The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

"Happy Hunger Games! And my the odds be ever in your favour"

Effie Trinket - The Hunger Games

[SPOILERS AHEAD.]

To all the readers that thought this would be my next literary undertaking, kudos.

Yes, in order to fill the void left by my finishing the Harry Potter saga, I moved onto Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games.

I read the entire HG trilogy in a week, which speaks volumes for Collins' work; she's woven an incredibly gripping, mature and entertaining narrative around the absolutely abominable tradition of the Games. The author has an uncanny ability to create a dystopian future which, much like Philip K Dick's 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' (later to become the film 'Blade Runner'), seems lived in, used and broken when we find it - it's not a world of gleaming spires, full of hope and sci-fi tradition; her universe seems old when we, the readers, get to it.

This, of course, is no mean feat, very few fictions manage to create this same sense of gritty realism - the only other aside from the aforementioned Philip K Dick works that springs to mind is Joss Whedon's Firefly. Indeed, The Hunger Games creates a very similar palette, tonally speaking, to these other science fiction classics.

District 12 as depicted in the 2012 film adaptation.

While, of course, THG isn't strictly science fiction, it has some intriguing elements of the genre; the futuristic setting, the all-seeing government, the barbaric entertainment. All seems to call upon well trodden science fiction territory. Not that I'm saying that's a bad thing - indeed, the true mastery of Collins' writing here is that she takes such mature and distressing themes and distils them, channels them through the prism of an incredibly believable and likeable protagonist and creates, for all intents and purposes, a literary franchise
one can obsess over.

What Collins has done so brilliantly, in creating the character of Katniss Everdeen, is she's given a whole new generation of readers a heroine in which they can believe. A truly original and understandable character with all her flaws, leg hairs and need for urination in tact. Katniss is a surly, grouchy young woman; completely strong willed and independent (to a fault!) and unashamedly intelligent. Collins clearly didn't feel the need to make the character of Katniss attractive or sexy in all the traditional senses and in doing so, creates an icon which is far more endearing than any of her contemporaries, warts and all.

It'd be easy to compare the character of Katniss to that of Rowling's Hermione Granger, however, I feel this is unfair to both characters and their authors; while Rowling sought to create a bossy know-it-all the audience couldn't help but find endearing, Collins creates a brash, hot-headed and impulsive female lead, the likes of which is seen so little these days. While what I've written here may be enough to turn any young reader off the character of Katniss Everdeen, it is, in fact, quite the opposite; Collins gives us the narrative through the mind of young Ms Everdeen and in doing so, allows us to see her motives, understand her actions and get right to the heart of that difficult love triangle we, the audience, so knowingly expects.

Katniss Everdeen as played by
Jennifer Lawrence.

Speaking of the love triangle, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that this is no clichéd Twilight style romance - there is very little in the way of cloying declarations of love, there are next to no outwardly romantic moments and, what we see of Katniss' feelings, come from she, the narrator, herself. This allows us a unique insight into the mentality of a 17 year old girl being forced to deal with feelings and situation far beyond her years. Collins, I feel, may have experienced some sort of similar triangle of emotion when she was at such a formative stage in her life because I don't, personally, understand how she could've written such a charming and believable conflict otherwise.

Aside from Katniss it is the supporting cast which really helps to sell the universe to the reader: Katniss' sister Prim provides a lot of the emotional drive for Katniss, from inspiring her to volunteer as tribute to save the younger Everdeen from the same fate, to giving her pep talks and showing her maturity in the later stages of the narrative, Prim seems to be Katniss if Katniss were allowed to grow up at her own pace.

The average man's man: Peeta Mellark, as
played by Josh Hutcherson

The girls mother is, however, a different sort of emotional foil; Katniss feels a great deal of resentment towards her lack of self control and stability after their father's death. It is this relationship which proves interesting, especially towards the end of the last book when we see the two beginning to build a proper relationship and letting go of the years of resentment Katniss felt towards her.

Then, of course, there's the ever-rugged Gale, Katniss' hunting partner and confidant. It seems that the two
were made for each other, however, as our characters mature and try to deal with the aftermath of the Games, we see a slight shift in the dynamic of the pair. This is possibly due to Katniss' new found companionship with baker's son and fellow tribute, Peeta Mellark.

