Friday at midnight I went to Books-A-Million to obtain my reserved copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J. K. Rowling’s latest installment in the Harry Potter series. After some solid reading blocks on Saturday and Sunday, I’ve completed the 650-odd page book. Obviously Half-Blood Prince is a must-read for any follower of the Harry Potter series. My thoughts are below – I have attempted to be careful not to include any spoilers.
After reading through the book, I am feeling glad that the series will be coming to an end soon. Not in an I-can’t-wait-for-this-to-be-over sort of way, but more along the lines of feeling like the the story has run its course. Rowling is careful not to dwell too long on the aspects of the series of which we are intensely familiar: the antics of Harry’s Muggle family, the Hogwarts Express, the zany magical classes, Quidditch, and so forth. All the staples are there of course, but I think Rowling understands that the reader has been through five books with these constructs and does not need to linger upon them.
Because the characters are now sixteen years old, you’ll see more in the way of romantic relationships. In fact, I count four such relationships off the top of my head involving eight of the series’ core or near-core characters. You also get a lot of good info about the history of Lord Voldemort. I think it was this information about Voldemort’s past that I found most intriguing about Half-Blood Prince. The climax of the book is also very exciting; I found myself tearing through the pages with quickened pulse.
Predictably, there is the old Harry/Snape and Harry/Malfoy conflict. This book brings that conflict to a head, as it should, considering that the conflict must be resolved in the next and final book. Once again Rowling raises the question of which side Snape is working for. Perhaps this is just my point of view, but it seems obvious that Rowling is attempting to set the reader up for a surprise reversal in the final book.
All in all, Half-Blood Prince is an entertaining read that puts things in place for an exciting final book. There is an addictive quality to these novels that compels me to read them voraciously. I felt drawn in to the story and was pleased to spend more time in the world Rowling has created.