7ENG2 24-25 discussion

The third book, The Prisoner of Azkaban, is darker and more complex in its pattern than the first two. Harry now has to contend with the dark figure of Sirius Black, who has escaped from prison and is thought to be attempting to murder him. In contrast to the other books, where Voldemort was the source of all tension, here mystery, misdirection, and the past coming back to haunt are to the fore. Where I totally adored the book as a whole, there were two or three things that didn't entirely work for me.

My absolute favorite aspect of this novel is the first appearance of the Dementors. They are the first actual monsters in the series that we feel truly scare us, and how they affect Harry makes him all the more vulnerable. The way Lupin teaches Harry to fight them with the Patronus Charm is also one of the most satisfying moments in the book. Speaking of Lupin, he’s by far the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we’ve seen so far—he actually knows what he’s doing, and his lessons feel practical instead of just being played for laughs like with Lockhart. The whole Marauder subplot was also great, as it fleshed out Harry's father's background even if I would have liked to see them delve into it a little more. And of course, the twist with the time traveling at the end was brilliant. It's one of the few instances of time travel ever being done that makes sense and doesn't taste half-baked.

But there was a couple of things that I didn't like. For starters, Snape's actions were simply infuriating. I get it that he detested James Potter, but making life miserable for a bunch of 13-year-olds seems an overreaction. Second, I wish Dumbledore was more straightforward and not always enigmatic—his acceptance of allowing things to take their course without providing useful insight grows tiresome at times. Lastly, I think Sirius's innocence could have been made clearer. Though saved by Harry and Hermione, no real ending of the Ministry in existence was maddening.

Overall, The Prisoner of Azkaban is a great book with very good character development, an engaging mystery, and further insight into the history of the wizarding world. It has some weaknesses, but they don't take away from how much enjoyment you have reading it. The series is clearly getting older, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with next.