Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Rowling does it again in this decidedly darker (and more emotionally engaging) but just as endearing installment of the Potter series. Though for being a series so focused on witchcraft, it's quite ironic how little spell-casting actually takes place in this one. The book is chiefly concerned with the escaped prisoner fiasco, the Quiddich Cup, Hagrid's problem, the fight between Hermoine and Ron, and some quite interesting developments in Harry's history and the relationships between all the characters... all such to the point where any "new" magic falls by the wayside... proof perhaps that Rowling is more concerned with her characters than the magical escapism that thrilled earlier readers into the series in the first place.

Magic aside, all of the familiar devices are here; the exasperatingly malicious Malfoy, the clever plot twistings and villain switchings, intense Quiddich matches, and of course that distinctive and charming magic that Rowling and Potter pull off quite well.

I've been hoping since I started the series that Harry would start to come into his own with some kind of magical prowess... something that would start to define him tangibly as the "powerful" wizard hidden in a teenager's frame that everyone makes him out to be. But that didn't happen this time around either. Besides being a Parcel-tongue, having a natural ability for broomstick riding, and possessing a kind of unparalleled courage/recklessness, Harry seems quite ordinary as a wizard... which, now that I think about it, might really be the point after all; what connects Harry to so many readers and makes him sympathetic. But at the end of the day, I always feel like Harry is floundering... still trying to find some kind of self-identity and a comfortableness with existence as a wizard. At least in this one, some interesting developments really move his and the others' characters along emotionally, and Potter demonstrated some skill which might be the beginnings of a master dueler... something that would definitely come in handy as Voldemort's strength seems to be rising.

There were some bad omens in this one, ones that weren't resolved by the end of the book, and I'm very glad I'm reading these now instead of having to wait for the next one to come out. This one was fun, just like all the rest, and I look forward to the next installment of Potter's marvelously charming adventures. Another well done to Rowling.

The third book in the Harry Potter Series was, as usual, a really great read, but I didn't like it as much as the first two. The main characters seemed to be fighting amongst themselves quite a lot which pulled away from the playful camaraderie that had been built over the last few books. While some of the trademark HP humor was still there, the fighting was distracting for me and I missed some of the amazing one-liners that packed her other two books. All the upset, however, was pivotal to the plotline, and so I have to just chalk my disgruntlement (yes, I believe I just made that word up) up to my personal tastes. The story was still well written with a multitude of unforseen twists and crazy tense moments--enough that (since I was reading out loud) I found myself actually shouting the lines...and making a bit of a hoarse idiot out of myself. Of all the books, so far, this one had the most jaw-dropping surprises hands down. If you're reading this book for the first time, you'll be amazed, in the end, at how all the different plotlines, character struggles, and hints that you've been given throughout the book come together in a way that is completely unexpected. All in all, I felt this was still a fabulously unpredictable read made ever so slightly less enjoyable by some tension between the characters.

Another great book in the Harry Potter series. We get introduced in this book to more great characters - Sirius Black and Remus Lupin.
Harry is facing challenges at every turn. He is growing up quickly and so is serious nature of Rowling's books. I started reading this series in my late 20's and have re-read the series many times over. Each book is getting darker and involved and begin to feel less like a kids story with every turn of the page.
This book continues the great development of the key characters. You can tell they are maturing and relationships are building and changing quickly. Rowling's development of the characters is well done. No matter how many times I read the book and know the outcome of each story I still feel the same emotion, love and hate for various characters with each read.
Love it and will continue to read it again and again.

One of the unique features of the Harry Potter books is that as Harry ages, J. K. Rowling's writing style matures as he matures. Harry is thirteen now and in his third year at Hogwarts. Through much study and hard work he is becoming a powerful wizard and begining to mature. The second most powerful dark wizard was a man named Sirius Black. Black committed the most terrible cirme a wizard could committ. He went out into non-magical world and murdered thirteen muggles. He was arrested by the Ministry of Magic and imprisoned in the maximum security prison at Azkaban for twelve years. For the magicall folk this prison was their Alcatraz. Then, he escaped and threw the world of magic into a maximum security alert.