Now, Collins does a fantastic job of allowing all dorky, nerdy and awkward guys the chance to have a dog in this fight; compared to Gale, Peeta can't possibly compete, right? He's not as handsome or as strong, nor is he as smart or charming. But there's something there that Katniss can't quite put out of her mind and that's what makes him such an interesting read, especially when we understand Katniss' confusion in her feelings for both young men. It's easy to see pros and cons for each, often leading the reader feel as conflicted as Katniss is in choosing her beau.

Citizens of the Capitol eagerly enjoying The Hunger Games.

Of course, the love interest is hardly the main point of the story and, through much trial and tribulation, our protagonist and supporting cast must rally together to do something about the barbarism on display in their despised Capitol. Through a fascinating turn of events we see our beloved characters enter into an even more turbulent time than experienced in the first instalment of the trilogy and, at times, it's pretty touch and go as to how it's going to end. There were times, in fact, when I honestly thought Collins was going to pull a George RR Martin and have everyone killed.

Luckily, she didn't go quite that far and the story is all the more endearing for it; we're even lucky enough to get a Potter style epilogue to the action. Now, this is something I felt I really needed due to the fact that, owing to Collins' natural writing style, she seems to feel the need to leave everything on a slight cliffhanger (seriously, every chapter seems to give us some new revelation which makes it hard to put the blasted books down) and so, upon reading the final words of the story (as we know it) I was initially worried that she would leave the readers devoid of closure.

Thankfully, that wasn't the case and I was left with that sort of happy/sad glow you get when you finish a
truly exceptional set of books.

Honestly, if you're looking for something in a similar vein to Harry Potter but you don't want to go down the supernatural/magic route, The Hunger Games is for you. It is at once funny and sad, silly and absolutely genius. Collins has woven a story which, like all literary classics, will stand the test of time.

Having seen the film adaptation of the first book before even considering reading them, I was worried I wasn't going to enjoy the books as much; boy was I wrong! While the film is marvellous (and I'm eagerly awaiting the release of Catching Fire on November 21st), it's impossible to put as much detail into a film as Collins does to the books. It's also interesting to note that you don't get the same level of insight, owing to the film's omniscient nature, as opposed to our protagonist/narrator system in the books.

In all honesty, I can't rave about these books enough - they're just a rollicking good read with plenty of heart (and heartache) that will leave you at a loss as to what to do next.

Until next time, dear reader, and may the odds be ever in your favour.

Reliving The Magic: The Deathly Hallows

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but
why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”
Dumbledore -
The Deathly Hallows

Wow. That did not take me long at all.

I finished the last instalment of the Potter saga about a week ago, but didn't have time to blog about it until now, so for that I apologise.

Now, I loved so much about this book; the maturity of the text, characters, themes and motifs, not to mention the gripping story, intriguing mysteries and interesting plot points. However, I must say, one of the things that winds me up about the story is that for over half of the book, we get plodding exposition about Harry, Ron and Hermione all not knowing what to do or where to look for Horcruxes, so they just apparate and disapparate at random in the hopes of getting some divine wisdom from Dumbledore (whom Harry feels may still be alive due to his constant sighting of a bright blue eye in the shard mirror which was given to him by recently deceased godfather, Sirius Black).

Please don't get me wrong, I love the way that half of the book was written and we get some truly engaging insight into the dynamics of Ron and Hermione's developing romantic entanglement, but we also get a lot of needless waiting around while they both sit and wait for Harry to reveal some plan they both thought he had which we, as readers, know he couldn't possibly have done. I mean, give the guy a break, up until fairly recently, he hadn't even known Horcruxes exist; how can they possible expect Harry to just know where to look for them?

Potter (somehow) manages to save the day!

Even if they expected Dumbledore to have told them, that's still a lot of expectation to put on their friend. I mean, has Harry ever shown any real signs of forethought when they get themselves into this sort of situation? No, not really. Even from the earliest adventures in The Philosopher's Stone, Harry just seems to bumble through and, with a combination of good friends and quick thinking, saves the day. That's why the wizarding world seems to love him, because he's simply an average boy-wizard who happens to be 'The Chosen One'.

I really feel for Harry, having to deal with all that pressure, I do.

The Horcrux once belonging to
Helga Hufflepuff.

It's also this expectation, pressure and exposition which confuses me as to why they felt the need to split the 'seven Horcruxes/seven books' duality), I understand why they may have felt the desire to drag out the final instalment as much as possible; more films equals more money, of course. But why, when there both The Goblet of Fire and The Half Blood Prince are longer the The Deathly Hallows did they decided to split this one in two, thus making one frankly dull film, and one where I feel the audience isn't allowed to take a breath? It just seems like a silly thing to do me, especially when they could've trimmed the first film down to forty-five minutes of camping adventures leaving us the rest of the film to actually find the Horcruxes.
book into two films (thus ruining the beautiful

Sorry about the rant there - back to the book!

Once Ron has thrown his paddy, come back and rescued Harry from certain death, we finally begin to see some real headway being made into the destruction of Voldemort, and finally, finally, we get the tantalising wizarding action we expected. We get some tales of daring do from our wonder trio as well as some lovely supporting roles from other beloved members of the cast, Bill and Fleur make wonderful aids to the gang, filling the Mr and Mrs Weasley gap we may otherwise have felt in their absence, we also get more time to spend with Olivander; a character I feel, up until this point, had been seriously underwritten. Who better to give us some insight into the history of wand-lore than the best wand maker in the United Kingdom?

Remus Lupin as portrayed
by David Thewlis.

On top of this character development, we have, early on in the story, a wonderful moment where Harry insults Lupin to the point of argument in a bid to convince him to stay with his pregnant wife, Tonks. JK excels herself in this moment by giving us another side to Harry's selfless actions; he must hurt the feelings of the closest thing to a father figure he currently has in order to (hopefully) save his life and allow him to raise his son; something Harry never got to experience on his own. It's this action which allows the reader, I believe, to reconcile the image of Old Harry in the final moments of the book, with the 17 year old wizard in the kitchen of number 12 Grimmauld Place.

Of course, it is this incredibly noble action which makes Lupin's eventual demise all the more heart-wrenching. Not to mention the fact that he and his beloved wife, Tonks, are united in death, but the fact that mere chapters earlier, Lupin honours Harry by asking him to be godfather to his newly born son, Ted. Interestingly enough, however, once Harry sees the couple dead in the great hall of Hogwarts, towards the end of the battle, his first thought isn't that of young, parentless Ted and how Harry will have to become his soul carer, but of his own personal loss. Something which seems, to my mind, to bely the somewhat affected maturity Harry has displayed until this moment.

Photo credit: Potterish.

Personally, I felt that these deaths were the most heartbreaking, though the loss of both Fred and Dobby were utterly horrendous losses to both the characters in the narrative and to the reader. I, for one, felt I'd lost a dear friend when Dobby finally shuffled off his mortal coil. I'm not ashamed to say I shed a tear on the bus home from work while reading, that evening.

I feel now is a good time to state, for the record, that when I read that Mad Eye Moody died in his valiant efforts to transport Harry safely from Privet Drive to the Burrow, that I was utterly shocked, saddened and confused as to how Moody (one of the best Aurors of all time) was so easily killed during (what should've been) a routine excursion.

I was also disappointed to see that very little was done to mourn Moody, up until the moment inside the Ministry when Harry, disguised using Polyjuice Potion, liberates Moody's stolen eye from the door of professional bastard, Dolores Umbridge. Of course, this moment had me punching the air, to see that Moody was remembered in a wonderful moment of Ministry vandalism, though it would've been nice to see a little more sensitivity surrounding the loss of such a wonderfully gruff and impressive character.

Aberforth Dumbledore.

Of course, it's not long that we're without a stern and commanding figure. Indeed, before the book is over, we're introduced to the owner of the dazzlingly blue eye which Harry keeps sighting in the mirror.

It does, of course, belong to Dumbledore.

Though, obviously, not Albus. He's dead, silly.

No, the eye belongs to Aberforth Dumbledore. He is, in many ways, the antithesis of his brother; gruff, stern and altogether a little bit frightening, he is nothing like the sparkling, kind Albus. Indeed, he seems to go to great lengths to differentiate himself from his infinitely more famous brother - we're regaled by tales of the Dumbledore family. Stories of sadness, loss and a family torn asunder. This is a welcome diversion from the excitement of destroying Voldemort, however, as up until this moment, we have heard Albus Dumbledore's name dragged through the mud by none other than quote/unquote 'journalist' Rita Skeeter. What a bitch.

From here, Harry and co. enter Hogwarts through a secret passage guarded by Aberforth and are reunited

Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem.

with the bloody and bruised students which we all know and love. Of course, we have Luna, Neville and a selection of other supporting characters, all of whom seem to have been fighting the good fight in Harry's absence. Naturally, it's inspiring to both Harry and the reader when we see that his friends are striving so fervently to stick it to the Death Eaters.

The following chapters of Rowling's narrative are fraught with loss, excitement and tense moments as the whole of Hogwarts rallies to help Harry fend of Voldemort's hordes while simultaneously trying to find the lost diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw.

It's during these chapters that Rowling really steps up to the plate in delivering some scintillating action which certainly kept me on the edge of my seat, all the while enjoying, savouring and remembering every single moment.

Molly Weasley: Resident Boss.

Also stepping up and proving themselves during these moments are many of the supporting cast; Molly Weasley proves her status as ultimate MILF legend by taking down, none other than scum-bag, Bellatrix Lestrange. Not only does she do away with Lestrange, she does so while protecting Ginny and swearing like a sailor. Good golly, Miss Molly.

Another bad-ass in our midst is none other than Neville Longbottom. Neville acts on instructions from Harry to kill Nagini (the final Horcrux) if he gets the chance. What's so incredible about this, is that Neville proves his worth as a true Gryffindor by pulling the sword of Godric Gryffindor from the flaming remnants of the beloved Sorting Hat.

Harry and Dumbledore walk the
line between life and death.

What surprised me, however, was the fact that, once the Horcruxes had been destroyed and Harry had spoken to a facsimile of Dumbledore (did Harry dream it, or did Dumbledore somehow infiltrate Harry's mind from beyond the grave? You decide!), the final confrontation between he and Voldemort is incredibly short lived. Just one spell each was cast and then a final struggle (as depicted in the films) and suddenly, Voldemort falls down, dead.

A sudden conclusion, I'm sure you'll agree, but shockingly satisfying. The fact that all along, Voldemort's arrogance carried him through, believing he would be the ultimate victor, then he was bested by Potter in but a few moments - he never really seems to have stood a chance.

Yes, with this single page, Rowling gives a generation of readers everywhere closure on the stories, characters, places and people we've all grown to know and love. We find Ginny and Harry are married with children, as are Ron and Hermione. There's now a grudging respect between Malfoy and the gang and we find a new generation of students are off to Hogwarts. The magic continues.

This is a beautifully written epilogue to the Potter saga and Rowling handles it beautifully.

From The Philosopher's Stone, to The Deathly Hallows, Harry Potter has been a wondrous ride, one I'm sure I'll partake in again, before too long. And, when I finally have kids, they will all be introduced to the sheer delight of this story.

And, finally, as I read the last page of the story, the overarching majesty that is the Harry Potter series, I felt depressed and elated, saddened and overjoyed, and finally, once I'd closed the book; all was well.

See you next time, dear reader.

Photo credit: fcksbackground. 

Reliving The Magic: The Half Blood Prince

“Dumbledore says people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right.”
Hermione Granger
The Half Blood Prince

Before we begin, allow me to apologise for the severe delay on this post. What with starting a new job, my reading speed has gone up (thanks to an hour long bus journey each way to and from work) but my time for writing has dropped immensely. In fact, any and all writing time I've had recently has gone into either writing articles for His Vintage Life (available now at W. H. Smiths) or into planning my campy 50's style sci-fi parody "The Man With The Cosmic Quiff: The Adventures of Captain Dirk Hero" (stay tuned for more on that!). So yes, Reliving The Magic has fallen somewhat by the wayside, though, without further delay, here are some of my thoughts on 'The Half Blood Prince'.

To begin with, dear reader, I must be honest with you. While I'd read the first four books in their entirety and had vague memories of making a valiant attempt at book number five, I never even attempted number six. A shameful admission, I know, but by this time I had more important things to worry about, such as how best to create a perfect quiff and how to get girls to notice me. So yes, this book was entirely new to me, which, in all honesty, made it even more exciting.

Obviously, I was familiar with the story thanks to the films, but, as I've said before, it's Rowling's details which make the books so deliriously believable. Once again, she's built upon her previously established Wizarding lore and made her world richer and more colourful with each deft keystroke. Indeed, her use of well-known and well-loved characters is masterful and the addition of new spells, back-stories, myths, legends and monsters makes the whole thing a joy to behold.

Dumbledore and Harry at the pensieve.

Indeed, within this book, some of my favourite Potter moments appear. From Harry's one-on-one extra-curricular lessons with Dumbledore (try getting that past Ofsted!) to the hauntingly tangible horcrux adventure, to the final instalments of the story wherein we find our beloved headmaster entombed in white marble, Rowling creates a narrative which sees our favourite students go from teenagers to adults in the space of a few chapters.

