Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter 5)

Book five in JK Rowling's Harry Potter series follows the darkest year yet for our young wizard, who finds himself knocked down a peg or three after the events of last year. Over the summer, gossip (usually traced back to the magic world's newspaper, the Daily Prophet) has turned Harry's tragic and heroic encounter with Voldemort at the Triwizard Tournament into an excuse to ridicule and discount the teenager. Even Professor Dumbledore, headmaster of the school, has come under scrutiny from the Ministry of Magic, which refuses to officially acknowledge the terrifying truth: that Voldemort is back. Enter a particularly loathsome new character: the toad-like and simpering ("hem, hem") Dolores Umbridge, senior undersecretary to the minister of Magic, who takes over the vacant position of defence against dark arts teacher--and in no time manages to become the high inquisitor of Hogwarts. Life isn't getting any easier for Harry Potter. With an overwhelming course load as the fifth years prepare for their examinations, devastating changes in the Gryffindor Quidditch team line-up, vivid dreams about long hallways and closed doors, and increasing pain in his lightning-shaped scar, Harry's resilience is sorely tested.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, more than any of the four previous novels in the series, is a coming-of-age story. Harry faces the thorny transition into adulthood, when adult heroes are revealed to be fallible, and matters that seemed black and white suddenly come out in shades of gray. Gone is the wide-eyed innocent, the whiz kid of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Here we have an adolescent who's sometimes sullen, often confused (especially about girls), and always self-questioning. Confronting death again, as well as a startling prophecy, Harry ends his year at Hogwarts exhausted and pensive. Readers, on the other hand, will be energised as they enter yet again the long waiting period for the next title in the marvellous magical series. --Emilie Coulter

I enjoyed this latest offering immensely, I think because the prose seems to straddle an undefined boundary between children/adult prose incredibly well. This time the writing was dark from the outset, picking up from where Harry Potter 4 finished, with the resurrection of the Dark Lord (he who should not be named). There were many touching moments, particularly when observing Mrs Weasley's maternal nurturing of Harry (who has never ever been nurtured by the horrible muggles he lives with). And I thought it was sweet that despite the fact that Harry has faced more trials than many an accredited wizard, when it came to love and romance, he was as unschooled and naive as the rest of us.

I have given this book the full 5 stars because I enjoyed this one more than the others. That is not to say Harry Potters 3 and 4 were not excellent - they were, but in different ways. Now JK, please hurry up and publish number 6!


How much better can it get?   October 30, 2004
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

I am constantly amazed by the depth and strength of J.K.Rowlings writing. Even in the first book of the series `Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone`, when the writing was simpler and more geared to Harry`s then age-group, there were complexities visible to older readers. As the characters have aged so has the style and content changed and, as Rowling herself says, become darker. No longer does every book end on a more or less happy note. The violence, torture and death of an adult world are beginning to impinge on Hogwarts and to increasingly affect Harry and his friends. On an emotional level too the characters are changing although there is always the typical J.K.Rowling wit and humour! She has the gift of a quality writer for creating a vivid picture with the perfect choice of just one or two words. Obviously she`s not infallible but any mistakes she makes tend to relate to small oversights in the plot or background which in the context of the whole really don`t seem to matter.
`Order of the Phoenix` is, for me, the best book yet in every sense of the word. The others were each valuable in their own way and this one is simply the result of a natural progression - it needs the others for the development of plot and style - but Rowling is now really showing the power of her writing. Without going into detail for those who have not yet caught up with the series I can still say that there are scenes in `Goblet of Fire`and Òrder of the Phoenix` which contain so much tension and action that it could be difficult to maintain but she never lets your attention flag.
The recording of the books is done with as little disruption to the story flow as possible. The crucial thing, though , with the recorded version has to be Stephen Fry. He is absolutely brilliant! I can`t imagine anyone replacing him and I hope he`s already signed up for the rest of the series. His interpretation of the different characters is amazing. One word of warning though - once you`ve listened to him reading the books you`ll never be able to read them yourself without hearing him. The power of his interpretation just makes you appreciate Rowling`s writing more. A perfect match! Once The Half-Blood Prince`has been published the next thing I shall look forward to is Stephen Fry`s recording of it.


A step away in style, but not in quality.   July 23, 2005
Chris Chalk (Croydon, United Kingdom)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

Lets get one thing out in the open before I start. I am not the normal Harry Potter reading demographic. I am 25 and an accountant. There, that's out of the way.

I have been an avid HP fan ever since I read the books back in 1999 and have eagerly awaited every new book since then. After what was one of the best books I have ever read came out (in The Goblet of Fire) I did wonder where JK Rowling was going to take the 5th book. In my mind she had exhausted the one book scenario of the others, and had to create a meaningful thread toward the ultimate ending in book 7. This in my mind is why this book wasn't as well received as the other 4.