When the summer ends and Harry returns to Hogwarts the school is guarded by dementors, disembodied spirist who guard the prisoners at Azkaban. Everyone in the school is terrified. The school authorities are sure that Black is heading for the school to kill Potter. Life at school must go on though. Harry continues to take classes and to become a better quidditch player. With the aid of a teacher name Lupin who is also a werewolf Harry learns that Sirius Black is really his friend and protector. Once again the Dark Lord's ambitions have been frustrated, for now.

The third book about The Boy Who Lived takes a turn to a slightly darker direction, as Harry, Ron and Hermione get into their third year of magical education at Hogwarts.

PoA is my favourite of the five HP movies that have been released so far.. And yet, the movie pales in comparison with the book. The original canon, the book, contains a lot of background information that is lacking from the movie, even some very crucial bits of information.

The rich detail of the wizarding world and of the students' lives at Hogwarts never ceases to amaze me. Rowling truly makes you feel like you're right there with Harry and his friends (and foes), playing Quidditch, eating at the Great Hall, spending time in the Gryffindor Common Room and attending lessons, be it in Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Divination or Care of Magical Creatures. Reading about the various magical school books makes you want to study them yourself, learning the spells makes you want to try them out for real.

While the movies do add some colour to the books -- for example, the movie Snape is much less disagreeable than the book Snape, owing, no doubt, to the sulking rather than malicious portrayal of him by the wonderful Alan Rickman -- I have to say I like PoA even more after reading the book.

Wow, I just finished the "third year" book and I must say this is the best of the 3 booksI have read. each book gets better and better than the one I read before.

I liked how this book finally starts to show Harry start to stand up for him self a bit more and start to explore and express more aspects of his magical power, which from the start we know has immense talents.

I am surprised at how fun and engaging these books are, and while the books revolve around magic and wizards, things i am not usually into I can't help but be drawn into the characters and the relationships between them.

There are two new characters introduced in this book, and I am immediately a fan of both them. I hope to see them come back in future installments.

The plot of this third book is very good. There are several different things going on which make it a fun read, and the ending has many twists that will make finish the last hundred or so pages in one sitting. enjoy!

This is far and away one of my favorite books of the Harry Potter Series. Again we are pulled away from the hated Voldemort and presented with a completely new "villain" and the best character in the entire series Sirius Black. While the Potter story mostly turns into a more adult tale in the 5th book this is the first book that has a darker feel. While the first two books can be viewed as a thorough entrance into Rowling's magical world, this story begins digs more into Harry's personal life and more of his back story. It is a nice look as we have just learned a good deal about Voldemorts back story in the previous book. Over all this is my 3rd favorite in the series behind Deathly Hallows and Half-Blood Prince. Rowling herself has said that both DH and HBP could be looked at as half's of one story therefore one could argue that this is the best stand alone novel Rowling has written.

3/5

A lot of people call PoA their favorite in the series, but I honestly don't understand why. Sure, it introduces Lupin and Sirius, two great characters, but it's the only Harry Potter book that does not advance the overarching plot of the series. It's all character introductions, history, and background information. That's only a minor point, though. My real problem with the novel is that its plot - which centers around the murder of Harry's parents - is grounded in utter stupidity. Basically, the Potters made a close friend Secret-Keeper for the location of their home in order to hide from Voldemort, and the friend betrayed them. Surviving friends, in recounting the events, express regrets that the Potters had not chosen one of them, or even Dumbledore. Now, think about this logically for a moment. To have chosen Dumbledore or one of the others would have been almost as great a folly as the actual choice had been. Why do I say that? Because there were two patently obvious candidates for the position of Secret-Keeper: James and Lily Potter themselves. Had either of them been chosen, Voldemort would have had to find them in order to get the secret, and in order to get the secret, he would have had to find them. It would have been practically foolproof, and if the Order of the Phoenix had had half a brain between them, they should have seen that at once. The thing is, the Order did in fact have half a brain between them, which makes the whole plot rather difficult to credit. To anyone who may object that perhaps it is not possible to be one's own Secret-Keeper, I point out that in book 7, Bill is the Secret-Keeper for the location of his own cottage.

If you can ignore the stupidity, PoA is good book, but nothing outstanding.

This book was my personal favourite of the Harry Potter series, mainly because it's where the character of Sirius Black is introduced, and for the first time we feel like we're really learning something about Harry's past, and about his destiny.

This is where a lot of the relationships really start to get more interesting. The book outshines the movie.