Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban
It’s safe to safe that I’m on a Harry Potter roll having completed the third book in the series: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
For a “children’s series”, they are incredibly dark. Or perhaps I have just forgotten what it’s like to read as a child and the realisation that children are much hardier than adults give them credit for.
But come to think of it, the fairy tales I grew up reading were actually quite terrifying with witches eating children and evil murderous stepmothers. However, for whatever reason, I don’t remember being at all scared by any of these stories. Perhaps because they all had happy endings.
And maybe for that same reason, the darkness of the Harry Potter world is tempered, because I assume that everything will work out alright in the end. And so far, they have. If this does not continue in the later books, don’t tell me. I will find out in due cause.
Each Harry Potter book that I’ve read so far starts during the summer holiday with Harry having the worst time with his family, the Dursleys. Respite usually comes when he returns to school. In the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry runs away after an unfortunate incident with a guest of the Dursley. With his heavy school trunk in tow, he realises that perhaps fleeing was not he best decision but what does he do now? There’s where the Knight Bus comes in and offers him passage to London.
Like the previous two books, the adventures start very quickly with the major story-line established within the first few pages. The writing is deceptively simple, but I can imagine that prose that is so clear and compelling takes work.
Friendship continues to play a major role here and some incidences occur that test the bonds between Harry, Ron and Hermione – particularly Ron and Hermione …. something to do with a rat.
Each book introduces new adversaries and here we meet the escaped mass murderer and follower of Lord Voldemort, Sirius Black who legend has it killed twelve people in one swoop. Oh and he’s after Harry. Then there are the Dementors with their kiss of death.
I read this book within 12 days (a record for my adult self), with the last third of it hoovered up on a trip from Abuja to Lagos, so kind of in one sitting. Kind of….
There is something that almost happens that would have led to the happiest ending ever for Harry. Unfortunately it did not and that was the closest thing to a sad ending for any of the books that I’ve read so far. Despite that, it ends on an optimistic note and I already have The Goblet of Fire ready to see if my hope was justified.
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