It is, in fact, Harry, Ron and Hermione's determination to carry on the work started by Dumbledore which makes this particular reader finally feel like the trio are maturing and growing into the successful adults they were, undoubtedly, destined to be. What's interesting to note here, is that for the first time in Potter history, I feel like our protagonists have a plan; that when they finally face down Lord Voldemort that they will do so deliberately, confidently; with the wealth of experience and knowledge of magical power befitting a much older generation than they themselves are.

Indeed, Harry seems spurred on, determined, to become the great wizard that Dumbledore believes him to have always been. He is, as the prophecy states, the chosen one, and Harry seems unwilling to let that title mean nothing.

The Dark Mark appears above Hogwarts.

This is particularly poignant since Voldemort essentially created his own worst enemy. His own determination to become the ultimate master of the dark arts leads him to cause the young Harry Potter to have protection against even the darkest spells Voldemort has at his finger tips.

It's the inclusion of this detail, I believe, that cements Potter's inclusion amongst the greatest literary works of all time, indeed, this twist seems almost Shakespearean in nature, execution, and sheer hubris inducing loveliness.

Of course, I'm also furious with Rowling for killing off my absolute favourite character in the saga, but unfortunately, it needed to be done. Harry, Ron and Hermione needed this gut-wrenching shock to inspire them to become something great. This, of course, is something Dumbledore seems to have understood.

The moment that broke my heart. Dumbledore's death.

In fact, it is this sage, Jedi-like ability which causes one to draw comparisons between the Harry/Dumbledore relationship and the similarly wondrous Luke/Obi-Wan relationship of the Star Wars universe.

Yes indeed, Rowling seems to have gone strength to strength with her masterpiece thus far. She succeeds in maturing her characters as time progresses and you can see her writing style ageing with her audience which, I'm sure you'll understand, is no mean feat.

Until next time.

Concept artwork for Dumbledore's Funeral by Adam Brockbank.

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Reliving The Magic: The Order of the Phoenix

“You should write a book," Ron told Hermione as he cut up his potatoes, "translating mad things girls do so boys can understand them.” 

-

Ron Weasley

The Order of the Phoenix

It's that time again, dear reader.

Yes, indeed, the time has come for me to sit you down and rant at you about what I love about 'Harry Potter
& The Order of the Phoenix'.

Now, as a younger man I believe I read the first few chapters of this particular instalment of the Potter saga before falling off the bandwagon and losing interest completely.

However, while back then, I had little time for the politics and exposition of the story, in my older, wiser and more enlightened mindset of the present day, I found this wonderful use of narrative description and pre-existing wizard lore to be an ingenious addition to wizarding world of Harry Potter.

Dolores Umbridge.

Indeed, some of my favourite moments throughout the story involve the Ministry of Magic. When I tried to read TOOTP before, however, I found these segments deathly dull and just wanted to get back to some good old fashioned wand-craft.

Of course, always present, when dealing with the Ministry, is the (previously) fatherly Cornelius Fudge. In past instalments, I adored Fudge and found him to be on par with Dumbledore for sheer grand-fatherly appeal. Unfortunately, the pressures of his job and his inability to believe our dear friend Albus lead Fudge to become a nasty, conniving politician much more in line with his usual muggle counterparts.

In fact, it is this constant sparring with Dumbledore which gives the book most of its' drive and creates a real frisson of energy. The jealousy Fudge feels towards Dumbledore's (clearly) greater power as a wizard only adds to the conflict and causes the Minister to make some seriously boneheaded decisions.

We're also introduced to one of the most hated literary figures of all time, the jobs-worth, self-righteous Dolores Umbridge. What a bitch. (There isn't much more I can say, in all honesty.)

The original 'Order of the Phoenix'.

Of course, on top of all of this, we have the titular 'Order'. Within this, we see some of my absolute favourite
characters from the previous Potter books, while also adding a couple of new ones, giving us a real insight into the workings of the world outside of Hogwarts. The inclusion of Sirius Black's boyhood home as the headquarters is deliriously gratifying and creates some of the most heart-warming (and eventually heartbreaking) details within the entire Potter story.

Rowling's mastery of pace, however, is what really sets this instalment apart from all previous outings for the gang. Who can forget that exciting, edge-of-your-seat battle within the Ministry of Magic wherein we see the Order facing down a horde of Death Eaters. Including, of course, the nefarious Bellatrix Lestrange.

