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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

By J. K. Rowling

(3301)

| Hardcover | 9780747581529

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Book Description

The long-awaited, eagerly anticipated, arguably over-hyped Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has arrived, and the question on the minds of kids, adults, fans, and skeptics alike is, "Is it worth the hype?" The answer, luckily, is simple: yep. A magnificent spectacle more than worth the price of admission, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will blow you away. However, given that so much has gone into protecting the secrets of the book (including armored trucks and injunctions), don't expect any spoilers in this review. It's much more fun not knowing what's coming--and in the case of Rowling's delicious sixth book, you don't want to know. Just sit tight, despite the earth-shattering revelations that will have your head in your hands as you hope the words will rearrange themselves into a different story. But take one warning to heart: do not open Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince until you have first found a secluded spot, safe from curious eyes, where you can tuck in for a good long read. Because once you start, you won't stop until you reach the very last page.

A darker book than any in the series thus far with a level of sophistication belying its genre, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince moves the series into murkier waters and marks the arrival of Rowling onto the adult literary scene. While she has long been praised for her cleverness and wit, the strength of Book 6 lies in her subtle development of key characters, as well as her carefully nuanced depiction of a community at war. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, no one and nothing is safe, including preconceived notions of good and evil and of right and wrong. With each book in her increasingly remarkable series, fans have nervously watched J.K. Rowling raise the stakes; gone are the simple delights of butterbeer and enchanted candy, and days when the worst ailment could be cured by a bite of chocolate. A series that began as a colorful lark full of magic and discovery has become a dark and deadly war zone. But this should not come as a shock to loyal readers. Rowling readied fans with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by killing off popular characters and engaging the young students in battle. Still, there is an unexpected bleakness from the start of Book 6 that casts a mean shadow over Quidditch games, silly flirtations, and mountains of homework. Ready or not, the tremendous ending of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will leave stunned fans wondering what great and terrible events await in Book 7 if this sinister darkness is meant to light the way.

Critics

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince By J. K. Rowling

If you live with anyone under the age of 20, you might have noticed them looking longingly at the calendar and marking off the days (indeed, you might be marking off the days yourself). School's already out, summer's well along, the final Star Wars m ... (read full critics)

bookpage published on Thu, 16 Sep 2010

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Coming in Paperback Share

U.S. Harry Potter publisher Scholastic will release the paperback edition of J.K. Rowling's sixth Potteriffic novel, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, on July 25, 2006. With a first printing of 2 million copies, the paperback version brings the ... (read full critics)

blogcritics published on Thu, 19 Jan 2006

40 Reviews

13 people find this helpful

I was frustrated with this book, although not as much as I was with the fifth. It seems that even as the themes mature and grow darker, the writing style remains the same. I also was highly frustrated that areas which could have been explored, and in some cases should have been explored, were shunte ... (continue)

I was frustrated with this book, although not as much as I was with the fifth. It seems that even as the themes mature and grow darker, the writing style remains the same. I also was highly frustrated that areas which could have been explored, and in some cases should have been explored, were shunted off to the side in favor of moving the story forward without too much complexity. The idea that Sirius' death had so little an impact when Harry was more than ready to have him as a guardian right after meeting him made no sense. At this point, I'm just reading the series so that I know what happens at the end. Even if it does fit the classical coming-of-age hero quest, there are variations. If I've come this far, I may as well finish the series out.

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Miri said on Dec 21, 2006 | 1 feedback

2 people find this helpful

The Best so far!

I loved every single page of this book.
The characters (new and old) are perfectly written. A lot of action and a very good final!!

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Fayd said on Dec 6, 2011 | Add your feedback

2 people find this helpful

FINALLY finished reading Harry Potter 6.
Can't recall how many times did I read the first 100 or so pages, then giving it up due to lack of concentration.
This time I've finally finished it, although it is obviously one year late.
Surprisingly, I do not find it as interesting as t ... (continue)

FINALLY finished reading Harry Potter 6.
Can't recall how many times did I read the first 100 or so pages, then giving it up due to lack of concentration.
This time I've finally finished it, although it is obviously one year late.
Surprisingly, I do not find it as interesting as the others described.
Nothing much amused me in the story, perhaps my brother has told me
that Dumbledore will die and Snape is evil anyway?
Everything was quite predictable. Nevertheless, I do find it a bit too
early to plot all the scene for the finale of the seven episodes?
Anyway, this is just my opion. I guess I will definitely be criticised
by all the HP fans

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vivienwongwc said on Aug 18, 2006 | Add your feedback

El mejor libro de la saga.Es el libro que exhibe la gran evolucion que tuvo JK Rowling no solo respecto a la tecnica literaria,sino a la capacidad de creacion de historias y personajes.A su vez es de lectura ligera,y altamente entretenido.Recomendable para todas las edades.

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

1 person find this helpful

A mio parere, il più triste dei sette libri...sicura che rileggendolo, mi farà commuovere ancora...
Alla fine di quest nuova lettura, posso affermare che rimane il mio libro preferito della saga...

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Fragola said on Jan 4, 2012 about the Others edition | Add your feedback

Addictive

This is, so far, the best novel in the series. Rowling left back the wrong and tedius path taken in the Order in the Phoenix to get back to the main track. The school life is gradually left behing to focus on the fighiting againt the Dark side. The last quarter of the book is a real turn-pager.

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Tyrion said on Dec 15, 2011 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback