Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Adam’s Five-Word Review: get this woman an editor.
There’s definitely some entertainment to be had here in the fifth installment of J.K. Rowling’s wizard saga. But Rowling is definitely coasting, and the book’s 870-page length is a good example. The book is filled with subplots whose only function is to pop back in at the end to wrap up some other plot point. The characterizations are flat, other than the deliciously banal evil of new Defense of the Dark Arts teacher Dolores Umbridge. And while the books are always plot-driven, that reaches epic proportions this time, where the real emotion that could have made the story more engaging is brushed aside to make room for more goings-on.
Other than Umbridge, I also enjoyed Harry’s adolescent anger, partly because I seem to be going through a second adolescence myself. I can identify with how other people, especially hypocritical and stupid adults, piss him off royally.
Mainly, I think the problem here is that Rowling has become so popular and successful, her editors have become unwilling to rein in her “throw in everything and the kitchen sink” approach to getting a story down on paper. If she keeps going like this, you’ll have to buy a wheelbarrow to drag the seventh book home.