Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6)

Amazon.com Review:
The long-awaited, eagerly anticipated, arguably over-hyped HarryPotter and the Half-Blood Prince has arrived, and the question onthe minds of kids, adults, fans, and skeptics alike is, "Is it worththe hype?" The answer, luckily, is simple: yep. A magnificentspectacle more than worth the price of admission, Harry Potter andthe Half-Blood Prince will blow you away. However, given that somuch has gone into protecting the secrets of the book (includingarmored trucks and injunctions), don't expect any spoilers in thisreview. It's much more fun not knowing what's coming--and in the caseof Rowling's delicious sixth book, you don't want to know. Just sittight, despite the earth-shattering revelations that will have yourhead in your hands as you hope the words will rearrange themselvesinto a different story. But take one warning to heart: do not openHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince until you have firstfound a secluded spot, safe from curious eyes, where you can tuck infor a good long read. Because once you start, you won't stop until youreach the very last page.

A darker book than any in the seriesthus far with a level of sophistication belying its genre, HarryPotter and the Half-Blood Prince moves the series into murkierwaters and marks the arrival of Rowling onto the adult literaryscene. While she has long been praised for her cleverness and wit, thestrength of Book 6 lies in her subtle development of key characters,as well as her carefully nuanced depiction of a community at war. InHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, no one and nothing issafe, including preconceived notions of good and evil and of right andwrong. With each book in her increasingly remarkable series,fans have nervously watched J.K. Rowling raise the stakes; gone arethe simple delights of butterbeer and enchanted candy, and days whenthe worst ailment could be cured by a bite of chocolate. A series thatbegan as a colorful lark full of magic and discovery has become a darkand deadly war zone. But this should not come as a shock to loyalreaders. Rowling readied fans with Harry Potter and theGoblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Orderof the Phoenix by killing off popular characters and engagingthe young students in battle. Still, there is an unexpected bleaknessfrom the start of Book 6 that casts a mean shadow over Quidditchgames, silly flirtations, and mountains of homework. Ready or not, thetremendous ending of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Princewill leave stunned fans wondering what great and terrible events awaitin Book 7 if this sinister darkness is meant to light theway. --Daphne Durham Visit the Harry PotterStore
OurHarry PotterStore features all things Harry, including books (box sets andcollector's editions), audio CDs and cassettes, DVDs, soundtracks,games, and more.

Begin at theBeginning

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Hardcover Paperback

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Hardcover Paperback

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Hardcover Paperback

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Hardcover Paperback

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Hardcover Paperback

Why We LoveHarry
Favorite Moments from theSeries
There are plenty of reasons to love Rowling's wildlypopular series--no doubt you have several dozen of your own. Our listfeatures favorite moments, characters, and artifacts from the firstfive books. Keep in mind that this list is by no means exhaustive(what we love about Harry could fill ten books!) and does not includeany of the spectacular revelatory moments that would spoil the booksfor those (few) who have not read them. Enjoy. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer'sStone

* Harry's first trip to the zoowith the Dursleys, when a boa constrictor winks at him. * When theDursleys' house is suddenly besieged by letters for Harry fromHogwarts. Readers learn how much the Dursleys have been keeping fromHarry. Rowling does a wonderful job in displaying the lengths to whichUncle Vernon will go to deny that magic exists. * Harry's firstvisit to Diagon Alley with Hagrid. Full of curiosities and rich withmagic and marvel, Harry's first trip includes a trip to Gringotts andOllivanders, where Harry gets his wand (holly and phoenix feather) anddiscovers yet another connection to He-Who-Must-No-Be-Named. Thismoment is the reader's first full introduction to Rowling's world ofwitchcraft and wizards. * Harry's experience with the SortingHat.

Harry Potter andthe Chamber of Secrets

* The de-gnoming of theWeasleys' garden. Harry discovers that even wizards havechores--gnomes must be grabbed (ignoring angry protests "Gerroff me!Gerroff me!"), swung about (to make them too dizzy to come back), andtossed out of the garden--this delightful scene highlights Rowling'sclever and witty genius. * Harry's first experience with a Howler,sent to Ron by his mother. * The Dueling Club battle between Harryand Malfoy. Gilderoy Lockhart starts the Dueling Club to help studentspractice spells on each other, but he is not prepared for theintensity of the animosity between Harry and Draco. Since they arestill young, their minibattle is innocent enough, including ticklingand dancing charms.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

* Ron's attempt to use atelephone to call Harry at the Dursleys'. * Harry's firstencounter with a Dementor on the train (and just about any otherencounter with Dementors). Harry's brush with the Dementors isterrifying and prepares Potter fans for a darker, scarier book. *Harry, Ron, and Hermione's behavior in Professor Trelawney'sDivination class. Some of the best moments in Rowling's books occurwhen she reminds us that the wizards-in-training at Hogwarts are,after all, just children. Clearly, even at a school of witchcraft andwizardry, classes can be boring and seem pointless to children. *The Boggart lesson in Professor Lupin's classroom. * Harry, Ron,and Hermione's knock-down confrontation with Snape.

