Okay, I thought this last little ending really stretched credibility of Harry's character. He had just been throught this incredibly harrowing ordeal, but then he has the presence of mind to recall one tiny bit of info (that an elf would be freed if his master game him clothing), and create a plan to trick Lucius? That's where I roll my eyes a bit.
Like the first book, CoS is still very tight. Plot is good, and there's not a lot of meandering. The first time through it's agonizingly suspenseful, and rereads provide lots of insight into later books.
It's funny, though. As much as I think it's well put together, it's in my bottom half of favourites.
This one is probably my least favorite of the books. I remember when JK Rowling told us that everything we needed to know about the rest of the series (after book five) was in book 2. What she didn't bother to tell us was that we were missing essential bits of information that would make the second book make sense.
I think that's part of why I still have trouble reading this book. It just frustrates me.
that's one of Harry's great talents, though, taking bits of information picked up here and there, and putting the whole picture together in sudden blinding bursts of inspiration. Remember, he only briefly looked at teh back of Dumbledore's chocolate frog card, yet he remembered Nicholas Flamel's name, and that he had read it...even if he didn't recall where he read it.
Harry is all about saving...he even will try to save things and people who have done nothing but give him a hard time. He wants to help Mrs. Norris, despite the fact she gets him in trouble with Filch. He went to the Death Day Party to try to help a ghost. From the moment Dobby enters his bedroom in Privit Drive, Harry asks if there's anything he can do to help Dobby...which causes Dobby to cry loudly, etc...causing problems with Uncle Vernon. In the hospital, Harry is in the pain of regrowing 33 bones, his arm feels like it is full of splinters, he finds out it was Dobby's bludger that caused his break and Lockhart's disastrous "fix", and yet he is still concerned with Dobby in an effort to help him. So there isn't much difference in his wanting to help Dobby here as at the end of the book. Harry knows what a distasteful family is the whole Malfoy clan. He's put up with a year of torment from Malfoy last school year, and nothing has abated during this whole school year. He's seen and heard Lucius' vindictive comments to Mr. Weasley and to Dumbledor. His rivalry with Draco is already legend. Once Harry knows it's the Malfoy family Dobby serves, and watches Mr. Malfoy kick Dobby right out of the door and hears him continuing to kick Dobby all the way down the hall, he knows this is his one and only chance to get Dobby out of an intolerable situation. More importantly, he can strike a severe blow at his arch-rival's heart by setting Dobby free. So he takes it, getting a bit of his own back on Mr. Malfoy for the terrible things Lucius has caused to happen to his friends at shcool for the whole year, and more particularly for his best friend's sister's near death at Riddle's hands, thanks to Lucius. Mr. Harry-Save-The-World-Potter must do what he can, and, as Romana reminded us of one of Harry's great talents, quickly put the pieces together and hoped it would work to his and Dobby's advantages and Dobby would be free of tyranny. It does, and Harry's gained a friend who will serve him willingly for the rest of his life. Taken as a whole, bringing these additional elements to the front of the mind, hopefully will help a bit in the eye-rolling arena. =) Heart Writer
Okay, I thought this last little ending really stretched credibility of Harry's character. He had just been throught this incredibly harrowing ordeal, but then he has the presence of mind to recall one tiny bit of info (that an elf would be freed if his master game him clothing), and create a plan to trick Lucius? That's where I roll my eyes a bit.
ReplyDeleteLike the first book, CoS is still very tight. Plot is good, and there's not a lot of meandering. The first time through it's agonizingly suspenseful, and rereads provide lots of insight into later books.
It's funny, though. As much as I think it's well put together, it's in my bottom half of favourites.
This one is probably my least favorite of the books. I remember when JK Rowling told us that everything we needed to know about the rest of the series (after book five) was in book 2. What she didn't bother to tell us was that we were missing essential bits of information that would make the second book make sense.
ReplyDeleteI think that's part of why I still have trouble reading this book. It just frustrates me.
that's one of Harry's great talents, though, taking bits of information picked up here and there, and putting the whole picture together in sudden blinding bursts of inspiration. Remember, he only briefly looked at teh back of Dumbledore's chocolate frog card, yet he remembered Nicholas Flamel's name, and that he had read it...even if he didn't recall where he read it.
ReplyDeleteRomana
Harry is all about saving...he even will try to save things and people who have done nothing but give him a hard time. He wants to help Mrs. Norris, despite the fact she gets him in trouble with Filch. He went to the Death Day Party to try to help a ghost. From the moment Dobby enters his bedroom in Privit Drive, Harry asks if there's anything he can do to help Dobby...which causes Dobby to cry loudly, etc...causing problems with Uncle Vernon.
ReplyDeleteIn the hospital, Harry is in the pain of regrowing 33 bones, his arm feels like it is full of splinters, he finds out it was Dobby's bludger that caused his break and Lockhart's disastrous "fix", and yet he is still concerned with Dobby in an effort to help him. So there isn't much difference in his wanting to help Dobby here as at the end of the book.
Harry knows what a distasteful family is the whole Malfoy clan. He's put up with a year of torment from Malfoy last school year, and nothing has abated during this whole school year.
He's seen and heard Lucius' vindictive comments to Mr. Weasley and to Dumbledor. His rivalry with Draco is already legend. Once Harry knows it's the Malfoy family Dobby serves, and watches Mr. Malfoy kick Dobby right out of the door and hears him continuing to kick Dobby all the way down the hall, he knows this is his one and only chance to get Dobby out of an intolerable situation. More importantly, he can strike a severe blow at his arch-rival's heart by setting Dobby free. So he takes it, getting a bit of his own back on Mr. Malfoy for the terrible things Lucius has caused to happen to his friends at shcool for the whole year, and more particularly for his best friend's sister's near death at Riddle's hands, thanks to Lucius. Mr. Harry-Save-The-World-Potter must do what he can, and, as Romana reminded us of one of Harry's great talents, quickly put the pieces together and hoped it would work to his and Dobby's advantages and Dobby would be free of tyranny.
It does, and Harry's gained a friend who will serve him willingly for the rest of his life.
Taken as a whole, bringing these additional elements to the front of the mind, hopefully will help a bit in the eye-rolling arena.
=)
Heart Writer