02.18.08

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

Posted in Books at 9:09 pm by Administrator

The sixth and penultimate book in the Harry Potter saga is essentially the beginning of the resolution phase.  Generally speaking, it’s a time in any story when all the previous complications have to start coming together, introducing some final set of conditions to drive towards the climax.  It’s actually one of the most difficult parts of a story to write, especially when a great deal of exposition is required.

The book is shorter than the previous volume, and it is fairly straightforward.  The plot revolves around three main plot points.  First, Dumbledore has come to the conclusion, based on some unseen event, that he should give Harry more information about Lord Voldemort and his rise to power.  This is accomplished through the use of the Pensieve and Dumbledore’s substantial speculation.  As interesting as the information is, and as critical as it later becomes, it treads very closely to the line between “showing” and “telling”.

It also touches on the idea that young Tom Riddle was born with certain instabilities, thanks to his Morvolo heritage, which were later exacerbated by his childhood in an orphanage, where he chose to use his magical abilities to cruel purpose.  In other words, Riddle was born bad and raised worse, and that apparently led to his decision, once at Hogwarts, to embrace power and seek victory over death itself.  While this ultimately ties into the idea that Riddle and Harry had similar potentials but took divergent paths, it could have been less predictable.

Similarly, Harry is eventually told that his most powerful asset against Voldemort is his inherent pure and innocent soul.  At the same time, Dumbledore points out that Harry is not bound to kill Voldemort based on the prophecy, but rather, because his desire for vengeance would have always driven him to it.  I’m not sure that the desire to kill for the sake of vengeance mates well with the “pure and innocent” part.

On the other hand, Dumbledore’s exposition reveals the existence of the Horcruxes, six vessels containing parts of Voldemort’s soul.  Dumbledore is convinced that all of the Horcruxes must be destroyed before Harry takes down Voldemort, or the nightmare will never be over.  All but one Horcrux is identified, but it’s easy enough to figure out that Harry himself is the final piece of the puzzle.  (Something that is all but revealed early in the series, just in a different context.)

The second plot thread is Draco’s plot to kill Dumbledore, and Snape’s role as his backup.  From the very beginning of the book, it’s clear that Malfoy has been assigned Dumbledore’s murder.  It’s equally clear that Snape is not simply playing the role of support for Malfoy.  As predictable as this plot thread might be, it is compelling because Harry is absolutely right about Malfoy and his scheming, but no one seems to listen.  Ironically, Dumbledore’s insistence of Snape’s innocence, and dismissal of Malfoy’s plot, strongly supports the idea that Snape is working among the Death Eaters on Dumbledore’s orders.

Dumbledore’s death scene further supports the notion, while also fulfilling another of the conditions for Harry’s “hero’s journey”.  As always, the wise mentor must fall before the hero completes the quest, forcing the hero to find strength and guidance within to finish the task.  (And of course, a journey into the realm of the dead, real or metaphorical, is still to come.)  Snape’s actions at the end of the book are carefully balanced.

The third plot thread is Harry’s possession of a Potions book once owned by the Half-Blood Prince.  The book is full of notes and creative solutions to various potion-based magical recipes, and it gives Harry quite a bit of success.  Hermione becomes concerned that the book is leading Harry down the wrong path, and sure enough, it leads him into discovery of a horrifying spell meant to maim an intended victim.

While the identity of the Half-Blood Prince is one of the mysteries of the novel, like the other aspects of the book, it is utterly predictable.  It’s not hard to figure out that the original owner of the text was Severus Snape, given his prowess in potions magic and his association with the Dark Arts.  The interesting aspect of this plot thread is Harry’s willingness to walk down that darker path.

As predictable as the story might be, the elements introduced are necessary for the success of the final volume, and it certainly serves its purpose.  The book also does a great job of building up the romance between Harry and Ginny and Ron and Hermione.  There’s also the rising infiltration of the Ministry of Magic by the Death Eaters, a situation that began with the events in the previous novel.  The final chapters are excellently done, presaging the battle to come, and there is a palpable sense of loss and foreboding.  It is nearly impossible to end this book and not rush to the shelves to grab the seventh and final volume.

