Review: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

ISBN: 9780439136365
Released: in 1999
Series: Harry Potter #3
Page Count: 435 pages

     GOODREADS.COM SYNOPSIS:

Harry Potter is lucky to reach the age of thirteen, since he has already survived the murderous attacks of the feared Dark Lord on more than one occasion. But his hopes for a quiet term concentrating on Quidditch are dashed when a maniacal mass-murderer escapes from Azkaban, pursued by the soul-sucking Dementors who guard the prison. It's assumed that Hogwarts is the safest place for Harry to be. But is it a coincidence that he can feel eyes watching him in the dark, and should he be taking Professor Trelawney's ghoulish predictions seriously?

     REVIEW:

WHAT I LIKED:

• Writing, world-building, story-telling - all of the things that are always wonderful in a Harry Potter book. It'll probably get old saying it but its always amazing.
• Ron's character development was something I enjoyed very much. Its not like Harry and Hermione didnt develop a ton also, its just that Ron really stood out to me, especially when they were all helping Hagrid do research for Buckbeak's hearing and appeal. At one point, when Harry didn't have the time, Ron was doing all of the research because he also truly cared about Hagrid and Buckbeak. I mean, we knew he had feelings before but its just nice to see them put out there and actually watch him develop.
• This book really started to make me feel pure excitement reading certain scenes such as the final quidditch match against Slytherin. I felt my heart pounding with excitement as if I was there watching the game. I felt real fear for Harry and his friends when Sirius dragged Ron into the Whomping Willow. Definitely attributed to Rowling's writing, but also to the story getting more serious and more "real".

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE 

• Snape's downright crazy state when he caught them in the Shrieking Shack and also when he finds out Sirius has escaped. In the Shack he says some rude things to the kids, and pretty much goes nuts in the hospital wing. I just felt like this was too much for him. He's always been mean and it's always crossed the line a bit for me but this was the icing on the cake. I feel like it went to far especially for the transition he makes at a later date. I know he still is a jerk later on too, but then he's hailed a hero and works right with the people he was so adamant about turning in. I guess that wasnt really his choice though... okay - rant over.

     
     RATING: ★★★★★
I had a ton of fun reading this book. I was starting to get Harry Potter-ed out, so I'm going to do a little less analyzing and a little more enjoying especially now that this is where things get really good. I started the fourth book last week and those discussion posts will start this weekend. I'm flying right through that one and all the fun new stuff that gets introduced in that book. Out of the three I've re-read so far though, this one was definitely my favorite!

What did you think of this book overall? Is it one of your favorites also, or one you can do without (as if anyone could do without anything Harry Potter)?

A.

Harry Potter Read-Along/Discussion [12]

RECAP - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Chapters 18 - 22

I'm feeling a little Harry Potter-ed out. Is that possible? Is that blasphemy? Yes and Yes. This isnt to say that I'm cutting off discussions, but I've been making re-reading this series such a chore for myself with taking extremely detailed notes and writing long recaps before I even get to the fun part: discussion. So I'm skipping the long recap and just going to say this:

In chapters 18-22 of this book, Harry finds out that Peter Pettigrew betrayed his parents and Sirius Black was innocent all along, and before Harry can turn Peter in, he escapes. Sirius gets captured and is about to have the Dementor's Kiss performed on him when Harry and Hermione go back in time to save Sirius and Buckbeak with the help of the Headmaster and Hermione's Time Turner. Sirius is not deemed innocent but he is alive and out of Azkaban, and that is all that matters!

DISCUSSION

First thing that comes to mind when I think about these chapters (besides the obvious things) is Snape. Rowling writes him in a way that he seems legit crazy. Like manic with the idea of capturing his old enemies and finally getting retribution for how he was treated so many years ago. I enjoyed this aspect because it makes me hate Snape more which I suppose is the whole point. The only thing that bothers me is that, knowing what happens in the later books, it doesn't seem consistent with how he acts later on compared to how he acts in the third book. The sixth book doesnt count - he's obviously working toward a greater goal at this point. But book seven.. when... you know what happens. I've heard a lot of criticism before about how Snape suddenly became a hero at the end of the series after being horrible all before and I defended it but I dont see as how I can defend it now that I'm thoroughly studying the series little by little. I kind of understand the criticism. I know that Snape protected Harry in the past - this isn't what I mean. Snape is otherwise downright nasty and at times unnecessarily cruel. I get that his actions in books four through seven served a purpose in reference to Voldemort but he was just an awful guy aside from all of that, and its annoying to have him suddenly become a hero and Harry name his kid after him and say how great he is. Again, I'm not discounting his greatness but can we at least acknowledge that he was a douche bag along with doing something for the greater good. Or maybe its just not right to speak ill of the dead? Whatever.

