Product details: - Hardcover: 896 pages, 1st American Edition Edition
- Author: J. K. Rowling
- Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
- Reading level: Ages 9-12
- Publication Date: 2003-07-01
- Release Date: 2003-06-21
- Studio: Arthur A. Levine Books
- Manufacturer: Arthur A. Levine Books
- Package Dimensions: 9.1 x 51 x 75 inches
I say to you all, once again--in the light of
Lord Voldemort’s return, we are only as strong
as we are united, as weak as we are divided.
Lord Voldemort’s gift for spreading discord and
enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing
an equally strong bond of friendship and trust.So spoke Albus Dumbledore at the end of Harry Potter’s fourth year at Hogwarts. But as Harry enters his fifth year at wizard school, it seems those bonds have never been more sorely tested. Lord Voldemort’s rise has opened a rift in the wizarding world between those who believe the truth about his return, and those who prefer to believe it’s all madness and lies--just more trouble from Harry Potter. Add to this a host of other worries for Harry…
• A Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher with a personality like poisoned honey
• A venomous, disgruntled house-elf
• Ron as keeper of the Gryffindor Quidditch team
• And of course, what every student dreads: end-of-term Ordinary Wizarding Level exams …and you’d know what Harry faces during the day. But at night it’s even worse, because then he dreams of a single door in a silent corridor. And this door is somehow more terrifying than every other nightmare combined. In the richest installment yet of J. K. Rowling’s seven-part story, Harry Potter confronts the unreliability of the very government of the magical world, and the impotence of the authorities at Hogwarts. Despite this (or perhaps because of it) Harry finds depth and strength in his friends, beyond what even he knew; boundless loyalty and unbearable sacrifice. Though thick runs the plot (as well as the spine), readers will race through these pages, and leave Hogwarts, like Harry, wishing only for the next train back. Customer reviews:  Replaces my cassettes!, 2010-01-30
I'm replacing all my old HP audio cassette books with the CD version. I have no intention of paying full price, especially the later audio books, so when I saw this on sale from a third party, I snagged it. I love the story line and Jim Dale is the BEST. All I need is #6 and I've got the whole thing.
This really helps pass the time while commuting to work every day.
J. K. Rowling grows up, 2010-01-27
I titled my review of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4) "Harry Potter grows up" because J. K. Rowling had done a masterful job of bringing Harry from a little boy to a strong young man over the course of the four books of the series. I titled this review as I did because in the Phoenix J. K. Rowling herself shows her maturing skill as a writer in penning the longest of the seven books of the series. This is the point at which I stopped admiring the framework of the story, and fell into the story itself.
The clearest example of this growth as a writer I can point to is to point back to the climax of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3), where the action was too slow and too wordy--even though it occupied fewer pages than the rising action of Phoenix! I rated that book three stars, but now Rowling's skill kept me riveted through the action and straight to the end to earn five stars and easily the best of the series. But that's the point isn't it? War and Peace (Penguin Classics, Deluxe Edition) isn't a great classic novel (Probably in my top ten all time!) because it has so many pages, but because it has so many great pages--with words that make us think, laugh, cry, feel, and enjoy the storytelling experience.
Not that I'm comparing the Potter series to War and Peace, to put it above or below it, but I will say that it belongs on the shelf. In its "not just a kids book" status, I think the Potter series most closely resembles the Lemony Snicket series (see my reviews starting with The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1)) in its skillful writing's appeal to readers who enjoy good storytelling.
So I haven't told you anything about the plot or the characters of Phoenix. Well, one of the beauties of a series like this is that by now readers' know Harry, Ron, and Hermione are classmates at Hogwarts, the school for wizards, and that we will follow them through the events of their school year, and that Harry will deal with social situations and magical messes, sometimes wisely, sometimes poorly. And a reviewers job is not to tell the story--the author already did that.
Pick up the Potter series in year one, and grow up with Harry and his author. Customers who bought this item also bought:
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