Rating: 8/10

02.05.08

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling

Posted in Books at 12:25 am by Administrator

This fifth volume of the Harry Potter series marks the end of the complication phase of the overall series arc, and it does so in an unusual fashion.  Up to this point in the series, each volume was essentially dominated by one major quest: finding and protecting the Sorcerer’s Stone, finding the Chamber of Secrets, dealing with the “threat” of Sirius Black, and the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

That’s not quite true for this novel, which is less about a specific quest and more about living through a siege mentality between a soul-crushing bureaucracy and the rising threat of Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters.  It is also about the effect this struggle has on Harry in particular, thanks to an ill-advised decision on Dumbledore’s part.

Surprisingly, despite the enormous length of the novel, the story hits the ground running and rarely slows down until the final page.  After the return of Lord Voldemort at the end of the fourth book, one might have expected the war to begin immediately.  Instead, the author approaches the situation in a more realistic fashion.  Voldemort prepares in the background while Harry deals with issues within the Ministry of Magic.

The Ministry has decided to deny reality, suppressing any knowledge of Voldemort’s return.  This begins as a nuisance and quickly becomes more disturbing than I ever would have imagined.  Harry is at the center of a concerted movement to discredit him and anyone willing to listen to him, and just when you think it can’t get any worse, it does.

This is not a short process, so the length is entirely justified.  It’s not enough to set up each new obstacle; it’s equally important to explore the consequences on Harry and his friends.  These effects are amplified by Harry’s anger, which was an unexpected direction.  Dumbledore has decided to distance himself from Harry, but he still has instructions for him.  Harry feels more and more out of the loop and out of control of his life, and his temper compels him to rebel.  This makes the situation worse, of course, which fuels the downward spiral.

Hogwarts slowly but surely falls into the equivalent of a police state, and that psychological space is not easy to enjoy.  Yet it also reflects, to a certain extent, how nearly every teenager feels in the real world.  It’s amplified to a massive degree, but the parallel is there.  And like any teenager, Harry takes it upon himself to take action according to his view of reality, despite several warnings to the contrary, and the resulting battle at the Ministry of Magic exacts a terrible price.

Along the way, Harry learns a lot about himself and his legacy, and he comes to understand how others perceive him.  In particular, he comes to understand Professor Snape a bit better, but not enough to avoid making a costly mistake.  His impetuous temper leads him to an assumption that is terribly, terribly wrong.  In essence, Voldemort uses Harry’s emotional and psychological issues against him, and the plan nearly succeeds.

The end of this book marks the end of the complication phase, as mentioned before, because the war begins in earnest and the subsequent action is all about resolving the threat of Voldemort, not recognizing and preparing for it.  The book ends with a revelation that defines Harry’s life and purpose in the wake of Voldemort’s corporeal return.  And of course, there is the death of Sirius Black, whose introduction marked the beginning of the complication phase of the arc.  Moving forward, the reader is on notice that the casualties will begin to mount, and the losses will be more substantial as the war continues.

Amidst the larger themes, there is the important counterpoint of Harry’s growth as a young man.  He attempts to find joy and happiness despite the darkness, some sense of normality, and that gives the story enough space to advance several of the other character arcs along the way.  Some of this material can be repetitious, and if anything could be removed without too much impact on the tone of the story, it’s the endless sniping between Harry and his friends in the first half of the book.

Looking back on the series to this point, the difference between the first volume and this book is astounding.  Yet those earlier books are becoming more important as a consequence.  The first two books have darker elements, but the overall tone is more carefree.  We had to see those earlier, happier moments, or the darker moments wouldn’t have the desired impact.  We wouldn’t understand Harry’s frustration, or recognize his mistakes, if we didn’t get to see how his psychology changed over time.

Rating: 8/10