Customer Reviews

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

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1 star:		(37)

 

 

For my money, though I like the first two Potter books, this is where Rowling struck gold. I started reading the series in late 1999 or early 2000, well before GOBLET came out, and when I finished the three books that at that time were out, I thought AZKABAN was not only easily the best of three, but one of the best books I had read in a long time. The storyline is easily the strongest of the first three installments, and for once Voldemort is not the main villain driving the plot, but, so it is thought, a renegade supporter of his who murdered 13 people with a single curse.

In AZKABAN, we learn an escaped criminal from the wizard prison Azkaban by the name of Sirius Black is out on the lam looking for Potter. Black was once a vehement supporter for Voldemort, and now Black is gunning to finish off the job by murdering Potter, a task he had tried to do several years ago. Not only that, Potter learns during the course of the plot that Black was James' best friend, along with the new defense against the dark arts teacher, Remus Lupin. We get to learn who Scabbers really is (another instant of an character mentioned in passing on the first two novels who is hugely important here). Black is Potter's godfather, and yet he betrayed the Potters!

What makes Azkaban so interesting is you really get to learn about the relationships between James Potter, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and Severus Snape. These five characters, and their relationships with one another, are huge portions of the foundation on which Rowling built her series. You need a clear understanding of these characters to fully experience Rowling's series, and it is thru these characters that this book, and the series itself, is as rich as it is. The fact no one knew that the three characters were unregistered animagus to help Remus cope with his condition was pretty cool.

For once, Rowling introduces a new magical artifiact called the Marauder's Map, which she uncharacteristically fully explains by the end of the novel. It was made by Padfoot, Moony, Wormtail, and Prongs, which are the nicknames of James and his crew. The map shows you the location of every one on the Hogwarts grounds, a tremendously useful item, supplied, appropriately enough, by those masters of mischief, Fred and George.

Another great new bit of magic in the book is the Patronus, a magical spell that will help fight back the dementors and fear, a very advanced piece of magic for third years. It is also very touching to know why Harry's patronus is a stag, as that is what his father transformed into.

There are also other memorable scenes and events. You get Hermione and the Time Turners, Buckbeak the Hippogriff, Professor Trelawney, the Dementors, the Maurader's Map, etc. The climax of the novel is great, but for me, it's that time when Remus, Sirus, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Snape are all in that Shreiking Shack, and you finally get to learn a lot of key information about Harry's past.

Ironically enough, though I have long held the opinion this is the best Potter book of them all (not including Book 7), this book has the worst movie adaptation, BECAUSE they don't fully establish all the different relationships between the four, or even explain the Marauder's Map.

For myself, this is easily my favorite of the Potter novels, or was until DEATHLY HALLOWS came out. Still, I have had a great history with this book, and probably reread this more than all the other Potter books. This is the second best Potter book.

These are my order of Potter books by preference:
Deathly Hallows
Prisoner of Azkaban
Order of the Phoenix
Philosopher's Stone/Chamber of Secrets (I rank them both the same)
Half-Blood Prince
Goblet of Fire.

In anticipation of Harry Potter, Book 4, I had to read the first three books again. What I was struck with, again, is the sheer imaginative nature of J.K. Rowling's books. Simply put, these books are instant classics.

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" is the third in the series following Harry Potter at Hogwart's school of wizardry. Harry is now a 13-year old (his birthday occurring at the beginning of the book), and concerned mostly with classes, Quidditch (a wizard sport), and the fact that he's not allowed to visit the local wizard village of Hogsmeade with his friends on the weekends. One of the reasons for this is that Sirius Black, a convicted murderer, has broken out of Azkaban, the wizard prison, and word has it that he's out to get Harry.

In keeping with Harry Potter tradition, the reader can expect surprises, twists and turns, malicious rivals, uncommonly kind professors, terrible relatives, amazing magic candy, true friendships, and a whiz-bang ending.

It's delightful to see how Rowling can stay true to the feel of the previous books, and yet allow Harry and friends to mature. This book is a little longer than the previous books, but the imagination never lets up, and gradually Harry's world is widening.

I would recommend this book to ANYONE (any age) who enjoys the writings of Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L'Engle, or J.R.R. Tolkien. This is a very fun, humourous, and enjoyable fantasy novel, and one that should be read more than once!

