More Half-Blood Prince

Note: The following post contains spoilers for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. If you want to read it, highlight it. If you don't, don't...

Nice piece by Meghan Cox Gurdon in the Wall Street Journal, giving a review of the Half-Blood Prince. I do, however, have one point of serious disagreement with her.

The sixth book is in some ways a series of answers to questions raised by earlier ones. For example, we learn at last where Dumbledore has been during his mysterious absences from Hogwarts, where oily Professor Snape's loyalties truly lie and the vile means by which Voldemort has secured a reeking kind of immortality.

On the last point, absolutely. On the first point, yes, more-or-less.

The middle point, however, is nowhere near as cut-and-dried. I've spoken with someone who's absolutely convinced that Snape is working, really legitimately working, for Voldemort. I've spoken with someone else who's just as convinced that he's working, really legitimately working, for Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix. As I said yesterday, "which side is he on?" As far as I'm concerned, it's still a very open question. My inclination is to the latter, that his ultimate sympathies lie with Dumbledore and the Order. Regardless, it's by no means clear where "Snape's loyalties truly lie."

On the whole, though, an excellent piece, and spot-on review.