PoA plot

[dfrankiswork at netscape.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 27559

Amy Z wrote:

(a lot of good points about POA)

There is one other plus point for me about POA compared to the 
others, which is that Ron and Hermione are involved in the climax as 
well as Harry - in the others Harry faces Voldemort alone.

Come to think of it, that's another thing - the others are a showdown 
with a single enemy, two of them leading to a happy resolution and 
the other a holding position.  IRL, problems are rarely solved by a 
showdown with an evil force (take note, world leaders), but are much 
more complicated, as are the revelations of the secrets behind 
puzzling events.

It's difficult to make comparisons, particularly with the first item 
in a series - we never get the pleasure of novelty twice - so I never 
did the poll past my favourite, but I think COS holds up to rereading 
very well.

When I read GOF to my younger kids I almost lost them at the World 
Cup-related events through boredom - the alleged darkness of the book 
was never a problem.  I think if JKR had had more time it would have 
been shorter.

David

It takes me two days to prepare a five minute speech, an hour to 
prepare a ten minute one, and, if I have to speak for an hour, I am 
ready now - William Ewart Gladstone, paraphrased