Best of the Harry Potter books? (spoilers okay)

[NewJeffCT]

OK, I finally finished up the seven Harry Potter books and enjoyed the series immensely. I even got a bit misty eyed a few times in the last books.

Which book did you like the best, and why?

[NV Whino]

1. Can't choose a favorite

The progression of the story, growth (physically, spiritually and mentally) of the characters (all of them, even minor one, the increasing darkness) is integral to the success of all the books. I can say that I enjoyed the earlier ones a bit more with only a hint of the darkness that was to come.

[NewJeffCT]

2. good point

starting in book four, things get pretty dark with the ending in the graveyard, the death of Cedric Diggory and Voldemort coming back to life.

[MrCoffee]

3. Goblet of Fire

Cedric's death was completely out of the blue, and she dealt with it so mercilessly...it was brilliant.

[NewJeffCT]

4. That might have been my second favorite book

Excellent ending, plus the twist with Mad Eye Moody/Barty Crouch Jr. was well done as well, I thought.

The movie was pretty good, but they made Moody's help way too obvious in the movie, and also added in Crouch to the scene at the Riddle House. I don't think he was there in the book - or at least was not in Harry's vision.

[Arugula Latte]

6. I thought she did a good job, but in Book 7 there are just too many deaths.

She could have conveyed the horror of Voldemort without having so many characters we'd invested in get killed.

[NewJeffCT]

7. the one that got me the most

was Dobby. My eyes were watering with "Here lies Dobby - A Free Elf"

Though, Fred getting killed right after Percy reconciled with the Weasleys was pretty bad, too. I loved Lupin's character, but he & Tonks dying happened "off camera" - so, it was not quite as bad for me. The same with Mad Eye Moody.

[Arugula Latte]

9. But Tonks and Lupin had just had a baby.

It seemed overkill - pun intended - for them both to die.

[NewJeffCT]

10. Yes, it did

I think Rowling wanted him to be a parellel to Harry Potter - boy whose parents were both killed by Voldemort, or killed by Voldemort's followers in Ted Lupin's case.

[pulledpork]

16. I knew they were toast

The moment they asked Harry to be their baby's godfather. I immediately thought of Sirius and his importance to Harry as his godfather. Too much of a parallel not to be an omen.

[Arugula Latte]

18. Yeah, I had that sinking feeling. Then I thought, "Oh, she just couldn't be so cruel"

but of course she was.

[pulledpork]

19. Part of the hero's journey

All of his mentors fell before he defeated Voldemort, including his dad's friends and important Aurors like Moody and Tonks. The most significant authority figure to survive outside of Arthur and Molly Weasley was Professor McGonagall.

I do wonder why Snape's portrait didn't appear in the headmaster's office, being that he held that position.

[NewJeffCT]

22. I think it was there afterwards

I read some sort of follow-up from JK Rowling that said something about how they didn't want to have Snape's picture there in the office, but Harry had insisted.

[hifiguy]

13. Yeppers

"Goblet" turned the Potter books from something fun and entertaining to something really gripping.

I'd vote for "Deathly Hallows" as next best.

[fishwax]

32. that's my thought too -- you start to see elements of it in Prisoner of Azkaban

but Goblet of Fire is the one that really commits.

[pulledpork]

39. 'Goblet' also breaks with the formula

Until then, each book began with Harry suffering at the Dursleys, then making his way to Hogwarts. 'Goblet' opens at the Dursleys, but we are privy to a vision/dream he has of Voldemort, so we don't feel that it did. Then the World Cup and all that developed there went way beyond his usual summer routine. From here on out, as the stakes get higher, every book breaks further with the opening formula, so as to contribute to the overall sense of unease developing.

[fishwax]

43. yeah, good point --

Continuing on that line of thought, Goblet also takes a different path to get to Hogwarts, since they go first to the Quidditch Cup and then go to Hogwarts from there (after the Death Eaters show up). In Azkaban they take the flying car to Hogwarts, but that's only because they missed the Hogwarts Express (iirc), and they fly over the Hogwarts Express on their way. So beginning with Azkaban and then more definitely with Goblet of Fire the books get away from the whole "Diagon Alley," "Platform 9 and three quarters," and "Hogwarts Express," which was Harry's first (relatively light-hearted, fun, and innocent) first introduction to the world of wizardry ...

[pulledpork]

48. The car was in 'Chamber' - Dobby sabotaged 9 3/4 for Harry and Ron

Also, "Chamber" was when Harry tried the floo system for the first time, and ended up in Knockturn Alley by mistake, temporarily taking the innocence out of the expected Diagon Alley trip. Then the fiasco at the train station. Bit by bit, his world was widening and less secure.

