[books 2008] Harry Potter
Oct. 6th, 2008 09:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
inulro50. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
Just the thing for my miserable cold. Actually enjoyed it a lot more than I expected - this is the first one that I've begun to understand why people get quite so intense about the series. This is also the first one where the film is significantly different from the book. Or, so I thought as I was reading, but as I have a memory that a goldfish would be ashamed of, I wasn't sure. Fortunately the film was on ITV last night, so I got to compare. There are indeed several subplots that don't even make it to the film. The only thing that I felt the film does more effectively than the book is the scene where Harry brings Cedric's body back.
The other interesting thing is I was reading it alongside the last of the Mortal Engines books, and in ways that are difficult for me to quantify, Harry Potter, however enjoyable, definitely has the feel of a children's book, whereas the Philip Reeve feels more like a regular book that isn't too difficult and happens to have young adults as the main characters.
Just as well I'm suddenly enthusiastic about Harry Potter - the charity shop had all four books that I hadn't read yet (brand new and in hard cover) and I grabbed them all. I liked this one enough to keep it, but they're huge. If I end up wanting to keep them all they'll need their own shelf, and space is already short around here.
I'd recommend it, but I suspect everyone who has any interest has read it already.
Just the thing for my miserable cold. Actually enjoyed it a lot more than I expected - this is the first one that I've begun to understand why people get quite so intense about the series. This is also the first one where the film is significantly different from the book. Or, so I thought as I was reading, but as I have a memory that a goldfish would be ashamed of, I wasn't sure. Fortunately the film was on ITV last night, so I got to compare. There are indeed several subplots that don't even make it to the film. The only thing that I felt the film does more effectively than the book is the scene where Harry brings Cedric's body back.
The other interesting thing is I was reading it alongside the last of the Mortal Engines books, and in ways that are difficult for me to quantify, Harry Potter, however enjoyable, definitely has the feel of a children's book, whereas the Philip Reeve feels more like a regular book that isn't too difficult and happens to have young adults as the main characters.
Just as well I'm suddenly enthusiastic about Harry Potter - the charity shop had all four books that I hadn't read yet (brand new and in hard cover) and I grabbed them all. I liked this one enough to keep it, but they're huge. If I end up wanting to keep them all they'll need their own shelf, and space is already short around here.
I'd recommend it, but I suspect everyone who has any interest has read it already.
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Date: 2008-10-07 07:29 am (UTC)The last two books are the most controversial - there are plenty of people who didn't like Half-Blood Prince, and some even claim JKR had a ghostwriter for it. I don't think HBP's too bad, but the final book in the series is utter dreck. The last chapter... let's just say even the worst fanfic writer in the world would have been ashamed to produce THAT.