Liz (Bent Bookworm)
Written on Dec 18, 2015
The next volume in the thrilling, moving, bestselling Harry Potter series will reach readers June 21, 2003 -- and it's been worth the wait!We could tell you, but then we'd have to Obliviate your memory.
- ISBN10 043935806X
- ISBN13 9780439358064
- Publish Date 1 July 2003 (first published January 2003)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Scholastic US
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 896
- Language English
Reviews
thepunktheory
Written on Aug 12, 2015
The Order of the Phoenix is the longest book in the series. For some reason, however, it was turned into the shortest movie.
The book was a thrilling read, you just can't put it down. The story is intricate and Joanne K. Rowling keeps you guessing until the end. So far, this is the darkest novel. Not only the characters in the book grow up, the story matures with them. Matters are touched that go deep under your skin.
What I love about Rowling's books is her affinity for details. By adding so many little things, all the characters get depth, become real. The Order of the Phoenix was filled with many of those little aspect, from Fred and George's new business to Hagrid's journey, they all get to be important in the book.
Well, the movie on the other hand is not as detailed. To be honest, I was very sceptical, when I saw the length of the film. While the first two books had just the right length to be turned into movies, the third and fourth part of the series already made rather hectic and crammed adaptations. The fifth installment turned out to be no exception.
Not only was the movie a rushed series of events, I was also annoyed that many matters were but slightly ripped. Therefore, many aspect of the book never appeared (or only very briefly) in the film. This does not only take away a lot of depth, but also makes some parts difficult to understand.
What needs to be mentioned, however, are the brilliant new cast members. Evanna Lynch was the absolutely perfect choice for Luna Lovegood and Helena Bonham Carter gave me the creeps with her portrayal of Bellatrix Lestrange. I also loved Natalia Tena as Nymphadora Tonks, although unfortunately she got almost no screen time.
Furthermore, the movie comes up with some stunning images, so here's a big thumbs up for the special effects team. Although the effects were flawless, the final fight between You-know-who and Dumbledore was far less impressive than in the book.
All in all I have to say that I was disappointed with this adaptation. They tried to make the best movie they could but it just wasn't enough time to do the book justice. Too much, too fast and lacking depth. In this case the novel has far more to offer than the movie.
alisoninbookland
Written on Mar 4, 2015
It’s always hard to figure out which of the book is my favorite. It’s quite a bit easier to figure out my least favorite. Order of the Phoenix always ranks low for me. It’s not because it’s a bad book. It just has a lot of things that really, really annoy me.
First off we have Harry. Harry has always been a bit off. He’s not a perfect hero by any stretch of the imagination but by this book he is really out of control. I guess it’s all the hormones catching up with him. He really has a horrible temper in this book. I guess I get where he’s coming from. I couldn’t imagine going through what he’s been through and not having people believe him. Add to that the fact that the adults in his life don’t trust him enough/can’t tell him everything that’s going on. But constantly losing his temper and alienating his few friends really isn’t the best way to deal with the situation. I guess it really shows his age. He has been through more than most adults go through in their entire lives and he’s only 15.
Umbridge is awful. No really she is. I almost have to skip this book and movie when going through the series because of how much I dislike her. Honestly she’s right next to Voldemort as far bad guys go. Evil is bad but sugar coated evil is the worst.
Sirius. Oh. Man. His death was the first really devastating death in the series for me. Obviously because I liked him quite a bit. Yes, he’s reckless and a bit arrogant but he’s a really good guy. The biggest reason his death is so bad is because how awful it is for Harry. Harry just got the first real family he’s had in years. Yes, he has the Weasleys but Sirius is a real connection to his past. Your heart definitely breaks a bit for him because you know how badly Harry is hurting.
Despite all the bad stuff, the story is really interesting. Voldemort is back so now we’re getting a sampling of what life was like 14+ years ago. The Order is pretty awesome. It’s a shame that the wizards only have this small group of people to try to defeat Voldemort and his followers. Despite that, they’re doing a pretty good job of standing up to them. Umbridge is a pretty illuminating character. The series has hinted about the blood and species issues in the past but Umbridge is living proof of how those people act and think.
The bottom line? It’s my least favorite book but it’s still enjoyable.
adastra
Written on Feb 25, 2015
I have read this book, in its entirety, for something between the fifth and tenth time now. It is a brilliant book like all of the others, but it is definitely the most tedious and probably least enjoyable one. The obvious reason for that is the frustrating experience of reading through anything related to Umbridge. (Also, sometimes Snape).
bumblingbookworm
Written on Feb 8, 2015
WHEN I First Read
I read this the same day it was released, on 21 June 2003, and I had to wait until I finished work at 4pm to start it... I still remember the injustice of it all!