That was a bit of a rant. I'm sorry. That has no bearing on this book except to say Snape sucks. Another thing I've been thinking about his Hermione's time turner. The whole scenario when they go back in time makes perfect sense in my head. Its the entire school year before that that confuses me. So how does this time-turner work? Did Hermione go to one class then turn back time and go to the other? Was she still in the first class when her future body was in the second? That makes sense based on the events at the end of the book. So how was her future self not stuck in that time? Wouldnt she have had to turn time forward again? Or does her future body leave the future altogether then catch up with the future as time passes? Am I confusing you all as much as I've just confused myself? Time turners are awesome though. I think I need one. So I can do more with my life. I could be at work and be playing with my niece and be at the bar with my friends and cuddling in bed with my fiance all at once, no? Then I'd probably be as tired as Hermione was.

Last thing - my heart strings are like... being used and abused here. Honestly, when Harry finds out Sirius is innocent and has the prospect of going to live with him then has it ripped away from him instantly, thats gotta be the saddest non-death-related thing that happens in the series. Its like offering him a bit of his parents, someone from their past to be part of his present and future then BAM. Of course Rowling couldn't leave well enough alone. Again, I know there are more reasons than my own selfish heart can understand but whyyyyy!!! Why couldnt Harry just be HAPPY! Sigh.... Anyone else find themselves in a perpetual outrage as the series goes on, even if you've read it a bajillion times? No? Just me then, I guess...

So anyhow, I've decided I'll devote my time to talking about Harry Potter and friends instead of wasting all my HP-devotion time to taking notes and rewriting the freaking book in its entirety. It was much more fun this way. :)

I'll be posting my general review of the third book tomorrow to add to my archive. Hope to hear from you all and I'll be discussing the beginning of book four next week! Thanks for stopping by and supporting my Harry Potter addiction - you guys are great. :)

A.

Harry Potter Read-Along/Discussion [11]

RECAP - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Chapters 13 - 17

Ron isn't speaking to Hermione at all and Harry is kind of distant from her too ever since Ron accused Hermione's cat of eating Scabbers. Harry's next quidditch match is up against Ravenclaw and just as Harry is about to catch the snitch, dementors come on the field again - and Harry uses a Patronus Charm to chase them away - but it wasnt a dementor after all! It was Malfoy and his friends in costume, which they got in huge trouble for. After celebrating their win on the field, when the boys are in bed, Ron wakes up screaming that Sirius Black had been standing over him with a knife, and Ron's curtains are slashed. Black escapes once again!

Harry sneaks into Hogsmeade once again but uses the Invisibility Cloak so he wont be seen. Harry hears Malfoy and his friends harassing Ron about Hagrid and Harry uses the cloak to attack them with mud without being seen. The cloak slips and Harry's face is revealed and he races through the tunnel to beat Malfoy back to the castle before he is found! After he leaves his cloak in the tunnel, Snape finds him and makes him empty his pockets in which he finds Zonko's merchandise and the Map. Snape tries to make the map reveal itself but it just insults him instead. Snape calls Lupin in and the two teachers act very strangely and hostile. Lupin confiscates the Map and reams Harry out for using it and say he once knew the creators of the Map. Hermione tells the boys that Buckbeak lost his case and they friends make-up instantly.

Leading up to exams and Buckbeak's appeal, Hermione smacks Malfoy for sayign things about Hagrid and she quits Divination for good when Professor Trelawney tells her she is terribly mundane. After an extremely dirty match, the Gryffindors beat out the Slytherins and win the Quidditch cup for the first time in seven years! The days following the win are euphoric for Harry and his friends, until of course the day of exams come which is when Buckbeak is going to have his appeal. The Minister has come and brought an executioner for Buckbeak. Harry did well on most of his exams but during his Divination exam which was a crystal ball reading alone with the Professor, Harry fakes a prediction the Trelawney gives a real one. Her voice turns deep and her eyes roll back and she says something about the faithful servant returning to his master tonight, but Trelawney doesnt remember saying it and Harry doesnt know what she means.

