Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
The first and only time I attended a midnight book release party was when this book came out. It was the summer before my senior year of high school, so a couple of friends and I were easily able to make the trek to the nearest Barnes and Noble by ourselves. The party itself was geared to a much younger audience, but we were bookish and happy to spend some time browsing the shelves before the book was officially released. On the way home I sat in the backseat and read the first chapter aloud for the benefit of the driver.
This is also the first time I spoiled myself for something. I care less about this now. I know the shapes of stories well enough to understand what's coming, and spotting the clues is a big part of my enjoyment. But at the time I was genuinely upset that I'd figured out Sirius was going to die from the blurb on the dust jacket. I was even more upset when the text proved my prediction correct.
Despite that I remember being excited when this book first came out. We'd all waited so long, and it was by far the longest book in the series. Getting to spend so much time in the wizarding world made the three year wait feel worth it. In hindsight, I think it would have been better for the book to be delayed another six months and get another editing pass.
Order of the Phoenix doesn't really stand up to the tests of time the way the others have. It drags a lot. Parts of it are clumsy. Bits get repeated almost verbatim from the fourth book and the occasional recaps aren't integrated into the text as well. The book goes on tangents, like Hagrid's experience with the giants, that do nothing more than flesh out the world. It's fun to read about the first time, but it's a bit boring on re-reads because it doesn't tie into the story in any meaningful way.
It doesn't help that this is when Harry is at his least likable. It makes sense. Harry is isolated and grieving and fifteen years old. His anger and recklessness and sudden mood swings make sense for the character. But they aren't particularly fun to read about (unless you are just as angry yourself, which I honestly was for parts of this book). Worse, he makes some truly stupid decisions, and it's easier to see the Law of Narrative here than in other books.
This all makes it sound like I don't like this book. Which isn't entirely true. Yes, it's a bit of a slog to get through, but there's still a lot of great stuff in here. Dumbledore's Army is a highlight of the entire series, and I sometimes wonder if Harry should become a teacher as an adult, rather than an auror. It's great to see the Marauders as students at Hogwarts, as much as the narrative has to twist to give us that scene. The addition of Luna and Ginny's expanded role are most welcome, as is Neville's slow development into the complete badass he ultimately becomes. I just wish it were all a bit more streamlined.
This is also the first time I spoiled myself for something. I care less about this now. I know the shapes of stories well enough to understand what's coming, and spotting the clues is a big part of my enjoyment. But at the time I was genuinely upset that I'd figured out Sirius was going to die from the blurb on the dust jacket. I was even more upset when the text proved my prediction correct.
Despite that I remember being excited when this book first came out. We'd all waited so long, and it was by far the longest book in the series. Getting to spend so much time in the wizarding world made the three year wait feel worth it. In hindsight, I think it would have been better for the book to be delayed another six months and get another editing pass.
Order of the Phoenix doesn't really stand up to the tests of time the way the others have. It drags a lot. Parts of it are clumsy. Bits get repeated almost verbatim from the fourth book and the occasional recaps aren't integrated into the text as well. The book goes on tangents, like Hagrid's experience with the giants, that do nothing more than flesh out the world. It's fun to read about the first time, but it's a bit boring on re-reads because it doesn't tie into the story in any meaningful way.
It doesn't help that this is when Harry is at his least likable. It makes sense. Harry is isolated and grieving and fifteen years old. His anger and recklessness and sudden mood swings make sense for the character. But they aren't particularly fun to read about (unless you are just as angry yourself, which I honestly was for parts of this book). Worse, he makes some truly stupid decisions, and it's easier to see the Law of Narrative here than in other books.
This all makes it sound like I don't like this book. Which isn't entirely true. Yes, it's a bit of a slog to get through, but there's still a lot of great stuff in here. Dumbledore's Army is a highlight of the entire series, and I sometimes wonder if Harry should become a teacher as an adult, rather than an auror. It's great to see the Marauders as students at Hogwarts, as much as the narrative has to twist to give us that scene. The addition of Luna and Ginny's expanded role are most welcome, as is Neville's slow development into the complete badass he ultimately becomes. I just wish it were all a bit more streamlined.
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