Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling (ISBN:043935806X)

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		Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
	
				(8798 reviews)			
(643273 Readers)

			J. K. Rowling		
	
As his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry approaches in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 15-year-old Harry Potter is...more
 As his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry approaches in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 15-year-old Harry Potter is in full-blown adolescence, complete with regular outbursts of rage, a nearly debilitating crush, and the blooming of a powerful sense of rebellion. It's been yet another infuriating and boring summer with the despicable Dursleys, this time with minimal contact from our hero's non-Muggle friends from school. Harry is feeling especially edgy at the lack of news from the magic world, wondering when the freshly revived evil Lord Voldemort will strike. Returning to Hogwarts will be a relief… or will it?   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   less

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
Surprisingly decent, especially when compared to the first 3. I know a lot were probably put off by the one dimensional and angsty Harry in the first 2/3rds of the book, and you rightly should have been. But the last third Rowling started to get to the point and made the first 600 pages acceptable.

Granted there is, as always, too much padding on both syntactical and plot levels, but that's...more
 Surprisingly decent, especially when compared to the first 3. I know a lot were probably put off by the one dimensional and angsty Harry in the first 2/3rds of the book, and you rightly should have been. But the last third Rowling started to get to the point and made the first 600 pages acceptable.

Granted there is, as always, too much padding on both syntactical and plot levels, but that's the price one pays for reading Rowling. This book still suffers from inconsistency. Most of the time rowling has her characters spell everything out when they are not purposefully trying to remain enigmatic, but in this volume she sometimes leaves important explanatory points up to the reader to deduce, which instead of involving leaves one feeling she forgot to finish sentences or paragraphs.

Also the atrocious dialog attribution continues, but was pared down much more.

So the major faults are once again inconsistent writing quality and style and lack of general character development in the first few hundred pages; the latter which continues with Harry until last third of the book.

But Rowling does pack a punch in that last third on all fronts, letting the sub plots and minor characters culminate into a forceful climax and a much less didactic denouement than the rest before hand in the series.

While I still prefer Globet of Fire simply for the drastic and 'fresh' change of pace from the rest, Order of the Phoenix provides a well thought out plot with acceptable characters and a polished climax that masks the inconsistencies of the rest of the novel.

I just hope Rowling can continue improving her craft and maintain fresh and unique stories for the final two novels, instead of returning to the uninteresting formula of the first three.   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
Rowling's worst. I love the HP series but have so many gripes about this book...

1. Bad pacing. I basically got to read about somebody's day over and over again, all the way down to pointless details like what Harry ate for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner. Ugh. I read to get away from boring daily life, not to delve into it.

2. The plot...erm, I guess the plot was that Fudge didn't believe...more
 Rowling's worst. I love the HP series but have so many gripes about this book...

1. Bad pacing. I basically got to read about somebody's day over and over again, all the way down to pointless details like what Harry ate for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner. Ugh. I read to get away from boring daily life, not to delve into it.

2. The plot...erm, I guess the plot was that Fudge didn't believe Voldie was back? I spent hundreds of pages reading about the evils of Umbridge, who really had nothing to do with the climax of the book (in the Dep. of Mysteries where Sirius dies). Those two things felt completely disconnected. In my opinion, the book would've been much better if there was more focus on the Dep. of Mysteries and the Ministry's denial and a lot less Umbridge-isms.

3. Harry was annoying. Period. His character really didn't do anything for me.

4. This sorta ties in with no. 1, but lots of unnecessary details and scenes. Like, in the beginning, Harry goes to court and lives at Sirius's house with the Weasleys. This takes something like 150 pages, and a lot of that is unnecessary description, or day-to-day things that don't advance the plot/lead to the climax (a.k.a. don't matter).

What a drag.   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
This was amazing. JK Rowling finally unleashed her brilliance of her writing, and this is my favourite of all seven. It was awful when Sirius perished, and I never hated Bellatirx Lestrange more. On the contrary, I despised Harry's first try at romance. He ruined it up, it's okay. But I hate Cho. If she were going to stick about Diggory, it's fine, just leave her. Better options around such as...more
 This was amazing. JK Rowling finally unleashed her brilliance of her writing, and this is my favourite of all seven. It was awful when Sirius perished, and I never hated Bellatirx Lestrange more. On the contrary, I despised Harry's first try at romance. He ruined it up, it's okay. But I hate Cho. If she were going to stick about Diggory, it's fine, just leave her. Better options around such as Hermine and Ginny. And being with her would mean Harry would have to get wet. Too bad Harry gave his first kiss away to her. And it appeared even more enthralling when Umbridge, the toad gets her taste of her own medicine, when the students seeked revenge too. The Order is simply too organised; that I'm amazed. And I didn't know Arthur Weasley could be so idiosyncratic to his wife. -laugh- Fred and George simply resolved to their Joke Shop, with Harry's money, and that is enticing as well. Overall, I hate Umbrige, and good beginning to the dark, eeror world of more dark eerie Voldemort encounters...   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
After three nice, concise, efficient, well-told stories, J K Rowling started to give way to bloat in HP IV, and HPV is even worse. Where in past books you could count on things being introduced to the story for a reason, HPIV wanders aimlessly for chapter upon chapter. This would be bad enough, if it weren't for the fact that genuinely interesting and personal plotlines (especially Harry's...more
 After three nice, concise, efficient, well-told stories, J K Rowling started to give way to bloat in HP IV, and HPV is even worse. Where in past books you could count on things being introduced to the story for a reason, HPIV wanders aimlessly for chapter upon chapter. This would be bad enough, if it weren't for the fact that genuinely interesting and personal plotlines (especially Harry's relationship with Cho) are underdeveloped and unexploered.