Before he can tell his friends, they tell him that Buckbeak's lost the appeal and will be executed at sundown and though Hagrid doesnt want them to come, they sneak down in the Invisibility Cloak to be with Hagrid. While they're there and trying to calm Hagrid down, Hermione finds Scabbers who looks even more ill and thrashes wildly when Ron tries to hold on to him. Hagrid makes them leave and after they hear the axe swing down and Hagrid crying, they cant believe they actually killed Buckbeak. Scabbers escapes Ron's grip and in their pursuit, the giant black dog Harry had been seeing around the castle attacks them and drags ron down into a gap underneath the whomping willow tree!With some difficulty, Harry and Hermione follow, leaving the cloak behind to rescue their friend. Inside the shack the the tunnel leads to, Ron lays on a bed with a broken leg and reveals to his friends that the dog was really Sirius Black, who is an animagus! Professor Lupin comes down and the kids think they're about to be saved, but Lupin and Black exchange words and Lupin... hugs him. Harry finds out that Lupin was one of the makers of the Marauder's map and thats how he found them down in the Skrieking Shack. Harry thinks they are all about to be dead when Lupin asks for Ron's rat. Why? Because he says the rat is also an animagus... Peter Pettigrew!

DISCUSSION

So much happens in the second half of the book, especially the last few chapters. I almost didnt want to post the recap because of how long it is, but I decided to, just in case any important details escape you (or me). I can barely even focus on anything but the last paragraph, which is essentially the last chapter of this discussion, chapter 17. Every chapter is important, all of the little details, but how can I talk about anything except the part where we meet Sirius and find out the supposed truth about Peter Pettigrew! We obviously have several more chapters to go (which I've already finished and am bursting to talk about) and we know very little at this point about the "captors" of the children.

I'm most intrigued about the fact that Harry had a chance to kill Sirius (though Crookshanks tried interfere) but he didn't do it - and aren't we glad? Phew! But really though, we know Harry has a pure heart here. We know why he didn't do it, we know killing someone is something he's avoided actually physically doing for the entire series, even as they fight death eaters at the battle of Hogwarts (they're frickin disarming people trying to kill them.. smh). He likely wouldn't have been able to live with himself, it's true. But could you have done the same? All depth aside (I know we all really want to say "but you'd have to live with yourself forever, blah blah blah) but, really? In the moment, how hateful would I have felt? I mean I'm a scaredy cat along with the rest of us (and definitely would not be in Gryffindor) so I don't know that killing my parents' "murderer" would be possible for me, but in a rage, out of retribution? Maybe... I think it shows his level of maturity, not reluctance or childishness, that he didnt do it, and decided to let him talk.

I also want to talk about Ron's growth in this book. I know its pretty random, because so much else happens in these chapters but I couldnt help but notice how much more important Ron's character became (especially when helping Hagrid with research for Buckbeak's appeal) and how much more depth he had. He was no longer a silly supporting character who said all the things Harry was thinking but wouldn't say. Well... he does still do that, but he's becoming more. All of the characters obviously grow in each book, but I was especially impressed with Ron this time, where in the last book Hermione really surprised me. Well, I guess none of it is really a surprise, right? Its nice to pretend though.

Last but not least, this book finally picked it all back up for me. I loved reading the first book as I always do, and I enjoyed the second one slightly less. This book was about the same as the last one, just kind of moseying along in HP world, but halfway through I started to notice that Rowling's action scenes and descriptions of things started getting me excited and all worked up when reading them (ex. Harry's final quidditch match against Slytherin, Ron being dragged under the whomping willow). That woman knows how to write! And pardon my French but, this is where sh*t gets real! Even more now, I'm excited to get into the nitty gritty of this series with the end of this book and the next four.

Love discussing HP with you guys! Thinking I'm definitely gonna have to cut the recaps shorter now that the books are getting longer and so much more in depth, lol. Talk to ya'll soon!

A.

Harry Potter Read-Along/Discussion [10]

RECAP: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Chapters 7 through 12

The students get to experience their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class with Professor Lupin! Though they are skeptical at first, everyone soon grows to love classes with Lupin and tall the hands-on learning! Kudos to Neville for making Snape wear his grandma's clothes, haha! Harry's other classes aren't going as well though, with Snape getting nastier and nastier, and Trelawney predicting Harry's death again and again. To top it all off, Harry's friends get to go to Hogsmeade on Halloween and he has to stay in the castle because McGonagall wont sign his permission slip. After the other students return and the Halloween feast is over though, the Gryffindor students head back to their dormitory to find the Fat Lady's painting slashed by an intruder... none other than SIRIUS BLACK!

