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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

By J. K. Rowling, Giles Greenfield (Cover Design)

(2319)

| Hardcover | 9780747546245

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Book Description

Book 4

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the long-awaited, heavily hyped fourth instalment of a phenomenally successful series that has captured the imagination of millions of readers, young and old, across the globe. For J K Rowling the pressure is certainly on to continue to come up with thrilling, pacey storylines that allow her hero to mature into a young man without detracting from the magical secret that has made Harry into a superstar. In this book, the teenage Harry has a certain gawky charm that fits well with his advancing adolescence. As the story moves on, Harry too moves on to a new level of maturity that leaves the reader wondering how he will learn from his experiences, and liking him all the more as a character.

Once returned to Hogwarts after his summer holiday with the dreadful Dursleys and an extraordinary outing to the Quidditch World Cup, the 14-year-old Harry and his fellow pupils are enraptured by the promise of the Triwizard Tournament: an ancient, ritualistic tournament that brings Hogwarts together with two other schools of wizardry--Durmstrang and Beauxbatons--in heated competition. But when Harry's name is pulled from the Goblet of Fire, and he is chosen to champion Hogwarts in the tournament, the trouble really begins. Still reeling from the effects of a terrifying nightmare that has left him shaken, and with the lightning-shaped scar on his head throbbing with pain (a sure sign that the evil Voldemort, Harry's sworn enemy, is close), Harry becomes at once the most popular boy in school. Yet, despite his fame, he is totally unprepared for the furore that follows.

This is a hefty volume: 636 pages, of which probably at least 200 could have been cut without detracting from the story. The weight and complexity of the book is perhaps a hint that Rowling now has her eye sharply focused on her adult audience, and the average child-reader (particularly one who is coming to Harry Potter for the first time) may well find its girth daunting. Rowling's ironic and pointed observations on tabloid journalism and the nature of media hype is just one of the references littered through the book that will tickle the grown-ups but may well fly over the heads of her young fans.

However, after a slow start, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire really starts to sparkle halfway through with Rowling's familiar magic (and yes, there is a death--sudden and tragic--and yes, Harry does start to notice girls). The crux of this story, however, is Harry's gradual coming-of-age and his handling of the increasingly determined threats to his own life.

This book is pivotal, not just for the author for whom the heat is well and truly on, but for Harry and his readers who, by the last chapter, are left in little doubt that there is much more to come.

Critics

The Best Reviews: J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire

"I cannot wait for the next book!" In this book, Harry has been invited by his friend Ron and his family, the Weasley's to the annual Quidditch World Cup match and then after the match, Harry would stay with Ron's family until school started. Strange ... (read full critics)

thebestreviews published on Fri, 17 Sep 2010

33 Reviews

5 people find this helpful

Goblet of Fire was my favourite of the 6 the first time I read through. I think it was partly because I enjoyed my own fourth year so much, and it was great to see the wizards and witches having the same experiences of discovering boys and girls, and I thought the end in the graveyard was really dra ... (continue)

Goblet of Fire was my favourite of the 6 the first time I read through. I think it was partly because I enjoyed my own fourth year so much, and it was great to see the wizards and witches having the same experiences of discovering boys and girls, and I thought the end in the graveyard was really dramatic and exciting and much more traumatic than anything in the other books. Going back and re-reading it, after having seen the film, I was happy to see all the details that I had forgotten. The self-abusive alcoholic elf, and the extra twistedness of Crouch's son. The ending didn't seem like such a shock this time but was still very enjoyable.

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Robot-mel said on Aug 31, 2007 | Add your feedback

4 people find this helpful

What should I say? It's J.K. Rowling, not Federico Moccia.

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~Ais Quìn~ said on Aug 27, 2008 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

2 people find this helpful

“Severus,” said Dumbledore, turning to Snape, “you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready...if you are prepared...”
“I am,” said Snape.
He looked slightly paler than usual, and his cold, black eyes glittered strangely.

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Rosalie said on Sep 27, 2011 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

Una novela dinamica y divertida,con elementos unicos en toda la saga.Incomparable gracias a su exquisitez (al igual que "El Prisionero de Azkaban") con su adaptacion filmica.Muy buen material.

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Marce Picon said on Jan 31, 2012 | Add your feedback

Best HP I read. YET.
It took me in total 5 days to read it but those days were in the middle of some changes in my life! I cannot wait to read the next chapter.
This is the darkest book of the saga until now and as usual really more unpredictable than the others.

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Ka- Vivo in Cina dove Anobii è bloccato- said on Jul 1, 2011 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback