Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. By J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

J.K. Rowling

Bloomsbury. First published 2005

The story is one year older in this, the sixth book of the series, but the character of Harry Potter has aged many years more. He is more mature and emotionally more settled. He is also more accepting of his loss of family, of his basic loneliness, and of his role as the Chosen One, destined to finally confront the evil Voldemort, and prevent armageddon.

    

Again two story threads run parallel through the book. The larger one about the Dark Forces describes the gathering together of Voldemort's loyalists, the recruitment of Draco Malfoy, Voldemort's backstory (narrated in three or four parts), and the Horcruxes, the magical devices for storing souls that point to a weakness in the Dark Lord's plans, and indicate to Harry a way to defeat him.  In a complicated piece of logical argument, Dumbledore explains to Harry that the reason why he is the Chosen One is because Voldemort believes him to be one! That, says the headmaster, and Harry's capacity to love, will be his strength in the final encounter. In the book's climax, all loyalties are clearly established, either for one side or the other, doubts are cleared away and the path to the final battle between Harry and the forces of good on the one hand, and Voldemort and his loyalists on the other, is marked out.

  

Harry's personal story as a teenager forms the other thread. There is a brief comical introduction describing an encounter between the Minister for Magic and the 'muggle' Prime Minister. There is a nice scene at the Burrow involving Bill Weasley and his girlfriend Fleur. There is Quidditch. There are are the steps and missteps in the dance of young love between Ron and Hermione and Harry and Ginny. 

Rowling herself appears to have changed from being a writer of stories only for children. She is more comfortable now in writing what she knows will have to be adapted as a cinematic screenplay, for a general audience. There is, however, a long and somewhat Enid Blyton-ish visit to a cave in a sea-side cliff-face by Harry and Dumbledore, which might thrill younger readers or movie watchers, but did not move me. The final action sequence of the book, however, involving Harry, Dumbledore, Snape, Malfoy and others is thrilling, though relatively brief. 

There are less throw-away jokes through the book, and the writing is a bit more serious throughout. There are fewer inconsequential bits. Again there are several logical inconsistencies, but are easily forgiven. This is probably one of the best books of the series.