Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Book 4 :: Education by Design Store

Editorial Review
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling offers up equal parts danger and delight--and any number of dragons, house-elves, and death-defying challenges. Now 14, her orphan hero has only two more weeks with his Muggle relatives before returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Yet one night a vision harrowing enough to make his lightning-bolt-shaped scar burn has Harry on edge and contacting his godfather-in-hiding, Sirius Black. Happily, the prospect of attending the season's premier sporting event, the Quidditch World Cup, is enough to make Harry momentarily forget that Lord Voldemort and his sinister familiars--the Death Eaters--are out for murder.

Readers, we will cast a giant invisibility cloak over any more plot and reveal only that You-Know-Who is very much after Harry and that this year there will be no Quidditch matches between Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Instead, Hogwarts will vie with two other magicians' schools, the stylish Beauxbatons and the icy Durmstrang, in a Triwizard Tournament. Those chosen to compete will undergo three supreme tests. Could Harry be one of the lucky contenders?

But Quidditch buffs need not go into mourning: we get our share of this great game at the World Cup. Attempting to go incognito as Muggles, 100,000 witches and wizards converge on a "nice deserted moor." As ever, Rowling magicks up the details that make her world so vivid, and so comic. Several spectators' tents, for instance, are entirely unquotidian. One is a minipalace, complete with live peacocks; another has three floors and multiple turrets. And the sports paraphernalia on offer includes rosettes "squealing the names of the players" as well as "tiny models of Firebolts that really flew, and collectible figures of famous players, which strolled across the palm of your hand, preening themselves." Needless to say, the two teams are decidedly different, down to their mascots. Bulgaria is supported by the beautiful veela, who instantly enchant everyone--including Ireland's supporters--over to their side. Until, that is, thousands of tiny cheerleaders engage in some pyrotechnics of their own: "The leprechauns had risen into the air again, and this time, they formed a giant hand, which was making a very rude sign indeed at the veela across the field."

Customer Reviews

PRETTY GOOD BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-04-20
THIS BOOK HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE IS ACTUALLY A PRETTY GOOD BOOK. THE GOOD THING ABOUT NOT JUST THIS BOOK BUT ALL THE BOOKS IS THAT THEY TELL WAY MORE INFORMATION THEN THE MOVIE DOES. BUT THE PROBLEM ABOUT THIS BOOK IS THAT IN THE BEGINING IT STARTS OUT REALLY SLOW BUT ONCE YOU GET ABOUT 300 TO 350 PAGES READ IT STARTS GETTING REALLY GOOD AND YOU DONT WANT TO PUT IT DOWN. PROBOBALY THE BEST PART IN THIS BOOK IS THE ENDING WHICH I AM NOT GOING TO TELL YOU JUST INCASE YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS BOOK. OVERALL I WOULD SAY THIS BOOK IS PRETTY GOOD BUT IS IS NOT ONE OF MY FAVORITE SO I A'M GIVING IT A 4/5. OH AND HERES A QUESTION FOR YOU GUYS THAT READ THIS BOOK.
"DID YOU LIKE THE BOOK WHEN YOU READ IT?

Success Number 4

2008-03-25
The Goblet of Fire is truly a special book. Delving even deeper (and darker) into the villainy that lies just below the calm surface, so to speak, Rowling succeeds...yet again.

The plot of the series thickens, what with fellow students turning their back on Harry, who is taking part in an old, old, old Wizard Tournament. It all culminates in a climatic battle with the flesh and blood Voldemort in a graveyard.

Rowling's writing style is so engaging and effective. She positively reduced me to pathetic tears in the closing chapters of this EXCELLENT book, leaving us on the verge of a looming danger.

As Gandalf might say; "The battle in the graveyard is over, but the battle against Voldemort has just begun."

Okay, that was a bit stupid...but true. Stupidly true.

JJ from Lake Tapps says, "Amazing Book"

2008-03-20
Zap! Lord Voldemort's and Harry Potter's hex and jinx came zooming out of the tips of their wands and became connected. Find out what happens by reading J. K. Rowling's fabulous book Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Harry has to spend another grueling summer with his evil Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and his cousin Dudley, until his best friend, Ron Weasley, invites him to the Quidditch World Cup. After the exciting game every body gets attacked. Luckily, Ron and Harry are ok. On September 1, as always, Harry and his friends get on the Hogwarts Express to go to school. A few days after their arrival 2 other schools come. The schools are Beauxbatons and Bulgaria. That night Dumbledore (the head master) revels an old goblet. He explains that only 3 people may compete in the Triwizard Tournament. The tournament has 3 dangerous tasks. 3 names come out of the goblet. Then a 4th . Harry Potter. He has no choice but to compete. Towards the end Lord Voldemort comes back. Does Harry live? Read to find out!

For me the best part is the 1st task. Harry had to get a golden egg from a fierce dragon. He barely gets the egg. I liked this because it had a lot of good words and action. It kept me turning the pages.

The main character is Harry Potter. He is a good kid but gets in trouble by Snape. Ron is Harry's best friend. Professor Snape is the most hated teacher in the whole school. Malfoy is a bad kid and Harry's worst enemy.

I recommend this book to people who like long books, good words, and a great book. I bet you will love this book like me!

Sublime!

2008-03-12
Listening to Jim Dale's narration of the Quidditch World Cup makes it all come to life, better than in the film. He is almost without peer. I can't imagine anyone else doing it. The conclusion of the book is effectively emotional and it all complements reading the book itself. Bravo!

For 1,000's of Years!!!