Bellatrix Lestrange.

It is, of course, Lestrange which leads to one of the most poignant moments in the book. I won't discuss it in detail here, for those of you who may have yet to read it, but I can honestly say I felt incredible choked up come the shocking conclusion of that particular battle!

Having finally reached the end of this book after giving up on it all those years ago, I can honestly say I was thrilled with every single element of it. Rowling has this incredible knack for believable detail in a world where things seem ultimately impossible, and that is no mean feat.

Until next time.

Peter Capaldi is the Twelfth Doctor!

Well, well, well.

Capaldi has just been announced as the 12th Doctor.

Look at all this excitement.

I've just watched 'Doctor Who Live' on BBC1 wherein the next actor to play the iconic role of the Doctor was announced. You can view the episode by clicking here.

Now, I wish I could say it was me. Or that I at least auditioned, but unfortunately those would both be lies.

Awesome lies.

But lies nonetheless.

What I can tell you is that I wanted to make a drink to enjoy while I watched but I was so excited that my hands were trembling and thus, spillage was sure to occur. Thus, I abandoned all hopes of ingesting a tasty beverage and watched in parched silence.

After all the exposition behind the Doctor and regeneration (as though those watching weren't huge nerds, unaware of what was going on) we were finally treated to a brief interview with the man himself. Yes, as the title suggest, Peter Capaldi was announced to be the next Doc on the block.

Left to right: Tennant as the 10th, Smith as the 11 and
Eccleston as the 9th incarnations of the iconic role.

I for one, am thrilled that such a wonderfully talented actor has been given such a fantastic opportunity. Not only that, I'm chuffed to bits that an older actor is gracing the role again after the young David Tennant and younger Matt Smith both played the role with aplomb.

Indeed, I can't help but imagine Capaldi's iteration of the iconic Time Lord to be something akin to the dark gravitas awarded to it by the wonderful Christopher Eccleston. The very fact that we now have an actor which would seem tailored to play a darker more mature Doctor (both in physical appearance and in spiritual maturity) would lead me to believe that, teamed with Moffat's darker writing, we may be in for an altogether more grown up version of Who.

Now, some fans may worry that this will upset or alienate younger viewers, and that may the case in very small minorities, but we must remember one important thing:

Doctor Who is meant to be scary.

And not only that, children like to be scared.

*****

Anyway, I can't help but feel that with Capaldi at the helm, we're in for some very interesting stories and an
overall edgier take on our favourite Time Lord.

A wonderful choice, kudos to all those involved.

And to Mr Capaldi, I can only say good luck and enjoy yourself.

I'm sure you'll be fantastic, absolutely fantastic.

Until next time, gang.

Reliving The Magic: The Goblet of Fire

"But Ron was staring at Hermione as though suddenly seeing her in a whole new light.
'Hermione, Neville's right - you are a girl...'"

Ron, Chapter 22, The Unexpected Task

Hello dear reader!

It's that time again. Yes, indeed, I've been doing a big nerd all up in this book and I've powered through
number four of the wondrous Harry Potter series.

Now, I'm going to be honest with you, when I was younger and read this book for the first time round, it took me well over a year to finish it. I think this is due, in part, to the length of the story, as well as the heavy footing in the politics of the wizarding world. At the time I found it more difficult to engage with and trickier to understand. Not to mention the physical problem of holding such a huge book.

However, now that I'm older, wiser and more patient I sat down to enjoy this book full of excitement and ready to give it another go.

Fleur Delcacour, as played by
Clémence Poséy.

Unsurprisingly, my excitement wasn't unwarranted and I absolutely adored this book. It's at once funny and dark and manages to capture that difficult age in a young man's life when he first starts to notice girls. Indeed, Rowling excels at this, giving both Harry and Ron incredibly truthful and believable troubles with the farer sex. From Harry's pining over Cho Chang to Ron's confused feelings for Hermione, Rowling makes tangible the feeling of emotional unrest within these two young men.


On top of all this, she weaves an interesting thread from the very beginning. Indeed, the inclusion of both the Quidditch World Cup and the Tri-Wizard Tournament is a wonderful way to broaden the wizarding world beyond the realms of the school. Of course, the real broadening of this universe comes in the form of the beautiful Beauxbatons students and the fierce forms of the Durmstrang clan.