"Azakaban" was when Harry took the Knight Bus to escape Whinging, ending up at Diagon Alley, and later was the safely escorted to Kings Cross where they all took the Hogwarts Express together.

[fishwax]

53. d'oh! you're right

I had forgotten that the flying car came about as the result of Dobby's meddling ...

[Lucinda]

5. No favorites

♥ them all and they work as one as far as I am concerned.
Did you have a fav?

[NewJeffCT]

8. Probably Deathly Hallows

because it wrapped everything up, and brought so many things together - Dudley reconciling with Harry, Ron learning parseltongue and getting the basilisk fangs from Chamber of Secrets, then Hermione kissing Ron when he said they should get the house elves to safety because they didn't want another Dobby on their hands, (Then Kreacher leading the house elves into battle) the revelation that Snape had loved Lily Potter since he was a boy, Harry stealing the eye of Mad-Eye Moody back from Dolores Umbridge, Harry mocking Voldemort at the end by calling him "Riddle", the showdown between Molly Weasley & Bellatrix...

[Lucinda]

17. She's an amazing writer.

So many thread tied off so well.
Dobby killed me. :( But I understand why it was necessary.

[ZombieHorde]

11. Each book was better than the previous one. nt

[dembotoz]

12. my measure is which book have i reread the most often

and that would be book 1.

it set the tone
it set the hook
and i never wiggled off

[ScreamingMeemie]

14. Is it bad that I liked them, but then I forget them almost the second I put them

down?

[fishwax]

15. Goblet of Fire is probably my favorite

It has some juicy darkness (especially with the ending), but much of it is still youthful and optimistic. I like the tension between those things. I also like the structure of the book, which begins to deviate from the pattern of the earlier books. I also really like the opening scene at Voldemort's family mansion.

[pulledpork]

20. Comes down to "Azkaban", "Phoenix" and "Hallows"

"Azkaban" for the classic rug-pulling trick that was Sirius Black.

"Phoenix" for the harrowing dread that Rowling summoned in the Dept. of Mysteries climax. The stakes were really ratcheted up.

"Hallows" for its combination of hair-raising escapes, suspense, emotional impact, tying of loose ends, and the incredible story of Severus and Lily.

These books will last hundreds of years, like the works of Lewis Carroll, Mark Twain, or Arthur Conan Doyle. In fact, Rowling makes as great of a mystery writer as she does fantasy. The books stayed with me for weeks after reading them, and even discussing them now, the awe comes back.

[NewJeffCT]

21. good choices

I think the surprise that Scabbers was Peter Pettigrew was also a big one in Azkaban. Though, I figured out Lupin was a werewolf based on both of his names.

[pulledpork]

26. Yes, Scabbers was a big development

He was originally Percy's rat, and all the more ironic when you consider how Percy nearly betrayed the family as Pettigrew did to James and Lily. Also, in "Phoenix", it really hits home that the Death Eaters are very evil indeed, and not cartoonish like Star Wars storm troopers or something. The death of Sirius showed that Rowling was not going to confine murders to minor characters (Cedric Diggory) or beyond the timeline of the books (Harry's parents).

[tigereye]

24. I really wish that the movie of Phoenix had been able to

incorporate some of the wonderful elements of the Dept of Mysteries which were in the book. That was disappointing. It's funny how the movies (as well done as some of them were) often missed the true humor, wit and social commentary Rowling conveyed as a writer)

[NewJeffCT]

25. One thing about the movies

Is that they seem to make things more Harry-focused. In the Azkaban book, it was Lupin who saw the map & noticed Peter Pettigrew on there and he only tells Harry about it when they're in the Shrieking Shack with Sirius. In the movie, Harry sees Pettigrew on the map, and "he" (in rat form) goes by Harry in the hallway, so Harry thinks the map is wrong and asks Lupin about it. (The movie also does not mention who Padfoot, Moony, Wormtail & Prongs are... kind of important, I think)

There are a few other moments like that, but I'm drawing a blank.

[pulledpork]

27. For that reason

I considered "Goblet" the most disappointing of the films, partly because so many subplots were sacrificed (S.P.E.W., etc.), and Dumbledore seemed out of character.

Although the first two films are enjoyable, I kind of wish they weren't done by Chris Columbus. Something a little too saccharine in his approach and style for me. This wasn't supposed to be "Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Chamber of Goonies", lol.

