A villain more evil than I remember
Book Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Published: September 1, 2004 by Scholastic, Inc
Buy this book at: Bookshop / Barnes & Noble / Kobo
Book Synopsis:
Harry Potter is about to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Unlike most schoolboys, Harry never enjoys his summer holidays, but this summer is even worse than usual. The Dursleys, of course, are making his life a misery, but even his best friends, Ron and Hermione, seem to be neglecting him.
Harry has had enough. He is beginning to think he must do something, anything, to change his situation, when the summer holidays come to an end in a very dramatic fashion. What Harry is about to discover in his new year at Hogwarts will turn his world upside down...
Rating:
Review:
This makes book five in my re-listen to the Jim Dale audiobooks. As always Jim Dale is a treasure. He was the perfect narrator for these stories and I am not sure any other audiobook version will ever live up to this standard. Although I must admit that I am really looking forward to the full cast audiobook version that’s been announced. I am sure that will be wonderful but I doubt they can ever outdo the one and only Jim Dale.
There were so many things in this book that I forgot about. It is a dark and emotion journey. As many times as I have read and listened to these books the emotions of the narrative still manage to punch me in the gut every time. I end this book feeling broken, hollow and numb….every single time. It is a rare book that can put me back in the same emotional place over and over again. I had also forgotten just what a light in the darkness the Weasley twins are in this book. Without their pranks and humor there would be nothing but darkness and despair. They play a vital role that I don’t think I recognized in earlier reads.
We all know the story so I won’t dwell too much on that. And if you don’t know the story by now then I presume it’s because you don’t wish to. I had forgotten just how evil and irredeemable Umbridge is throughout this whole book. From her first sentence to her last she is an abhorrent individual. Hungry for power. Devoid of empathy or compassion. Willing to do anything to justify her desires. In the end she got a much better ending than she deserved.
Another light in the darkness in this book is Luna. I have held the opinion for many years that Luna was the perfect person for Harry to be romantically involved with. This re-listen only strengthened that feeling. Harry is lost. He’s angry and grieving. He’s feeling betrayed and abandoned. Left out. Voiceless. And everyone in his life wants something from him. They want him to be a leader, a friend, a savior. Everyone wants him to put aside his emotions to be who they expect him to be. He has to be strong and positive. Luna is the only person who met Harry where he was. She didn’t shy away from his grief. She didn’t expect him to show up in ways that he wasn’t prepared for. She just met him in the place he was and was his friend. She is a wonderful character and I am sad that she never got more of a role in the books. She is such an important person for Harry. She understands his emotions in ways that no one else ever understood. It was beautiful to listen to their friendship all over again.
Every time I listen to these books I am surprised by how much I take away from them. Different lessons every time. I look forward to continuing the journey this time with Half Blood Prince.