There are only two types of readers who would be advised to read Harry Potter-The Half Blood Prince. The ones who have already gulped down the first five versions and are thirsting for the sixth and those who have trudged along anyways. People who haven’t a clue about what Harry Potter is all about (and there are very few) are advised to consult the earlier versions before embarking on this one; for Ms. Rowling provides absolutely no threads to pick up on the way. Which is a fine thing really for the faithful.
I am no big Potter fan and after the fourth book, my enthusiasm about the next versions has been constantly on the wane. Yet, considering that Ms Rowling has promised to finish off the series in her seventh endeavor, I duly paid up my Rs 800 for the sixth.
This review contains the COMPLETE story. So, if you think you do not want to know what happens in the end, read the book; or the other reviews. I am writing for those who just want to know what the fuss is all about.
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The Story
Harry Potter is off for another term at Hogwarts, this time accompanied by Professor Dumbledore. The dangers confronting Harry are huge and revealed in the later chapters. Voldemort is now after many things: Harry’s blood, Immortality by keeping his seven Horcruxes (the containers containing fragments of his soul) safe, and of course, the blood of innocent people.
At Hogwarts, its young adoloscents have reached that magical age and are in the mood for love; including, Harry. The first three, maybe four hundred pages ramble on with the travails of adoloscent love and adult magic. This is occassionally interspersed with Dumbledore and Harry taking off into the memories of other people with the help of the pensieve, trying to get a peek into Voldemort’s past.
Finally, when Dumbledore is sure about where one of the Horcruxes lay, he takes along with him, who else but Harry Potter in a bid to destroy it. In this effort, Dumbledore is poisoned and by the time the two arrive at the gates of Hogwart, it is under attack by the Death-eaters who have been provided an easy entry by Draco Malfoy. In the ensuing struggle, Dumbledore is killed by Snape who flees with the Malfoy kid to Voldemort (?).
So, where does the half blood prince fit in? Slughorn, Harry’s magical potions teacher accidentally (?) hands him a book belonging to the half blood prince. Scribbled upon its worn-out pages are instructions which help Harry in more ways than he bargains for. The prince in the end turns out to be Snape having inherited the name ’Prince’’ from his mother and the half blood coming from his father, a muggle. However, many questions about Snape continue unanswered. Why does Dumbledore place such blind faith in a man who is to murder him? Why doesn’t Snape forcibly get hold of Harry Potter’s potion book? And many more. The answers, I guess will be for the sequel.
At the end of the sixth novel, Harry Potter has to break-off a relationship with Ginny, Ron’s sister to move on to higher goals. The future of Hogwart’s is under siege and Harry Potter is all alone without Dumbledore. Of course, Hermione and Ron are still with Harry at the end of all this pain.
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Features of the sixth book:
Voldemort does not make any appearance
Harry Potter does not achieve anything spectacular
Harry Potter and his friends witness the travails of first love
Dumbledore is dead
Enough loose ends to be tied up in the seventh book
Why am I waiting for the seventh?
I want to know:
What happens to Hogwarts without Dumbledore?
What happens to Voldemort in the end (he dies hopefully)?
Why did Dumbledore trust Snape blindly?
Where does the end leave Harry Potter (hopefully with a girl and some other mission)?
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Final Comments: Contrary to what many people have expressed, this is not Rowling at her best. The prose rambles on at places, even gets a tad boring. The climax I heard bought tears to her many fans but did not move me all that much. I was more cross with Dumbledore for having trusted Snape when Potter warned him all through. But, maybe I am wrong. Of course, younger readers will find the death of Dumbledore heavy on their tear ducts.
I am not sure if this is darkest Harry Potter book. Yes, there is more blood, more death and some references to the war on terror. This of course, does not seem to put off younger readers nowadays accustomed as they are to much more in their video games.
The age of innocence seems to be over. As it is with Harry Potter.