Harry Potter Audio Boxed Set

There's a scene where Harry kicks Hermioneʼs cat down the stairs. The person who wrote that deserves no bright days upon them ever again. I was reading on, and fury clouded whatever did make me happy in the story. Nasty feeling. Made no lighter by the overall feline hate in the book.

Growing up, I crowned “Prisoner of Azkaban” my favorite in the series. I remember why: there’s Sirius, there’s Lupin — whatʼs not to like. Imma be takinʼ that crown back now, thank you. My mind — probably out of mercy — has completely wiped out what an ass Ron is in this. I hurt reading about his and Hermioneʼs run-ins and the way the boys wouldnʼt talk to her afterwards.

Silly me: was beginning to think my childhood distaste for Ron had no grounds. He really does start off a pleasant blend of witty and sarcastic. But the third book brings out the worst in him, or maybe the worst is yet to come, I donʼt recall. For now, he gets a dislike.

Hermi, my girl, shines. She carries enormous work and still finds time to be a friend. Sees through professor Trelawney and declares outright that her subject is a load of bollocks! First time I truly saw her as a human being who knows what she wants and not your typical smartass.

Love that, to my memory, she never talked back to Snape in the same fashion. I want to think itʼs because she recognizes a competent teacher in him and respects that.

A pitch from Snapeʼs appreciation corner: when the guy doesnʼt repel, heʼs a darling. The evidence: his regular gig making a potion for Lupin and him summoning Lupin when in doubt about Harryʼs map. Has a hard-on for the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher job, so he must be a bit skilled in the department. But he up and consults the expert on call. Itʼs the cutest thing.

Quick sidenote: I have officially had it with Neville. His older version is more tolerable, but the kid one is an insufferable whiny little bitch. I donʼt know what you lot see in him, he drives me nuts.

Tempting as it was to lower the rating for Rowlingʼs maddening overuse of repetitions, I decided not to. 478 cases of “very” — calling yourself a writer, woman? This word does nothing and should head straight for the garbage bin. And I thought Iʼd lose my marbles over people “beaming” endlessly after sheʼd abused the stupid verb in three books total! Ffs, haven’t you heard of synonyms…

Anyways, eight instead of seven isnʼt for old times’ sake. I felt powerful emotions and nearly cried at one point in the end. Let this be the judge: “Prisoner of Azkaban” (both with and without quotation marks) still makes me care, cheer, and grieve — sometimes all at once.

Keep thinking I need to see it through. I’ve started rereading yet again, so many years after I’ve happily distanced myself from the wizarding world. Listening to audiobooks for the first time works like a charm.

But the novel itself — man is it tiring. Newbies Lockhart and Creevey were hellishly annoying, and that much effort put into annoying characters is super unfair. Took a lot outta me to bear with those two. The parts recounting events of the first book could've also just… not happen.

Speaking of which, many of ’em questions I had in “Philosopher’s Stone” were still bothering me here.
— Something is seriously off with Mrs. Author’s continued inclination to describe people as “fat”.
— Crazy, violent ghosts on school territory, can’t someone banish them because, hello, they’re dangerous?
— Let’s not forget — hats off to the school board who suck profoundly at choosing certain teachers. Second year in a row. Bet they don’t even check the CVs…

Do not appreciate, no, not at all that I am heavily led to believe Gryffindor is the coolest. Its students are all cuties, and the Slytherins are, with no exceptions, horrible twats. I want my Gryffindors shining different colors, I want my Slytherins having a plethora of personalities in their midst, I want not to be fed one-sidedness.

We see that, of co-o-ourse, Dumbledore disliked young Tom Riddle. Precisely the kind of cliché manipulation I, a reader, didn’t need. I would like it to have been more complicated than that.

Tell me also how, in a building full of magically able people, no one ever fixed poor Ron’s wand? I know it’s a running joke throughout the book and even drives the plot at the end, but it feels strained in the first place. Not the professors, not any of the students. Broken wand is a hazard, for chrissake.

Both books so far lead me to think Rowling doesn’t like her main heroine. Or has no clue how to respectfully write one. What’s the point of a clever protagonist if her scholar abilities and eagerness to learn are constantly ridiculed? Hermione hits too close to home, I admit. I was her. I loved school, didn’t dread exams, enjoyed showing off when I knew the answer, people asked to copy my homework — but even personal attachment aside, I feel that she deserves more. More fair treatment, less being a laughingstock.

Writing’s repetitive. Even with the good bits, a “very” rears its ugly head and ruins the impression, characters always “beam” at each other, feelings are expressed through countless stomach drops, gut twists, and heart leaps. That hasn’t changed since “Philosopher’s Stone”; more still, reading “The Prisoner of Azkaban” now, and she pulls the same shit there — third time over.

Gloomy undertones of creeping fear, worry, and devastation, especially when Ginny disappeared, were top-shelf material for me. I know I’ll get more of this in the following installments. Still, it’s amusing to revisit the series after a large break, remember things, and change some old opinions.

Как фанат Вселенной, могу сказать, что вся основная серия была и останется легендой. Как книги, так и фильмы. Не смотря на некоторые расхождения.

Сказать в принципе нечего. Настолько нет слов и настолько хочется, чтобы каждый полюбил такой маленький, но большой мир...

Самое первое, что приходит на ум это финальная битва. Она оказалась намного красочнее и эмоциональнее, чем я ожидала (ведь я выросла на фильмах, а книги прочитала вот-вот..). И когда в бой вступили так полюбившиеся мне создания, я визжала от восторга...

Второе. Момент, когда Северус попросил посмотреть Гарри в глаза. Боже... это ужасно символично и ужасно грустно. Этот момент разбил мне сердце. Как и следующий...

Третье. Добби - мой любимый, он очень смелый домовик. Домовик - революционер, я бы сказала. И, кстати, о домовиках. Для меня по-новому открылся Кикимер. В фильме его показали с другой стороны, а очень жаль. По крайней мере он мне запомнился таким. И после прочтения, я была немножечко удивлена.

Четвёртое. Все потери, которые автор решила скормить читателю... Я даже не знаю, стоило ли? Но это часть истории, со слезами на глаза я приняла...

Пятое. Удивительно и смешно, что фразы некоторых персонажей в голове звучали голосами из фильма. Я ради прикола их перечитывала по несколько раз. Интересно, кто-нибудь делал так же?

Шестое. А ещё, я очень обожаю маму Уизли! Такая отважная, смелая, дерзкая! В схватке с тёмной волшебницей она просто была блестательна и непоколебима!!!

Седьмое. После прочтения книг на каждого персонажа смотришь по иному. Безусловно оправдания их поступкам искать более чем глупо. Каждый сделал свой выбор и поплатился за это. Но, по крайней мере, мы имеем представление, что двигало ими, и что повлияло на то, кем они являются.

Вот собственно и все. Я обязательно перечитаю когда-нибудь все основные части и ещё 150 раз пересмотрю фильмы. Ведь Роулинг проделала неимоверную работу для того, чтобы мир смог погрузиться в невероятно чудесную атмосферу Вселенной Гарри Поттера... И я обязательно познакомлю с ней и своих детей, уверена, они будут в восторге.

Книга для взрослых и детей. Каждый момент заставляет задуматься о многом. Реальный мир очень суров, да любой мир в целом. Поэтому, почему бы не прикоснуться к кусочку волшебства и помечтать о тех светлых моментах, которые принесла нам замечательная Вселенная....?)