Black obviously doesnt hang around when he doesnt find Harry in the dorm, and Harry is basically forbidden from doing anything at all. McGonagall almost bans him from quidditch too, but she thinks better of it! The Gryffindor's first match arrives against Hufflepuff and their new seeker/captain Cedric Diggory. Playing in the freezing cold pouring rain, Harry spots a Grim up in the stands and thinks thinks he's seeing things and right before he's about to race Diggory for the snitch, the dementors come waltzing onto the field and Harry passes out again. He's unharmed thankfully, but they lose the match and Harry's broom has been broken to bits by the Whomping Willow. :(

Harry asks Professor Lupin to teach him how to chase away dementors and Lupin agrees to start after the holiday. Thinking he is going to miss out on another Hogsmeade trip, Harry is saying bye to his friends when Fred and George give him a special map with secret passageways and a real-time picture of who is walking around the castle and where. Harry uses the map to sneak into Hogsmeade and after enjoying everything it has to offer, finds out that Sirius Black was once his father's best friend and betrayed him which got his parents killed. Harry is furious and wants to go after Black but the possibility of Hagrid's hippogriff getting executed by the Ministry calms Harry down and focuses his energy on something else.

Come Christmas, Harry gets a Firebolt broomstick as a gift but there's no card and he doesnt know who it's from. Harry and Ron dont think it's a big deal but Hermione does and she tattles to McGonagall who confiscates it to check it for jinxes in case Sirius Blacks sent it to him. The boys refuse to talk to Hermione who thinks she did the right thing. Harry starts his lessons with Lupin and after passing out several times, Harry is able to produce a weak, shapeless Patronus that at least keeps him from passing out some more, which Lupin points out is a huge accomplishment. Thankfully McGonagall gives Harry his broom back when they find no jinxes and the boys think its about time they make up with Hermione... until Scabbers goes missing and Ron finds some of Crookshanks' hair near the scene of a crime: ripped sheets with blood on them!

DISCUSSION

I've come to realize that this book has a lot of foreshadowing for later in the book, and is a major set-up book for the rest in the series. We've been introduced to the Marauder's Map which plays a big part later in the book and series and we are introduced to many extremely important characters (Lupin, Sirius, Pettigrew, etc.). Its also the only book where we dont get a glimpse of Voldemort. How do you feel about that? I, for one, kind of like it. It gets kind of old having the same antagonist in every book, though it works in these. It's nice to have a break though. I enjoy the excitement this book brings especially to someone who knows what is coming and what its all setting up for.

We spend a lot of time reading about the little things going on, like Crookshanks trying to eat Scabbers and Oliver going crazy trying to win the Quidditch cup, again, all important things but definitely not too many revelations in these chapters. Harry does find out, though, that Lupin and his dad were friends as kids and that Lupin knew Sirius Black also. I find it kind of strange that Harry doesnt ask more questions of Lupin at this point, but I guess after fighting off fake dementors, his mind was probably a little fuzzy. It was kind of like a classic middle-grade novel move, where the character is super shady and you're screaming at the book wondering why the main character isnt catching on. Not that there's much to catch on to, but I for one would have asked more questions, even if I wasnt suspicious of Lupin himself, wouldnt you?

Oh, and our beloved Fred and George. We've gotten our map (and the name for my blog, thank you very much boys)! I honestly love that this map even exists. The secret tunnels on the map are awesome, though some useless for several different reasons. I wouldn't know what to do with a map that told me where people are at any given time either - it just blows my mind, lol. But my favorite part of the map is the enchantments the creators used in making it "talk" and respond to the person trying to use it. My favorite scene by far is one that we havent gotten to yet when Snape tries using it and the map insults so many times. Cracks me up every time! Which is your favorite aspect of the map? Are you an explorer or would you use it for convenience, to find someone you're looking for... or hide from someone you dont want to find you?

Enjoying this read a ton and cant wait until my favorite scene comes around, but also cant wait until we finally meet Sirius and find out some major things! Are you as excited as I am for the rest of this book? Love hearing from you guys! :)

A.

