Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Book 4

The Best of a Brilliant Series

What made the experience of listening to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Book 4 the most enjoyable?

The humor, the many laugh-out-loud moments, and the palpably real pain, loneliness and longing of preadolescent friendships. Also, this is the book where you begin to notice that J.K. Rowling has pulled off a feat previously only achieved by Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series: Her prose is "growing up" with Harry and his friends, and by this volume is approaching adult language, and is, like Harry, Ron, and Hermione, rapidly leaving childhood behind.

What did you like best about this story?

The way it is divided into increasingly compelling thirds by the three tasks, each of which is more difficult, tortuous and terrifying than the last. This book, like Jane Austen's Emma, is like a perfectly fitted series of antique nesting boxes, each one fitting neatly inside the next with not a word out of place, not a word that could be cut out. No fat on it anywhere, and no loose ends.

What does Jim Dale bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Jim Dale is that rare narrator who manages to give voice to each unique character while maintaining perfect pacing, inflection, pronunciation and not one second longer (or one second shorter) for a pause for emphasis than it should be. Narrating this entire series without a single wrong note must be one of the most astonishing achievements in the history of audiobooks.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely! You'll want to keep listening everywhere, even in the shower! And not only that, but this is the volume you will always go back to when you feel nostalgic for the magic of Hogwarts, and the one you'll think of first in years to come when anyone mentions this series.

Any additional comments?

[PLEASE PRESS 'YES' IF THIS REVIEW WAS EVEN SLIGHTLY HELPFUL. THANK YOU!!]

245 of 279 people found this review helpful

“Harreeeeeeeeee”

Ive already listened to the first three Harry Potter books on audible after reading the hard covers three times through and watching the movies count less time but they are just as exciting every time I hear the story. The only thing I can’t stand is every time hermione says Harry it sounds like harreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee and I can’t stand it. Other wise everything is great.

150 of 172 people found this review helpful

Only with Acceptance can There be Recovery

Story: Goblet of Fire is definitely one of the better stories in the series. The previous three were really good and I admit that Prisoner of Azkaban is still one of my favorites, but Goblet of Fire really lets the magic start to shine! The Tri-Wizard tournament and all the tasks were so captivating and illustrated so brilliantely that it was hard to stop listening. It's also interesting getting a look at the character progression and how they develop and also how the story continues to grow. You'll find a full story here, with twists, turns, witt, suspense and more.

Performance: Once again, this was another great performance. Jim Dale does a great job of capturing the characters and I believe gets them pretty spot on. More and more characters are introduced in the books and he finds a way to give them unique voices.

Overall: I really don't know what to say about this story to do it justice. The Tri-Wizard tournament and all the detail within the three tasks was excellent. The maze at the end and how completely different it was from the movie (I've only seen the movie up until now)- that really surprised me because I thought the movie would be at least somewhat similar. The amount of detail that somehow continues to grow and continues to develop the story is amazing. This is definitely a great story with great narration that can be enjoyed over and over again.

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

Expanding on the Wizarding World, Sort Of

Would you consider the audio edition of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Book 4 to be better than the print version?

Yes, the narrator's voice make each character distinct and bring the story to life.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Book 4?

My pick for this is either the Quidditch World Cup or when the other schools arrive for the Triwizard Tournament, but for the same reason: they both expand on the wizarding world.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Dobby helps Harry because “Dobby cannot let Harry Potter lose his Wheezy!”

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Everything in regards to Cedric Diggory, but particularly this quote said by Dumbledore: “Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory.”

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Hermione's 'Voice' Annoying

Narrator was great, except that the voice he gives Hermione makes her sound like a whiney idiot. Every time he said "Harry" as Hermione it sounded like she was talking to a dog that's done something bad. Otherwise the different voices were really great.

74 of 97 people found this review helpful

Jim Dale!!

What an incredible voice actor. I started this series after Dan Carlin of Hardcore History mentioned that the Mr. Dale was the perfect voice for this series and he was absolutely correct. And yet again, the books are better than the movies!

6 of 8 people found this review helpful

It doesn't get any better than this

Jim Dale is without a doubt one of the top 3 narrators I have ever heard, and I have been an audio book addict for 10 years. The book needs no review, as it is as masterful as its six sisters. This is by far the most well spent credit I have ever used, and I look forward to completing the entire collection.

21 of 31 people found this review helpful

Amazing Story! Poor App

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes because it's Harry Potter!

What other book might you compare Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Book 4 to and why?

No comparison period.

Which scene was your favorite?

The Second Task

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was shocked by the ending, didn't see that coming.

Any additional comments?

Audible, even though I love that you have added Harry Potter to your list of books I am also upset that each chapter of every Harry Potter book is missing it's chapter title which ruins the experience of this wonderful story but it is also disrespectful to J.K. Rowling and the art form of writing to totally disregard what Rowling wrote. If Rowling wanted the chapters to just be numbered she could have easily done that; she didn't; she named every chapter; the chapter titles enhance the experience not just an after thought. They are also functional because I may not always use the bookmarks or remember the number of the chapter I left off at. Often times I spot the chapters name and immediately know where I am in the story. You are the only app that I know of that doesn't include the chapter titles in there app. Please change your app to include the chapter titles for all digital audiobooks you sell.

41 of 62 people found this review helpful

Master, my master, JK Rowling, master...

Any additional comments?

Cannot say enough good words about this book. It has been a while since i've read this and having seen the movies 1000 times can say withoutadoubt this is a much more compelling story. The twists, oh the twists! The there's-something-not-right feeling about some characters! The beautiful awkwardness of harry and his friends at this stage in their lives. Great surprises, captivating narratives, and imagery so vivid you can feel the sweat coming down your own neck as harry feels the same. JK, the queen. Jim Dale, the hero. Had me wanting to listen and listen day and night.

16 of 24 people found this review helpful

Truth is Generally Preferable to Lies

“We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

8 July 2000. By this time. everyone was on the Harry Potter train. Steven King was reviewing Goblet of Fire for the New York Times, and news was out that they were going to be making Harry Potter into a movie. This book was released simultaneously in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury and in the United States by Scholastic. It was a phenomenon. It won the Hugo. We all felt it. Grandmas who didn't read kids books were having the first three foisted on them.

This was also when I discovered how funny JK Rowling was. Don't get me wrong she was funny before, but Goblet of Fire pushed not only the gas on length, but also her sharp wit. As the team (Harry, Ron and Hermione) is growing up, so the humor gets a little richer and the plot starts getting a bit darker.

28 of 45 people found this review helpful