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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5 Audio CD)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5 Audio CD)

List Price: $75.00
Your Price: $47.25
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I wish I had 10 stars to give
Review: It's worth the wait!! Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is incredible. It has so much story to tell us, it is just amazing. If the next books are as good, we are in for a thrilling conclusion to this series!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Harry's growing up....
Review: ...and as those of us who have walked that path know, it is sometimes a bit bumpy. This is a superb book in terms of both evolving Harry (many of the characters, actaully) and the whole series. JKR does a great job of capturing the trials, tribulations, doubts, and passions of growing up in a way that easily moves the plot forward. And a great plot at that--action, intrugue, heros, villians--there is not a lot of dead space in its 900 pages. The book is also a great "middle book"--answers some questions, set a couple of more hooks and generally keeps things fresh--JKR has done a good job in avoiding the cookie-cutter syndrome.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Darker, deeper, and an ultimately better book !
Review: I've spent the previous weekend reading the latest installment to the Harry Potter craze entitled The Order of the Pheonix. Without giving too many details to those of you who haven't read it, it definitely provides some insight as to who Harry really is, and what he has to do to survive. We learn more about his rage, his life, his questions, and the answers to them. More people around him seem to be taking him more seriously, and treating him less as a prodigy boy. People are beginning to also get "fed up" with him, if you get my meaning. This makes the book deeper, and harry's thoughts tell us that he doesn't understand a lot of things...which is also frustrating to the reader. These books have evolved from a child's series to a seriously entertaining mystery and thriller. Hermione's still my favorite character. It is true that someone at the end of the book dies, but I won't tell you (although you'll find it a relief to know that it's not one of the three you'd hate to die!) Anyway this book deserves 5 stars, if not for the attention to detail, mindboggling bigger pictures, representation of emotions, and, well, It's Harry Potter, and you gotta' love it!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Solid tale, but too dark and joyless.
Review: I ordered this hefty volume way back in February and was thrilled when it arrived, right on time, by 1 pm the day it was released. I devour books like potato chips, so I finished it within a few days, and while it is a solid Harry tale, there are some problems with "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix."

Firstly, it's been long enough since book four came out that those of us who tore through that one three years ago could do to reread it before hitting this one. Don't remember what the O.W.L.s are? Can't recall where Hagrid went at the end of last year? While Rowling does a decent job of reminding us about the finer points, it almost seems like, even with 870 pages, something is missing.

The missing piece? The joy. The first book, and this is an aspect the movie carefully reflected, is absolutely filled with delightful, whimsical, magical details. "Order of the Phoenix," on the other hand, delves not only into minutiae we're not necessarily interested in -- since Rowling now has time to luxuriate in writing, not stuck in coffee shops scribbling on napkins, she seems to believe that leading readers through every class the students take each day of the week, for several weeks, is worthwhile -- but also, more, into real darkness.

That's right. This supposed children's novel is chock-full of unhappiness. Without including specific spoilers, I can say that there is death, there is torture, there is insanity, there is anger and dissension between friends, there is teen angst, there is horror. Every character we have ever met, more or less, shows up at one point or another, and they are often found yelling at each other (WHICH IS USUALLY OVER-EMPHASIZED BY PUTTING ENTIRE SENTENCES IN CAPS) or saying things "loudly," which seems to be Rowling's catchphrase, along with "softly," when describing how someone is speaking. Surely she could have used a thesaurus occasionally.

In all, the book is a quality story, reassuringly printed with the usual Harry fonts and the charming small illustrations at the start of each chapter, but without any uplifting moments. It was the delight that both author and readers found in exploring the wizardry world along with Harry that made the first few books marvelous; this time, an older, unhappier, darker boy and his weary companions are all we have on a tiring journey. Expect a longlasting feeling of foreboding as you read, and not that much new insight.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Book Five: My Fondest Dreams Realized.
Review: At the end of book 4, I like most others found myself wishing one thing: the fifth book. It was a far greater delay than i wanted, but it was worth it. This is the Best Book in the Series.

I shall endeavor to avoid spoilers of any kind. Do Yourself a Favor. Dont wait for it to be out on Paperback. Read it now. If you havent read 1-4, start now so you can read book 5

Harry is finally growing up and his questions are finally getting answered. HP5 really made me wonder what happened to JK Rowling to make her paint the Ministry of Magic as such dangerously and willingly ignorant fascists.

The disjointed often poorly paced book 4 was full of a lot of passages where i wanted to slap Harry around for being such a whiner. Not So Book 5. The conflict is shaping up beautifully. It feels like this is the "Empire Strikes Back" of the Harry Potter Book: grim and full of white-knuckle tension, and not the funniest or easiest episode, but its the finest crafted and most important episode.

