Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (4)

by J. K. Rowling

Hardcover, 2000

Status

Available

Publication

Scholastic Press (2000), 752 pages

Description

Fourteen-year-old Harry Potter joins the Weasleys at the Quidditch World Cup, then enters his fourth year at Hogwarts Academy where he is mysteriously entered in an unusual contest that challenges his wizarding skills, friendships and character, amid signs that an old enemy is growing stronger.

Rating

(25134 ratings; 4.4)

User reviews

LibraryThing member soylentgreen23
I didn't enjoy 'The Prisoner of Azkaban' although I did enjoy the film; conversely, I didn't much enjoy the film of 'The Goblet of Fire' though I greatly enjoyed the book. I'm glad that Rowling made it such an epic - it needs to be six-hundred odd pages long, and wouldn't have worked any other
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way.

In the fourth book, Harry attends the Quidditch World Cup, where Voldemort's old 'Death Eaters' persecute a Muggle, only to be scared away by the appearance of the Dark Mark, Voldemort's sign. Back at Hogwart's. the Triwizard Tournament has been reinstated, only shortly to become the Quadwizard Tournament, as Harry is unexpectedly entered into it. As well as undergoing all the tests and difficulties inherent to the tournament itself, most suspect Harry of cheating to get his name listed and so he is socially austracised as well.

The social commentary that was there in places in the previous three books is much stronger in the fourth. The level of the language that Rowling uses is greatly advanced over previous novels, too, and one would think that perhaps her writing is growing up with her readership. If that supposition is correct, it suggests that Rowling is a better writer than I had suspected, and that the popularity of these books has much more to do with their style than simply with marketing firepower alone.
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LibraryThing member mrtall
Although this fourth installment in the Harry Potter series begins with a long sequence set at the Quidditch World Cup, it focuses on the Tri-Wizard Tournament, hosted by Hogwarts, which brings in teams of young magicians from two other schools; one is clearly intended to be French, the other
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eastern European. The book is paced by the three events that comprise the tournament, which spans the full school year. It’s a superb plot device, holding together a book that’s nearly double the length of the previous entry in the series.

Along the way, Harry and his cohort encounter the usual mix of familiar faces and new characters, and more secrets of the school and the wizarding world are revealed as well.

Our young heroes are also now immersed in the roiling hormonal mess of early adolescence, and J K Rowling does not spare us from witnessing some of its pains. Ron and Hermione are not getting along, Harry is wracked by doubts and insecurity – the tone of the entire book is in fact more jittery and nervous, as Harry dreads and procrastinates over the tasks that await him, and Hogwarts itself is gripped by rumors of the Dark Lord’s return.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a real door-stop of a book – but it’s also engaging and well-written. I read it at the same time as my seven-year-old daughter, and it provides the perfect fodder for Dad-n-Daughter literary discussion. It’s also a splendid way to convince kids that they’re capable of reading ‘really, really long!’ books – once a child has knocked off the 700+ pages of this monster, she’s not going to flinch at too many reading assignments thereafter.
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LibraryThing member roseysweetpea
This is where the series starts to get darker with the first murder of a character that we know. In my opinion, with Voldemort's return and Death Eaters walking again, this is where the series changes from young adult fiction to adult. With all the characters we have come to know and love and some
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new ones as well, Harry and his friends are beginning to face dangers more deadly than ever before.
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LibraryThing member bardsfingertips
So, this book feels long. Very long. Needless to say, Rowling is getting better: and that talent is permeating through & through with each edition of the teen wizard’s epic. I feel like this book is the first mature mystery of the series. Because from the very beginning there is a mystery
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developing that requires Harry’s involvement from the get go. And not to spoil anything, but this is Harry’s first encounter with death—up close and personal. The violence and suffering in this book is also more adult oriented; which truly shows Rowling’s efforts and sensitivities of an increasingly maturing audience.

However, the fault of this novel is that it is very long. Although there is a lot of information shared that will become prevalent later and impertinent, I feel as though being concise was something Rowling refused to consider (what is worse is this is not even the longest book in the series…more on that later). But, it all make for an interesting yarn and the book truly never gets boring. But, I believe that when this book was first released, it caused Harry Potter Syndrome with children worldwide: increased eyestrain & headaches from reading such a massive novel hours on end.

