First sentence: The villagers of Little Hangleton still called it "the Riddle House," even though it had been many years since the Riddle family had lived there.

Premise/plot: Harry Potter returns (eventually) to Hogwarts where he and his friends discover several changes for the school year ahead. Before school returns, there is a Quidditch World Cup to be endured. It felt like the sporty Quidditch World Cup took up 800 pages. Once he (and his friends) return to Hogwarts and begin their studies again, the pace picks up a bit. One of the changes this year is the triwizard competition. Hogwarts is one of three schools participating. There is supposed to be one student per school. But someone has entered Harry's name into the goblet of fire and so he ends up being a 'champion' [participant]. Cedric Diggory is the other Hogwarts champion. [I don't remember the names from the other two schools.] This competition is spread out throughout the school year.

My thoughts: I feel like the first six-hundred pages were mostly dull and ho-hum. I think the last bit of the novel has all the action and suspense. Out of the four novels I've read so far, this has been the dullest all things considered. All things being taking the book as a whole. There were definitely intense, action-packed, emotional scenes/chapters. But does THAT end-portion make up for all the sporty-sport-sport bit at the start???? I'm not sure. This was the first Harry Potter book where I've had to force myself to keep reading to get to the end of it. ( )

The fucking Priori Incantatem chapter gets me every time, the second they start coming back I just start bawling. So that's fun! No, it is. It's such a good climax to such a good book.

Only thing that bothers me is how fucking boring the Triwizard Tournament is if you're not participating. Yes, the first task is cool, but the rest is superboring to watch, as per this comic. And like, no quidditch??? So they get to watch nothing and do nothing all year because some boring tournament takes place.

Also, Beauxbaton and Durmstrang is just left to their own devices for the entire year while their best students and headmaster/headmistress is off to Hogwarts. How are the exchange students getting any studying done? They're not taking the same subjects as the Hogwarts students, so are they being educated by their headmaster/headmistress, or are they taking Hogwarts classes??

I love the book but this makes no sense to me. ( )

Molto bello anche il quarto libro che, ad un inizio un pochino più lento del solito, contrappone un finale stupendo. Bellissimo il colloquio finale tra Silente e Fudge, un perfetto esempio di ottusità del potere. ( )

This is the longest book I've read, and I know it's a small goal but it doesn't make me fear big books anymore!

Anyway, the first three Harry Potter books didn't really grip me as much as this one, but this one was so good to where I want to immediately jump into the fifth one.

Also, I've only seen 5 of the 8 movies, and the GoF was my least favorite movie, but my favorite book so far. ( )

Best one yet. It started with a bang and ended with one, too. Excellent series! ( )