I am the mother of three children as well as a teacher. My 10 yr old son hated to read. We started reading the first Harry Potter book when it came out and he was hooked. We read a couple of chapters together whenever we could. We are still reading #2 2gether, but I read on ahead and let me tell you, #3 is the BEST! I have read it twice alone and can't wait to get to it with my son. These books have made a reader out of my son and we enjoy reading them together. The characters are wonderful and the action is addicting. All the students that I read these books with also love Harry. The Harry Potter series is a parent and teacher's dream! We just can't wait for #4. My daughters' are 4 and 7 and these books are still a little over both of their heads. But for kids 10 and up, Harry is a hit.

Every Once in a while, a book comes along that spellbinds millions. Like The Hobbit, You certainly know Bilbo Baggins, and you know all about Tolkien. A new book has come, Harry Potter. I love this book. I enhale all of the information exhales. Please say my vote was helpful. I am 82 years old and nothing would please me more than to be a top reviewer.

(Previously Posted) This series is the best I've ever read, and Harry Potter's latest year at Hogwarts is no disappointment. The powerful dark wizard, Sirius Black, has escaped from the magical prison Azkaban, and he's after Harry! But Harry and his best friends(Ron and Hermione) don't know the whole story. Harry learns the secrets behind what happened the night Voldemort failed to destroy him. And really...why DOES Professor Snape hate him? All the old characters return, along with the introduction of new ones, for another terrific book. Enjoying a well-deserved stint at the top of various selling lists, the story is intelligent, thrilling, and laugh out loud humorous. I am a 14 year old high school student, but when I began to hear all about Harry, I just had to purchase all three books for myself--using my own money! But it was well worth it. I read all three books over and over. They will keep readers of all ages entertained with their intriguing plots. Other children's authors I enjoy are Roald Dahl, Louis Sachar, Mark Twain, C.S. Lewis, and E.B. White.

Boy was this an excellent book. I read the entire series in the span of a month (I would have read them quicker if I hadn't had school). I am 17, but this book is as enjoyable to me as it must be to the supposed "target age group" of 10 year olds. I loved the first two novels of Harry Potter as well, but this was the best. In the 1st book, we are introduced to all the characters, and in the second the characters are developed. By the third book, we are all used to the characters, so they're personalities really flourish, creating a great story. Meeting James Potter's old friends help us learn more of his fate surrounding his death and why Sirius Black is imprisoned, which develop the story to its fullest. Adding characters like Lupin and Black make for good reading. I can't wait to read the next one.

_Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_ is a wonderful addition Rowling's series. It is the third book in the series, which should be read *in order.* It's the best way to understand and to fully enjoy the series. Book 3 is somewhat more complex and more mature than Book 1 and Book 2. I enjoyed Books 1 and 2; Book 3 made me a true Harry Potter devotee. I think its plot has considerably more emotional weight. It's not just a pleasantly exciting story; it deals with issues of trust and friendship that make you feel and think as you read.

The basic premise of the book is simple: Sirius Black has escaped from the wizard prison, Azkaban, and is on the loose, looking for Harry. Adventures ensue. A wonderful character (perhaps my favorite in the series to date), Professor Remus Lupin, joins the Hogwarts cast. The book contains fascinating revelations about Harry's family and draws on small clues offered in the earlier books.

As an evangelical Christian and an avid reader of fantasy, I'm aware that certain other Christians have condemmed the Harry Potter series as supporting the occult. That's pure rubbish. I would suggest that parents of very young Potter fans be careful to supervise the reading of Book 3 by their children. It is rather more frightening than its predecessors. Older children should be fine.

All in all, _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_ is a wonderful novel for children. Adult fans of Rowlings will also find a lot to enjoy in it. (Note: Pay attention to the characters' names. There are hints hidden within them!). This book and the series as a whole are highly recommended.

With the fourth book about to come out and the first three staying in the top ten on all best seller lists, I thought it was high time that I read the series to find out what makes it so popular. Besides, my wife and my ten year old son love the stories.
I discovered that J. K. Rowling has a wonderful writing style. Although the stories build upon themselves they can be read independently as she reviews aspects from the past. She creates very interesting characters. We admire Harry Potter and his friends Hermoine and Ron. We despise Malfoy and Harry's muggle relatives. The characters that start out as villians may turn out to be heroes. All the plots are intriguing and magic is brought in to help the plot.

