Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Audio, $39.95
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An open letter to J.K. Rowling
Dear Ms. Rowling, Last summer when you gave us Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, I tore through it and almost called to badger you about releasing Book Four. Harry having to return to the Dursleys after reuniting with Sirius Black is nothing compared to the painful wait I have endured for the fourth installment. Suffice to say, it's been the longest summer vacation in history. Just when I thought I couldn't take it any longer, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire arrived. I was thrilled that Harry found reprieve by spending the final two weeks of summer with the Weasleys. But the best was yet to come -- I was so happy to return to Hogwarts! I'd been kept away too long. The story is centered on the Triwizard Tournament: Young wizards enter themselves, and the Goblet of Fire chooses the names, one wizard champion from each participating school. Cedric Diggory, Harry's Quidditch rival from the Hufflepuff House, is selected as the Hogwarts champion. As the selections are wrapping up, everyone is shocked when the Goblet releases Harry's name. Since Harry did not meet the age requirement, who put his name in the Goblet? Someone who felt he deserved a chance? Or someone who wanted him dead? Mixed feelings and misunderstandings plague Harry throughout the Tournament; many of his fellow students have a difficult time offering their support. At times, Harry is so mistreated, returning to the Dursleys seems almost inviting. Almost. It wouldn't be a new school year without a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, however; Headmaster Albus Dumbledore has managed to snag Auror great Mad-Eye Moody. Mad-Eye is a living legend, despite the paranoia that has accompanied the onset of age. And given some of the folks from other wizardry schools who visit during the Triwizard Tournament, Mad-Eye's wisdom proves to be helpful beyond the classroom. Why do I get the feeling that we haven't heard the last from these two schools, or Mad-Eye? Yet adolescence has caught up with our favorite wizards -- including Fred and George, who are permanently stationed there -- and you handle this in both literal and metaphorical terms. Despite the good and evil that whirls around Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts, he and his friends are not exempt from peer pressure, unrequited love, and just plain hormonal edginess. The veelas' effect on Harry and Ron is hilarious -- but I sense that the day is coming that it won't be as funny. Harry's ability to combat the Unforgivable Curses gives new life to the 'just say no' mantra, but really, Ms. Rowling -- can Hermione please have a good day in your next book? Her rantings are tiresome, and if she continues in this manner, important matters like house elves' rights will fall on deaf ears. Maybe she should spend a year abroad, or take anger management courses; hers is more than just teenage angst. Of course, all of this intricate plotting adds up to one major catastrophe: Lord Voldemort is back, he's strong, and he's not alone. We've long suspected several Dark Wizards were in our midst, but one or two will surprise your readers. The killings have begun, and you have promised there will be more; but even wizards are not immune to loss and grief. All of the magic remains, and whether or not it's intentional, there's quite a bit left dangling. The biggest matter left unresolved, however, is that Lord Voldemort remains at large. While good has temporarily triumphed over evil, it's an uneasy victory. Despite the Extra-Long Length Charm you put on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Ms. Rowling, your 734 pages were not strong enough to pacify me. I've inhaled them, and like Harry, I have conquered. At the risk of hearing an audible groan from your direction, I have to ask: WHEN CAN WE EXPECT BOOK FIVE?!?!
Yours sincerely,
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