In the end, the novel matures Harry by his experience—but only through experience. If anything, he seems less grown up in the end. Harry becomes increasingly enraged and petty and this turbulent river flows over into the next book. However, the utter brilliance of Rowling’s writing gives us something in Harry that teens of the same age can relate to (and hopefully appreciate). Harry is a flawed hero. We know it as readers and can become increasingly frustrated by his actions (and lack thereof). I feel, however, that in the end we all end with the same sympathy (and, perhaps, a little empathy) knowing that the burdens have truly just begun.
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LibraryThing member JechtShot
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth book in the Harry Potter series. In this novel, Harry Potter once again returns to Hogwarts, but this time faces the trying task of competing in the Tri-Wizard tournament in spite of his young age. Rowling does a fantastic job of demonstrating the
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growth of the characters as they move further into their teen years. Harry is beginning to notice the fine witches of Hogwarts and is also growing more confident in his magical abilities. Goblet of Fire also introduces the audience to the "forbidden curses" of the wizarding world and we begin to gain a better understanding of the treachery and terror that existed when Voldemort was in a position of power.

J.K. Rowling has done something very commendable in this book when she cranked the "dark-o-meter" up to eleven. Do not expect the author to pull any punches; there is a very good reason the "forbidden curses" were explained. This novel is a critical element to the seven part series and should not be missed.
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LibraryThing member nakmeister
Harry Potter is having another long and boring summer with the Dursleys, his relatives, and can’t wait to get back to school. Before doing so he gets to the Quidditch World Cup, and then back to his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This year the famous Triwizard
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tournament is being held, for the first time in decades. But someone has entered Harry into the tournement, despite the fact that he is too young. There is a sinister motive behind this, someone who wants him dead, but who?

At last I could resist no longer, and started the fourth Harry Potter book. I don’t know what it is about them, but the Harry Potter books are very difficult to put down once you’ve got into it, perhaps there is a little magic in the pages of the book, an enchantment in it. Or it could be because it’s really easy to read, no difficult words or long complex sentences. But this can only be a small part of it’s attraction, for other children’s books don’t hold that appeal any longer, and I’m sure that’s the case for the millions of adult readers of Harry Potter too. The story is one of universal appeal too, with complexity there for those who want to think about it, but other than that very simple. It’s about good and evil, with a few shades of grey in there too. The fourth book is about twice as long as the other books, at about 600 pages, but this does not seem to detract from the book at all, in fact if anything it adds to it, after all the enjoyment lasts longer. It doesn’t seem drawn out at all, and could have been twice as long. Things aren’t as clear cut in this book, not as pure black or white. Perhaps this is because Harry is growing up now. The end of the book also breaks the status quo that has been in force until now, for Lord Voldemort has his old body back and is more powerful than ever. Annoyingly this happens shortly before the end of the book, so we’ll have to wait for subsequent books to find out what happens. Recommended to anyone over the age of 8, though I’d advise reading the other books before this one.
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LibraryThing member MarlenaPotter
Plot holes abound, and yet I don't have it in me to hate a Harry Potter book. I like this book in other respects, such as Myrtle's appearance, the goosebump-giving return of Voldemort, the Fudge-Dumbledore confrontation at the end, Rita Skeeter, and the tensions between the sexes.
LibraryThing member Raven9167
I think this is my favorite in the Harry Potter series. It's much more thoughtful and deep than the three preceding books, while not being nearly as dark or depressing as the next three. I'll admit that the next three are more adult in nature than the first four novels, and perhaps I don't enjoy
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them as much because I liked the tone of these four; I guess I just liked it more when Harry, Ron and Hermione were getting in and out of trouble without ever being in serious danger, whereas the next three novels and the escalation of the Second Wizarding War just seemed too much like Lord of the Rings.

In any case, I remember the first time I read this I was absolutely blown away by the ending...even though I had trained myself at this point to be watchful for the endings of Harry Potter novels, I still didn't see this one coming. There were several scenes (when Harry is stuck in the stair and Snape is feet away) that were masterfully done, and I tore apart this book because I was so anxious to find out what would happen next. In general, a great children's book by Rowling.
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LibraryThing member Hamburgerclan
Ms. Rowling must have gotten carried away with this one--it seems like twice the size of the previous volumes. Or, since the Ruminator says that each book is targeted to a progressively older audience, maybe it's just increased in size to fit the reading skills of the older kids. Either way, I
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didn't mind it all. This book is my favorite of the four volumes that I've read to date. You have the normal scenes and routines of Hogwarts, of course, but in this volume, the reader is also treated to the Quidditch World Cup match, a Yule Ball, civil rights activism on behalf of house elves, and the mystery of who magicked the Triwizard Tournament to include Harry as the fourth contestant. As I finished that particular mystery, I had to admire the way Ms. Rowling sneaks little details into the story that suddenly show their significance at the story's climax. I suppose seasoned mystery fans probably pick them out right away. Me, I'm just pleasantly surprised. Anyway, I have such a collector's mentality that I'll probably read all of the series even if it were mediocre. But The Goblet of Fire has drawn me into the overall tale and makes me eager to read the rest.
--J.
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LibraryThing member rpisano
This is my personal favorite in the series. It may not answer our questions, but it sets the stage for the last three novels.

