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Harry
Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling Rating: ••• (Recommended) |
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Growing Up I admit that rather than reading the
earlier Harry Potter books, I listened to them on tape, from the fine
unabridged versions recorded by Jim Dale. I decided to plunge into print with
Harry
Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and I’m glad I did. I may still
listen to Jim Dale’s version, but holding the 900 page book felt good, and I
anxiously turned every page to find out what happened. Phoenix
is a darker book than the earlier ones, and Harry’s adolescent emotions are
oscillating in every chapter. Here’s an excerpt of Harry’s emotions carrying
him away, into trouble (pp. 242-3). This is a classroom scene from Chapter 12,
with Professor Umbridge, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher: There
was a short silence in which many members of the class turned their heads to
frown at the three course aims still written on the blackboard. “Using
defensive spells?” Professor Umbridge repeated with a little laugh. “Why,
I can’t imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you
to use a defensive speck, Miss Granger. You surely aren’t expecting to
be attacked during class?” “We’re
not going to use magic?” Ron ejaculated loudly. “Students
raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr. _ ?_ “Weasley,”
said Ron, thrusting his hand into the air. Professor
Umbridge, smiling still more widely, turned her back on him. Harry and
Hermoine immediately raised their hands too. Professor Umbridge’s pouchy eyes
lingered on Harry’s face for a moment before she addressed Hermoine. “Yes,
Miss Granger? You wanted to ask something else?” “Yes,”
said Hermoine. “Surely the whole point of Defense Aainst the Dark Arts is to
practice defensive spells?” “Are
you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Granger?” asked Professor
Umbridge in her falsely sweet voice. “No,
but – “ “Well,
then, I’m afraid you are not qualified to decide what the ‘whole point’ of
any class is. Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised our new
program of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure,
risk-free way –“ “What
use is that?” said Harry loudly. “If we’re going to be attacked it won’t be
in a –“ “Hand,
Mr. Potter!” sang Professor Umbridge. Harry
thrust his fist in the air. Professor Umbridge promptly turned away from them
again, but now several other people had their hands up too. … “As
long as you have studied the theory hard enough, there is no reason why you
should not be able to perform the spells under carefully controlled
examination conditions,” said Professor Umbridge dismissively. “Without
ever practicing them before?” said Parvati indredulously. “Are
you telling me that the first time we’ll get to do the spells will be during
our exam?” “I
repeat, as long as you have studied the theory hard enough –“ “And
what good’s theory going to be in the
real world?” said Harry loudly, his fist in the air again. Professor
Umbridge looked up. “This
is school, Mr. Potter, not the real world,” she said softly. “So
we’re not supposed to be prepared for what’s waiting out there?” “There
is nothing waiting out there, Mr. Potter.” “Oh
yeah?” said Harry. His temper, which seemed to have been bubbling just
beneath the surface all day, was reaching boiling point. “Who
do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?” uinquired Professor
Umbridge in a horribly honeyed voice. “Hmmm,
let’s think …” said Harry in a mock thoughtful voice, “maybe Lord
Voldermort?” Ron
gasped; Lavender Brown uttered a little scream, Neville slipped sideways off
his stool. Professor Umbridge, however, did not flinch. She was staring at
Harry with a grimly satisfied expression on her face. “Ten
points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter.” Lots of students will enjoy that line: “This
is school, Mr. Potter, not the real world.” The theme of growing up, and the
influence of age appears late in the book in this quote from Dumbledore (p.
826): “For I see now
that what I have done, and not done, with regard to you, bears all the
hallmarks of the failings of age. Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels.
But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young … and I seem to
have forgotten lately.” Even Dumbledore appears
vulnerable in Phoenix,
and for that reason alone, you may enjoy reading this latest, and in my opinion,
finest installment in the series. Steve Hopkins, July 25, 2003 |
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ã 2003 Hopkins and Company, LLC The
recommendation rating for this book appeared in the August 2003
issue of Executive
Times URL
for this review: http://www.hopkinsandcompany.com/Books/Harry
Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.htm For
Reprint Permission, Contact: Hopkins
& Company, LLC • 723 North Kenilworth Avenue • Oak Park, IL 60302 E-mail: books@hopkinsandcompany.com |
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