Books Blog: books.elliottback.com

I just have to get this over with:

Dumbledore dies at the end of this book.

And that’s not really that big a deal. Old news, right?

Sadly, that’s just about the only thing this sixth Harry Potter novel is good for. Besides tritely developing a romance between Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione, eliminating most of the major sources of tension from the Slytherin house by having them simply disappear most of the book, and terrifyingly walking through the backstory of Lord Voldemort, nothing really happens. That’s right 85% or more of the book is simply … backstory and mild character development. In the other 15%, Dumbledore dies!

So, while entertaining to read, at times you’re wondering “why.” What comes next? Why is this like this? Personally, I think sit’s just a 600 page stopgap to fill in the plot, get Harry out of the confines of Hogwarts, and move along the romance and adultness of the books. The next one will allow considerably more creative freedom, which is good since it’s supposed to be the last.

Buy it if you’re a harry potter fan-otherwise, skipping it won’t hurt.

Other takes:

• www.hoopyfrood.net/2005/07/is-this-the-penultimate-harry-potter-book/trackback/
• library.palomacruz.com/2005/07/18/a-harry-potter-recap/
• www.razlan.name/2005/07/half-blood-prince.html
• haloscan.com/tb/razlan/Half_Blood_Prince
• www.achuka.co.uk/achockablog/archives/001813.html

Dean Koontz’s The Taking is a story of the end of the world. But, not as you might imagine, the end of the world in fire and glory and asteroid collisions, or aliens, or anything fantastic or scientific. Rather, Koontz’s novel is all about the end of the conservative Christian world.

Pop Matters, in their review of Odd Thomas, writes:

He’s a spokesman for Christian values in the New Age, giving Koontz a vehicle to constantly reiterate his plan for living the perfect life — have faith in fate and persevere, ’cause you never know when your time may be up. And, if you refrain from swearing or sex while you’re at it, the Pearly Gates will be far more welcoming.

In The Taking, a perfect, intelligent, and loving couple is surrounded by an “alien” infestation, a long silver rain that blankets the globe in inhuman seed that spawns fungus, plants that are half animal, and demon-creatures who steal souls and replace them with shells. For Molly and Neil Sloan, the couple, their goal is to survive, have faith in their own ability, and help those around them who need to be saved from the menace–namely the children, an inept metaphor for the future generation.

In the book, Molly, Neil, and the world are presented with a demonic war-chant as the taker-of-souls strips mankind:

Yimaman see noygel, see refacull, see nod a bah, see naytoss, retee fo sellos.

All this turns out to be is:

My name is legion, is Lucifer, is Abbadon, is Satan, eater of souls.

So, if you can stand a tense thriller that ultimately is just too weird, too moralistic, and too straightforward, it’s a fast decently exciting read, but well below the level we would call “masterwork.” Here are some other reviews:

• www.silverberry.org/Reviews/archives/2005/07/the_taking.php
• logtar.com/cielo/blog/?p=10
• effectivesentences.blogspot.com/2005/07/taking.html

I had put in an Amazon.com pre-order of Harry Potter 6 (HP6), and it’s finally arrived! It was delivered to my doorstep by the early afternoon, in a very slick box:

The sides of the box have “Who is the half-blood prince?” and “Harry potter and the half-blood prince: by JK Rowling” written on them in sorcerous type.

The rest of the box is white with green hues, and distinctive “Do not open or deliver before July 16″ notices.

Opening up the package, I have a tightly-bound Harry Potter 6! I think it’s amazing that Amazon was able to fill 1,000,000 preorders for this book so tastefully and efficiently. I’m certainly a satisfied customer!

For more information about the HP6 grand unveiling, check out these links:

• halleyscomment.blogspot.com/2005/07/potty-harry-potter-party.html

Ignore the plug, and go buy Harry Potter from Amazon.com. They will get it to your door on the release date. Who else can do that?

I already put in an order for mine!

They were right to wonder. When I visited the three online sites to compare offers, I realized that delivery time varies. Amazon.com promised the most. “Select Standard Shipping and order by July 11 for guaranteed delivery on the release date of Saturday, July 16, 2005, or we will refund the cost of your book,” the site said.

At Scholastic.com, where the home page featured a clock to count down the days, hours, minutes and seconds to the book’s release, the fine print said, “Your order will be shipped as soon as it is available.” And at BN.com, I read, “PLEASE NOTE: We expect to deliver this item on or just after the release date of July 16, 2005.”

In case you have any doubts about the book, here’s what Nazi Pope Ratzinger has to say about it:

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, also blasted the boy wizard two years ago as “a product of evil,'’ contending that the books can lead to “a subversion of Christianity in the inward being.'’ (src)