I find this to be a really exciting move in the series in that, as I've said before, it widens the world in which the Potter saga is set. Never before have we considered, for any great length of time, the idea of there being other wizarding schools throughout the world, but then again, once it's mentioned, it seems like such an inherent part of this world that you almost feel silly for not thinking of it before now!

Robert Pattinson as  Cedric Diggory.

Everything in this book works well and there are some lovely finer details in the book which (unfortunately) couldn't be included in the film. I understand that, of course, what does irk me slightly, is that (to my mind) in the film they've made Cedric far more likeable that he seems to appear in the book. In fact, they do this to the entire Diggory family; in the cinematic itteration of Amos Diggory, we have a loving, doting father whose heart shatters at the end of the first task, giving us some of the finest acting seen within the films franchise, a character with which we can empathise and sympathise.

In the book, however, Amos comes across as an out and out tosser. He's constantly reminding Harry about

The vile Rita Skeeter, played
with relish by Miranda Richardson.

how Hufflepuff had beaten Gryffindor in quidditch, due to Cedric's prowess on a broom and he takes every opportunity to boast of his son's successes. Now, don't get me wrong, a proud parent is fine, but this is absurd.

Then we come to Cedric himself. For the most part I found him smarmy and big-headed (which is ironic due to the fact that everyone believes these to be traits of Harry's, thanks to a run-in with Rita Skeeter). He also lacks any real charm he's supposed to possess. However, I'm sure he only comes across this way because we're viewing him from Harry's point of view. I'm certain if Rowling had given us an unbiased standpoint, Cedric would've seemed to deserve every bit of popularity he'd supposedly garnered.

It's also difficult to separate the image of Cedric Diggory with that of Robert Pattinson. Don't even get me started on that guy!

The soon to be reborn Voldemort,
held aloft by the ever-faithful Wormtail.

Another note I must make when talking of The Goblet of Fire, is how,
for the first time, I felt fear when we encountered Voldemort. The slow and menacing description of the proceedings once Harry and Cedric are transported via Portkey to the graveyard is chilling to read, yet one can't help but take a great deal of glee in the wondrous Machiavellian happenings inflicted upon both Harry and his fellow Tri-Wizard champion.

All in all, this is one of the strongest outings for our Hogwarts-going pals and I feel that I've enjoyed it just about as much as is humanly possible, and that, my friends, is a great deal.

Until next time.

P.S. On a personal note, I'd also like to mention that I recently graduated from university after three long years of study. Given that I had to wear robes on the day, I chose to wear my Gryffindor tie. I attach a photo for your geeky pleasure! Enjoy.

No! It's not Ron, Harry & Ginny, but Lewis Gott, Myself (the author) and
my fiancé, Amber Dewey!
(You can see her blog at: http://thewayamberseesit.blogspot.co.uk/)

Drive

So, last night I sat down to rewatch 'Drive'.

I'd seen it only once before and I'd enjoyed it greatly. It'd been about a year and half since the first viewing so I thought I'd give it another go just to make sure that my initial adoration wasn't me being brain-washed by the hype.

Gosling in action.

I'm pleased to say, upon second viewing, it's just as good, if not better, than I first thought. Indeed, I began to notice the wonderful layers to the film that I'd probably overlooked the first time.

Sure, it's easy to take the film at face value (and a very pretty face it is, too!) but I feel that is doing everyone involved an injustice. I've said films work "in every possible way" before, but it has never been truer than of 'Drive'.

By golly, it's wondrous. From the soundtrack, to the cars, to the casting to the costume, everything gels and works in a splendid mélange of seedy realism. Of course, mix that with some hyped up violence and you get the sorts of tones I feel directors like Tarantino often strive for but don't quite achieve.

Director, Nicolas Winding Refn
gives Gosling a few pointers.

One of the things I found most impressive about this violence, wasn't necessarily the visual gore of Ryan {spoiler ahead, highlight to reveal} the penultimate scene wherein the Driver meets an untimely end at the point of Bernie Roses' blade. A truly haunting scene, I'm sure you'll agree!
Gosling's 'Driver' stamping a man's face it, but the sounds that accompanied it. The stomach-churning audio of crunching bone and squelching brain matter left this particular viewer tittering with sensory-glee. This is also true of the fight in the motel room when a henchman gets stabbed in the chest, only to hear blood spilling from him like so much red paint. However, neither of these instances are anything like the wondrously realistic sound effect of

The Driver at the wheel.

