A good book that could have been great -- Order of the Phoenix
Written: Jul 02 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Returning to Hogwarts! good character development
Cons: It really IS too long, and not appropriate for all 9-12 year olds
The Bottom Line: Fans of the series will love it, simply because it's Harry. But I wonder if it won't be remembered as the weakest book of the series.
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| befus's Full Review: J. K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Order of the ... |
Ah, but it was nice to see Harry again. Granted, he's not quite the Harry I remembered and loved...he's a little older and a LOT angrier this time out. But it was still wonderful to return to Harry's world in JK Rowling's fifth installment in the Harry Potter series, *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.*
Let me start by saying that I know the world probably doesn't need another Harry Potter review. But having galloped my way through this 870 page page-turner, I find myself itching to talk about the book, its strengths as well as its unrealized potential.
The bare bones of the plot (no spoilers if I can help it, but I will presume you've read the earlier books): Following the return of the dark lord Voldemort, Harry returns to Hogwarts for his fifth year of study. The wizarding world is now poised on the brink of war with Voldemort, but it's internally split between those who believe he's back and want to marshall forces to face him, and those who refuse to believe it and are trying to block their attempts. The students at Hogwarts are similarly divided. Harry faces by far his most troubling and difficult year -- and that's saying a lot. He must deal with students who believe he's crazy or lying, a new defense against the dark arts teacher who is a tool of the wizarding world's beauracracy, and the pressure of his upcoming O.W.L. (ordinary wizarding level) exams. Added to all of this is his own continuing need to cope with the depression and anger he's naturally experiencing after the trauma and challenge he faced at the end of the last book, the mood swings of adolescence, bizarre dreams he can't explain, a romance that won't get off the ground....well, you get the picture.
I am guessing this may have been the most challenging book of the series to write. We are no longer reading a sad but somewhat sweet tale of a young boy who lost his parents in a tragic and mysterious way. We are in the middle of what's turned into an epic adventure and that young boy has turned into a young man who is grappling to understand his destiny, and who is seriously struggling with self-control issues. The most difficult part of this book, for me at least, is that Harry's struggles and the necessities of Rowling's complex plot keep him far more isolated than usual, when our beloved hero most needs guidance and community. His godfather, Sirius, is struggling with his own issues. We see much less of Hagrid and Dumbledore, both mentors to Harry in very different ways. We also seem to see less of Ron and Hermione, Harry's best friends, though they are both given some fine moments. There are glimpses of humor here and there (hooray for Fred and George, a breath of fresh air!) but it feels like there is less whimsy and less camraderie in this book than in any of the others. Again, this may have been necessary but I missed the simple moments where Harry just relaxes at the Three Broomsticks or gets an adrenaline rush from playing a good match of Quidditch.
Order of the Phoenix is very much a part of a series. It felt like a "transition" story through and through. And its biggest problem is one of its most celebrated features, its length. A good friend of mine who began reading the Harry Potter series much earlier than I did, and used to count herself a fan, recently told me she wasn't much looking forward to this book's release. The books, she declared, were simply getting too long. Rowling needed an editor.
Although Azkaban and Goblet of Fire, books 3 and 4 respectively, were indeed long (each book in the series has gotten successively longer) I didn't agree with my friend at first. Who cared if Rowling was a bit long-winded? The world she's created is such fun and so magical, and her plot twists so interesting, I usually just sit back and enjoy the ride. As a writer and a reader, I really appreciate the way almost no detail is superflous in Rowling's world. Often incidents or dialogue that I considered "throwaway" turn out to be major hinges in the plot. A good case in point is Hermione's mysterious "time management" technique to get to all her classs in Azkaban. A fun and revealing character trait (Hermione's obsessiveness about studying) turns out to provide the very means by which our heroes save the day in the end.
It may yet be proved that some of the window-dressing details in Order of the Phoenix will be important in Books 6 and 7. I wouldn't doubt it. Evenso, I couldn't help but feel that my friend was right...Ms. Rowling WOULD have benefited from a good editor. Order of the Phoenix was a good book, but it could have been a great book had the story been told more tightly. In spite of the fact that it had more words than any other in the series, I think it probably advanced the overall plot and our knowledge the least. And though admittedly I read it quickly (and am now reading it in a slower, more enjoyable fashion, out loud to my husband) I felt less engaged emotionally by this story than I did by Azkaban and Goblet of Fire.
With all this said, there were a myriad of things to enjoy here. There was the welcome addition of some new characters, especially the hip young auror Tonks and the odd but somehow endearing Luna Lovegood. There was the welcome development of some old friends, most notably (as so many people have rightly pointed out) Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom. There was even some welcome character development a few of our anti-heroes, most especially Aunt Petunia and Professor Snape. We get to meet more strange creatures (thestrals and giants) in the Forbidden Forest. This book also sees a return of the centaurs, and many more references to the storyline of the very first book.
My hesitancy in recommending it to all (or even most) 9-12 year olds is real. I know lots of them are reading it, and I hope that they have wise parents who will help them to take away from it some of the nuggets of wisdom that lie like buried treasures in so much of Rowling's work. Just two important things to take away from the Order of the Phoenix include the reality that experiencing death changes the way we look at much of the world (sometimes literally so, in Harry's world) and that truth, lovingly and wisely given, is always better than deception and has the power to free us.
But adults who are giving this book to children should know that a surprising amount of darkness permeates this book. I appreciate that Rowling believes that darkness and evil are real, and that they need to be fought. No small thing for a story to tackle in a world like ours. What usually keeps the Harry Potter books afloat for me is the loyalty, love, friendships, and laughter that bind the characters together as they stand against evil. There is some of that here (most notably the scenes with "Dumbledore's Army" which I would have loved to see more of) but not as much as we're used to. Therefore the book feels heavy (literally as well as emotionally)! Rowling is a good enough writer, however, that the story doesn't crash completely from the weight it's carrying, as it might in the hands of a less skilled author.
If you're a fan of the series, you will definitely want to read it...and probably more than once. If you're not, don't let what I'm guessing will be mixed reviews of the fifth installment deter you from picking up book 1.
Recommended:
Yes
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befus
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Member: Beth
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You-can't-get a cup-of-tea big enough or a book long-enough to suit me...C.S Lewis
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