Return to simple scheme - on a grand (that is long-long) scale
Written: Jul 19 '05
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Reads OK, scratches an itch (if you have one).
Cons: Way too long for the simple plot and the amount of action presented.
The Bottom Line: You may as well read it - otherwise you'll be left wondering what it was that you missed.
|
|
|
| mtarasev's Full Review: J. K. Rowling - Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Pr... |
The Half-Blood Prince appears to be an attempt to revert to the successful simplicity of the Sorcerer’s Stone and the Chamber of Secrets. However, comparable story line would, and in my opinion does, look lonely on the 560+ pages of the Half-Blood Prince.
I have a pretty good recollection of the events described in the first three books of Harry Potter series. I’m more or less OK on the forth one, just do not press me for the details. After a year, I’m real hazy on the Order of Phoenix – the book was long, plot branched in all directions, things happening all over the place. One day after finishing The Half-Blood Prince I’m also hazy on details, but for a completely different reason. The plot is simple and straightforward. Action relatively light and nothing much happens till the very end of the book. So, considering all this what was in the 650+ pages that I just read? Truth to tell, I already have no clue. Something must have, but… my memory refuses to provide enough material to fill even a quarter of that volume.
War with You-Know-Who? Yea… mostly the last hundred pages or so.
All in all, the struggle appears somewhat unsatisfying – if the death at the end was for real if was hardly believable, if it was a ploy, lots of actions of the “good” would appear unpleasantly cold-hearted and the whole thing would, in my opinion, be much too convoluted for many, especially underage, readers. The action plot obviously sets up a stage for the future escalation of the struggle with some new (or possible recovered old) characters. However, again, 560 pages is a bit long for a set-up. I can understand the reason for the complicated way Sherlock Holmes had to come back to life – after all the fight with Moriarti was supposed to be the very last story…
“Romantic” developments between the heroes? Could be…
I understand that “romance” gets an un-proportional amount of attempting in the average teenage life, however, the developments in Half-Blood Prince are mostly predictable and, like the plot in general, pretty straightforward. In addition, like a “sweet nothing” between lovers – while having lots of deep meaning for persons involved, it makes for a boring subject for those around.
Day-to-day wizard’s life? That must be it… but still, where did the pages go?
Personally, I believe the Half-Blood Prince would have been an excellent book were it, let’s say, a hundred…two… three hundred pages shorter. As it is, the plot and the action are spread very-very thin to keep the interest in turning page after page after page. Unfortunately, more is not always better.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
mtarasev
|
|
Reviews written: 47
Trusted by: 4 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.