Symbols, Imagery, Allegory
In Book 6 we discover some big secrets, the biggest of which might just be that of the Horcrux. A Horcrux is a kind of magic so dark and so horrible that books about it have been removed from the H...
Setting
Even though the Harry Potter series focuses primarily on the Wizarding world and on Harry Potter himself, we still get glimpses of the Muggle world as well. Part of what's so engaging about the set...
Genre
Oh, yes, we get our money's worth with this one. Harry Potter gives us the fun of watching Harry and his friends grow up and forge their individual identities, making it a coming-of-age tale. But w...
Tone
There's a lot going down in this story. We have some weighty events and ideas to keep us awake at night. But we also see a more playful side of Hogwarts as we watch Harry and his friends fumble aro...
Style
The writing in the Harry Potter series is so magical that you forget you are reading something. Someone put a spell on these words and sentences, because the minute you start reading Harry Potter,...
What's Up With the Title?
The Half-Blood Prince is a former Hogwarts student who once owned the Potions textbook that Harry adopts during his sixth year at Hogwarts. This textbook proves to be endlessly helpful as it is cho...
What's Up With the Ending?
Well, all we're saying is that you better have a big box of Kleenex on hand when you reach the end of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Why? Dumbledore dies. We will admit it loud and clear:...