Check out the rest of my review here!
KitsuneBae
Written on Jan 1, 2015
For more information of this review, please visit: Thoughts and Pens
Plot
I guess, for the life of me, there’s no HP sequel that I did not love. They were all amazing. Fast paced with strong and interesting plots. Who wouldn’t want that? The plot of the Order of the Phoenix heavily revolves around the important role of the government and how it can break and make the order of the society it governs. Harry’s world is magical and yet the issues that it tackles are totally real and relatable.
In OotP, we delve deeper into Harry’s world providing us a lesson or more in governance. This book has a very profound effect on me for it touches the very core of human principles in relation to upholding what is lawfully right and wrong. This is a literary masterpiece depicting a corrupt government at work.
And how Ms Rowling managed to relay a very touchy subject with the usual funny and heartwarming elements in this book is beyond my imagination. An excellent read as usual!
Characters
What took me so long to write this review was that until now, like Harry’s first reaction, I haven’t yet moved on from Sirius’ tragic death. I mean, how come he wasn’t spared from Death’s list? It’s so unfair he didn’t his name finally acquitted from the crime he didn’t do. I must admit that my heart still bleeds for him as I’m writing this review.
On the other hand, if you happen to be head-over-heels in love with all the Harry Potter characters, then this book does not fail. In OotP, we will see our heroes becoming more mature as they’re not only confronted with dangerous tasks but also with issues on teenage love, rivalry, and the need to keep resisting a crooked government.
As consistent with the other books, OotP’s characters are very authentic and well developed that I think everyone might be able to connect to. For example, I can see a little bit of me in Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sirius and even Dumbledore. It’s a very good feeling that you are able to laugh, cry and get angry together with these characters.
Interactions and Dialogues
To those HP fanatics out there, I would like to ask you a simple question. What does Harry Potter have that makes us read it for countless of times? Of course, the humorous and nerve hitting dialogues of the characters. Whenever I feel blue and bored, I just pick up any of the sequel out my HP stack and read randomly. My favorite dialogues would always that be of Ron and Hermione bickering or that of Fred and George’s antics. Trust me, just reading even a single sentence of any of the HP dialogues is enough to brighten my day.
The dialogues and interactions were straightforward, not overdone and very imaginative. Even with the pressure from Voldemort’s presence and the Ministry’s unreasonable intervention, OotP does not fail to make us laugh over and over again.
OotP is one good read even if we are just evaluating it by its interactions and dialogues.
mbtc
Written on Sep 27, 2012
clementine
Written on Sep 13, 2012
I think OoTP is the first book that I feel is so fully enriched with detail that I didn't want to put it down. As I've said, I really like PoA and GoF, but in the three years between GoF and OotP it's clear Jo improved her writing quite a bit, as there is a marked difference in the level of detail and even complexity of plot. She also does such a fabulous job of pulling in details from the other books, and not just dropping them in favour of the plot of the current book. An example of this is S.P.E.W. (which does become important in terms of Ron and Hermione's kiss), and more specifically Winky's role at Hogwarts. I think this is one of the reasons that the world of Hogwarts is so immersive: Jo never just drops a thread, no matter how seemingly insignificant. Every tiny aspect of the wizarding world is repeated multiple times throughout the series, instead of just being dropped haphazardly here and there.
Obviously the levels of desperation, fear, and darkness have reached a new high in OotP. As I said before, while GoF is clearly much darker than the three previous to it, it still has not reached such a high pitch of scariness. However, with the new world established in OotP - one where Voldemort is on the loose, Dementors are no longer under Ministry control (no matter how inappropriate it was for the Ministry to be using them in the first place), the Ministry has seeped into Hogwarts in an incredibly chilling way, and Harry's scar is constantly prickling - we can really see just how scary it would be to live as a witch or wizard in the UK of 1995.
So many people say OotP is their least favourite, and that it's boring, and I totally disagree. It was actually the book I was most looking forward to reading this time around. Angsty Harry does get quite old (and I am generally not a huge fan of Harry, though I'm finding him more sympathetic this time around), but, WHATEVER, I LOVE IT, SO THERE.
I'm running out of things to say in these reviews. It all boils down to "Jo is a genius and I love this."
sleepseeker
Written on Apr 26, 2011
I would recommend this whole series. These books are still in my top 5 favorite series.
celinenyx
Written on Apr 17, 2010