Book Six......sucked?

[Josiah the Warrior]

Ya know, someone asked me while I was reading HBP (about 450 pages through) what was goin on, and I said; "uhhhhh.....nothin really" and that's when I realized, with the sole exception of Dumbledore's death, nothing, nothing happened in the entire book. This was definantly the worst yet (still a fun read nonetheless) and although I still enjoyed it, I now see how weak the book was.

EDIT: And in case I didn't make this clear enough, I don't think the book is bad, I just think it ranks 6 out of 6 and the quality slipped somewhat, it was still a good and fun read. So please don't make a million posts telling me what a terrible Potter fan I am for not liking the book (because I did like it).

[LordTBT]

I felt the same way about book 5. Nothing happened. Nothing happened during this one.

[Josiah the Warrior]

Really? I enjoyed Book 5's school year perhaps the most of any of the others, and the parts where they are at school are usually my favorite.

[Ferahgo the Assassin]

I agree for the most part. Although bits of it were good and it had enough twists and turns to keep any Potter fan at least entertained, it was by no means top-quality. In fact, I'd say it ranks maybe fourth out of six, but it's hard for me to say. It certainly didn't hold a candle to the first three books.

There was so much hype surrounding this one, though, that it would be hard for me to say where hype left off and quality began. (Maybe it was the same for the other 5, but this is the first where I have really noticed the hype first-hand.)

[Lonna Bowstripe]

I've enjoyed all the Harry Potter books, but I'd have to say that book 5 is my favorite, if only because of its length. Book 6 was okay, but I'd say the quality has been about the same throughout the whole series. Harry, Ron, Dean and Ginny were really good in my opinion, though. Lots of comic relief.

Oh, and you play way too much nfl street josiah. :D

[Josiah the Warrior]

Oh, and you play way too much nfl street josiah. :D
How do you figure? (I actually own the game but never play it) I definantely play too much Madden tho. ;)

[Dawarrior]

This one had more of a mystery in it then any of the others but didn't spark much action until the end of the book. Or when Harry and Dumbledore headed to the cave to find the Hourocruxe. But I do hope book seven is going to be about a thousand some pages.

[Cheesethief]

I feel the same way. The last two books have been all about one event (one could even argue the fourth one was leading up to the end, but then there's the tournament), and the lacklustre mystery leading up to it. I mean, the recent books have been so unremarkable. The big conspiracies have replaced lesser, fun events. Who remembers the Wizard Crackers, for example? Compare that number to those who know what happens at the end of HBP. Even familiar locations, like the Burrow, seem less interesting now. Grimmauld Place can't replace that.

[LordTBT]

I feel the same way. The last two books have been all about one event (one could even argue the fourth one was leading up to the end, but then there's the tournament), and the lacklustre mystery leading up to it. I mean, the recent books have been so unremarkable. The big conspiracies have replaced lesser, fun events. Who remembers the Wizard Crackers, for example? Compare that number to those who know what happens at the end of HBP. Even familiar locations, like the Burrow, seem less interesting now. Grimmauld Place can't replace that.


There is absolutely no good reason that Grimmauld place couldnt have been in HBP.

[Ember Nickel]

I consider all the odd-numbered books better than all the even-numbered books. 1, 3, and 5 seemed to be more "magical", but the others felt more bloody and violent. I'm not sure if number 6 is at rock bottom, but it's definitely second-division.

I also don't think that book 5 was all about one big event. Consider the Quidditch season and the D. A., two subplots that made it much more interesting for me.

[Bladeswift]

"Sucked" would be the wrong word to use. The word is meant to imply something of low quality, that is not enjoyable, painful, and so forth. Was the story (for the most part) pointless? Yes. Did it not have very many important events in it? Yes. Did it suck? No. The quality has stayed the same for the most part, they've just been going off track over the years.

[Folgrimeo]

On one hand, I felt that something actually happened during Book 6. It was Book 5 where nothing seemed to happened (too distracted by...
Harry's whining about all the terrible stuff happening to him throughout the quarter. It seemed they were all waiting for Hagrid as if he were a beam of light that would make everything better and show what had to be done. Rather, when Hagrid did appear, it wasn't as joyous as it seemed it was working up to be. Wasn't Book 5 the book with that giant, uh, was it Hagrid's brother? I really didn't care for that giant.
I believe Book 6 at least was better than Book 5, but definitely nowhere as good as the others. I'd say 6 is in 5th place, though it would be higher had I remembered -anything- that happened in Book 4.

Really, I felt HP was a brain-draining process. I honestly can't say I liked any of the books better than the rest, felt they were all of equal quality despite their many differences. Because of this I don't see Book 2 as what everyone seems to call the worst of the series. Book 4 went through one eye and out the other (can't remember a thing about it a month after I finished it), and it wasn't until Book 5 that I noticed a decline in quality. To its credit, Book 6 wasn't so boring that I fell asleep throughout it. Book 5 did. But I guess having been out of the HP loop ever since discovering Redwall where quality was noticeable (and led to a lot of close ties), I expected something... I don't know... Redwall-ish in Book 6. I had forgotten about what my experience was like with HP books, hence I expected more from an HP book than I probably should have. If I didn't have that prejudice, Book 6 would be a tie with 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Initially I liked the Harry Potter series. But that's because I had never known Redwall or Watership Down before then. I find, then, that epics involving magic just aren't up my alley. They can be (gosh I liked "Jeremy Thatcher Dragon Hatcher", though I'll admit a brain-drain there too as Tiamat was no longer cute when she grew up), but I haven't found one that worked for me yet. And Eragon was too much like LotR for my liking.

How about the HP films? Same thing, really. Fun the first time I view it, but I wouldn't want to go through it again. Can't say I like any one film over the other, though I felt the 3rd made a poor choice at not explaining a few crucial things when there was plenty of time to spare.

[LordTBT]

I thought Book 4 was the best book, because book 5 completely negates book 3.

The best movie was 2 because it was the truest to the books. Movie 3 was horrible.

[Iyla]

Saying it was horrible is being is being too nice.

I liked the 6th book better than the 5th, but I am looking forward to the 7th. I think a lot of the boring stuff that had to be laid down in the 5th and 6th book will make the 7th that much better.

What really made me mad about the 6th, however, was that Dumbledore died! It was so obviosly going to happen. I mean, lets think. Gandalf, no whoops, I mean Aslan, oh hang on Obi Wan Kanobi,no, MUFASA, oh yeah- Dumbledore was bound to die eventually.

[Ember Nickel]

I thought Book 4 was the best book, because book 5 completely negates book 3.
How so? (Besides the death.)

[LordTBT]

How so? (Besides the death.)

I'm not spoilerizing because it has nothing to do with book 6.

Book 3 is all about Harry finally finding a 'family member' and being able to get out of the Dursleys and live in the wizarding community.

Book 5 destroys that when Sirius is killed, thus negating the purpose of book 3.

[Bladeswift]

I know I'm not one of those emotional types, but I think the death was to show how miserable Harry's life is because of Voldemort. Harry finally had something good in his life to look forward to, and then Voldemort shattered that dream, thus making the final conflict between the two of them all that more climactic.

[Lukesed]

I personally thought the third movie is the best yet. It may have changed some things from the book's plot, but as a movie, it was just plain better.

[Ember Nickel]

Book 3 is all about Harry finally finding a 'family member' and being able to get out of the Dursleys and live in the wizarding community.I thought it was more about him finding his father "inside himself". And, of course, Wood's triumph at last. But that's just me.

[LordTBT]

I personally thought the third movie is the best yet. It may have changed some things from the book's plot, but as a movie, it was just plain better.

some things? More like 50% of things. Movies based off of books are supposed to follow the story, not butcher it.

[Ferahgo the Assassin]

I think the third movie was the worst yet, and not just because they changed the story so much (though that's certainly a factor). The story was incredibly rushed and choppy; also, I do not think the actors for Sirius and Remus were good choices (just my opinion). Come to think of it, the only thing I really liked about it was the CGI animation for Buckbeak, 'cause that was pretty cool.

[Josiah the Warrior]

I agree with Ferahgo, I did not like the casting for Lupin and Sirius, they just didn't look like they jumped off the page. I thought the movie was pretty darn bad.

I am, however, looking forward to the fourth movie, if only to see Emma Watson and whoever was cast as Cho Chang. ;)

[Lonna Bowstripe]

Pic of Cho. From Mugglenet.
http://www.mugglenet.com/viewer/?image_location=gof/chopromo.jpg

[Lukesed]

The third movie dumped the Astroturf. You have to give it that.