Harry Potter Read-Along/Discussion [9]

Alright guys! Time to get back to business! I've skipped a week and a day of my Harry Potter discussions in case you hadnt noticed. As much as I'd love to rant and rave to you about the crazy couple of weeks I've had (which include getting sick and having a girl quit in the middle of our busiest season at work), I'd rather get back to business. :)

I started read the third Harry Potter book which, if you remember, is definitely one of my favorites. I mean, I guess the whole series is my favorite lol, but this one definitely changes the series in its entirety. We go from 0 to 60 in 5 seconds flat, so to say. As I've mentioned one of my amigas saying before, it definitely sets the tone for the rest of the series.

RECAP - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Chapters 1 through 6

We meet Harry again, living with his aunt and uncle for the summer holiday, hating life as usual. Aunt Marge, Uncle Vernon's nasty sister comes to stay for a week, and Harry promises to be on his best behavior in exchange for Vernon to sign his permission slip to visit the all-wizarding village of Hogsmeade at school that year. Instead, when Marge is being particularly nasty, Harry inflates her to quite a large size by accident and runs away - even though there's news that a crazed escaped prisoner named Sirius Black is on the loose. Harry is picked up by the Knight Bus, thank goodness, and Cornelius Fudge gives him strict instructions to spend his time left before school at the Leaky Cauldron and not to do anything dangerous.

Hermione and the Weasleys come to stay the night before school begins and Harry finds out that Black has escaped wizard prison to kill him - thankfully Harry isnt worried since he's faced Voldemort before. On the train to Hogwarts, the train is stopped and invaded by Dementors (creepy Azkaban prison guards) searching for Black. Harry is the only one to pass out and "have a fit" but everyone says they felt as though they'd never be happy again. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher, the shabby-looking Professor Remus J. Lupin, sends the dementors off and gives Harry some chocolate to feel better. The students find out once they arrive at school that the dementors will be guarding the school in case Black comes a-lookin' for Harry. Inside, Harry and friends also see that Hagrid has been named the new Care of Magical Creatures professor! Yay Hagrid!

Hermione is somehow taking every course offered to third-years at Hogwarts, though Harry and Ron dont quite understand how that's working out for her. The three of them have their first Divination class with Professor Sybil Trelawney who ultimately predicts Harry's untimely demise because of the Grim (scary black dog that happens to be a death omen) she reads in his tea leaves! Hermione is very skeptical about divination in general and doesnt think Harry is going to die, even though he has seen a real Grim lurking around him before. The kids take their first lesson with Hagrid in which they meet Buckbeak the Hippogriff who lets Harry ride him but then it attacks Malfoy. Just great, because now Hagrid is convinced he'll be fired from his dream job!

This is obviously a movie poster, but the tag line is so true. Everything will change!

DISCUSSION

Super excited to finally have started reading this book. This is the book that gave me the name for my blog after all. :) So, since I was pretty stumped on discussion questions this week rather than just my ramblings, I was looking through some school discussion questions and came upon a question that made me laugh a little bit. It read:

"What do you think is going through Aunt Petunia’s mind when Aunt Marge says, “If
there’s something wrong with the bitch, there’ll be something wrong with the pup”? " (source)

I couldnt help but laugh at that. This one line in the entire book over everything else just enrages me. I dont blame Harry at all for inflating her and I kind of wish he'd blown her up. After reading the series in its entirety, I kind of wondered sometimes if Petunia secretly felt bad or guilty because even though she was jealous, none of the stuff that was said was actually true. I mean 13 years later, she must have realized what an ass shes been, right? I mean eventually she kind of softens up a little, but still. In my mind, I think she was too proud to admit after a certain point that she didnt hate her sister so much after all, and she was being a nasty little....nevermind. What do you think?

Another thing I found interesting about this book already is that Hermione is adamant about the uselessness of Divination because Trelawney is basically a fake. But... other than her major predictions that we find out about later in the books, some of the stuff does oddly enough come true, if not in the way we expect. I mean, other than knowing Neville is a complete and total klutz and telling him he's going to drop a tea cup would make him nervous enough to actually drop one, I mean... she's kind of clever. She kind of reminds me of the real life Cris Angel (I think that's his name) who uses illusions and other craziness to make it seem like the magic is real. Maybe she doesnt tell the future, but she is one smart lady, don't ya think?

I'm enjoying this book immensely and cant wait until we run into the Marauder's Map later in the book! Scenes with the map just so happen to be my favorite. :)

Hope to talk to you all next week about Harry and friends as the book and series go on!

Mischief managed!
A.