Ranking the Harry Potter Books
7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Of course, no Harry Potter book can ever be bad, but Chamber of Secrets is perhaps the least beloved. The book is just as slim in volume as its predecessor and it follows the same strict solve-the-mystery plotline, leaving little room for emotional layering or depth. And while this makes sense––Harry is still twelve, and through his eyes the world is still two-dimensional––readers are not yet set up to believe that Harry’s story will be the Bildungsroman journey that it is. With the exception of the introduction of the first Horcrux, Chamber also gives readers the least amount of plot information for later books, making it the least necessary volume for the greater plot arc––there are no new important character introductions, and the story of Slytherin’s monster ceases to become important at the end of the book. What is most promising about Chamber of Secrets is its glimpse into Ginny’s mental struggle with possession. Unfortunately, almost every character in the entire series is given a satisfactory arc except for Ginny. For a story so based on characters, it’s incredible to me that Ginny’s struggle wasn’t explored further. Oh well.
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Goblet of Fire is the trickiest of the Harry Potter books. It bridges the gap between the concise, plot-driven mysteries of the first three books and the lengthy, character-based depth of the last three. The transition is successful, but it’s sticky. As Harry is now fourteen, it makes sense that the books are getting longer; but unlike Order of the Phoenix, where the long length is natural, Goblet attempts to mash an extra chapter wherever it can to prove that the age difference is significant. For example, is it really necessary to have an entire chapter in which Harry moans about his scar hurting and imagines Dumbledore at the beach rubbing sun-tan lotion onto his nose, as we see in “The Scar”? In addition to this struggle with length, there is a palpable conflict with focus. The book contains a rigid plot arc in the form of the Triwizard Tournament, a structure reminiscent of the last three books; but there is also some personal drama with friendship and romance, and increased scenes in which Harry, Ron, and Hermione hang around in the common room talking, like we see in later installments. The book feels as though J.K. Rowling is arguing with herself––plot or character depth? A lot of this stickiness is probably due to the deadline that Rowling had for writing it. I don’t envy attempting to write a 736-page novel in one year. In the end, though, the book succeeds in its mission. By the time Order of the Phoenix rolls around, we’re prepared from its preamble.
5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Who could ever dislike the first book? It’s the perfect opener, the one that started it all. What’s most wonderful about Sorcerer’s Stone is the sheer magic of the world, introduced to readers and to Harry for the first time. And with this adrenaline rush of wands, owls, moving staircases, spells, ghosts, goblins, baby dragons, pictures that talk, and invisibility cloaks come tender, introspective looks into Harry’s past, such as the iconic scene in front of the Mirror of Erised. What’s also lovely about Stone is that Harry is so young and so wide-eyed. He’s also so bratty, always sticking his nose into other people’s business with his small posse of best friends. The reason that Sorcerer’s Stone isn’t ranked higher on this list is because all of the other books are so good, and also because, as the opener, it feels untouchable and un-rankable. As a short mystery, it doesn’t compare to the later longer books, but it’s impossible to rank down the book that made every eleven-year-old yearn for a Hogwarts letter.
4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Prisoner of Azkaban acts as a signal––Greater Plot Arc Taking Shape Now. Rather than a traditional happy ending in which each plot is resolved, each mystery is answered, and Voldemort is thwarted yet again, Prisoner remains open, with Peter Pettigrew escaping at the end of the novel. It resolves differently as Harry discovers his first-ever parent figure in Sirius; and despite the uncertainty, this ending leaves readers with far bigger smiles on their faces. Prisoner takes the necessary step of trading safety and structure for heart and emotion. Its plot alone foreshadows the shift of focus in the next books. The book cements itself as the obvious best of the first three. Many critics have labelled the novel as J.K. Rowling’s finest achievement, but the book has never struck as perfect a chord with me. This might be because the Prisoner of Azkaban film is the only Harry Potter movie worth watching; Alfonso Cuaron’s direction nearly matches the original book in quality. While having an excellent movie adaptation would normally be considered a bonus, the film has always overshadowed my opinion of the book; it’s hard to think of the events of the novel without thinking of the cinematic version. Maybe we should count ourselves lucky that the rest of the Harry Potter movies are so bad.
3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
After the angst and confusion of the fifth novel, Half-Blood Prince finds the cast of Harry Potter ready to reconnect. Prince is best characterized by finding heart in dark times: despite the now-obvious return of Voldemort, much of the book revolves around romance drama, as Harry and Ginny as well as Ron and Hermione develop relationships. At points, it’s hard to see the darker side of Prince: Harry’s determination to prove that Malfoy is a Death Eater looks less like a warning sign and more like a throwback to Sorcerer’s Stone-level nosiness. And yet, as readers watch Ron swallow love potion and Harry become teacher’s pet in Potions class, they are learning crucial information about the steps to Voldemort’s demise, necessary setup for the next installment. It’s a brilliantly funny book, a fan favorite that nevertheless induces sobs as Dumbledore dies and the beloved, mysterious friend Harry has treasured all year turns out to be his murderer.
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
It is incredible that Deathly Hallows is as short as it is. What with learning in the last book that, in order to be defeated, Voldemort would have to be thwarted five times (six, counting Harry as a Horcrux), that a pain-inducing attempt to count for one of those times ended up entirely in vain, and that the trusted leader who can help with this impossible task is now irretrievably dead, it would not have been surprising if Hallows were another seven-part series of its own, spanning several years in length. It’s a miracle of a book––not even the longest in the series, and yet nothing feels abbreviated or skipped over. It is the masterful finale that everyone was hoping it would be. Unlike the other books, which could more or less be described as “Life at Hogwarts: Volumes 1-6,” Hallows is an epic adventure force that takes readers all over the Wizarding World, while still maintaining humor and heart. The chapters “The Prince’s Tale,” “The Forest Again,” and “King’s Cross” remain some of the most masterful, tear-jerking moments in the saga. Deathly Hallows draws an excellent close to the greater arc, and to the arcs of all of the series’s characters. Even the controversial epilogue was satisfying, if you disregard the era of Pottermore to which it led.
1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Order of the Phoenix is the richest, lengthiest, and darkest of the Harry Potter series. It’s divisive among fans, with some readers describing it as too long and boring, but I find the length enjoyable. The 900 pages chronicle life at Hogwarts and character-based drama, the elements that make Harry Potter feel so much like home. Order has so many layers––after having read parts of it every day for almost seven years, I can still find new things to think about. Order is also, without a doubt, the most pivotal moment in the series. It marks an all-time low for Harry and his world, and the conflict turns in on itself, shifting from the rigid Good vs. Evil theme of the first four books to Aware vs. Ignorant. The struggle with ignorant and unjust government in this book feels even more relevant than the themes of goodness. I realized the other day that living in a global pandemic which is being undermined and ignored by Donald Trump feels just like living in Harry’s world during the return of Voldemort which was being ignored by Cornelius Fudge. Order of the Phoenix is a dark, twisting brick of a novel, the richest and most complex point in the series, and for this reason, it is ranked first. It defines the Harry Potter Bildungsroman and asks important questions about the society we live in.