book:Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling review: Harry potter #4 was definitely the best installment yet. Rowling is clearly coming into her own now. I have to admit though that I was concerned when I first started reading the gigantic thing – it seemed almost too big for me to be able to accept. It is, after all, a kid’s book, right? But then it got going and I was up, up and away with the story. (still, I wonder if kids today can really stay interested for 700 pages….)
anyway, with harry’s fourth year at hogwarts starting off mysterious and bumpy, you knew things were going to get good. And they sure did. He arrives at school only to find that his beloved sport of quidditch has been sidelined this year for some other mysterious tournament – the triwizard cup. This competition is to include one student representative from each of the three wizarding schools in europe and is intended to create understanding and communications between the schools, not to mention present the latest and greatest triwizard champion. The competitors are to be chosen by a magical goblet of fire: students write their names and schools on a piece of paper which they drop into the goblet. The goblet then spits out its choice for competitors – one from each school – at the appropriate time. much to the students' disappointment, Dumbledore puts a charm on the goblet so that only students 17 or older can enter their names. Harry ponders whether it would be possible to enter himself, but figures he doesn’t have the necessary skills anyway and forgets about it. But then, when the competitors are announced, there aren’t three as expected, but four – and harry is among them! His godfather, still in touch via owl mail, warns him that while he can’t go against the goblet’s wishes for him to participate, there is clearly someone lurking and looking to hurt – and possibly kill – him under the cover of the tournament. Harry proceeds with the competition, but faces much criticism and suspicion from his friends and foes alike.
With such cool tasks put before the teen wizards, we get to experience some of rowling’s most imaginative work. Still, that’s only half of book 4's story. Rowling is right on time with her topics: This is the perfect age for the kids to be getting intrigued by the opposite sex, and appropriately, all the competitors (save for poor harry) are particularly attractive to other students. Harry develops an unrequited crush, as does ron, and then, as expected, romantic tensions arise between hermione and ron after the boys finally notice that she’s a girl. Plus, the new professor of dark arts, who has a mystical eye capable of seeing things most can’t, befriends harry and seems to be the kind of person harry can look to for friendly and fatherly advice. And snape is more evil than ever – or is he?
I have to admit that the story had me tricked at many different points. Just when I thought I’d figured it all out, I realized that I hadn’t. And when I finally got to the last 200 pages, I could barely put the thing down.