This story moves from previous novels that were no more than a few hundred pages to a much longer novel. J.K. Rowling begins to take away the layers covering Harry, Ron, and
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Hermione and opens them to the true wizard world. The trio's problems begin early in the story at the Qudditch World Cup, and never end. They have to deal with a pesky reporter, Rita Skeeter, Hagrid's blast ended skrewts, and most importantly, Voldemort. Harry's troubles only get worse and worse. He is chosen for the Tri-wizard Tournament, without even entering. His best friend, Ron, doesn't believe him, and this makes Harry's life worse. Harry is completely blindsided going into the final days before the first competition, but Hagrid warns him of the coming event. Without this help, Harry could have died. Harry's interactions with the students from other schools that take part in the tournament are not as civil as they could be. This is a problem that will be addressed throughout this book, and the ones that follow. The story continues with two more challenges that end in a death. Harry's life is changed after seeing this death. Voldemort returns and Harry's story takes a turn. Instead of trying to stop Voldemort from returning, he needs to figure-out how to stop his return to power.

This is a great book and the series as a whole is even better.
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LibraryThing member iayork
Sublime!: Listening to Jim Dale's narration of the Quidditch World Cup makes it all come to life, better than in the film. He is almost without peer. I can't imagine anyone else doing it. The conclusion of the book is effectively emotional and it all complements reading the book itself. Bravo!
LibraryThing member jenreidreads
Upon re-read October 2010

After re-reading this series (again), I've come to the conclusion that HP4 is my favorite of the seven. It's meatier than the first three, and it's also the last installment before things get really dark and difficult. You can believe that Harry is still a kid through this
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book - an extraordinary one, of course - but he still has to deal with adolescent stuff, like exams and girls. Once Voldemort fully returns, Harry becomes dark and angst-y (not that we can really blame him), and less innocent/naive. I love the whole series, of course, but since this is the last installment before all the death, I appreciate it even more. Plus, the Tri-Wizard Tournament is awesome; I love learning about the wizarding world along with Harry.
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LibraryThing member christieschauder
This was one of my favorite Harry Potter books because I loved the new characters and the Tri-Wizard Tournament.
LibraryThing member Terpsichoreus
I am beginning to regret reviewing these all in a row, as I feel I need repeat myself. Then again, the theme and structure of the books is repetitious, so perhaps there is little else I can add.

By this point, Rowling has caught her stride, and begun that inescapable page-climb for which she
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became--especially in the young-adult genre--especially infamous. This book is, more than anything, an expansion of the world and of events. She puts off Quidditch at the school--perhaps out of a fear that Harry's Gryffindors playing every year would grow dull. Instead, we have the Tri-Wizard Tournament and the World Quidditch Cup (to tide us over). Many critiques of Rowling's world-building--previously grumblings--can begin in earnest here, as she expands the world of wizards from a small cadre into a full-blown, worldwide community of secret-keeping.

Not only are there the questions of Why all the secrecy, but now How, as well. The plot leaps around as is its wont, aided by a magical urging here or a convenient villain there, and the promised 'dead character' is, of course, one almost entirely given importance solely in this text. This certainly isn't the most underwhelming that her promise of future deaths will become, but it is a foreshadowing.

The characters and conflicts are exciting as ever, and as she finally developed the pacing in the last book to prevent us losing ourself in a plot which twists and turns not so much like a maze, but like a meandering goat trail, we can at least now feel the wind in our hair as we gallop along it.

I really wish that the various psychological and foreshadowed elements would resolve themselves, but one often as not finds that the climax comes with a sense of "oh, are we here already?" rather than "I've been waiting for this".