Harry Potter and the Goblet ofFire

* Hermione's disgust at thereception for the veela (Bulgarian National Team Mascots) at theQuidditch World Cup. Rowling's fourth book addresses issues aboutgrowing up--the dynamic between the boys and girls at Hogwarts startsto change. Nowhere is this more plain than the hilarious scene inwhich magical cheerleaders nearly convince Harry and Ron to jump fromthe stands to impress them. * Viktor Krum's crush on Hermione--andRon's objection to it. * Malfoy's "Potter Stinks" badge. *Hermione's creation of S.P.E.W., the intolerant bigotry of the DeathEaters, and the danger of the Triwizard Tournament. Add in thechanging dynamics between girls and boys at Hogwarts, and suddenlyRowling's fourth book has a weight and seriousness not as present inearly books in the series. Candy and tickle spells are left behind asthe students tackle darker, more serious issues and take on largerresponsibilities, including the knowledge of illegal curses.

Harry Potter and the Order of thePhoenix

* Harry's outburst to hisfriends at No. 12 Grimmauld Place. A combination of frustration overbeing kept in the dark and fear that he will be expelled fuels much ofHarry's anger, and it all comes out at once, directly aimed at Ron andHermione. Rowling perfectly portrays Harry's frustration at being tooold to shirk responsibility, but too young to be accepted as part ofthe fight that he knows is coming. * Harry's detention withProfessor Umbridge. Rowling shows her darker side, leading readers tobelieve that Hogwarts is no longer a safe haven for youngwizards. Dolores represents a bureaucratic tyrant capable of realevil, and Harry is forced to endure their private battle of willsalone. * Harry and Cho's painfully awkward interactions. Rowlingclearly remembers what it was like to be a teenager. * Harry'sOcclumency lessons with Snape. * Dumbledore's confession toHarry.

Magic,Mystery, and Mayhem: A Conversation with J.K. Rowling

"I am an extraordinarily lucky person,doing what I love best in the world. I'm sure that I will alwaysbe a writer. It was wonderful enough just to be published. Thegreatest reward is the enthusiasm of the readers."--J.K. Rowling

Find out more about Harry's creator in our exclusive interviewwith J.K. Rowling.



Did YouKnow?

The Little WhiteHorse was J.K. Rowling's favorite book as a child.

Jane Austen isRowling's favorite author.

Roddy Doyle isRowling's favorite living writer.

A Few Words from Mary GrandPré

"When I illustrate a cover or a book, Idraw upon what the author tells me; that's how I see my responsibilityas an illustrator. J.K. Rowling is very descriptive in herwriting--she gives an illustrator a lot to work with. Each story ispacked full of rich visual descriptions of the atmosphere, the mood,the setting, and all the different creatures and people. She makes iteasy for me. The images just develop as I sketch and retrace until itfeels right and matches her vision." Check out more Harry Potter artfrom illustrator Mary GrandPré.



Product Description:
The war against Voldemort is not going well: even Muggle governments are noticing. Ron scans the obituary pages of The Daily Prophet looking for familiar names. Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses.

And yet...

As in all wars, life goes on. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate--and lose a few eyebrows in the process. The Weasley twins expand their business. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Classes are never straightforward, though Harry receives some extraordinary help from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince.

So it's the home front that takes center stage in the multilayered sixth installment of the story of Harry Potter. Here at Hogwarts, Harry will search for the full and complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort--and thereby find what may be his only vulnerability.


From the Compact Disc edition.

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Customer Reviews

Rating: - No time to read the book before seeing the movie?
This is a great alternative. This unabridged book on CD is enjoyable to listen to while in the car or at home doing other things. 17 full CDs tell the complete story that is HP6. I have some of the earlier Harry Potter books on cassette tape and this one was every bit as good with the same reader (Jim Dale) and excellent audio quality.
Rating: - Perfect!
The book came really fast and exactly as described. The price was great too! I would buy from this seller again.
Rating: - Harry Potter's Princely Adventure!
In the summer of 2005, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was released.Who was the Half-Blood Prince?Why is Severus Snape hanging out with Death Eaters in Chapter 1?Yet Dumbledore trusts him explicitly.Why is that?

There was much controversy when this book was published.As I recall, the author wanted the text to be secret (understandably) yet there were reviews, as from the New York Times and other publications that ruined it for many readers.

Well, I won't ... Read More
Rating: - Great quality.
I am an avid lover of the Harry Potter franchise. That said, this review should be taken as product quality.

The book was bought used and with the exception of crease lines on the spine, is flawless. It looks brand new and looks as if it has only been read once. I received the product by the estimated delivery date. I had no problems and fully recommend using this outlet.
Rating: - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Book Review
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the 6th novel of the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, and probably the best of the series that I've read so far. This is my favorite of the series, because it has many exciting moments that always seem to make you stand out on-end with excitement! The fact that you don't know what could possibly happen next helps the book be even more exciting! I remember when reading this book, I could barely put it down due to all of the action and excitement! Just the ... Read More