Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire [Book Review]
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Title: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter #4)
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Scholastic
Published Date: 28th September 2002
Rating: 3 Stars.
Synopsis: Harry Potter is midway through his training as a wizard and his coming of age. Harry wants to get away from the pernicious Dursleys and go to the International Quidditch Cup. He wants to find out about the mysterious event that’s supposed to take place at Hogwarts this year, an event involving two other rival schools of magic, and a competition that hasn’t happened for a hundred years. He wants to be a normal, fourteen-year-old wizard. But unfortunately for Harry Potter, he’s not normal – even by wizarding standards. And in his case, different can be deadly.
Review
No one needs another review of Harry Potter. Yet, here is another one because I don’t want to forget my thoughts on this series. But if you wanted to know my thoughts I can summarise them in one sentence: I am still underwhelmed.
It’s been two years since I read the first three books as I am writing this review, and you can check out my reviews for those here… Book 1, Book 2 and Book 3. But my main problem with this series is that I am bored throughout reading, and it doesn’t excite me any way. I actually looked at the physical book and it looked like too many pages of unfun reading to me so I had to listen to the audiobook instead >.> But let me explain myself properly…
This book is incredibly slow paced! Nothing much happens until the very very end of the book, and we can more or less guess what is going to happen. I know this is actually children’s fiction, but that doesn’t quite excuse it to me. I know children’s literature books which are much more exciting than this one, but it failed to thrill me in any way.
I am still not feeling any deep connection to the characters. I don’t really care about them. I will admit that Hermoine’s character has improved in this one because she was a lot less annoying than in the previous books. Ron managed to make me laugh sometimes because his speech is just pure Britishness through and through. Sometimes it’s kind of fun to see your own culture and country coming through in a novel. I need to read more British based books by British authors, evidently. But I really don’t care about most of the characters.
In fact, I often found myself impatient with the characters? I know they were fighting and so on, but I knew how it would be solved and I wanted them to get on with it so we could get to the next part. Or when small predictable events happened, I wanted them to move on with the action already and get to it! I’m not sure if it’s because I am reading children’s literature as someone who is clearly older, or if it is because it was too slow paced or predictable. But yeah, that’s how I felt.
But I’m giving this book three stars because J.K. Rowling’s world building is off the charts wonderful! She has such a vast brain, and she manages to hold it all in there and also make us believe in the world. What I love especially is that she gives us world building which isn’t necessary to move the plot forward. It’s just some cool things from the world that the children are using or messing around with. It’s brilliant and if I was judging this book on world building alone, she would have all the stars.
Also, the audiobook itself is fantastic. Stephen Fry read this so well! It made the book actually bearable and I got through it beginning to end. I enjoyed listening to this book way more than reading the first three. I don’t even think I would’ve made it through this one without Fry reading it to me. So, if you haven’t tried reading this series by audiobook yet, that’s definitely how you should do your next re-read 😉
Will I continue with the series? Maybe. We shall see.
Relevance to today: I think this series is too important to too many people for it to not be relevant to today! I think it does a good job of showing true kindness. Especially when it comes to Hermoine and the house elves situation and Harry trying to keep the contest as fair as possible.
Links: Get the book on Amazon,
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Olivia-Savannah x
I read the Harry Potter books a long time ago and remember enjoying them. I don’t know if I would have the same enjoyment now if I re-read them. The movies were good adaptions and I think I would rather watch the movie than re-read the book given a choice.
You are just not having a good experience with this series. But I can see how it might be a different experience, reading them for the first time as an adult, and a reviewer no less, vs. growing up with them and rereading them when you already love them.
I am SO GLAD it is not just me. I mean, the books are fine I guess, but I am never like, SUPER eager to dive back in? I got kind of invested with Book 2 or 3 or something (maybe 3? It’s been so long, who can tell?) but 5… dude, 5 is a BEHEMOTH. If you think this was draggy… wow. 4’s got nothing on 5. And I am reading it with my daughter, who gets bored SO easily so we’re probably on course to finish it sometime around 2037. We started it in AUGUST bwhahah. Oops?
Aww, your review makes me sad! I loved these books so much! I read them as an adult for the first time too. I was a teacher, and worked at a bookstore, and didn’t think I would like them. I picked them up and was sucked in, could NOT put them down! And this review makes me saddest because this was probably my favorite book of the series. 🙁 But, this is why there are so many books in the world, something for everyone!
We waited in line for its release and took turns devouring it. LOL Glad you are reading the series. 🙂
Oh! I can’t remember my thoughts on this one… Time for a reread! 🙂
honestly, Goblet of Fire was always one of my least favorite HP books. at the height of my love for HP I still enjoyed it of course, and I dutifully pushed through it each time I reread the series, but yeah I agree – it’s not the best.
I love this post because it just shows how subjective reading is and that there are different books for different readers. I absolutely LOVE the whole HP series- especially The Goblet of Fire. I also love the audios- but I have only heard the series read by Jim Dale (AMAZING narrator). I will have to listen to Stephen Fry sometime. Book 5 on seem more YA/adult so you may enjoy them more- but if you stop- I hope you enjoy whatever you read next. 🙂
And yet this one was my favorite Olivia!!!!
I used to adore Harry Potter, and reread quite a few of the books multiple times.. buut I have to admit, I never properly finished The Goblet of Fire, and back when I was a kid I never DNF-ed or skimmed, so this was a HUGE deal haha. It was just soooo boring, nothing was happening and the argument between Ron and Harry was meh. Not a fan. Great review! 🙂
Veronika @ Wordy and Whimsical
Thanks for your review, Olivia. Sounds fair!
I read the Harry Potters as an adult too and remember my Mum and I being so excited when we finally got the complete set. (We ran a secondhand bookshop together). I thought I had read most of the series before I gave up, but actually the synopsis of this one doesn’t look familiar so maybe I stopped earlier than I thought I had? I’ve read other kids’ books as an adult and loved them (Anne Of Green Gables for example) but HP didn’t enthrall me either
I have been putting off the last HP book for years. I love the fandom but I’m not that into the books. The audiobooks sound amazing though!
It’s super interesting seeing someone read Harry Potter books for the first time as an adult. I read them when I was 10-11 and of course adored them, but I’m not so sure if they would have been as enjoyable had I first read them now. Haven’t reread them in ages either…
I read these back when they came out and before I read a lot of similar YA so I enjoyed it more. But I never got super caught up in it.
Karen @ For What It’s Worth