Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter #4)
Published 2000 by Bloomsbury.
Links: Goodreads.
Source: purchased.
Genre: YA fantasy.
The summer holidays are dragging on and Harry Potter can’t wait for the start of the school year. It is his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and there are spells to be learnt and (unluckily) Potions and Divination lessons to be attended. But Harry can’t know that the atmosphere is darkening around him, and his worst enemy is preparing a fate that it seems will be inescapable.
This is the review of the fourth part of the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I also reviewed The Philosopher’s Stone, The Chamber of Secrets and The Prisoner of Azkaban. As with previous parts, I’m assuming most of you have read the series so there will be spoilers for the plot!
I think I said in every review I’ve written about the Harry Potter books so far that THAT book might be my favourite, but I really, really like The Goblet of Fire. It takes on a more sinister twist and what with Voldemort coming back “from the dead”, it sets the tone for the rest of the series (hint: it’s dark).
I like the friendship dynamic of Harry, Ron and Hermione in The Goblet of Fire. There’s Ron’s jealousy, Hermione’s devotion, the first romantic interests (though surprisingly no unpure thoughts). It’s nice to see how they’re evolving, moving from children to teenagers. I think series like Harry Potter are wonderful for when you’re growing up and going through the same changes.
The Triwizard Tournament and the Quidditch World Cup were very nice ways to introduce the wizarding world. The scope broadens and I just wish Rowling had hinted at it in previous books, because I just can’t believe Harry never thought about wizards from other countries (as he claims here). I’d probably enter the Triwizard Tournament but let me tell you: if I was picked, I’d probably quit the second task before swallowing down gillyweed, because that was disgusting.
I’m also glad that Rowling touched on social issues – with the house elves and Hermione’s S.P.E.W., of course, but I do wish it were treated less like a joke and more like a serious problem. And they left it out of the movie completely. I understand why they’d do that but still, it’s a topic that would benefit from a bit more attention.
I’ve re-read this book at least 7 times (I stopped counting but I’m fairly sure it’s more than that) but this was the first time that I nearly cried at the end. Not when Cedric died, though that was horrible (and very… clean, don’t you think?), but when Mr. and Mrs. Diggory come to visit Harry when he’s still in the hospital wing. That scene just wrecked me. That’s why I love re-reading, there’s something new each time I read the book (not just Harry, any book I like) and I guess this time the scene with the parents touched me more because it was the first time I read this book post-Kiddo.
I’m currently working my way through The Order of the Phoenix, which I normally skip in my re-reading, but I wanted to have the full set of reviews for the blog, so I’m giving it another try. I’m already hating Dumbledore and his mysterious shit and we haven’t even arrived at Hogwarts yet…
Would you enter the Triwizard Tournament? Would you win?
What would witches and wizards from your country be like?
I’d love to hear from you! :)
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