F R I D A Y , J U L Y 2 2 , 2 0 0 5"Harry Potter" -- The Americablog Reviewby Michael in New York on 7/22/2005 01:45:00 PM"HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE"By J.K.</p><p> Rowling**** (out of 4)By Michael GiltzNO SPOILERS!!Okay, I won't discuss the novel at length, to avoid spoiling it forfans who haven't finished it yet.</p><p> Suffice to say, I think it's a bigimprovement on the last two (which felt a bit self-indulgent).Briefly, the first book was an unexpected delight.</p><p> The secondand third were good, but felt like Rowling was slipping intoformula.</p><p> The fourth and fifth ended that formula, but you gotthe impression an editor didn't come within a mile of thosedoorstoppers -- if Rowling thought of it, she put it in."Half-Blood Prince" is much more focused and streamlined.Plus, Harry isn't so teen angsty anymore, so he doesn't speakIN CAPITAL LETTERS any more, which is quite a relief.</p><p> It'srestored my faith in the series and made me painfully eager forthe final book.But why are we discussing this at Americablog? As a number ofpeople have pointed out, it's very much a post 9-11 (and sadly,post 7-7) book, with the government clamping down on rights,people suspicious of one another and fear everywhere.There's a rather clueless prime minister seen in the very firstchapter who is informed by the real powers behind the countryabout what is going on.</p><p> It's easy to see him as a mild dig atBush.But one element -- that doesn't spoil the plot at all -- involvespeople thrown into jail by the wizards in power.</p><p> As Dumbledoreand Harry discuss it, some of those people are completelyinnocent AND THE GOVERNMENT KNOWS IT.</p><p> But they leavethose people to rot in jail because they're desperate to be seenas doing SOMETHING to fight the terrorists...pardon me, Imean the Death Eaters.</p><p> Harry knows this is wrong and says so.So think about that.</p><p> Millions of kids around the world havebeen reading and respecting Harry Potter.</p><p> They probably can'timagine anyone in the real world would ever do something likeleaving people they KNOW are innocent to rot in jail.</p><p> And whenthese young people realize it's actually being done this verymoment by their own government, they'll say, quite simply,"That's not right!"No wonder the far right radicals try to ban "Harry Potter" fromschool libraries.</p><p> No wonder Pope Benedict thinks it's dangerousfor children to be "seduced" into questioning authority andthinking on their own when making moral decisions, ratherthan just blindly accepting what they're told.Thank you, J.K.</p><p> Rowling.</p><p> EschatonPretty Much - I think this encapsulates nicely ourmodern media environment.1 hour ago HuffPost PoliticsHuckabee's Huck Pac In Turmoil With StaffTurnover, Mounting Debts - Former Arkansas Gov.Mike Huckabee's political action committee, HuckPac, is undergoing a "restructuring," ExecutiveDirector Sarah Huckabee said Wednesday....1 hour ago Ben SmithGoing small - My story tonight: President BarackObama came alive about 50 minutes intoWednesday night’s news conference – whensomebo1 hour ago FiredoglakeLate Late Night FDL: What Eclipse? - A new videofrom Fatoumata Diawara, and and oldie from Bob.2 hours ago Daily KosOpen Thread and Diary Rescue - *Today, srkp23(pulling a double shift), ybruti, taylormattd,ItsJessMe and vcmvo2 combed through hundredsof diaries to find this powerful list.</p><p> Today's...2 hours agoJ O H N ' S P H OT O S Show AllA M E R I C A B L O G T V Next 6AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: "Harry...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/harry-potter-americablog... 1 of 57/23/09 3:18 AMVisit ourAMERICAblog TV site.see all 322 videos >I collect with vodpod In honor of SenatorDeMint For the GOPers, healthcare is politics.</p><p> They just Traditional media has todebunk the birthers One small step...</p><p> The right-wing media, thevoices of the GOP, inAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: "Harry...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/harry-potter-americablog... 2 of 57/23/09 3:18 AMThe TreatmentObama Has a Grown-UpTalk With America(Gulp)3 hours agoEzra KleinTab Dump7 hours agoWonk RoomSen.</p><p> Byron Dorgan:The ‘Trade’ InCap-And-Trade ‘MakesNo Sense To Me’9 hours agoHealth BeatTruth Squad: WallStreet Journal HealthCare Editorial Wrong onthe Facts . . .9 hours agoDaily DoseProviders Endorse 'Payfor Value' ProposalsG AY P O L I T I C S Visit our new gay politicssection, AMERICAblog Gay.F E E D S Blog RSS AMERICAblog TV RSS Twitter RSSTwitter Feed Get the blog by email: Subscribe me! 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