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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

(Harry Potter)

By J.K. Rowling

(3363)

| Paperback | 9781594132216

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Critics

Into the gloom

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling 607 pp, Bloomsbury, £16.99 Enthusiasm and delight greeted the publication of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Elaborately stage-managed as the hoopla might have been, no one can doubt the ex ... (read full critics)

guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE: Book #6

J.K. Rowling has kept her promise --- that each of Harry Potter's years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will be darker and more difficult than the one before. This sixth installment is the darkest and most complex of the books yet. But ... (read full critics)

teenreads published on Thu, 16 Sep 2010

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47 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 about the Hardcover edition | 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 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

2 people find this helpful

*** This comment contains spoilers! ***

Harry was left to ponder in silence the depths to which girls would sink to get revenge.
"Dumbledore's man through and through, arent' you, Potter?"
"Yeah, I am," said Harry. "Glad we straightened that out."
"He accused me of being 'Dumbledore's man through and through'."
"Hom ... (continue)

Harry was left to ponder in silence the depths to which girls would sink to get revenge.
"Dumbledore's man through and through, arent' you, Potter?"
"Yeah, I am," said Harry. "Glad we straightened that out."
"He accused me of being 'Dumbledore's man through and through'."
"Hom very rude of him."
"I told him I was."
Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again. Behind Harry, Fawkes the phoenix let out a low, soft, musical cry.
"Where are you going?" Harry demanded.
"Yeah, I'm really going to tell you, because it's your business, Potter," sneered Malfoy. "You'd better hurry up, they'll be waiting for the Chosen Captain - the Boy Who Scored - whatever they call you these days."
"Then we have nothing more to say to each other."
"No, nothing," said Dumbledore, and a great sadness filled his face. "The time is long gone when I could frighten you with a burning wardrobe and force you to make repayment for your crimes. But I wish I could, Tom... I wish I could..."
"There is nothing to be feared from a body, Harry, any more than there is anything to be feared from the darkness. Lord Voldemort, who of course secretly fears both, disagrees. But once again he reveals his own lack of wisdom.
It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more."
"We're nearly there... I can Apparate us both back... don't worry..."
"I am not worried, Harry," said Dumbledore, his voice a little stronger despite the freezing water. "I am with you."
"But I got this far, didn't I?" he said slowly. "They thought I'd die in the attempt, but I'm here... and you're in my power... I'm the one with the wand... you're at my mercy..."
"No, Draco," said Dumbledore quietly. "It's my mercy, and not yours, that matters now."
But somebody else had spoken Snape's name, quite softly.
"Severus..."
The sound frightened Harry beyond anything he had experienced all evening. For the first time, Dumbledore was pleading.
"What do you mean, 'e was going to be married?"
Mrs Weasley raised her tear-strained face, looking startled.
"Well - only that -"
"You theenk Bill will not wish to marry me any more?" demanded Fleur. "You theenk, because of these bites, he will not love me?"
"No, that's not what I -"
"Because 'e will!" said Fleur, drawing herself up to her full height and throwing back her long mane of silver hair. "It would take more zan a werewolf to stop Bill loving me!"
"Well, yes, I'm sure," said Mrs Weasley, "but I thought perhaps - given how - how he -"
"You thought I would not weesh to marry him? Or per'aps, you 'oped?" said Fleur, her nostrils flaring. "What do I care how 'e looks? I am good-looking enough for both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave! And I shall do zat!" she added fiercely, pushing Mrs Weasley aside and snatching the ointment from her.
"He will only be gone from the school when none here are loyal to him," said Harry, smiling in spite of himself.
"My dear boy... even Dumbledore cannot return from the -"
"I am not saying he can. You wouldn't understand. But I've got nothing to tell you."
[...]
Scrimgeour turned a nasty purple colour highly reminiscent of Uncle Vernon.
"I see you are -"
"Dumbledore's man through and through," said Harry. "That's right."

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tinebrella said on Jul 11, 2009 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

Redemption...

Thankfully this book was much better than its predecessor and restored my faith once again in the genius of JK Rowling! Love the introduction of a more hormonal group of teenagers which of course would be the norm at their age! Have to admit I still bawl crying at the last few chapters even though I ... (continue)

Thankfully this book was much better than its predecessor and restored my faith once again in the genius of JK Rowling! Love the introduction of a more hormonal group of teenagers which of course would be the norm at their age! Have to admit I still bawl crying at the last few chapters even though Iv read the book at least three or four times now! Cant wait for the film! Cliffs of Moher appear in it which isn't too far from me!!

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Lauraolsthoorn said on Feb 25, 2012 | 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 | Add your feedback

This is the sixth book in the Harry Potter series and once again JK Rowling triumphs as the mistress of the world of wizardry. We are taken on another roller coaster of a ride as Harry and friends battle their wits to try and win against evil. This book differs slightly as we are not treated to th ... (continue)

This is the sixth book in the Harry Potter series and once again JK Rowling triumphs as the mistress of the world of wizardry. We are taken on another roller coaster of a ride as Harry and friends battle their wits to try and win against evil. This book differs slightly as we are not treated to the Dark Lord himself but the work of his evil minions. Harry is is given information by Dumbledore in his special one to one 'lessons' and surprisingly excels at Potions. Great stuff, another excellent read.

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Booketta said on Nov 12, 2011 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback