Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter 6)[Adult Edition]

Rowling opens with a chapter she had wanted to use for the first book, of The Philosopher's Stone--Lord Voldemort has been creating chaos in the Wizard and Muggle communities alike, the war is in full swing and the Wizarding community now lives in fear. The press have been questioning the events at the Ministry which led to the admission of Voldemort's return, and of course Harry's name is mentioned a number of times. Harry's got his problems, but his anxiety is nothing compared to Hermione's when the OWL results are delivered. There's a new Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher, an assortment of new characters and creatures, and startling revelations about past characters and events.

Gone is the rage-filled Harry of The Order of the Phoenix--he's not being kept in the dark any more, his unjustified Quidditch ban has been lifted and he has matured considerably in his short time out of school. Half-Blood Prince follows Harry into the world of late-teens, and his realisation that nobody is infallible has made his growth that much easier. Accepting his destiny, Harry continues to behave as teenagers do, enjoying his time with his friends, developing his relationships outside of his usual circle, and learning more about how he must, eventually, do what he is destined to do.

J.K. Rowling delivers another fantastic tale which will have the readers gasping for more, capturing the characters perfectly and continuing a tale which readers will enjoy over and over again. --Ziggy Morbi

There are plenty of the usual HP book traits which you would only understand having read all the other books. Ends start being tied up in preperation for the last instalment and there are plenty of unexpected twists and although I'm itching to give everything away I'm not going to be cruel if you haven't managed to read it all yet! However I will say Harry gets an unexpected girlfriend (and it's not Cho Chang...) there's a very shocking death that I still haven't got over yet! One of the teachers turns out to be very bad and we meet a Slytherin who doesn't idolise only those from the same house but instead likes Harry which is a novelty! And the identity of the Half-Blood Prince is a complete shock.

Rowling has done it again...she is an absolute genious and I'm literally wetting myself in anticipation of the last book! Bring it on Rowling!


To buy or not to buy?   July 29, 2005
... (Lancashire)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

So you read books 1 to 4 and loved them?
You didn't enjoy Book 5 and are unsure whether or not the series is going to fizzle out as a damp squib (pardon the pun)?
You don't want to find out the plot but want help making a decision? Then read on without fear...
JK starts the book at a cracking pace with characters new and old. Watch out for Chapter 2 - now who do we believe? The pace is maintained throughout with twists and turns aplenty. Additionally, links are made to events in all previous books - she is a very clever writer. I couldn't put it down; a welcome return to form after the relative letdown of book 5. Also, a truly amazing ending. You simply have to read this book.


Another amazing Installment!, J.K better than ever!   July 19, 2005
15 out of 18 found this review helpful

The 6th installment of Harry Potter has recaptured the wit and magic that slightly lacked in the moodier OOTP. The tone throughout is much lighter, with hilarious banter between Ron and Hermione, as well as plenty of clues and curiosities dotted throughout the chapters to keep you wondering and guessing until the very end!
The humour is sharp and well placed. It always amazes me how Rowling manages to do this, spreading out the comical charm and wit for maximam affect!

The story was both delightfully clever and intriguing throughout, and we learn slightly more about what the prophecy means to Harry, and how he will be able to cope with his destiny.

As usual, the pace of the book is quick, but the climax appears too suddenly and is hard to digest.

I can't help thinking that the ending, although expected could have turned out differently, leaving you slightly shocked, aghast and cheated, with more questions unanswered than ever before!

All in all though, an amazing book! You must read it, and judge for you're selves!


Elegant and subtle as usual   August 22, 2005
15 out of 18 found this review helpful

This must have been a difficult book to write. There was obviously a certain amount that JKR had to get down on paper just to set up the final book. A lot of it was fascinating, particularly the background to Tom Riddle/ Voldermort's character. The drawback was that some of the rest of the book seemed a little rushed. Harry and Dumbledore's 'quest' towards the end seems to take about ten minutes and one gets the impression that any moderately talented wizard accompanied by a house-elf could have accomplished it. To me it felt that there were at least three books of story left to tell but JKR was eager to bring everything to a close in two.

But as usual there are several fabulously subtle undercurrents to the story, my favourite of which is the theme of judgement and misjudgement. JKR elegantly introduces this theme in the cosy setting of the Weasley's home, where Mrs W and the rest of the household are indulging their mutual distaste for Fleur, the beautiful but irritating wife-to-be of Bill Weasley. Their misjudgement is proved towards the end in a fairly comical but quite moving scene, which adds just the right touch of light relief, mingled with pathos, in an otherwise dark moment.

Questions over character and character judgement run all through this book. In an age of pop psychology where personalities are so often neatly pigeonholed, JKR's premise that we are all complicated, and capable of misjudging and being misjudged, is a worthwhile message and a breath of fresh air.


Rowling sets the stage and as always tells a great story   February 24, 2006
Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA)
18 out of 22 found this review helpful

One testament to the storytelling ability of J. K. Rowling is that the Harry Potter books translate in German well enough that readers in that language are as totally enchanted with the series as those who read the original English. Rowling has created an entire world, with its language, customs, tastes, smells and of course, fully-fleshed-out characters who have had a chance to grow and mature in the six-of-seven book series.

In "The Half-Blood Prince", Harry Potter and Dumbledore are on a quest to get to Lord Voldemort. The story really revolves around these two characters, though we are deftly introduced to yet another new professor, Slughorn, who adds a bit of novelty and flavor to the familiar brew. Some people might be disappointed that exciting Quidditch matches, long banquets and other events are not described in as much detail in Book 6, but much time is used here to develop characters thoroughly so the end of the story can be told with great drama. There is a lot about the love lives of the main characters, but as they are maturing to young adulthood, this is a development past schoolyard crushes that lets the characters age in a believable way.

Rowling takes her time in this long book to delve into Lord Voldemort's past and to really develop his character, though we don't see him directly in this book. Instead, the novel is a series of flashbacks, care of the Pensieve. Taking this kind of time allows the author to set up the final battle we are told is destined to come in Book Seven. Also, in keeping with series books (trilogies, tetrologies, heptologies...) this is a transitional book, setting the stage for the climax. Therefore, there is a lot of exposition and though Rowling wisely adds a shocking event, she leaves more questions and possibilities open than she completes. This leaves some readers, perhaps, perplexed or vaguely unsatisfied. The book doesn't quite stand alone. But as a member of the series, it sets the stage with delicious anticipation for the finale. I, for one, can't wait for the last book and predict the hub-bub and excitement when Book 7 is released will approach mass hysteria. I re-read "The Half-Blood Prince" several times, poring over clues and ideas. It left me thinking.

Though internet killjoys revealed the "great secret" of this book in about thirty milliseconds after the book was put on sale, the knowledge does not mar reading the book. The drama of the finale and the questions it leaves behind make the reader wonder deeply what is to come next. I was left with many questions, ideas, theories as to the next installment, which I am waiting for anxiously. The Potter Series is one of literature's great adventures and Rowling is never better than in this book.