2008-02-23
Ok, we all know and love the Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling. And of the seven books in the series, I think Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is probably none other than the best. It's plot is amazing and it has the best descripion a book could possibly offer. The only critizisim I could give it is that things can be a bit predictable at points... The author uses a lot of conversation and dreams to really keep the book flowing. Now, here's a bit about the plot: Anyone who has read the Harry Potter series knows that the main characters are Harry and his best friends Ron and Hermione. It mainly follows a plot where the Triwizard Tournament happens at Hogwarts and it hasn't happened for 1'000's of years. Three schools are competeing, (where else would tri come from?) Hogwarts, Beauxaton's, and Durmstrang. They compete in various challenges and only one student does it per school. That's all I can tell you. Read it to find out what happens! I would highly recommend this book.

For 1,000's of Years!

2008-02-22
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling offers up equal parts danger and delight--and any number of dragons, house-elves, and death-defying challenges. Now 14, her orphan hero has only two more weeks with his Muggle relatives before returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Yet one night a vision harrowing enough to make his lightning-bolt-shaped scar burn has Harry on edge and contacting his godfather-in-hiding, Sirius Black. Happily, the prospect of attending the season's premier sporting event, the Quidditch World Cup, is enough to make Harry momentarily forget that Lord Voldemort and his sinister familiars--the Death Eaters--are out for murder.

Long before her fourth installment appeared, Rowling warned that it would be darker, and it's true that every exhilaration is equaled by a moment that has us fearing for Harry's life, the book's emotions running as deep as its dangers. Along the way, though, she conjures up such new characters as Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, a Dark Wizard catcher who may or may not be getting paranoid in his old age, and Rita Skeeter, who beetles around Hogwarts in search of stories. (This Daily Prophet scoop artist has a Quick-Quotes Quill that turns even the most innocent assertion into tabloid innuendo.) And at her bedazzling close, Rowling leaves several plot strands open, awaiting book 5. This fan is ready to wager that the author herself is part veela--her pen her wand, her commitment to her world complete. (Ages 9 and older) --Kerry Fried

Page-turning and very engaging 2008-02-20
I'm finally working my way through the Harry Potter series. Obviously, others have covered the plot synopsis, so I'll just add my two cents that I really enjoyed reading the book. I enjoy reading lots of books, but all the Harry Potter books are those that you can really lose yourself in.

Something I find interesting is how the books are evolving as Harry is getting older -- they are written for an audience of about Harry's age, so they get more complex as you go through the series. And darker, too. Harry's challenges are starting to move beyond schoolwork and into some very serious stuff.

Ms Rowling's penchant for comma splices still annoys me a little, but maybe that just makes us read faster. The foreshadowing seemed a bit less obvious with this book, with some genuinely surprising plot twists (which surprised me even though I'd already seen the movie...). As soon as I finished this book, I had to return it to the library and grab up the next two! Makes me very glad that I waited until they were all written, or I think I'd have gone mad!

a longer and darker book 2008-02-05
I was at a conference in San Francisco in July 2000 and went to a Borders the day this book came out. I bought a copy. Everyone in my family except the youngest was reading these books. In 2002 my youngest son is trying to read them also. We saw the movie on book 1 and liked it.
This book differs from the first three in that it is much longer. In the beginning it does not hold your interest like the previous three. I think with the first three she continued to get better. But with this book she tried to be different and top the others. I think the length was a mistake and that is why I now have changed my mind and given it only 4 stars.

Toward the end there are real surprises and the interest picks up. If you get to the tournament you will be intrigued and surprised. For Potter fans she ties up loose ends from previous books and the suspense, surprise and new mysteries that are her trademark come out. But you have to go through a lot to get there. If you like the Potter series it is worth wading through. You can find my early review with more discussion of the story line if you have the patience to search through the 4000+ other reviews. Mine is in the middle even though it was posted only two weeks after the release of the book!

We all expected book 5 in 2001. It didn't happen. Don't expect it in 2002 either.

As it is now 2008 and the series of books is over it seems to me that this was the turning point book where Rowling catered more to the adults than the kids, starting a trend of more complicated plots longer books and darker endings. Only the older dedicated children were able to go through the last 4 books. As a slow reader I definitely lost some interest.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. 2007-12-17
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE

The book is about Harry Potter going to Howgarts for his fourth year. In Harrys fourth year, Howgarts holds a twiwizard tournament. And two wizard schools came to Howgarts for the tournament. To enter in the tournament you have to be of age which is like 17 years old. If you win the tournament there is a cash prize. There are only four people who can be selected to be in the tournament. Harry is underage but somehow Harry is selected to be in the tournament. Someone who is overage must have put his name in the Goblet of Fire. The Goblet of Fire selects four people to be in the tournament. And the Goblet of Fire has a line around the Goblet and if you cross over that line it will know if you are underage or not. In the tournament Harry has to complete three tasks. The first task Harry has to deal with a dragon. The second task is underwater and the third task Harry has to find his way through a maze to try to find the cup. Harry and Cedric grab the cup at the same time and the cup was a porkey. So they both ended up in a grave yard where Lord Voldemort was waiting for Harry. Voldemorts follower killed cedric. And then Harry fought Voldemort and at the last minute Harry went back to the porkey and went back to Howgarts. Harry won the tournament but Cedric was dead and Voldemort was back.

Amazing! 2007-12-09
So far my favorite book! I love this book for multiple reasons. The first is all of the interesting things you learns about Harry, Voldemort, and the rest. The second, is all the interesting things you learn about magical creatures and such. The third, is seeing all the kids grow up(*sniff*), and last is reading adventure after adventure and solving mystery after mystery. It's amazing what JKR has done with a simple plot line. She's added characters, she's got side plot lines and even more!
Get this book. You wont be disappointed.