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Stephen's Reviews > Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)
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Stephen's review
bookshelves: award-nominee-hugo, award-winner-hugo, award-nominee-bram-stoker, award-nominee-locus, multiple-award-nominee, comfort-food, ya, 2000-2005, potteresque, fantasy
Aug 25, 2009
bookshelves: award-nominee-hugo, award-winner-hugo, award-nominee-bram-stoker, award-nominee-locus, multiple-award-nominee, comfort-food, ya, 2000-2005, potteresque, fantasy
Read 2 times. Last read February 5, 2011 to February 7, 2011.
This was the beginning of my addiction to POTter. I had previously experimented with and enjoyed POTter on 3 different occasions, but could easily have walked away and never touched the stuff again. Then, under some pressure from some POTterHEAD peers of mine, I tried the newest blend called the Goblet...and everything changed. As the warm, easy, potato chip prose crossed my blood-brain barrier, euphoria ensued. My inner child was smitten.
I...was...hooked and I...was...happy.
Ignore the so-called "experts" who say POTter is brain cell killing pap. Don’t listen to those jaded, book snobby squares. Most of them are wound so tight they wouldn’t know a good book if it sat on their face and wriggled.
POTter makes you feel good. POTter makes you smile. POTter makes you joyous and giggly. Hell, POTter makes you want to use the word giggly.
POTter is enjoyable and fun. That's enough for me.
So what made the Goblet so much more addicting than the rest of the POTter I had tried. Part of it was that I had already seen the movies (up through Order of the Phoenix) before I got my hands on genuine POTter. The first 3 were fun but I felt like I had already "been there done that" as they were pretty faithfully adaptated for the screen. Still enjoyable, but not enough to put the POTter monkey on my back.
Then came the Goblet of POTter and it was a big, huge, tightly-rolled fatty at 750 pages. The cut, diluted movie strain couldn’t hope to be as potent as the primo original and the story was finally given the room to breathe and take on an epic feel. It was completely addictive. The world-building details started coming fast and furious and the characters were given considerably increased depth. Add that to Rowling’s breezy, “ear friendly” prose and I found myself spaced out for hours turning the pages and still hungering for more.
It’s high praise indeed when I say that 750 pages did not contain a single dull, ploddy moment. This was fun and wonderful and a pleasure to experience. It deserves to be recognized for the iconic work that it is in the realm of YA fantasy.
Is it popcorn? Certainly.
Is it a joy to read? Definitely.
Is it one I HIGHLY RECOMMEND to all lovers of feel good, comfort food? YES.
5.0 stars.
Winner: Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (2001)
Nominee: Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (2001)
Nominee: Bram Stoker Award (YA) for Best Novel (2001)
I...was...hooked and I...was...happy.
Ignore the so-called "experts" who say POTter is brain cell killing pap. Don’t listen to those jaded, book snobby squares. Most of them are wound so tight they wouldn’t know a good book if it sat on their face and wriggled.
POTter makes you feel good. POTter makes you smile. POTter makes you joyous and giggly. Hell, POTter makes you want to use the word giggly.
POTter is enjoyable and fun. That's enough for me.
So what made the Goblet so much more addicting than the rest of the POTter I had tried. Part of it was that I had already seen the movies (up through Order of the Phoenix) before I got my hands on genuine POTter. The first 3 were fun but I felt like I had already "been there done that" as they were pretty faithfully adaptated for the screen. Still enjoyable, but not enough to put the POTter monkey on my back.
Then came the Goblet of POTter and it was a big, huge, tightly-rolled fatty at 750 pages. The cut, diluted movie strain couldn’t hope to be as potent as the primo original and the story was finally given the room to breathe and take on an epic feel. It was completely addictive. The world-building details started coming fast and furious and the characters were given considerably increased depth. Add that to Rowling’s breezy, “ear friendly” prose and I found myself spaced out for hours turning the pages and still hungering for more.
It’s high praise indeed when I say that 750 pages did not contain a single dull, ploddy moment. This was fun and wonderful and a pleasure to experience. It deserves to be recognized for the iconic work that it is in the realm of YA fantasy.
Is it popcorn? Certainly.
Is it a joy to read? Definitely.
Is it one I HIGHLY RECOMMEND to all lovers of feel good, comfort food? YES.
5.0 stars.
Winner: Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (2001)
Nominee: Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (2001)
Nominee: Bram Stoker Award (YA) for Best Novel (2001)
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Reading Progress
Finished Reading
August 25, 2009
– Shelved
February 5, 2011
–
Started Reading
February 7, 2011
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 67 (67 new)
message 1:
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~Geektastic~
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rated it 5 stars
Sep 01, 2011 09:32AM
Excellent review. I have a hard time reviewing the HP books, I can never quite articulate what I want to say.
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This was my favorite of the series.
Amber wrote: "Excellent review. I have a hard time reviewing the HP books, I can never quite articulate what I want to say."Thanks, Amber.
Brenda wrote: "This was my favorite of the series."I can understand that. I think I liked book 5 and and book 7 a little more but it's a close call.
Great review! POTter is gooood.
Lisa wrote: "Great review! POTter is gooood."I agree. It's primo. ;)
Dude you write really good reviews. I totally agree with you, i also got hooked on that POTter after reading this book :)
I too LOVE my POTter addiction! It's organic writing you know :)
Love the term "ear friendly". Great review, as always; you make me want to re-read the whole series. (It's been a while.)
Mach wrote: "Dude you write really good reviews. I totally agree with you, i also got hooked on that POTter after reading this book :)"Thanks, Mach.
Kate wrote: "I too LOVE my POTter addiction! It's organic writing you know :)"LOL...well said. I wish I would have thought to include that.
Crowinator wrote: "Love the term "ear friendly". Great review, as always; you make me want to re-read the whole series. (It's been a while.)"Thanks, Crowinator. That's nice to hear.
Damn, who woulda thunk a hard-ass like yourself could unwind with a little POTter? I'm impressed! And I completely concur about the jaded, book snob squares. Anyone who doesn't feel the love for POTter is just wound a bit too tight! ;)
Contrarius wrote: "Damn, who woulda thunk a hard-ass like yourself could unwind with a little POTter? I'm impressed! And I completely concur about the jaded, book snob squares. Anyone who doesn't feel the love for PO..."Thanks, Contrarius. :)
Explains this series perfectly, especially the POTter part.
So did you read them all out of sequence? Or is this review written awhile after you read it?
Anthony wrote: "So did you read them all out of sequence? Or is this review written awhile after you read it?"I read them in order, but started my expanded reviews with this one since it was the one that really sold me on the series.
One thing I still can't believe is how many kids changed the vote of their parents letting this book win the Hugo over A Storm of Swords. Its would like to call a outrage.
Wow... I didn't know that Kevin. I call that an outrage too. Then again, I haven't read any Harry Potter yet so... Most of my friends say that Azkhaban is their favorite in the series. Great review though Stephen, I know I will read the series someday.
A Storm of Swords also lost to The Quantum Rose for the Nebula Award which was an even greater crime. GRRM was not getting the love that year.
Wow, yeah I guess not. And look at the ratings and reviews for both... That was a complete travesty.
message 22:
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Stephanie *Eff your feelings*
(last edited Sep 01, 2011 11:26PM)
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rated it 5 stars
Yeah! So there! snobs....
Stephanie wrote: "Yeah! So there! snobs...."Exactly. Well said.
I love all the Potter books, but in my opinion #4 marks a sort of shift -- longer books, more adult themes, and more complicated storylines. Have to say my favorite is the last one though. Thanks for the great review!
Regina wrote: "I love all the Potter books, but in my opinion #4 marks a sort of shift -- longer books, more adult themes, and more complicated storylines. Have to say my favorite is the last one though. Thanks..."The last book may be my favorite as well but it is close race for me between that and Book 5. I completely agree that this was the turning point in the series when Rowling started producing longer, more detailed stories.
DRUGS ARE NOT A JOKE STEPHEN
That's an interesting theory, Malin. Thanks for sharing.
Stephen wrote: "Regina wrote: "I love all the Potter books, but in my opinion #4 marks a sort of shift -- longer books, more adult themes, and more complicated storylines. Have to say my favorite is the last one ..."Same, Order of the Phoenix is my favorite as well.
For me it is a close race between book 5 and book 7, but I think Book 5 gets the win.
Amongst Potter fans, Book 5 is not consistently loved. I know several people who hated it, but others who loved it. I personally loved it. I think that is interesting. There is definitely less action, more character and story development. In Book 7, my favorite part of the story is the least favorite of many people. I love the part where the crew is wondering and lost. So much is going in between the characters, I love the growth and the desparation that is expressed in that part.
I cannot wait until Pottermore goes live. I will be buying all of the books in electronic versions right away.
Regina wrote: "I cannot wait until Pottermore goes live."What's Pottermore?
JK Rowling's site where she will be selling the electronic versions of her audio books and ebooks DRM free and with no middle man, she is the vendor.Pottermore
wikipedia
Wired 6/11 article
Guardian 9/23/11 article
The reason I started to read again,good review.
Regina wrote: "JK Rowling's site where she will be selling the electronic versions of her audio books and ebooks DRM free and with no middle man, she is the vendor."Thanks, Regina. This looks great.
Christian wrote: "The reason I started to read again,good review."
Thanks, Christian.
Palice wrote: "Ooh, so that's why I could never stop reading these damn books. All that POTter must've gotten to my head. And I still love it. Great review!"
Thanks, Palice. It really is addictive isn't it.
Regina wrote: "Amongst Potter fans, Book 5 is not consistently loved. I know several people who hated it, but others who loved it. I personally loved it. I think that is interesting. There is definitely less ..."I know. Though I have noticed that most true followers of Harry Potter agrees that Order of the Phoenix is by far the best of the series, or very near to that at least. This is just an observation based on the people I know in real life and the virtual world who are into HP.
And same here when it comes to Deathly Hallows. The ending felt contrived and convenient. I'd rather prefer the first 300 or so pages, with the camping sequences being some of my favorite moments in the whole series (after Order of the Phoenix).
Stephen wrote: "For me it is a close race between book 5 and book 7, but I think Book 5 gets the win."How about you write a long review for Order of the Phoenix, too, like you did for Goblet of Fire? ; )
I really do need to do that. I will get to it eventually. There are just not enough hours in the day. ;)
Stephen wrote: "I really do need to do that. I will get to it eventually. There are just not enough hours in the day. ;)"Multitasking... :P
I live to multitask, but my "to do" list still seems to expand exponentially.
Thanks, Rose. I'm glad you liked it.
Jen wrote: "lol luv ur revieve:)"Thank you, Jen.
Someone said above their favorite parts of the 7th book are the camping scenes. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one.
Danielle wrote: "Someone said above their favorite parts of the 7th book are the camping scenes. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one."A lot of people love those scenes.
:) HP and CHERUB are lyk the pretty mean series around ayye
rose at the end I don't what u are talking about a true HP fan would not call it a pretty mean series and say another one is like it there is NOTHING LIKE THE HP SERIES
Love this book it's great
