Happy New Year

[heavenly_pearl]

Here's hoping it's better than last year.

So, what to talk about? I know I haven't posted for a few days, but I was hoping more people would reply to the meme in the last entry. :( Oh, well.

I finished reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire a couple of nights ago, and I must say it was the best of the books I've read so far. The plotting was definitely much improved from the first three books. There was a main story, and it actually was the focus of the book, not like SS and PoA where it seemed like the supposed main story was more of one of several subplots. The only true subplot in GoF was Rita Skeeter and her tabloid articles, but at least that was pretty amusing.

Now, I assume I don't really need to put these spoilers under a cut since most fans have already read it, but if by chance you haven't and want to remain unspoiled (Kate, possibly), you might want to quit reading.

Likes
- Only a short appearance of the Dursleys. I can't stand them, so I was glad when Harry spent the rest of the holiday with the Weasleys.
- Bill and Charlie finally made an actual appearance. I've rather taken a liking to Bill. ^_^ He's supposed to hook up with Fleur in future books, right? I'll be very interested in seeing that. (Charlie's cool, too.)
- Speaking of Fleur, I loved the idea of meeting wizards and witches from other countries. I only wish we got to know at least a couple of the others besides Krum and Fleur.
- The Ron/Hermione exchanges. They so have the hots for each other.
- The surprise of who Mad-Eye Moody really is. If I hadn't done what I usually do and flipped to the end, I would have been really shocked to find out he was the bad guy. I actually liked him. He had a gruff exterior, but seemed really kind.
- Getting to know a little bit more about Sirius' personality, even if it was mostly through letters. I can see why so many people like him.

Dislikes
- No Quidditch, except for the World Cup at the beginning. Now, I'm not neccessarily disappointed in the absence of Quidditch itself, but of Lee Jordan's hilarious commentary of the game. I missed it. He should have have done the commentary for the Triwizard Tournament instead of Bagman.
- Draco didn't really do much besides taunting Harry over Rita Skeeter's articles and being a big supporter of the "Support Cedric Diggory, Harry Potter Stinks" campaign.
- Maybe it was because I knew that Cedric died beforehand, but his death was really anticlimatic. I mean, he and Harry are transported to the graveyard, and almost immediately, he's killed without even having a real chance to defend himself. He should have been given the chance to do something and die a hero.

Comments

[sea_thoughts]

It sounds like you suffered from "negative build up". All the discussion of the death probably made you think it was something big and important, and it is... not the actual death itself, but its psychological impact on Harry, and on the series as an event. It's such a big thing that I almost forgot four people die in Goblet: Frank Bryce, Bertha Jorkins, Mr. Crouch and then Cedric. I think it's that we're told about the first three deaths, but Cedric's death happens right there. I agree with Dezzie: it shows that Voldemort is someone to be feared. He's utterly ruthless. It made me realise how lucky Harry is to have survived three encounters with him, let alone without his wand. The encounter in the graveyard is actually the first time Harry faces Voldemort with a wand!

Dezzie, were you really bored and disappointed? I was shocked. And devastated, too.