Rowling seems to do better when things are darker and more hopeless (or perhaps those are the only moments when she cannot draw into the waistcoats of her child's lit contemporaries for inspiration), and this book continues the trend that began with a darker change in tone in 'Prisoner of Azkaban' and culminating in the next offering.
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LibraryThing member reading_fox
Possibly the best in the series, Harry is starting to grow up, and the world around him is getting much darker. It also features the single best character Rowling devised - Mad Eye Moody.

Quidditch plays a very small part in this book, but does feature in the opening as the World Cup comes to the UK
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and Harry gets to watch. Of more importance is the Triwizard Tournament and friendly competition between wizarding schools - only the most advanced students can enter and nobody is more surpirsed than Harry when is name is also selected.

In contrast to the previous book, school takes a backseat as Harry has to complete three challenges during the year. Almost all the book is filled with the sort of overcominng challenges experiances you would expect to find in a fantasy book, but the whole work is lifted by the surprising and very dark ending. This abolsutely makes the book and elevates it far above the otherwise trite three precursors.

It is also worthy of note that there is an increase in social commentry as well - started in PoA but significantly enhanced now, dealing with gender and racial divides and stereotyping, and of course trust and second chances. Not just Dumbledore but Hermione as well make several statements that relate to the today's world. I particularly like Hermione's crusade against inaccurate reporting. The sexual tension surrounding the ball is a bit crigneworthy at times but I suppose accurate enough considering the ages of those involved.

Much better than the previous three and intruigingly dark thsi sets up the main storyline for the remaining books and is far more likely ot be enjoyed by adults.
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LibraryThing member TheLostEntwife
In my opinion, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is when the Harry Potter books cease to be childrens books and take that turn into darker subject matters. The opening scene, with Voldemort, Wormtail and the death of the caretaker sends chills down my spine and I love that both the book and the
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movie handle this scene so well.

What is missing from the movies, however, are Winky and Dobby (which, to me, lessons the impact of Dobby in the first installment of the final Harry Potter movie). Neville Longbottom is featured more prominently then he appeared to be in the book (Dobby originally gave the gillyweed to Harry) and it kind of jumbles things up a bit. Also, I don't understand why, in the movie, the Weasley's and Harry are not sitting in the same box as the Malfoy's - that was a key part of the opening, to me. In fact, that whole Quidditch section of the movie was jumbled and made a lot more sense in the book.

But, this book (and the movie) is my favorite of the bunch. I love tasks, competitions, meeting new people from other wizarding schools. I love seeing Hermione come into her own, I adore Fred and George (especially in the movie, they make me laugh so much when Ron is dancing with Professor McGonagall), and I love the fast-paced action of the story.

Other fantastic characters include:

Mad-Eye Moody
Cedric Diggory (Y'all, I admit, I cry every time)
Viktor Krum
.. and though technically not a character, I love the bit of tension between Harry and Cho. It's a reminder that they are indeed growing up.
By and far my favorite book out of the series and close to my favorite movie. The jury is still out on that one.
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LibraryThing member 391
I first got into the Harry Potter series when I was 10 or 11, a week before book four was released. I remember devouring the first three, and then the day that Goblet of Fire hit the bookshelves...I left the country for two weeks in Switzerland with my family. Waiting in the airport, bored out of
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my mind, my mom suddenly noticed a huge display of the books in an airport bookstore - truely Providence, since all the local bookstores had already sold out! The one time I put the book down over the course of the 15 hour, intercontinental flight was to sleep (purely at my mom's insistence, because I claimed that I wasn't tired and I just wanted to read a few more pages). Rowling's writing transported me, gave me a world to play in and dream in. Her writing captivated me, and the world she creates completely captured my imagination.
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LibraryThing member anterastilis
Okay, NOW we're getting into the good stuff. The first three books were just playing around.

JKR continues to rock. I thoroughly enjoyed this book - I think it was my favorite one, the first time I read them. This book is big and filled to the brim: more characters, more plots, more detail about the
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past, more this more that...and it WORKS. It's not overwhelming (although one of the storylines literally isn't resolved until the second to last page...I was getting worried) and it is a lot of fun to read.

Things that happen for the first time in the series (AKA Things that I liked):

1. We have mention of Bellatrix Lestrange, who is one of my favorite characters. We also learn a lot more about the events of 13 years ago. This is something I did not pay much attention to the first time around ("screw all these old folks, what's going on with Neville?").

2. We have the ball...and all of the awkward 14-year-old drama that comes with. Ron's dress robes are just a silly device, but man, I giggle whenever I think about them.

3. We learn a lot more about Neville's background. Like I've been saying since book #1, there's a lot more to Neville than we think. He's got a big role in all of this.

