Hello Rad Readers!
SPOILER ALERTS ALL AROUND!
As I reread the entire Harry Potter series every summer I often come away with fresh takes each time. Having just finished The Order of the Phoenix, I must say I have a new appreciation for it. Yet, when I see that it is the second lowest rated book in the series according to GoodReads, it plagues me. (Oops-- perhaps poor phrasing amid an actual plague, but I couldn't help myself...) So, I present to you why Order of the Phoenix is indeed a masterpiece.
That ending is God Tier literature. Absolutely gut wrenchingly fantastic. It all just shows how well of a grip that J.K. Rowling had on that entire series. It is absolutely fantastic-- the consistencies throughout the series. The emotion as Harry deals with Serius' death is just so palpable. His anger and sadness and just plain exhaustion is raw and incredibly well written. You feel what he feels when you are reading it, and that is not only amazing to read for the sake of the story, but it is extremely impressive when you just look at the writing itself and the author's talent.
Harry is just such a complex character this time around. He is jealous of his friends when they get to play Quidditch and he doesn't, when they are chosen be Prefects and he isn't, when they get to be happy and he doesn't. He is angry at the unfairness of his life. He is tired of being pushed around by everyone. He is selfish, reckless, and far from always being right. I loved watching him grapple with that. He isn't completely the good guy. He is complex, and genuine.
Sure, Order of the Phoenix is not as fun as the preceding books. There is no great wonder in this new world, there is no Tri-Wizard Tournament or three headed dogs. It is not as fantastical and epic as the final two books, but it is surely a turning point in the series. It is exciting and action packed. I know a lot of people identify Goblet of Fire as the shift, but I would say that is really only true for the last little bit of Goblet of Fire. Sure, Goblet of Fire is much darker than the first three, but still filled with side plots of curiosity, happiness, and adventure. I found it more so to be a warning that things were about to get far more intense. That is not to say that Order of the Phoenix is all doom and gloom because that would not make a good book either, but things just feel more intense and real in this addition! Harry is dealing with trauma and more grief than he ever has had before.
There are singular moments that are absolutely incredible. I am thinking specifically of when we get to hear the prophecy for the first time. I get goose bumps every time I read the prophecy because it is so dope and insane. And of course, Dumbledore has some of the sickest moments in the entire series. If you look up 'baller' in the dictionary, a picture of Dumbledore in the Ministry of Magic during Harry's trial comes up. Specifically that scene because when he hits us with: "By a happy mistake, I arrived at the Ministry three hours early," I laugh each time. Dumbledore, you savage! Ginny is now properly developed and she is the coolest, but here at Rad Reads we know all about my utmost respect for Ginny Weasley so I won't ramble.
This book is overwhelming in all the best ways. When Serius died it shows that J.K. Rowling 1: Meant business. We are not reading a children's book anymore! And 2: She was willing to take risks as an author to change the series up. Extremely bold and extremely respectable! Harry and Serius' relationship was a breath of fresh air for us and Harry for the past two books. We finally see Harry confide in someone completely. He was genuinely happy with family, and a could be a kid to a degree. Then that is ripped away almost as soon as it arrives. There was no happy ending. There was no more beating the bad guys.
When we see Harry finally let it all out to Dumbledore in the end, it is an extremely profound and heavily felt moment in the series. It will never not make me cry because of how true his suffering and strife has been. He is upset about putting his friends in danger, putting himself in danger, upset about having to deal with what he doesn't want to and shouldn't have to. We are no longer looking at Harry with sheer admiration and praise. We recognize the hardships and tragedies that his entire life has been. He is a sad sad kid and it is heartbreaking.
Of course, every single book in the Harry Potter series is absolutely incredible, so I don't think I could say a bad thing about a single one of them even if I was held at wand point!
Read on!
- C8 ;)