7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Much like my ranking of Star Wars a few posts ago, I find it extremely hard to rank this series. However, I place Order of the Phoenix at the bottom for the same reason that Attack of the Clones is at the bottom of that list: it's the least great in an amazing saga. Order of the Phoenix has several issues, including being too long (clocking in at 870 pages), too angsty (death, hormones, and depression), and Dolores Umbridge (enough said). That's all. It's got some good stuff in it--Fred and George's escape and the Room of Requirement come to mind--but there's too much and not enough of it is good.
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
The Goblet of Fire really only takes this place on the list because of its last hundred pages with the graveyard scene and the revelation of Mad-Eye Moody. The rest of it is really just--meh. There's not much to talk about. The Triwizard Tournament isn't super great. It's enjoyable enough, but nothing to truly rave about. Fred and George are a delight, as always, and their bet and joke shop formation are the best parts of this book.
5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Sorcerer's Stone is a great book. It's the one that started it all, and it's an amazingly fun read. The only reason this one is here on the ranking is because most of the other books have since surpassed it with bigger plots, more characters, and more magic and expanding the world. It's a great introduction to a magical world, and it really does tell a good story.
4. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Perhaps the most underrated book in the series, Chamber of Secrets actually succeeds on multiple levels. It's a great "murder" mystery for one thing and has an amazing final showdown for another. It built on the world Sorcerer's Stone created in the way a sequel should. Honestly, it's hard to fathom why it's so hated, because it's really very good.
3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Half-Blood Prince is a great book, full of mystery and intrigue. It begins to illuminate upon Voldemort and Dumbledore's pasts and lays the groundwork for the explosive, Horcrux-filled finale. It's also full of plenty of magical mayhem and fun, and it manages to be intense while still containing some of the magical child-friendly glee from the first half of the series.
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Deathly Hallows could almost be considered the be-all, end-all Harry Potter book because it manages to wrap up the saga in an extremely satisfying and epic way. It manages to cram more story and action in than Order of the Phoenix (and in fewer pages, too). The story never stops going, and it's always intense, but it still manages to capture everything that's magical about the series. It's an amazing book, and it's only surpassed by one other.
1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Prisoner of Azkaban is the greatest Harry Potter book (with Deathly Hallows coming in at a very, very close second). It's the greatest book because it has time travel, an extremely great plot, an amazing mystery that manages to be surprising and fulfilling, and introduces the Dementors, werewolves, and Sirius Black. Need I say more? This book takes everything great about Harry Potter while still managing to have a small location and plot for the story. It's focused and small-scale, but still great. Like I said, Deathly Hallows comes close, but Azkaban takes the cake.
No comments:
Post a Comment