W.L. level exams, start on their specialist N.E.W.T. courses. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate, losing a few eyebrows in the process. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Harry becomes captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, while Draco Malfoy pursues his own dark ends. And classes are as fascinating and confounding as ever, as Harry receives some extraordinary help in Potions from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince. Most importantly, Dumbledore and Harry work together to uncover the full and complex story of a boy once named Tom Riddle—the boy who became Lord Voldemort. Like Harry, he was the son of one Muggle-born and one Wizarding parent, raised unloved, and a speaker of Parseltongue. But the similarities end there, as the teenaged Riddle became deeply interested in the Dark objects known as Horcruxes: objects in which a wizard can hide part of his soul, if he dares splinter that soul through murder. Harry must use all the tools at his disposal to draw a final secret out of one of Riddle's teachers, the sly Potions professor Horace Slughorn. Finally Harry and Dumbledore hold the key to the Dark Lord's weaknesses... until a shocking reversal exposes Dumbledore's own vulnerabilities, and casts Harry's—and Hogwarts's—future in shadow.
--publisher's description
And here the big quest begins. This sixth Harry Potter book is just a roller-coaster ride from beginning to end. One never has time to wonder why some things happen the way they do and can only hold on. Some of the happenings have a large impact on the events to follow, and some have a far lesser impact than they should have.
In any case, this is the last book of the series that features the basic structure we have grown used to.
Review of 'Ο Χάρι Πότερ και ο ημίαιμος πρίγκιψ' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Μακράν το καλύτερο από τα έξι, μαζί με αυτό. Πολύ μυστήριο, μεγάλες ανατροπές, Σνέηπ προδότη καταδότη, έρωτες και χωρισμοί, θάνατοι και δυνατές φιλίες.
Yet another book that just continues providing evidence for Snape being the absolute worst teacher and the whiniest, most entitled little snot ever. I can't like him, even if Rowling wants the audience to.
We finally see the rectification of what should've been done, proving that Harry has earned the right to know more about... his future (instead of having people "protecting" him from it, which actually endangers him -- odd that any person who claims education is important would think a lack of knowledge would enable someone to be safe and prepared, but I digress)
One of the few things I actually enjoy in this one is Snape's potions book coming out (and, by the way, showing he was a bit of a douchebag via Harry's use of it), but I feel like it would've been more powerful if there'd been a better way of learning that it was …
Yet another book that just continues providing evidence for Snape being the absolute worst teacher and the whiniest, most entitled little snot ever. I can't like him, even if Rowling wants the audience to.
We finally see the rectification of what should've been done, proving that Harry has earned the right to know more about... his future (instead of having people "protecting" him from it, which actually endangers him -- odd that any person who claims education is important would think a lack of knowledge would enable someone to be safe and prepared, but I digress)
One of the few things I actually enjoy in this one is Snape's potions book coming out (and, by the way, showing he was a bit of a douchebag via Harry's use of it), but I feel like it would've been more powerful if there'd been a better way of learning that it was his book. And I would've liked a better narrative of hinting that it was him. since it was a bit obvious that it'd be one of the Not-So-Nice half-blood Slytherins of old.
Review of 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
By far the best in the series. You still have the same old school crap going on. Harry is still a angry little fella. Ron is as horny as a field of rabbits. Dumbleydoor still does nothing, happy to let all the pressure build up. Hagrid cries. Lupin is still really emo. Hermie knows everything. This time though things start to get dark, there is suddenly a real element of danger, a lot of violence going on in the world. I have to admit that I did whiz through the last 200 pages as the writing flowed really well, if the rest of the book was more interesting then it could have got 4 stars.
Things I've learnt from this book:
Harry Potter reminds me of a troubled kid I went to school with, always answering back to a certain teacher, always in detention. Could he have been magical?
The …
By far the best in the series. You still have the same old school crap going on. Harry is still a angry little fella. Ron is as horny as a field of rabbits. Dumbleydoor still does nothing, happy to let all the pressure build up. Hagrid cries. Lupin is still really emo. Hermie knows everything. This time though things start to get dark, there is suddenly a real element of danger, a lot of violence going on in the world. I have to admit that I did whiz through the last 200 pages as the writing flowed really well, if the rest of the book was more interesting then it could have got 4 stars.
Things I've learnt from this book:
Harry Potter reminds me of a troubled kid I went to school with, always answering back to a certain teacher, always in detention. Could he have been magical?
The Ministry of Magic is scarily like our government at the moment, flapping about Brexit, acting like arrogant idiots.
Finally the last thing I learnt....If Ron likes you then he'll let you make out with his sister ;-)
Review of "Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince: Children's Edition (Childrens Ome Edition)" on 'Storygraph'
2 stars
Upon re-reading the novels, it's hard not to see the author's traditionalist, gender-conformist mindset.
Once, I believed in separating the art from the artist, but this is the first time I've had to try doing so while the artist is still alive and using wealth gained from their art to cause suffering.
Writers have power, the living have power, and the wealthy have power. She is all of those things. I have to do what I can to regain the power I gave her, and this is it.
This book will remain a staple for children who have yet to be jaded by the world.
Upon re-reading the novels, it's hard not to see the author's traditionalist, gender-conformist mindset.
Once, I believed in separating the art from the artist, but this is the first time I've had to try doing so while the artist is still alive and using wealth gained from their art to cause suffering.
Writers have power, the living have power, and the wealthy have power. She is all of those things. I have to do what I can to regain the power I gave her, and this is it.
This book will remain a staple for children who have yet to be jaded by the world.
Review of 'Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
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.