[NewJeffCT]

28. What I disliked about the Goblet movie

was that they made it obvious that Moody was the one behind Harry being helped in each of the tasks. In the book, he only helped him solve how to defeat the dragon, and his helping the others wasn't revealed until the end.

I also think Barty Crouch Jr was handled poorly in the movie as well - he was NOT at the Riddle house in the book, if I recall correctly. Or, at least not in Harry's vision.

[pulledpork]

29. Yes!

The camera would zoom in on Moody every time, like it was Hawaii Five-Oh, lol. I think in the book Harry sees someone, he just doesn't know it's Crouch Jr., and I am not sure we should know that in the movie either. And by leaving out all of the elves, the scene after the Dark Mark appears doesn't feel right.

[NewJeffCT]

46. I think what should be done eventually

Is for the BBC (or somebody else - maybe HBO?) to make a TV series of the books, so each book gets the full treatment, rather than glossing over things like they do with each of the movies. I mean, it's got to be hard to cut big books like GoF, OotP and HBP into 2 to 2 1/2 hours of movie. At least they made Deathly Hallows into two movies. (I have not seen the OotP, HBP or the Deathly Hallows 1 movies yet, as I'm waiting for my daughter to finish the books)

[fishwax]

62. indeed n/t

[fishwax]

31. I agree with you on Azkaban

I picked Goblet of Fire, personally, but Sirius Black was definitely a great rug pull :) You also start to get some interesting background on Harry's parents, which is cool. And the playing with time makes for interesting twists too.

[pulledpork]

34. In the Azkaban movie

I half-expected Doc Brown to push the DeLorean out of the Forbidden Forest. :-)

Or see Biff with a Sports Almanac. :rofl:

[tigereye]

23. tie between Azkaban and Deathly Hallows.

the last book interweaves so many unforeseen plot elements in a wonderful way - I think she's a masterful plotter. And Azkaban just has a great, deep, thoughtful quality with a great understanding of adolescence.

[Rowdyboy]

30. The Order of the Phoenix-by far....Harry was more grown up, more serious

Delores Umbridge was an utterly evil nemesis and the final 100 pages left me breathless. Its when I really, finally fell in love with the Harry Potter series. I really liked the first four books. I LOVED the Order of the Phoenix.

Very good question. I'd never really thought about it before but as soon as I considered it I knew the obvious answer.

[hailhydra]

33. Another vote for Order of the Phoenix...

...I just love that book. I especially enjoyed the Neville bits concerning the prophecy. And the end fight in the Ministry was just epic.

[Rowdyboy]

35. Neville was one of my favorite characters...I really thought he was the object of

the prophecy.

Sirius' death really saddened me. I thought Harry finally had family and to lose it so soon was hard. Very good writing.

[pulledpork]

37. In the hero's journey...

All mentors must be shed (think Obi-Wan and Yoda) before the hero can fully mature and fulfill their destiny. It does suck, but there it is. Rowling created characters we cared about. Since the series was inspired by her losing her mother to illness, it has personal resonance.

Rowling has clearly learned from Joseph Campbell, which is part of her genius. She draws from so many mythical sources, folklore, etc., that it is worthy of a dissertation to get to them all.

[Rowdyboy]

40. The image of a young mother on welfare with her baby writing in a coffeeshop

is incredible. The woman has enthralled a generation of children (and half a generation of adults) with a very classical story and did it while supporting a child and living in poverty. Rowling is a genius.

And yes, the mentors must be killed, and it sucks but-as you say-there it is.

Don't you just love good fiction!

[pulledpork]

42. I found Rowling's coffeeshop explanation amusing

Apparently, the only reason she took to writing there was because her baby always fell asleep easily in it. She also dispelled the myth that her flat was unheated, which was once believed to be the reason she went to the coffeeshop. She said you would have to be mad to rent a flat in Edinburgh in the winter without heat. :D

It seems that her mother dying of M.S. and a train that was 4 hours late got the Harry Potter quaffle flying. After leaving her departed mother, she conceived of Harry on the train ride home.

Yes, I do love good fiction. :-) I firmly believe her works will last for many, many years, on the same literary level as Dickens, Carroll, Swift, and other forebears.

[Rowdyboy]

45. I wasn't aware of the situation of her mother....but I can empathize....

What a talent.