4. Snape was/is a Death Eater. What's a Death Eater? Well, we learn that, too.

Things that I did not like:

1. The cheesy swapped-body plot resolution for Mad-Eye Moody. "It's not REALLY Mad-Eye Moody..." *pulls off mask* "It's the carnival owners son, Barty!" It seemed very Scooby Doo to me. "And I would have gotten away with it were it not for you meddling kids!"

2. My god, did JKR cram a lot into this book. Subplots galore! I'm glad there was no Quidditch season, otherwise it would have been just overwhelming. S.P.E.W., Rita Skeeter, the tournament itself, the World Cup, etc etc etc. Yowza!

I'm breaking my own plan and have already moved on to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, even though it is not yet May. Things are picking up speed, and I'm really excited to revisit books 5 and 6, which I admit I didn't spend much time on the first time around.
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LibraryThing member ellenmarine
This is obviously the pivotal book of the series; everything suddenly gets darker (though, as Jo herself said, there's nothing particularly "fluffy and light" about the earlier parts of the series).

This is the first book to break the format of the previous books (centred around Harry's school year)
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as, of course, the Triwizard Tournament somewhat interrupts his normal, academic routine.

The comedy, and the narrative as a whole are more "grown up" than the previous books, and the book finishes in such a fashion that any reader will probably be clamouring to get their hands on the next installment!
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LibraryThing member jessilouwho22
There are so many things that I love about this book. First of all, as Harry, Ron and Hermione get older, they start maturing and facing the things that most teenagers do--dates for dances, apparent jealousy, crushes, arguments among friends. Rowling's character development shines through this
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novel. Specifically in this installment, we see dark forces arise more prevalently and dangerously then before. This is where I would stop calling them "children's books", per se, because this book just won't have its full effect on a younger audience. By the end of this novel, readers can now fully understand what kind of heavy burden Harry has to carry. Yes, it has been noted in all of the previous books that Harry isn't like any other normal teenage wizard. But here, we get to see the full consequences and responsibilities that come with having survived Voldemort's curse as a baby. One of Rowling's greatest strengths in this novel, in particular, is her use of suspense. She throws obvious clues into the story for the reader and builds her story slowly, but surely. Personally, once I hit the last 200 pages or so, I couldn't put the book down for any reason whatsoever. Once everything started slowly adding up, it was like I absolutely HAD to know how the story was going to turn out. And in this book, unlike the other ones, Voldemort has such a presence that readers are able to understand what it was like in the days of Voldemort's reign. Readers are able to see how serious this situation is, more so than before. By Voldemort becoming an actual physical entity, it adds a realistic edge to the series--not everything is always rainbows and butterflies. Rowling ends this book with such a cliffhanger...I can't wait to start the next one!
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LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
The Harry Potter series steps over the edge between light-hearted and fun into dark and threatening in this fourth installment. The threats are more real and dangerous and all the characters are being drawn onto sides whether by fear or passion. The events of the Tri-Wizard Tournament lend the
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sense of adventure and amazement that Quidittich does in the first three novels, but the rise of Voldemort seems to overshadow everything. While the writing and the story world are familiar, the complexity of each continues to grow.
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LibraryThing member rbtwinky
This is more like it! This book is more in line with what I was expecting from Harry Potter, given all the hype about it. Harry and his friends are starting to get into some serious complications, and not just because of their own childish actions. Not everyone in this book was cut-and-clear good
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or bad, and I was left guessing who was who throughout almost the entire book. I really enjoyed this one, and the set-up at the end makes me think the next one will be even better.
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LibraryThing member beckykolacki
I love all of the Harry Potter books, of course, but if I had to pick one as a least favorite this would probably be it. Some parts of it are very exciting and especially the climactic ending is thrilling. However, it's the first of the "longer" Potter books, and there are a few places in which it
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drags a little. I don't know, I guess the whole idea of a Triwizard tournament wasn't quite as exciting to me as some of the characters in the book. The Yule ball and beginnings of romance is great, though.
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LibraryThing member Lindsey_M
I like that Harry is getting thrown into situations in which he gets to prove himself. The book is so well written and translates so well in my imagination.
LibraryThing member pauliharman
The Harry Potter series is definitely growing on me (and no, that's not a pun regarding the increasing page count).

Language

Original language

English

Physical description

752 p.; 9.1 inches

ISBN

0439139597 / 9780439139595

UPC

038332187076
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