I thought Maybe JKR wouldnt beable to keep up the passion, angst and beautiful craftmanship of the first few books since they were written when she wasnt rich and famous etc. I thought fame might pull the spark out of the books, but i was wrong. If anything she's honed her craft even more.
What always struck me about the Harry Potter boos was that there was a legitimate, tangible sense of horror underlying the bad events. Often in children's books the bad stuff is contrived to give the main character something to Do, not so Harry Potter. Book 5 makes it clearthat death is very real, and it affects everyone, and that evil is real and present, And OFTEN done in the name of good.
Book 5 ups the ante, making it even more important to read. It is not so much a 'children's book' and more a book about universal struggles that we in which all need to immerse ourselves.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Not my favorite, but still pretty good...
Review: Even though we are continuing the story of Harry Potter, there are a few things that bug me about this book. He seems more bitter, and more willing to take on the Dursleys all of a sudden, and the little interior monologues concerning fairness and jealousy are new. Also Dumbledore's attitude in the end to what he should have told Harry 5 years before strikes me as odd. Dumbledore was built as a character to be almost infalliable, and this is a pretty big mistake. I don't think I need to say anything on what happens to Sirius throuigh out this book. I didn't like that either.

On the other hand, alot of questions were answered, I liked the part about the O.W.L.S., and the mystery behind the horseless carriages were pretty cool. And I especially liked the D.A.

Overall, I give this 4 stars. You can't go wrong with harry potter.

Books in order of my preference are:
#1, #3, #4, #5, #2

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best Harry Potter book yet!!
Review: HOLY COW!! I just finished this book and I am stunned! I've spent every minute of leisure time the last four days groaning and laughing and squeeling with glee at this book.
Chances are, no one out there is going to read the first four books and NOT read this one, so there's not a lot of use in reviewing it. But, just in case there are some out there who fear Rowling's best is behind her, this book shows differently. I truly believe this is the best of the five, surpassing the third book, which was my favorite prior to now.
The only other thing I want to say is: DUMBLEDORE...IS...THE...MAN!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: THE BEST
Review: this is the best book in the series yet. Harry is faced with as many moral problems as physical nabey and even more in this book. With the uprise of Lord voldomort there is much to think about. in this bok harry will learn more about his parents, dumbledore, proffesor snape, and even his own destiny.this bok will not let you down.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Spectacular!
Review: Does anything more really need to be said? The Harry Potter books may not be the best books in the world, but it is definitely one of the best STORIES I have ever heard. Keep up the good work!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fun, Fast Paced, and the Pain of Youth
Review: Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix is without a doubt, my favorite of the series so far (I finished reading it within 24 hours of purchase - all 870 pages). All of the enjoyable traits of the previous Potter books remain, the enchanted world and its creatures, further explaining the events that lead to the current state of the wizarding world, the introduction of new spells and magical disciplines, quidditch and the house cup, and a fair amount of humor (although less than previous books.) Rowling's talent for creating characters we can all identify with continues to abound, particularly with the introduction of a detestable character known as Madame Umbridge. However, the most impressive aspects of Rowling's latest work are the morality lessons, and Rowling's ability to capture the angst of adolescence.

Voldemort and his death eaters have intolerance for 'mudbloods' and their subsequent quest to rid the world of them are reminiscent of Nazi Germany especially when you consider that Voldemort himself is a mudblood. Madame Umbridge's subversive work is despicable, and bears a striking resemblance to Orwell's Animal Farm. These well-written antagonists and their actions towards our hero are the steepest challenges Harry and his gang has yet to face, especially given the turmoil that is a 15 year olds world.

Perhaps the most enjoyable arc of the plot is the different characters coming to grips with growing up. Rowling does a tremendous job capturing the distraught feelings of a teen, from awkwardness and chest puffing in front of a girl, to anger, confusion and a sense of cockiness. She puts Potter through the emotional wringer, and like all teens, he is thoroughly confused. The beauty of her work here is the poignancy to it. Harry does not understand, and does not want to. If growing up is painful, if being a world famous wizard is painful, than he will take his leave, thank you. The key is, the reader is so immersed into Harry's world that it is difficult not to feel what he is feeling, and this emotional ride that Rowling takes us on has more peaks and valleys than any of her other works.

Fast paced, fun, and emotionally introspective, The Order of the Phoenix satisfies like none so far, but again leaves the reader counting down the days to the release of Year 6. I cannot wait.


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