Harry Potter has been one of my favorite series, almost since I started reading chapter books. My brother was really into them when I was still a little too young. The Half Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows were coming out in those days. Eventually, I saw the appeal, caught the bug, and was hooked.
I have read each of the Harry Potter books at least twice, most at least three times, and some (The Prisoner of Azkaban) as many as seven times. My wife and I read the entire series out loud to one another early in our marriage, after receiving the wonderful gift of the boxed set pictured above from my brother. So yes, I feel as qualified as any fan to make a list of my favorites.
This is the definitive, end-all-arguments, peer-reviewed scientific ranking of the seven original Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling.
Number 7: The Sorcerer's Stone
This one has to go Number 7 for me. It's not that Sorcerer's Stone isn't a good book, and an especially good children's book. Rather, the genre is part of its problem. It's written to a slightly younger audience than the other chapters of the saga, and also exposes the very beginnings of Rowling's work for the series - meaning it's a little less tightly written, a little less compelling and magnetic. Certainly I would encourage anyone interested in the series to start here, but don't expect things to really get going until Book 3. Sorcerer's Stone is a fun time, but a little tedious and not at the level of its successors. It is much more fun at age 11 than at age 21.
Number 6: The Chamber of Secrets
Next up is Chamber of Secrets, which I place a short distance ahead of Sorcerer's Stone. I find Book 2 to be a more compelling and interesting read, with the agonizingly self-obsessed Lockhart, set against the terror of the monster within the castle. Things seem to get a little more serious, and the reader becomes more invested in the adventures of Harry and his friends. Featuring a great final battle and more insight into great characters like Dumbledore and Hagrid, Chamber of Secrets is a step up from the original.
Number 5: The Order of the Phoenix
The fifth-best book in the series jumps us way ahead in the timeline. The Dark Lord has returned, and Rowling spends a fairly dark book exploring the secret society resisting Voldemort, the dark wizard's demonic influence on Harry, Harry's own strained friendships, house elf liberation, a dusty old former wizard hangout, teenage romance, Quidditch drama, mysterious dreams, Ministry politics, a shockingly evil new teacher... the list goes on for a while, sort of like the book. And while many of these elements are interesting and compelling - more so than in Books 1 and 2 - they lack the overall drive and direction needed to make such a lengthy novel really work.
One major strength of the book is its villain, Umbridge. She is far and away the most easy to despise of the Harry Potter bad guys, and her evil, twisted influence in Hogwarts draws the reader into the story. The Order of the Phoenix itself is another fun new element, but it sometimes gets bogged down in the dusty, dark corners of Grimmauld Place. Overall, Rowling has a lot of good things happening in Book 5 - too many things with too little overall plot direction - resulting in a good but clunky entry in the Harry Potter canon.
Number 4: The Goblet of Fire
The Goblet of Fire is a true classic. We are now at the level of Harry Potter books that I would gladly pick up and read anytime, at the drop of a hat. With a hefty but more tightly-written narrative (190,637 words as opposed to Book 5's 257,045), Book 4 really hits the mark as a Harry Potter adventure. The Triwizard Tournament is an excellent plot device that serves so many purposes - driving the plot forward relentlessly and always giving the reader something to look forward to, expanding the world of wizardry, shaking up the cast of characters, and ultimately providing a strong buildup for the return of Voldemort.
The Goblet of Fire is also one of the strongest mysteries in the Harry Potter series, as looming questions arise and linger in compelling and layered ways throughout the story, all culminating in the stunning events of the climax. Book 4 also provides an excellent test for Harry and Ron's friendship, as they and the reader wonder together: Who put Harry's name in the cup?
This book is full of classic characters and moments, sure to engross readers across the generations.
Number 3: The Deathly Hallows
The Deathly Hallows somehow pulls it all together with an excellent finale to the best-selling series of all time. With the expectations set sky-high from The Half-Blood Prince, Book 7 delivers with a thoughtful and powerful culmination to the series. Rowling takes almost the whole book out of Hogwarts and follows Harry, Ron, and Hermione through their most difficult trial yet: hunting horcruxes and facing down the Dark Lord one last time. Readers receive a satisfying conclusion to the relationship between the three friends, and a stunning final showdown between Harry and Voldemort (many times more powerful than the movie's version of events).
The only thing that really drags Book 7 down is history. In order to bring things to a close, the reader is subjected to long clippings from newspapers and books within the story that unfold the subplot of Dumbledore's past. This facet of the novel is less compelling than the main storyline, and perhaps could have been handled differently or left out altogether. Modern fiction seems determined to humanize every character, as if it's evil to give the reader a strong example of pure and undefiled good (Ahem, Aragorn and Gandalf cough cough). Alas, we can't have everything, and even if there is a little earwax bean in the box, it doesn't change the fact that I'll enjoy eating the rest of the candy.
Number 2: The Prisoner of Azkaban
The Prisoner of Azkaban is perhaps the key that unlocked Harry Potter’s long-term success. After a highly successful opening salvo and follow-up, Book 3 was a place where the series had to evolve for a slightly older audience, or else falter and lose its momentum. Without missing a beat, Rowling delivered a masterpiece of entertaining and engrossing storytelling, pulling the reader into a darker and more mature world of wizardry – while also somehow expanding the childlike wonder and magic of the wizarding world.
While a different entry in the series takes top honors overall, Book 3 is the winner for re-readability. In no other book does the author pack such an enthralling and well-written punch in so (relatively) short a piece of writing. Book 3 is easy to pick up and fly through over a short period of time, yet it contains an incredibly well-told and seamlessly woven mystery. The threat of Sirius Black and the shadow of the dementors work together to raise the stakes, pulling you in alongside Harry with Marauder’s Map and Firebolt in hand. The Prisoner of Azkaban is a joy and a thrill, even the seventh time through.
Number 1: The Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the pinnacle of the series – Harry and Hogwarts at their finest. The final year before the three companions ultimately leave school to hunt Horcruxes, Book 6 just nails all the elements that make for a great Harry Potter book.
Three major story threads run through the narrative, challenging the characters and driving the action. First is Harry’s second-hand Potions book, which brings about challenges in each of his major friendships and introduces the titular mystery of the Prince. Second is Draco’s strange behavior as he clumsily attempts to assassinate Dumbledore behind the scenes. And third is Dumbledore’s hunt for the horcruxes, which leads to some of the best elements of the novel as Harry becomes more and more intertwined with the plots and perils of Dumbledore over the course of the book.
These three threads weave back and forth through the lives of the protagonists, villains, and supporting characters, with such subtlety and deftness of hand that the seams disappear, and the story simply flows forward from question to question, tension to trouble, and peril to terror, culminating in the epic twin climaxes – first in Riddle’s Cave and then on the Astronomy Tower. Our characters face fresh and increasingly difficult challenges including the more prominent presence of romance, which Book 6 skillfully and naturally weaves into the story. The conclusion given to Dumbledore in the cave is truly spectacular, but only pages later it is eclipsed by his final sacrifice for Harry, and the mystery of his death, all of which will only become clear in Book 7. But concluding volumes bear the burden of tying up loose ends, a limiting factor that holds no sway over The Half-Blood Prince. Book 6 is simply a masterpiece in engaging, compelling, can’t-put-it-down storytelling.
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