Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #98 in Books
• Published on: 2007-07-21
• Released on: 2007-07-21
• Binding: Hardcover
• 608 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review

The Final Chapter
Harry has been burdened with a dark, dangerous and seemingly impossible task: that of locating and destroying Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes. Never has Harry felt so alone, or faced a future so full of shadows. But Harry must somehow find within himself the strength to complete the task he has been given. He must leave the warmth, safety and companionship of The Burrow and follow without fear or hesitation the inexorable path laid out for him.

In this final, seventh installment of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling unveils in spectactular fashion the answers to the many questions that have been so eagerly awaited. The spellbinding, richly woven narrative, which plunges, twists and turns at a breathtaking pace, confirms the author as a mistress of storytelling, whose books will be read, reread and read again.

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Begin at the Beginning

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Hardcover Paperback

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Hardcover Paperback

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Hardcover Paperback

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Hardcover Paperback

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Hardcover Paperback

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Hardcover Paperback

Why We Love Harry
Favourite Moments from the Series
There are plenty of reasons to love Rowling's wildly popular series--no doubt you have several dozen of your own. Our list features favourite moments, characters, and artefacts from the first six books. Keep in mind that this list is by no means exhaustive (what we love about Harry could fill ten books!) and does not include any of the spectacular revelatory moments that would spoil the books for those (few) who have not read them. Enjoy.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

* Harry's first trip to the zoo with the Dursleys, when a boa constrictor winks at him. * When the Dursleys' house is suddenly besieged by letters for Harry from Hogwarts. Readers learn how much the Dursleys have been keeping from Harry. Rowling does a wonderful job in displaying the lengths to which Uncle Vernon will go to deny that magic exists. * Harry's first visit to Diagon Alley with Hagrid. Full of curiosities and rich with magic and marvel, Harry's first trip includes a trip to Gringotts and Ollivanders, where Harry gets his wand (holly and phoenix feather) and discovers yet another connection to He-Who-Must-No-Be-Named. This moment is the reader's first full introduction to Rowling's world of witchcraft and wizards. * Harry's experience with the Sorting Hat.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

* The de-gnoming of the Weasleys' garden. Harry discovers that even wizards have chores--gnomes must be grabbed (ignoring angry protests "Gerroff me! Gerroff me!"), swung about (to make them too dizzy to come back), and tossed out of the garden--this delightful scene highlights Rowling's clever and witty genius. * Harry's first experience with a Howler, sent to Ron by his mother. * The Duelling Club battle between Harry and Malfoy. Gilderoy Lockhart starts the Duelling Club to help students practice spells on each other, but he is not prepared for the intensity of the animosity between Harry and Draco. Since they are still young, their minibattle is innocent enough, including tickling and dancing charms.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

* Ron's attempt to use a telephone to call Harry at the Dursleys'. * Harry's first encounter with a Dementor on the train (and just about any other encounter with Dementors). Harry's brush with the Dementors is terrifying and prepares Potter fans for a darker, scarier book. * Harry, Ron, and Hermione's behaviour in Professor Trelawney's Divination class. Some of the best moments in Rowling's books occur when she reminds us that the wizards-in-training at Hogwarts are, after all, just children. Clearly, even at a school of witchcraft and wizardry, classes can be boring and seem pointless to children. * The Boggart lesson in Professor Lupin's classroom. * Harry, Ron, and Hermione's knock-down confrontation with Snape.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

* Hermione's disgust at the reception for the veela (Bulgarian National Team Mascots) at the Quidditch World Cup. Rowling's fourth book addresses issues about growing up--the dynamic between the boys and girls at Hogwarts starts to change. Nowhere is this more plain than the hilarious scene in which magical cheerleaders nearly convince Harry and Ron to jump from the stands to impress them. * Viktor Krum's crush on Hermione--and Ron's objection to it. * Malfoy's "Potter Stinks" badge. * Hermione's creation of S.P.E.W., the intolerant bigotry of the Death Eaters, and the danger of the Triwizard Tournament. Add in the changing dynamics between girls and boys at Hogwarts, and suddenly Rowling's fourth book has a weight and seriousness not as present in early books in the series. Candy and tickle spells are left behind as the students tackle darker, more serious issues and take on larger responsibilities, including the knowledge of illegal curses.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

* Harry's outburst to his friends at No. 12 Grimmauld Place. A combination of frustration over being kept in the dark and fear that he will be expelled fuels much of Harry's anger, and it all comes out at once, directly aimed at Ron and Hermione. Rowling perfectly portrays Harry's frustration at being too old to shirk responsibility, but too young to be accepted as part of the fight that he knows is coming. * Harry's detention with Professor Umbridge. Rowling shows her darker side, leading readers to believe that Hogwarts is no longer a safe haven for young wizards. Dolores represents a bureaucratic tyrant capable of real evil, and Harry is forced to endure their private battle of wills alone. * Harry and Cho's painfully awkward interactions. Rowling clearly remembers what it was like to be a teenager. * Harry's Occlumency lessons with Snape. * Dumbledore's confession to Harry.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

* This book is much darker than the rest. Lord Voldemort has been creating chaos in the Wizard and Muggle communities alike, the war is in full swing and the Wizarding community now lives in fear. * It is much more emotional. The story turns at the whim of a temperamental teenager from war and life-changing tragedy, to euphoria and glistening happiness.