As a reader though, you must look deeper than this, this book is a more obvious opening chapter or component part of a book than any of the other 4 but it is still an excellent novel in its own right. I have always found JK Rowling to sometimes be a little too simplistic in her definition of good vs. evil but in Phoenix she really nails it, Sirius has always been a bit bad as well as good, but could Harry's dad be somewhat less than perfect? And what of the abhorrent Professor Umbridge, is she just pure evil, or does she really believe what she is doing is correct?

Well these questions and more I will leave you to answer, suffice to say this is a long book but every one of its chapters has moments and sub-stories that make the book run like an out of control express train, only to be skilfully guided to safety at exactly the right times.

A stunning book, from an excellent author.


Brilliant and Complex   August 11, 2003
14 out of 15 found this review helpful

There has been a distinct strain of bemusement in reactions to this book. It's as if people recognize the features of the first four books - the cracking plot, great characters, hilarious episodes - but sense that there is something, well, a little bit different about this one.

And they'd be right. Because this is a more mature, more serious, more political book than the previous volumes in the series. The problem is that people don't like to recognize the fact that books are political. Especially children's books. Many adults are absolutely desperate to read their favourite kid's classics as fluffy, cutesy, comforting works, which have no engagement with their "real" world. So when a text like this comes along, which mixes contemporary satire with fantastic and magical elements, they become slightly uncomfortable.

The problem for this type of reader is that it cannot be denied that this book deals with some highly contentious current issues. Most obviously, it's a satire on government regulation of secondary education. But it also has some serious things to say about action and appeasement, about truth, narrative and the press and, above all, about cultural imperialism.

For example: the house elf plot. In book four this seemed to fizzle out into acquiescence in the "naturalness" of their oppression. But in book five it becomes the lynchpin of an impassioned argument for respecting difference. The central image of the novel (cleverly used by Bloomsbury on the back cover) is the statue at the Ministry of Magic - look out for Rowling's rather wonderful description of Harry's reaction when he first sees it. From a distance, it looks great, but closer to, Harry is able to see all of its weaknesses as a representation of the different magical beings. Measuring the extent to which it falls short of his own personal experiences of other "races", Harry gains an insight into the ideological work which the statue performs. Art, in this novel, is political. It's a real "Tom Brown" moment, - the fact that Harry's adventures have taken him outside of the normal confines of the wizarding world enables him to achieve an important insight into the workings of inequality.

Similarly, there are other elements which one wouldn't expect to find in a fluffy children's novel - in particular, Rowling's trademark treatment of pain. Few children's authors can write about the suffering created by death and loss in children's lives with such pathos. But here we also have a darker side of pain, the operations of torture and sadism in the actions of both Umbridge and Belletrix. Rowling manages to achieve the impossible, dealing with such subjects in a manner suitable to the youth of her readership, while maintaining a sense of their deeply disturbing nature. And while the much-hyped death of the "major character" is understated, Rowling uses it to ground Dumbledore's extraordinary view, which could come straight out of Dickens's Christmas books: that it is suffering which acts as the ground of humanity.


Pure Magic   February 24, 2007
Jason
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

This is the fifth instalmet of Harry Potter and until Harry Potter and until the Deathly Hallows is published this summer it is also the longest.

It is important to point out that to really appreciate this book you should read the Goblet of Fire because it is more or less a continuation from that. Though many may beg to differ, I think this is the best book of the lot. Admittedly there are some unneccesary storylines and it can be slow paced at times, but there are so many complicated twists and turns in the stories it is easily forgiven.

I loved the scene early on in the book with Harry and the dreadful Dursleys discussing the wizarding world. The way J.K Rowling draws you into Harry's world is nothing short of genius.

The wizardry and magic become second place to the superb characters and storylines that ordinary people (or Muggles) like us can relate to. Despite having spells, sorcery and fantasy running through the tales it is still set in our world and you're bound to come across characters you've known or met in your life. Professor McGonagall, Neville Longbottom, even the nefarious Dolores Umbridge are all believable characters.
After a few hours reading you will be fully absorbed into the world of Harry Potter. You will care about the characters, feel injustice of the Ministry of Magic and not want to put it down.
The Order of the Phoenix delves into the pasts of other characters such as Professor Snape, James and Lily Potter (Harry's parents), even Professor Trelawney the not very good Divination teacher. The relations between seemingly far apart characters in the story are also revealed and pay particular attention to Sirius' family tree. His cousins Bellatrix and Narcissa are to become very prominent in the series.
It can be quite difficult to keep up with the tortuous nature of the characters and what happened to who and side stories. However the character who is most notable in this (for being horrid) is the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic Dolores Umbridge. She is simpering smug and reallly very cold and unscrupulous. The scenes involving her and Professor McGonagall are brilliant, as is Hermione's who gets rather rebellious in this book.

It's true however that actual action is not as frequent in this book. The emphasis is more on secrets and relations between characters. If you like the magic and heroics part to Harry Potter then you'll probably prefer one of the first three books. I myself think that this is an essential read.