This is the longest and best of the three. In fact I think each book is better than its predecessor. They are all great!

In this one it is Hermoine's secret that leads to the surprise ending and helps Hermoine and Harry save Sirius Black and Buckbeak but also Pettigrew. Pettigrew's escape seems to be a lead in for book 4 where I suspect he will return to Lord Voldemort.

There are seven books in the series and most nhave now come out as movies as well. Starting with the Goblet of Fire the books became a little too long and "dark" for the youth groups that it was originally intended for. Rowling has a way of attracting both the children and the adults to these books. Still I became disappointed with some of the latter ones.

In pure honesty, I will be astounded if anybody actually reads my review, but in case you actually would like my prognosis of this novel, read on.

Before I begin, though, if you are a new reader who has never read any of the Harry Potter series, I would strongly recommend reading them in order. An avid fan, I have read all of the current ones several times, but I'm reviewing "The Prisoner of Azkaban" for the reason it is my favorite. Although "Goblet of Fire" (4) is undeniably deeper and well-written, I personally favor this one so far.

For me, the first two books of this series served merely as an introduction into the wonderful world of Harry Potter. They allow the readers to begin to expand their mind enough to absorb the pure imagination in this magnificent fantasy. Again, that is why I urge new readers to read the first two before delving into this one. Grammatically, it is no more difficult to read than the first two. Content wise, however, J.K. Rowling goes all out in this one; as if she were holding back in the earlier ones. For a reader unexposed to this world, it may be overwhelming.

For me, this book secured J.K. Rowling's legitimacy as an author and was the turning point to get me hooked to the whole series, since it works on so many more levels than the previous two. In "Prisoner of Azkaban",Rowling finally begins to shed some light on Harry's past, an element very briefly touched in the prior two. You also begin to see the development of familiar characters; the progression and maturity from their initial introduction in Book One. Part of Rowling's gift is making the reader feel as if they are at Hogwart's School of Wizardry with the Harry and the rest. Once accustomed to the characters, we can see how they grow. Harry begins to experience some situations typical of a young, confused boy his age (ie, he starts to stand-up for himself more against his foster family, he starts rebelling more against his professors, he finds himself in the middle of a conflict between his two best friends, etc) As a growing teenager myself, I can relate. Also, in the previous books, the story was pretty clear-cut. Of course there were unexpected twists and curveballs thrown, but when it came down to it, the reader could easily discern between the good hero and the evil antagonist at the climax. This story focuses less on the ongoing battle between Harry and his archenemy and more on the inner turmoil of a young man as he is faced with several obstacles he has to face within himself.

However, make no mistake, this story is jam-packed with action and humor that makes the book so appealing to begin with. And as I stated earlier, Rowling allows our imaginations to soar as she expands on the already well-developed world she has created. In a delightful turn of events, Harry is on his own for a few weeks, so we get a firsthand account about a "normal" city for wizards. Another plus is a newly introduced wizard settlement known as Hogsmeade, in which Rowling vividly describes the various wild shops and landmarks. Finally, the introduction of a new Defense Against Dark Arts teacher, a very interesting and well-developed man. Professor Remus Lupin's class allows Rowling's creativity to shine as she shows all these magical creatures and entities who are obviously researched and well-developed. Not only is it just fun to read, it's a great prerequisite for the totally outta-this-world follow-up, "Goblet of Fire". I love this series, and I recommend that everybody at least read "Sorceror's Stone" (1) Thanx fer taking the time to read this, I hope it was helpful in convincing you that Harry Potter is one of the best examples of literature at its best.

My hubby gave me this book for Christmas as I enjoyed the other two so much. I can't really add much to what the other reviewers said, but I can tell you that the conclusion of the book is so exciting that I was up till midnight finishing it (and I'm usually a 10 o'clock turn-in!). I just couldn't put it down.

Harry, Ron and Hermione's exploits in this book were just as entertaining - if not more so - as in the previous two books.

It never ceases to amaze me the depth of Ms. Rowlings imagination! The different kinds of sweets, all of the different types of spells and magical creatures...just delightful!

Wonderful...just wonderful!