 Harry Potter's third year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry is about to begin and, even before it starts, promises to be the most exciting yet. After running away from his cruel Muggle (non-magic) relatives the Dursleys, Harry discovers that the convicted murderer Sirius Black has escaped from the wizard prison Azkaban and a pack of Dementors, the frightening prison guards, have been sent to Hogwarts to keep the students safe.
Oh. And there are plenty of Quidditch games scheduled for the new school year.
This third installment in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, following Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets, displays all the winning characteristics of the first two books: an intricately drawn magic world, a charming thirteen-year-old protagonist (which seems an oxymoron in today's popular fiction), a healthy sense of humour, and plenty of adventures.
Kids and adults who liked the first two in the series will enjoy Prisoner of Azkaban, and heartily. (Those who are coming to the series for the first time are advised to start at the beginning, with Sorcerer's Stone, as some of the references in this may be confusing for first-timers.) Even though we see little of the series' archvillain, Lord Voldemort, the plot is spring-loaded with unexpected twists.
While no less action-packed than the last two books, this one is far more emotionally charged. The adventure and the drama are both very intense; there are soaring highs and lows. Yet this book is never caustic or razor-edged: despite the emotional voltage, the action and the book's message is surprisingly gentle. Harry is a sort of wizarding Everykid — an okay student, a good athlete, and a really decent human being. And J.K. Rowling has crafted him and his friends sensitively, affectionately, as one who really does remember what it's like to be thirteen.
Plus, Rowling's wizarding world is just plain fun to read about: the whimsical Hogwarts teachers and spells, the nasty fellow-students and adults who get their comeuppance, and (my favourite part) the exciting magic sport Quidditch, played on broomsticks. There's something for everyone, from potions to flying motorcycles. And it's even better on the second, third, or fifteenth reading. |
