Stats
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Audiobook
read by Jim Dale
2001 Hugo
Award Winner
Got it
from: Public Library
20h 37m
The same,
but darker.
Trying to make sense of so many questions…
I’ve read
the Harry Potter series twice now and I always enjoy them as fun, familiar, and
not very challenging. Preparing to read
it in the context of all of the really great SF/F titles that have earned the
Hugo, I was a little perplexed and to be honest, earnestly dreading this read (is it possible to dread earnestly? Because I was very intent in my dread). I would never admit to this, but there may
have even been a moment in time when I sort of chose to listen to the audiobook
so that I could only half pay attention and just be done with it with minimal
effort. And I was even less excited
about writing this review. Now, I’m glad
I’ve taken some time to stew over it, because I’ve developed a slightly
different perspective.
Initially,
I was concerned that the pendulum swing of voter fickleness (is that a word?)
had swung from the very hard SF choices of the 90’s to what appeared to be
little more than a popularity contest in the 2000’s (Vinge, Gaiman, Bujold, and
Rowling, all with large fan bases, account for half of the Hugo’s). But really, that’s a silly comparison; after
all, people like Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, and LeGuin have been getting repeat
wins since the beginning.
My fear
that Rowling’s win would only evidence the number of fans rather than the
quality of the book was probably unwarranted as popularity has always
influenced Hugo Award voting. But my
concerns about the book went beyond popularity too. I joked that this was the same Harry Potter
only darker. I’ll get to the darker part
in a minute, but Rowling really does lean heavily on the safe and predictable
at times. I wondered for a long time why
this book won, if none of the others (which are written very similarly) had even been nominated?
I have also
been seriously delaying this review (earnestly delaying it), then writing and
rewriting major portions of it for the last month or so, trying to decide what
to defend (I think there’s plenty worth defending) and what to criticize
(probably even more). But just now, I
don’t think I’ll go there except to remember that if any book signaled Rowling’s
attempt to transform this series to something darker, it was this one. There’s a lot that feels rote-Harry-Potter
about this book, but even amidst really awful moments like the entire World
Cup Quidditch Cup, Rowling was able to introduce a sense of pervading and
seemingly permanent doom. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire shed quite a
lot of the happy-go-lucky, even-if-something-bad-happens-it-will-turn-out-alright-in-the-end
feeling of the first three books.
Rowling’s fourth installment had some real weight (physically too), and
even a sliver of emotional depth. In all
fairness, it’s not entirely undeserving (just mostly).
So I
guess, while it might seem that I could get behind arguments in favor of- or in
opposition to- this win, I think I still lean toward being opposed to this
win. At the same time, I’m of the
opinion that the question of whether this or any of the Harry Potter books are
deserving of the Hugo is irrelevant. That
Harry Potter won the Hugo seems to
say more about the award process to me than the worthiness of the book.
The Hugo
Award, at least for best novel, is only marginally about the crowning of this
year’s best SF/F work. It’s a fan
process. It’s a thing anyone can do (if
you can pay). It’s a popularity
vote. And yet, we also know that people
are supposed to be voting for the “best” of the year. I don’t think any of that is bad necessarily,
but I think it’s probably necessary to remember before starting to read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in the
context of quite a few really distinguished SF/F novels. It might be a little more fraught with questions
of legitimacy (rightfully IMHO), but it is still fun, immersive and sometimes
a little gross.
Recommendation
If you’re
trying to finish off the Hugo list like me and, like I was, regretting this
one, just know that despite being a little miffed about this Hugo, I still
think there’s plenty to enjoy. Overall,
I enjoyed the book. Not my favorite HP,
definitely not my favorite Hugo, but still worth the time.
If you’ve
already gone through the print books and you think you want to read them again,
I recommend giving the audiobooks a shot.
Jim Dale is always great, and he has such a Harry Potter-y voice that he’s doubly good here.
HEP SCORE
Universe 5/5
Social/Political
Climate 4/5
Dialogue 2/5
Scientific
Wonders 4/5
Characters
3/5
Overall
18/25
Hey! In case you didn’t notice, I actually finished the Hugo’s
just a few hours before Redshirts was announced this weekend. I considered that a challenge completed,
though I have already started reading Redshirts, and I’m sure I’ll end up
reviewing it here later.
