Harry Potter and the half Blood Prince

Kim and I got to the movies on Saturday and saw Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. It was good but as Kim said, it seemed not as satisfying as the previous five movies. I explained to Kim why I think that is and I'm going to repeat it here.

*SPOILERS*

Harry Potter is a seven book series and at the start each book is a standalone adventure in an overall story arc.

Book 1 introduces the characters and concepts of the world of magic.

Book 2 lays more groundwork in the mythos and ramps up the danger a bit.

Book 3 marks the triumph of good over evil as Harry is reunited with his godfather, learns of the betrayal of his parents by Wormtail, and grows closer to the memories of his parents through others.

The first three books create a first part to the whole series.

Book 4 is where things really get to take off. The world is expanded even more with World Cup Quidditch and the other schools of magic, the cast of characters on both sides of the divide expands, and we see in the end that good is soundly trounced with Harry escaping by the skin of his teeth and Voldemort resurgent.

Book 5 represents the opening salvos in the war between the good and evil sides as we see more of the inner workings of the Order of the Phoenix and the government in the form of the Ministry of Magic. It also continues the ascendancy of evil with a victory in the form of the death of Sirius, giving more angst to young Harry Potter. It also represents the public opening of the war.

Which brings us to book 6. Its become obvious that evil has more assets to command than good at this point, and has the initiative. Plus they are contrained by a moral compass that evil can disregard. In order to defeat the Deatheaters, its apparent that Voldemort must be defeated and destroyed as they fall apart without him to keep them in line.

However we have a literary conumdrum. Dumbledore is obviously more powerful than old moldy Voldy, but having him show up to save the day in Book 5 is not going to work in the end of the series. Too Deus Ex Machina. Plus this prophecy that was the object of Book 5 states that only Harry can defeat Voldemort, but Harry is at best a decent student wizard, not a match for the Dark Lord. J K Rowling can't have Harry simply overpower or outsmart his foe, she has to lay a complex quest to be the downfall of the antagonist.

This is where book 6 comes in. It sets up the events of the pinnacle of the series in book 7 by laying the groundwork of the origins of Voldemort and his dividing of his soul into the horcruxes. It gives a suggestion of the method to defeat him, and combined with the Deathly Hallows artifacts revealed in book 7 it gives the means.

So one can think of Book 6 and Book 7 as a combined work of art, a trilogy in of itself. Its worth noting that Book 7 reads like a two part novel and that it will be divided into two movies just to properly tell the story.

So yes Book 6 as a novel and movie feels a little slow and ends a little anticlimatic. That's because its not a climax, merely a (large) chapter on the way to the end of the story.