Best Harry Potter book so far

[estesbob]

I think Dumbledore told Snape to kill him. If true, that actually does raise interesting means-and-ends questions that might give ammo to Mr. O’Brien and other critics of HP!

Edwin

I do to- I thik both Snape and Dumbledore are proficient enough in Olchemy(sp) to communicate telepathically. I believe Dumbledore told snape the water he drank in the cave was going to kill him and he would die wether Snape killed him or not. Killing Dumbledore allows Snape to have he who must no be named’s total trust.

 

[wisdom_3_5]

Are there any heroes in the Potter series who we or our children should aspire to emulate?

But there is no one who is perfect in the world of literature. Ulysees in the Odyssey is not the most moral of characters, but he is the hero and he makes the choices of a hero.

Emma by Jane Austen is another example. She’s not the nicest person, but we see her grow through the book.

So, Harry lies, he, just like everyone sometimes gets away with it and sometimes not. When he doesn’t listen to Authority (Dumbledore) terrible things happen (ie: the death of his guardian, Sirius). He’s not perfect and we see that and so do kids, but they also see him making very difficult choices for the good. Risking his life (and expulsion!) to help others shows self-sacrifice. His loyalty to Dumbledore and the truth (see book 5 OotP) shows the price that we somtimes have to pay for the truth and that its worth it.

I suggest Looking for God in Harry Potter by John Granger. He goes into the Christian symbolism that is used. Here is an article that gives: The Christian Meaning of the Chamber of Secrets

Anyway, I already voted for PoA, glad to see so many others like it too.

 

[wisdom_3_5]

My impression from reading criticisms of Harry is that he is not respectful to his elders; that he lets the end justify the means; and that he makes up his own rules (as opposed to striving toward adherence to objective truth. The occult stuff kind of scares me too.

Not true. He respects Dumbledore, McGonnagal , the Weasleys and his other teachers/elders.

As far as the ends justifying the means. . . his character is still evolving. That may have semed true for the earlier books but Harry is learning that actions and responsibility go hand in hand.

Don’t know what “rules” he’s making up, can you elaborate?

Its not the occult, its situational fiction.

 

[Shoshana]

She abandoned the Church, came back and now wants to lecture those of us who remained faithful to the Church all along? I think not.

Why not bob…did not at augustine b the ultimate playboy and then talk about chastity…or st paul, etc etc Our greatest saint s have been our greatest sinners…

 

[beckers]

As little as possible-in fact she hasnt called me in weeks!

Maybe she is bogged down in re-reading the HP series or work…

 

[Verita]

Why not bob…did not at augustine b the ultimate playboy and then talk about chastity…or st paul, etc etc Our greatest saint s have been our greatest sinners…

Augustine was a Bishop. This woman has no authority. She’s just giving an opinion.

 

[Verita]

I do to- I thik both Snape and Dumbledore are proficient enough in Olchemy(sp) to communicate telepathically. I believe Dumbledore told snape the water he drank in the cave was going to kill him and he would die wether Snape killed him or not. Killing Dumbledore allows Snape to have he who must no be named’s total trust.

Occlumency enables you to block other people from intruding in your mind. Legilimency ables you to enter. We don’t actually know if communication between minds is possible. We only know that Legilimency enables you to see what is in other people’s minds.

It isn’t necessary for Dumbledore to have told Snape to kill him for Snape to be innocent, or at least mostly innocent. In fact, Dumbledore having told him to do it would be no excuse at all, he would still be culpable. It is the other circumstances around the event that limit Snape’s culpability.

 

[estesbob]

Maybe she is bogged down in re-reading the HP series or work…

Well i knw shes not bogged down in cleaning her house…

 

[Saoirse]

that article about how reading HP (or watching smallville) lead to practicing the occult is ludicrous.

firstly, occult practices are real. I know. I was a Wiccan involved in the occult for nearly five years of my life; intensive study and very much a practicing goddess-worshiper.

HP has more connection to Christianity than to any of the occult faiths.

plus, she makes mention of the Narnia series being ok but not the HP because Narnia has a more immediate line between good and evil with no intermingling… but then I have to ask does that mean Edmund was evil or does that mean his betraying of his brother and sisters to the White Witch was good… obviously good and evil intermingle, obviously there is a struggle in choosing good over evil…

the themes in HP are not that far-fetched from our society; discrimination between mudbloods and purebloods = discrimination of all sorts in our world.

it shows how everyone’s life can be impacted by one evil or by one good act; that we are responsible for what we do and that sometimes a hardest choice to make is really the only good choice available.

this lady expects us to believe that everyone is black and white, good and evil. but it’s not all like that.

plus, HP has a running theme of forgiveness - every character needs it at some point - just like every real person.

plus, Pagan faiths and New Age faiths are not all evil. put it this way; I’d rather be a sincere pagan than an insincere Catholic, and I’d deffinitely choose paganism over atheism.

glad I have more choices and get to choose Catholicism and Christianity, but the Pagan faiths are not as bad as she makes them sound.

she is speaking about the pagan faiths the way an ex-Catholic speaks about the Catholic faith; more emotional hurt and backlash than reality.

love
Saoirse

 

[homewardbound]

I’m a little behind in reading Harry Potter. I’ve read the first two books and saw the third movie. I hope to read them all though, before I get the ending spoiled for me in whatever happens in the last book through the media! I suppose I must be careful.

 

[beckers]

I’m a little behind in reading Harry Potter. I’ve read the first two books and saw the third movie. I hope to read them all though, before I get the ending spoiled for me in whatever happens in the last book through the media! I suppose I must be careful.

You better hurry. The media likes to spoil everything.

 

[krissy343]

I most definitely would say Half Blood Prince. It was brilliantly written! Not to say that the others weren’t but Half Blood Prince had me reading from beginning to end without wanting to put the book down for a second! I can’t wait until July :extrahappy: :extrahappy: