Book review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4 done!)

“We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.” – Albus Dumbledore, Chapter 37

(Beware - spoilers!)

This is the point at which the books start getting noticeably larger and darker. To keep up with the size of the book, J. K. Rowling steps things up a notch – an elaborate strategy is constructed to not only provide enough action and suspense to sustain the length of the novel, but also to add to the overall series and keep it going.

Voldemort plays a game
Yes, he stole Jigsaw’s tactics. :D

Anyway, of course the whole expanse of the Triwizard Tournament was not just for the reader’s momentary enjoyment. Even though I did enjoy guessing what the next tasks would be and how Harry would be able to get through alive. All the while, he had been playing a very dangerous game with Harry. A game that involved a frightening twist of hide-and-seek, and snakes but not ladders. Harry does seem to have suspiciously narrow escapes throughout the tournament tasks, but everything is explained in the end, how Dobby happens to conveniently give him gillyweed in the last minute and the rest. The underwater challenge was my favorite; I loved how Rowling depicted the merpeople (And wasn't it sweet that the thing Harry would miss the most was Ron?). That, and the way she logically explained how the Goblet of Fire was tricked into spitting out a fourth champion. It makes sense. :)


‘Remember Cedric Diggory.’
The torture scenes and the death of Cedric are the darkest points in the book. The first death of a fairly major character indicated that the series was about to get a lot more emotional and terrifying. Cedric’s last moments alive are his best – he decides to give up his lifelong ambition of becoming the winner of the Triwizard Tournament and pass along the trophy to Harry. I found Dumbledore’s speech at the end of the book particularly tragic, where he requests the students to remember Cedric. The Hogwarts headmaster always has the most insightful things to say in each book, and this book is no different. What is the opposite of ‘right’? ‘Wrong’? Wrong. When it comes to decisions, it’s ‘easy’. Here’s the quote from the book:

“Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory.”

*sniff* That's just beautiful.

Romance and Love Potions
Love is definitely in the air by the fourth book. Not only does Hagrid meet his soul mate, but Harry develops a crush on Cho Chang and Ron and Hermione’s chemistry is evident. They squabble and pretend they don’t really care for each other, but of course they do. :) I guess they’re blinded by each other’s love. Awww.

The Yule Ball is my favorite chapter in the book, because it illustrates this and Harry and Ron’s typical teen awkwardness perfectly. Plus, I love the whimsicality of the whole thing. The two end up going with second-hand dates, Harry is frustrated that Cho is with someone else, and Ron is horrified when Hermione’s mysterious dance partner turns out to be none other than Victor Krum. I love how they both completely unintentionally abandon the Patil twins well before the end of the ball because of their lack of interest towards them. Moreover, a grumpy Ron makes for a highly amusing read. :)

The ninth chapter
Apparently, Chapter 9 was rewritten no less than 13 times before J. K. Rowling got it right. I guess 13 is a lucky number after all. :)

To sum up
As expected, a very entertaining read. I’ve decided to take a break from reading today. Tomorrow, it’s going to be Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Just 2332 more pages to go!