[Dawarrior]

Thrid movie rocked! I mean the man who directed it did a great job on the special effects. All though I have one question about the movies? WHERE THE HECK IS PEAVES! I mean in the fifth book big role.

[Lukesed]

It's pretty obvious at the moment that they don't want him in, but they may have to eventually.

I think they reason why you make a movie is to make a good movie (and money), not to make a verbatim copy of a book. Especially if doing so would give you about six extra hours of film.

[LordTBT]

It's pretty obvious at the moment that they don't want him in, but they may have to eventually.

I think they reason why you make a movie is to make a good movie (and money), not to make a verbatim copy of a book. Especially if doing so would give you about six extra hours of film.

The reason why they make movies is to make money. Look at "Pearl Harbor' or 'Titanic' for example. Horrible movies, but they brought in the dough. ;)

[Lonna Bowstripe]

C'mon, 'Titanic' wasn't that bad.

[Lady Blaireao]

does the 'horcrux' expedition count as part of the Dumbledore's death part?


-lady blair

[Rolinko]

My biggest beef with Half-Blood Prince is: Why couldn't Harry and Dumbledore conjure up some buckets, scoop up the basin's contents with the goblet, and pour the aforementioned contents into the aforementioned buckets?

[Ember Nickel]

My biggest beef with Half-Blood Prince is: Why couldn't Harry and Dumbledore conjure up some buckets, scoop up the basin's contents with the goblet, and pour the aforementioned contents into the aforementioned buckets?It's probably enchanted against that, too.

[Bladeswift]

My biggest beef with Half-Blood Prince is: Why couldn't Harry and Dumbledore conjure up some buckets, scoop up the basin's contents with the goblet, and pour the aforementioned contents into the aforementioned buckets?
An error on the author's part, but as Ember Nickel said it would no doubt be warded against it. The villains never make things easy.

[Cheesethief]

It's kind of in the job description. :D

[Krawksaur]

Why wouldn't one pour the potion out?

Or perhaps scoop it in a goblet, but then pour it out?

Rowling, you just HAD to have Dumbledore die didn't you.

[Folgrimeo]

It'd be much easier for the potion to be enchanted to think "don't allow self to be poured out or removed in any way unless it comes in contact with Dumbledore's mouth. Don't allow self to enter Harry's mouth because he must defeat our master later on. Oh yeah, and don't kill Dumbledore instantly, that would kill the drama, make him twist and shout instead."

[Ember Nickel]

"...Oh yeah, and don't kill Dumbledore instantly, that would kill the drama, make him twist and shout instead."
And if Snape kills him that makes everybody even more aggravated for the seventh book.

[Lukesed]

Maybe it was to make ad money for dumbledoreisnotdead.com.
*ignores the fact that there is no ads*

[Lonna Bowstripe]

There's google ads.

[Tesra]

The 7th book will be obviously very different from the others because
(Spoiler)
Harry wouldn't return to Hogwarts

But for the moment, i find the books become better and better. No matter if they are less and less happy... :) It's often necessary to make a book more interesting. How many books become sad, horrible for we readers and/or for characters near the end ? However, they're the best !! ;) Think of LotR, some Redwall's books, Philip Pullman's books The Northern Lights, the Subtle Knife and Co, ...

[The_Outcast_of_Redwall]

Book 5 was my least favorite. My reaction to it was the same that you had to HBP: nothing happened.

As for Book 6, I thought it was fantastic. I think it is my favorite of the series.
It's a great set-up for Book 7, and it was very exciting.

[Sea Bogle]

For me, book six was okay. It's not my favorite in the series, but it's not my least favorite either. I liked how we got to see more of Voldemort's past, and the horcruxes are interesting. I also like how the plots of the later books in the series are all connected together, instead of having separate unrelated plot lines.

[Ember Nickel]

...if they are less and less happy... :) It's often necessary to make a book more interesting. How many books become sad, horrible for we readers and/or for characters near the end ? However, they're the best !! ;) Think of LotR, some Redwall's books, Philip Pullman's books The Northern Lights, the Subtle Knife and Co, ...Agreed, but only if it's well-written. Lord of the Rings, yes (although I wouldn't call it all that sad because they all go "over sea" in the end). Martin the Warrior: Yes. Applegate's "The Beginning": :lol: :lol: :lol:!
It had potential to be a poignant ending, but I feel it was very poorly done.