[pulledpork]

36. 'Phoenix' was also where Harry realized his dad was not perfect

That coming-of-age moment all young people have, when they realize their parents are not perfect. He experienced a similar disillusionment with Dumbledore later (especially "Hallows"), but with his father, it began in Snape's pensieve when he witnessed how James picked on Snape. That was also the first intimation that there was a connection between Snape and Lily, but not enough to have let us guess to what extent. That way, it was a major surprise in "Hallows", but not without any exposure to our subconscious.

[Rowdyboy]

38. What can I say... Spoken like someone who should be an English lit professor....

or at least someone who loves books and likes to analyze them.

The thought of Severus and Lily leaves me sad. I really want to hate Severus Snape but I've never been able to. I suppose I identify with him in ways I'd rather not think about too much.

[pulledpork]

41. The unrequited love of Snape for Lily

That was a powerful and unexpected element, but it perfectly explained why Snape treated Harry as he did. He wanted to see James in him, because of his looks, but surely he noticed, as everyone else did, that Harry had his mother's eyes, and that HAD to have affected Snape. Dumbledore told Snape that Harry is actually much more like his mother as a person. We will never know if Snape accepted that, but lashing out at Harry and treating him poorly helped keep an emotional detachment from him so that if Harry died (as Dumbledore indicated was likely), Snape would not have to suffer the loss of the only living connection to Lily left on earth.

I think we all can identify with Snape in ways we may not want. But Harry ultimately saw good in him, and we must have that faith in ourselves.

[Rowdyboy]

44. And I think that ultimately was Ms Rowlings main point....

She made many good ones over the seven volumes (good points that is) but I think that the one she really wanted to get across is the dichotomy of good and evil.

It was some of the most pleasant reading I've done in my adult life. She created a world as real as that of Edgar Rice Burroughs, HG Wells, Conan Doyle and Anne Rice. Not saying all those writers are equal-just that they all created their own worlds.

[XemaSab]

47. Order of the Phoenix for three scenes:

Snape, Lily, and the marauders in the pensieve; the scene at St. Mungos with Neville's parents; and the scene where Harry dreams he's the snake and attacks Mr. Weasley.

The first one because it gives Snape LOADS of sympathy and takes LOADS of sympathy away from James & co., the second because it turns Neville from a comic character into a tragic character, and the third because it turns Harry from an innocent little boy into someone who has a connection with real evil deep within him.

[NewJeffCT]

49. good point on Neville

He really became quite heroic in the end. Liked the epilogue where he is Professor Longbottom. I liked that his grandmother showed up at the end to help fight - and took off the join the battle, moving surprisingly fast.

[hifiguy]

50. That little epilogue to Deathly Hallows,

which Rowling apparently wrote contemporaneously with the first novel, is an exquisite miniature that pulls everything together in a way that is funny, tragic, touching and immensely satisfying all within a few short pages. That is _masterful_ writing.

[NewJeffCT]

52. I was reading the harry potter wiki site the other day

and, it goes into a lot more detail on what happened with the other characters (i.e., Neville Longbottom married Hannah Abbott, Cho Chang married a muggle, etc)

Is that stuff from Rowling that she later commented about or wrote about? Or, is that fan fiction? something else?

http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Cho_Chang

[pulledpork]

54. I don't know if those were her ideas, or fans

But something about Cho marrying a Muggle does seem satisfying. :evilgrin:

[NewJeffCT]

55. well, she wasn't a bad person

She did come back in the end to help fight for Hogwarts with the rest of the DA - and, she had to have been a mess psychologically in Order of the Phoenix because of what happened to Cedric. Sure, she dumped Harry, but Harry wasn't always Mr Perfect during year 5, either.

[pulledpork]

58. She chose friends poorly

The one who sold them out to Umbridge, lol. I forget her name. Kind of bothered me that the film implied it was Cho's fault equally, and I don't have it in for her that much, lol.

Just mindless fun on my part. :D

[pulledpork]

51. Since Neville was Harry's prophecy doppleganger

...there were things about him roughly analogous to Harry. Instead of his parents being killed, they were rendered psychologically damaged and mute. Which two characters pulled the Sword of Gryffindor out of the Sorting Hat to slay a snake belonging to Voldemort? Harry and Neville.

[Broken_Hero]

56. Order of the Phoenix, nt

[NewJeffCT]

57. kick for the tie

Azkaban & Phoenix both have 8 votes so far.

[NewJeffCT]

61. still pretty close

hoping to get a few more votes.

[TZ]

59. I voted for Goblet of Fire

It really is the transition from childhood innocence for Harry to adult perceptions of the grimness of reality.

[NewJeffCT]

60. good choice

good points - thanks for voting.