That's bad enough, but this is the first book where Harry is fundamentally unlikable. He's angry, whiney, and unsympathetic. This is likely to be a shock for readers who have enjoyed the Harry Potter series in large part because Harry is such a blank slate - an almost personality-less husk they can insert themselves into. Now they find Harry does have a personality, and maybe they don't like him very much.

After really enjoying I-III, I found this book a tedious slog, frustrating for its many missed opportunities.   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
This book in many ways proves JK Rowling's genius beyond measure. It is my favorite book of the entire series and I love Rowling's unique brand of adventure, mystery, charm, immersion, and wonder. She so completely creates her worlds that it is impossible to not be drawn into her creation.

This book focuses for a large part on two things: the politics of the magic world, and the emotional...more
 This book in many ways proves JK Rowling's genius beyond measure. It is my favorite book of the entire series and I love Rowling's unique brand of adventure, mystery, charm, immersion, and wonder. She so completely creates her worlds that it is impossible to not be drawn into her creation.

This book focuses for a large part on two things: the politics of the magic world, and the emotional growth of Harry Potter. I'm not that big of a fan of coming-of-age novels, and so when people mentioned to me that Potter is "really angsty" in this one, I wasn't really looking forward to it. But honestly, a lot of what Rowling did was spot on. He's unsure of himself, being really awkward with girls, getting angry at authority figures for no reason, and trying desperately to find his place in teenaged society (a tremendous effort for the poor unwilling celebrity). I don't know about you, but that sounds a lot like life when I was fifteen. The other focus of the story is the political plots- Cornelius Fudge vs. Albus Dumbledore, who will win? It's really epic and is completely draws you in to her imaginary world, allowing greater perspective on the workings of non-muggles. I love the way Rowling shows that these people are just normal people, except with magic. They are so similar to us, it makes us love them even more.

