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| "Harry Potter's like Santa Claus --- something you can't see but wish was real so badly that you end up believing in it." - Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) |
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Saturday, June 21st, marked an important and strange date in the history of english literature. As public libraries slowly lose funding, and kids regularly flock towards movies and video games, suddenly millions of children (along with their parents) were partying over the idea of reading.
Harry, who in the movies is portrayed as a symbol of goodness, has never been flawless in the books, and never in all the previous four, has he been so flawed. The Order of the Phoenix gives us the account of a fifteen-year-old Harry, one who is highly hormonal, temperamental, and hysterically awkward around girls (woo-hoo!). He has normal teenage temper tantrums. As Hagrid says, "The world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters." It has been very creative of J.K. Rowling to bring in sch a great idea. Its not always the same "Good Vs. Bad" thing. Even though the theme quite touches that, there are major variations (ah, the post-mordern litereature).
"Death Eaters" are followers of Voldemort and the "Order of the Phoenix" is the group of wizards who are attempting to fight against them and their "Lord". The big problem, though, is that the rest of the world, helped mainly by a propaganda filled paper and an egotistical minister (Cornelius Fudge), is convinced Voldemort's claimed return was simply a publicity stunt by an attention seeking brat (Harry)- a product of a school run too freely (Hogwarts).
Though writing a much more intense book than its predecessors, Rowling doesn't loose her sense of humour. The trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione is panned out to create a larger group of friends resulting in a lot of hysterical new interactions. The pranskter twins Fred and George play a much larger role, along with a talking Ginny (Ron's younger sister who finally got over her mute-inducing crush on Harry),a slightly more grown up accident prone friend named Neville, and a crazy Luna "Loony" Lovegood whose strange confidence in her father's Enquirer-style paper makes the plot all the more wonderful. There are friendly laughs, fights, and crushes on almost every page in proper teenage fashion. One thing is for sure, Rowling definitely never forgot what it was like to be fifteen, and definitely knows how to keep her audience glued to the pages.
The first few chapters jump from character to character without so much as explaining their history or relevance. While veteran readers will find this welcoming, like returning to new friends without missing a beat, a new-comer might be off-put by the confusion and give up. Rowling does explain the four previous books and the interweaving relationships of characters, but unlike before where the old stories were amateurly regurgitated in condensed form on the first few pages, she does this with more expertise now, slowly stretching the information beautifully between the new plot. If it was possible for Rowling to become an even better storyteller, this is just one of the many many signs encased in The Phoenix.
As for old readers determined to find a flaw in the plot, a character misrepresented, or any sign that fame and fortune have lead to a weakening of J.K.'s devotion to the stories, they will be hard-pressed for evidence. Some have wondered whether the new weighty length was intended only for bragging rights, but after reading it, those same skeptics will probably wish it hadn't been edited at all.
It is through these themes that Rowling uses a brilliant novel to discuss social justice issues. The reader, when faced with such horrific tales, must look back into their own culture and recognize the falsehoods and injusices that lie beneath it.
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