Magic, Mystery, and Mayhem: A Conversation with J.K. Rowling

"I am an extraordinarily lucky person, doing what I love best in the world. I'm sure that I will always be a writer. It was wonderful enough just to be published. The greatest reward is the enthusiasm of the readers." --J.K. Rowling

Find out more about Harry's creator in our exclusive interview with J.K. Rowling.

Did You Know?

The Little White Horse was J.K. Rowling's favourite book as a child.

Jane Austen is Rowling's favourite author.

Roddy Doyle is Rowling's favourite living writer.

Customer Reviews

Stephen Fry is amazing !!
I knew the story was fabulous but it was made even better by Stephen Fry. He is amazing. He brings all the characters to life and uses so many different voices - excellent - give the man an oscar.

Brilliant!!!
I have to say that I actually bought this and read it on the day it come out and it was well worth the wait! The twist with snape and dumbledore was magnificent and things are tied up in this book that have left us wondering throughout the last ones! Why do people slag this book off I dont know - I think its because people werent actually expecting the books to end and were hoping she would keep them going- you could write more off this book though as we could start having books written about harrys parents or children so its not closed off yet! Definitely recommended!

Now the hype has died down a bit...
...it's time to take another look at the book.

The things that still upset me the most about the last book in the series is that firstly, compared to the first five books, it's so poor, and secondly, the character assassination. The Snape, Harry, Hermione, Lupin and Tonks would never behave in the shallow, nasty way they were portrayed to in DH. I never liked the idea of Snape-loved-Lily and hoped so much JKR would not take this cliche route, not least to have it as the SOLE reason Snape was a 'good guy'. Let's face it, he really believed in blood superiority for every other person but some girl he had a crush on. Regardless of cruel upbringing, that's just not a nice trait. He was always vindictive, spiteful and bitter rather than a complex anti-hero who made the right decision in spite of suffering.

Lupin, a good, brave, caring character, suddenly chooses to abandon his wife and child. The whole relationship set-up was shoddy anyway, making the strong Tonks into a clingy, moping waif. Like many other Harry Potter relationships, it seemed based more on lust (or resignation in Lupin's view, perhaps) than genuine love.

Hermione's potential is wasted on a boy who's mocked and misunderstood her the whole series, and in a job she previously thought unworthy of her. Talk about lowering one's ambitions. If JKR was insistant on pushing the relationships, they should have been made realistic and the partners made equal. Instead Ron becomes a whiny, spoilt child who encourages Harry to seduce his sister, and Ginny, after 'giving herself as a birthday present to Harry' (you couldn't make this up...oh. Wait.), vanishes from the story almost entirely. Given the Weasleys are apparently JKR's favourite characters, many of their reoccuring characters at the last read as so flat, impetuous, needlessly nasty and unpleasant that it's near-impossible to like them. Percy might get redeemed, but the 180 flip his character does in order to do so is almsot as annoying as if he'd turned out to be evil. Molly is a murdering harridan. The only vaguely likeable Weasleys either barely appear or pointlessly die.

Gratuitous torture and deaths (don't tell me Hedwig's death 'represented Harry entering adult life' or some such nonsense, and as for Fred...name out of a hat, much?), Unforgiveables being fine when the good guys use them (Harry? Molly? Oh, it's OK for them!), unresolved plotlines (Scrimgeour? What was the point there? The Veil? Fawkes?), historical comparison and metaphor carried FAR too far, the strange and frankly unnecessary epilogue which obviously covered so little of what was intended that JKR has to keep issuing further information regarding the characters' futures (so much for leaving something to the imagination), chapters of pointless exposition and leaps of illogical madness: such is the end to the series.

Admittedly the Harry Potter series was intended as a children's series, but many of the earlier books involved such interesting charcaters and plots that adults enjoyed them too. To be so let down in the final chapters is disappointing and irritating, when it could have been so much better. I have genuinely read better fanfic than this. Perhaps the saddest thing of all is that there the size of the book could have covered all the things that needed to be covered. It just didn't.

Not that there weren't a couple of good points, in a way. Neville was good, and gained some development and heroism. 'Potterwatch' was cute. Narcissa Malfoy, interestingly, was about the only character I personally came out of the book with any respect or liking for. The wedding was sweet, and Fleur and Bill a likeable couple...but these were just too few and far between.

Ah well, it was good while it lasted...until book 5, perhaps.