Of course, it'd be lazy of me not to mention the sheer power and majesty of Gosling's career-making performance. What's most impressive about his turn as the eponymous Driver isn't that he creates a new personality for his character, rather, that the character is completely devoid of personality. It's impressive when an actor can make you  believe everything its' character says. It's even more impressive when they can make you believe nothing they say, but for all the right reasons. Gosling achieves this with masterful control in every scene he is in. Indeed, it'd be easy to retro-cast this film with none-other than James Dean playing the lead role, and that's not a compliment I pay lightly!

A wonderful poster mock-up for a 1950s set 'Drive'.

Of course, it's performances like this that kicked the former Mickey Mouse Club member off of his
romance-film laurels and into a more impressive realm of performances. From 'Drive' to 'Gangster Squad' to 'A Place Beyond the Pines', Gosling goes strength to strength and long may it continue.

The Driver's style is often immitated,
never bettered.

As I'm sure you'll remember, when 'Drive' first came out everyone went insane for the trademark scorpion
satin jacket that the Driver wears throughout. And rightly so, the costume designer did a marvellous job of creating a look for the character that was, at once, both everyone and no-one. I can't help but want everything Gosling wears in the movie, especially those glorious brown leather driving gloves! I'll be sure to put them on my Christmas list.

The cinematography and the music work hand in hand to create an all encompassing cinematic experience, even when watched at home. The fact that it's easy to immerse oneself entirely in the film while lounging around the house is no mean feat and is one that many Hollywood films of late seem to have stumbled upon. 'Drive', however, succeeds in all aspects of this and only serves, like a fine wine, to get better with age.

Be seeing you.

P.S. If any of you lovely people actually wanted to get their grubby little mitts on a replica of that famous jacket, you can do so by clicking this doobly-do: http://www.shop-steady.com/Drive-Mens-Replica-Racer-Jacket-p/drive001.htm

Reliving The Magic: The Prisoner of Azkaban

"'We'll see each other again,' he said. 'You are - truly your father's son, Harry...'"

Sirius Black, Chapter 21, Hermione's Secret.

Hello again, dear readers.

I've literally just closed my copy of 'Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban' and by golly I was thrilled with it. This is the only Potter book I can vividly remember reading as a child and, thus, has always held a special place in my heart.

Remus Lupin as portrayed by
David Thewlis.

Upon rereading I realised that another reason I adore this particular instalment above all others is because it introduces two of my all time favourite characters within the wizarding world. Now, those that have been following my twitter feed during the reading of this book will probably have guessed that, certainly, one of those is Professor Remus Lupin. Never before in the Potter series have we seen a teacher so quintessentially Professorial and I absolutely worship Lupin for that. His robes are tatty and threadbare, he is dishevelled and unkempt but, amazingly enough, he knows his subject which, at Hogwarts, seems to be a slight rarity... *cough* looking at you Trelawney *cough*

Aside from being an absolute boss of an educator, Lupin is also hardcore enough to be a mother-flipping werewolf! Now, this is a detail I love and think expands the Potter-Verse while simultaneously adding depth to the character. Good job JK. As well as all this, we have the further historical detail involved; most noticeably, the inclusion of the Marauder's Map and those behind the writing of it. Wonderful stuff!

Sirius Black as portrayed by
Gary Oldman.

Another wonderful inclusion, of course, is the prisoner of Azkaban himself, the (supposedly) dastardly Sirius Black! Of course, as one nears the end of the book it becomes clear that not all is as it seems and that Black has, unfortunately, taken the fall for a crime he didn't commit. The character is oozing in style and literary wit and feels fully fleshed out (for lack of a better phrase) even though we only really get to know him the last two chapters of the text. We go from being scared of him, to being uncertain of his motive, to adoring him unreservedly... Not many writers can do that!

The Time Turner.

On top of all of this wondrousness, we also get the inclusion of the o-so-important Time Turner... While I love it as a piece of wizarding tech, I'm slightly taken aback that Professor McGonagall allowed Hermione to have one for the sole-purpose of attending more classes than otherwise physically possible. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that Hermione wants to be the best witch she can possible be, but the fact that she's been allowed to play around with time in order to achieve that smacks of the deepest levels of irresponsibility... even if it was okayed by the Ministry of Magic!

All in all, I adore this story and will, undoubtedly, hold it in my heart for as long as I live. I know for a fact my future children will be read the Potter series at bedtime and I will, certainly, do a little fanboy squeal when we can move onto 'The Prisoner of Azkaban.'

Until next time.