 "Great Deal" | 2009-10-08 |
| - Reviewed By User: AOOBPE718DW92 |
| The book is in great condition considering it is used. This was a much cheaper route than buying it from a store. I got it for half of the retail price (that is including S&H). Thanks! |
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| "A pivotal book that signals the transformation of the series into a grand epic" | 2009-10-03 |
| - Reviewed By robertwmoore |
The first two novels in the Harry Potter series were fun and entertaining, but they hardly indicated just how very good the series was going to become. THE SORCERER'S STONE and THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS both had more in common with older kid's adventure stories like the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew than anything. I cannot possibly communicate my admiration and respect for J. K. Rowling for not being content with producing merely a superior adventure story, just another yarn. In a review I recently wrote about the Harry Potter movies, I said that the first two movies, like the first two novels, were rather simple in their structure, pretty much of the "Gee! Let's have a neat adventure!" variety. But beginning with THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN Rowling began to transform her series into something difference. The series shifted from being a series of "Neat Adventures" to being a grand epic reflecting the struggle between good and evil. While THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN doesn't reach the heights of THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX and THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, it definitely marks a dramatic step forward both in quality and in ambitions.
There are very few series in the history of literature where you see a similar improvement in quality. The first two books were good, but THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN was very good, THE GOBLET OF FIRE even better, and THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX and subsequent books truly great. But this is the key novel. It introduced a seriousness and depth lacking in the first two books.
In case there are any human beings who have read only the first two novels but not this one and are wondering whether or not to push forward, be sure to keep reading. The books in the series truly do get better with each subsequent book. |
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| "Jim Dale's reading of Harry Potter series." | 2009-09-13 |
| - Reviewed By User: A36SHC0MTIH1DW |
| Jim Dale's inspired reading of the entire Harry Potter series is a treat. He manages to convey the different voices for all the characters convincingly and with great feeling, and fans of all ages of the novels will not be disappointed. They are perfect for long car trips. The packaging is very attractive with Mary GrandPre's illustrations on the boxes and fold-out covers. |
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| "Love this series" | 2009-09-08 |
| - Reviewed By User: AMC0C7REUU0QU |
| Great Books that's all I can say about these, they really suck you into the world of wizards and witches! |
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| "A great book" | 2009-08-26 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| I told my parents that I would not read any other book until I got the 3rd book. It started slowly and I thought it was going to be really boring. Then, I was surprised how it got more interesting. The first part of the book was about Harry's life at Hogwarts and how he sneaked into Hogesmade. When the story picks up, which is in the middle part of the book, Harry finds that out that a murderer, Sirius Black breaks out of Askaban and is after him. It turns out that Harry is wrong about Black as is everyone else. An adventure is afoot when Black is imprisoned by Cornelius Fudge. It is upto Harry and Hermoine to save Black and his soul. I thought it was a very interesting book. I am glad I had the chance to read it. Once the book picked up, I was able to finish 250 pages in two days. If you can get past the first part of the book, it does get a lot better later. |
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| "Jim Dale's reading is a must-hear!" | |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| First of all, don't expect Tolkien or Lewis. You won't find such literary depth and deftness here. J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books are much more akin to Roald Dahl's quirky, alternately lighthearted and dark children's stories. However, that's not to say Rowling's books aren't well-written, enormously entertaining and fun. They are. In fact, I can honestly say that very few books of late have delighted me as much -- *especially* the CD versions. For as much as I enjoy *reading* the Harry Potter books (and I have them all in print form), I love *hearing* them even more. Jim Dale's readings (especially the briskly-paced and richly charactered third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) have to be heard to be believed. Dale is a master storyteller. He switches between characters seamlessly, giving each one a different voice and personality. His English accent is a delight, and the pronounciations are crisp. I especially enjoy hearing the voices of Draco Malfoy, Hagrid and Professors Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall (who has a delightful brogue). I recently purchased the third book on CD in anticipation of my 3-hour drive (each way!) to Chicago for a conference. I loaded up my car's CD changer and listened all the way down and back, hanging on every word. Dale's fabulous reading turned what could have been a long, uneventful trip into a delightful escape to Hogwarts. In fact, when I returned home, I didn't want to get out of my car ... and, I'm nearly ashamed to say, kept looking for excuses to run errands just so I could continue listening to the exciting story unfold! Rowling's books seem tailor-made for *hearing*, as if she wrote them specifically to be read aloud. So if you've ever wanted to try an audio book, and if you enjoy reading the Harry Potter series, I highly recommend Jim Dale's presentations. Thankfully, the audio versions are UNABRIDGED so you can enjoy every single word. I hope Dale continues to be the reader for the Harry Potter series. I can't imagine any other voice for them. He's a perfect match for Rowling's words. By the way, I'm 39 years old. And I was raised on science fiction and fantasy books. I rank the Harry Potter books right up there with some of my all-time favorites. As I said in the beginning, Rowling's books are not as deep or clever as many of the classics of the genre, but they're every bit as entertaining in their own right. I recommend the books, but I *highly* recommend Jim Dale's reading of them. Especially Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. |
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