There are parts in the prose where Rowling gets lazy- 'And then Harry told Hermione everything that had just occurred in the potions room.' But for the most part, she's money. Just the single description of the veil (weakly done in the movie, in my opinion) is enough to solidify her abilities in my mind as a terrific writer. It was freakin' creepy.   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
No, it's not a dictionary, or a fancy phonebook.  If you hit someone across the head with this tome, you could seriously render them unconcious.  This dictionary sized tale of Harry's 5th year at Hogwarts could have been about 200 pages shorter. At least.  Harry's claim that Voldemort has returned is mocked and ridiculed by the Ministry, the press, and pretty much the rest of the wizarding world,...more
 No, it's not a dictionary, or a fancy phonebook.  If you hit someone across the head with this tome, you could seriously render them unconcious.  This dictionary sized tale of Harry's 5th year at Hogwarts could have been about 200 pages shorter. At least.  Harry's claim that Voldemort has returned is mocked and ridiculed by the Ministry, the press, and pretty much the rest of the wizarding world, and the reader is subject to about a hundred pages of Harry whining and screaming at his friends.  (Being called crazy combined with typical adolescent angst is obviously too much for little Harry Potter) If you can get past the first two hundred pages, the story picks up, as Harry returns to Hogwarts to find new rules, new teachers, and new enemies. Voldemort himself doesn't make a showing until the final scene, during which curses and hexes are flung between Harry and company and Voldemort's goons, and the wizarding world is finally convinced that Harry wasn't just completly nuts after all.  Took them long enough. Fairly good if one can get far enough in without threatening to kill the rather whiny Harry.   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
I am here writing this review specially for those who have a very negative judge on this book(Specially Mr.Chris opinion), I really liked this one,I respect the opinion of those who thinks it's a bad book, but come on, everyone knew that Ms.Dolores was wrong, the whole ministry of magic were wrong,Fudge was an ignorant minister who hasn't got the decisive character to justify things,and yet...more
 I am here writing this review specially for those who have a very negative judge on this book(Specially Mr.Chris opinion), I really liked this one,I respect the opinion of those who thinks it's a bad book, but come on, everyone knew that Ms.Dolores was wrong, the whole ministry of magic were wrong,Fudge was an ignorant minister who hasn't got the decisive character to justify things,and yet Ms.Dolores,following his path,tried to deal with the matters from this point of view,By using a very bad ways to achieve this, It is not strange that everybody hated her, In times of emergencies,children sometimes relise what it's right from what it's not,(Imagine knowing that big gang come into the city and are going to kill a lot of people,Imagine that you saw those people yourself, knowing that some of them are living among us, having influence, and yet they tell you that you are a liar!!! ),this book mention the fact that Adults may come wrong sometimes because they are humans, And yet Harry was patient , He beared a lot of detentions, a bad reputation and pain. Ms.Dolores really deserved what she got eventually, Was she a good example by abusing centaurs!!!!! , By hating Hal;f-Breed just because they are ugly or something?? I don't think so. 
That's why I see that this books wasn't that bad   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
Several weeks into the summer, Harry Potter has heard nothing from his friends or acquaintances from the wizard world. Finding himself walking down a street with his cousin Dudley, the two of them are attacked by a pair of Dementors. Harry drives them off with a Patronus Charm, and is surprised to learn that the Dursleys' elderly neighbour Arabella Figg, is a Squib and has been keeping an eye...more
 Several weeks into the summer, Harry Potter has heard nothing from his friends or acquaintances from the wizard world. Finding himself walking down a street with his cousin Dudley, the two of them are attacked by a pair of Dementors. Harry drives them off with a Patronus Charm, and is surprised to learn that the Dursleys' elderly neighbour Arabella Figg, is a Squib and has been keeping an eye on him on Albus Dumbledore’s orders. On returning home, he immediately receives a notice of expulsion from Hogwarts for using magic outside school, and that his wand is to be snapped, though these decisions are reversed, set to be decided at a disciplinary hearing. One night, an advance guard from the Order of the Phoenix arrives at the house and escorts Harry to their secret headquarters at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place in London, where Harry joins the Weasley family, Hermione Granger, and Harry’s godfather Sirius Black................   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
5. Band in der geschichte um Harry Pottter:
Lord Voldemort ist wieder da und Harry ist nun noch mehr in Gefahr. als wäre das nciht schon ein schlimmes Problem kommt nun auch noch ein neues dazu. ein nciht weniger problematisches:
das Zaubereiministerium mischt sich in Hogwarts angelegenheiten ein und Harry, wie wir ihn kennen, legt sich natürlich gleich mit der neuen Lehrerin dolores Umbridge...more
 5. Band in der geschichte um Harry Pottter:
Lord Voldemort ist wieder da und Harry ist nun noch mehr in Gefahr. als wäre das nciht schon ein schlimmes Problem kommt nun auch noch ein neues dazu. ein nciht weniger problematisches:
das Zaubereiministerium mischt sich in Hogwarts angelegenheiten ein und Harry, wie wir ihn kennen, legt sich natürlich gleich mit der neuen Lehrerin dolores Umbridge an.

Was sonst noch so passiert und wie Harry mit Professor Umbridge umgeht könnt ihr im Buch lesen.
Also leute: ich fand das Buch echt gut. es ist gut geschrieben und echt interessant.das einzige ist: es ist unheimlich lang. diese buch aht etwas mehr als 100 seiten und ich würd es wirklich keinem empfehlen, der nicht absoluter Hp-Fan ist oder ein Bücher wurm ist. Wer keins von beidem ist, sollte sich besser den film anschauen, auch wenn in dem so einiges fehlt.aba das sit ja normal bei büchern.   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
When it comes to my favorite Harry Potter book, there is a tie between 'Order of the Phoenix' and 'Deathly Hallows.'  While the strength of 'Hallows' is that it allows the three main characters to finally break free of the Hogwart's mold and find real adventure, 'Order of the Phoenix' does the opposite, reigning in the kids for most of the book while the grown-ups fight the big fights.  But in...more
 When it comes to my favorite Harry Potter book, there is a tie between 'Order of the Phoenix' and 'Deathly Hallows.'  While the strength of 'Hallows' is that it allows the three main characters to finally break free of the Hogwart's mold and find real adventure, 'Order of the Phoenix' does the opposite, reigning in the kids for most of the book while the grown-ups fight the big fights.  But in doing that, it creates a sense of ever-building tension, as we wait for the kids to finally bust into the action.  And when they do just that in the several-chapters-long climax, it is electric.  Seeing our beloved teenage magicians throw down with Death Eaters and hold their own is an action-lover's dream come true, and one of the reasons 'Half-Blood Prince' was such a let down in comparison.  In the battle at the Ministry, Harry, Ron, and Hermione's growth is more than just about their emotional maturing - they start to take their rightful place among other literary heroes, and that means being in the middle of the fray.  Special points to Rowling for not shying away from Harry's descent into very realistic teen angst.  It's a brave author who allows her main character (and the hero of a multimillion dollar series) to act like a brat for no reason other than hormones.   hide

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