... Harry!! Potter!! ...
WARNING: SPOILER ALERT !!
Okay, I know that I've been gone for a while from the blog, and I know that I have a GAZILION things to catch up on (meeting Chris, going to Estes, visiting the Cod, visiting Mass-area yarn shops, making a shawl while I was there which I then wore to a wedding, coming home, doing plenty of non-knitting projects in the home, and taking a Yarn Tour of Northern Colorado with some knitting pals from grad school) ... Hey, does that do it? Okay, not yet -- I see that you need some photos. I'll try to do that in the next entry.
But for now, there's only one thing left to talk about today.
Harry Potter. #7. The Deathly Hallows.
Have you finished it? If not ... this is your last warning. Turn around!
If you have ... what did you think? Michaele posted a great entry on her blog about the book and I've been talking with her about it -- mainly because the Big Sweetie (unobsessed reader that he is) hasn't yet finished the book and I'm dying to talk about it.
To me, there was a lot of good, and some bad. Let's start with the good:
The tragedy -- it was more than I could handle at times. (This was good.) Mad-Eye and Hedwig, both killed at the beginning? George actually got hurt (a Weasley got hurt?) And then the other deaths -- Dobby, Fred (!!), Remus and Tonks (right after they had their baby!!) ... as some commenters on mugglenet.com said, RIP. And maybe I'm more gullible than most, but I honestly thought Harry was going to die and not come back -- I cried straight through that chapter when Harry walked with his parents to his death.
The action -- was more than I expected, as well, though I shouldn't have been surprised. It felt like there was one action-packed scene after the next. First, the seven Harry's flying through the air -- straight to robbing the locket off of Umbridge in the Ministry -- then the Christmas scene -- then stealing the cup from Gringott's -- straight to the final scenes at Hogwarts and in the Forest. Okay, there were some dull moments when it felt like the three protagonists were simply camping in one spot after another, with no clue what to do -- but I felt like it was extremely effective, because it raised my stress to feel like they were so clueless and hopeless. This book was definitely a page-turner for me.
The love interests -- I was glad that Harry still showed love for Ginny, and that Ron and Hermione still had their ups/downs.
The additional characterization -- though I really felt all along like Snape was a foe, I liked that chapter about his life, and it made sense to me that he was desperately in love with Lily, while he still despised Harry. And Dumbledore, after knowing more about his life, seems like more of a whole character now -- he did actually have flaws and wasn't always perfect.
The theme of life/death -- this, I felt, was the star of the book. I loved how JKR treated the scene of Harry marching off to his death -- how every last heartbeat mattered to him, and every last second. I loved how things became suddenly clear to him, as in what mattered in life. I thought it was so compelling. Then -- King's Cross -- that scene was just amazing. And Dumbledore saying at the end of it, "Of course this was all in your mind, Harry, but why should that not make it real?" (As an aside, I've been to two funerals and one wedding this summer, so this theme has really been on my mind lately.)
Now, the not-so-good (okay, I'll just call it the Bad):
Speaking of King's Cross -- who was that sniveling creature there?? Was that supposed to be Voldemort somehow? Ariana?
I think that Ginny should have emerged from the periphery at last -- but didn't, really, though she played a few big parts in trying to steal the Gryffindor sword and in fighting at the end.
The epilogue -- while I appreciate that JKR answered the question of What Next?, there is still a wide gap of knowledge that isn't answered. Who did Teddy grow up with? Who is doing what for a job (other than Neville)? Who are all the other kids? (Though you have to assume that Victoire is Fleur and Bill's daughter.)
In all, I think this is on the upper echelon of my favorite HP books -- perhaps even first, or second. I wasn't disappointed!
That does it for now. So, what did you think??
Okay, I know that I've been gone for a while from the blog, and I know that I have a GAZILION things to catch up on (meeting Chris, going to Estes, visiting the Cod, visiting Mass-area yarn shops, making a shawl while I was there which I then wore to a wedding, coming home, doing plenty of non-knitting projects in the home, and taking a Yarn Tour of Northern Colorado with some knitting pals from grad school) ... Hey, does that do it? Okay, not yet -- I see that you need some photos. I'll try to do that in the next entry.
But for now, there's only one thing left to talk about today.
Harry Potter. #7. The Deathly Hallows.
Have you finished it? If not ... this is your last warning. Turn around!
If you have ... what did you think? Michaele posted a great entry on her blog about the book and I've been talking with her about it -- mainly because the Big Sweetie (unobsessed reader that he is) hasn't yet finished the book and I'm dying to talk about it.
To me, there was a lot of good, and some bad. Let's start with the good:
The tragedy -- it was more than I could handle at times. (This was good.) Mad-Eye and Hedwig, both killed at the beginning? George actually got hurt (a Weasley got hurt?) And then the other deaths -- Dobby, Fred (!!), Remus and Tonks (right after they had their baby!!) ... as some commenters on mugglenet.com said, RIP. And maybe I'm more gullible than most, but I honestly thought Harry was going to die and not come back -- I cried straight through that chapter when Harry walked with his parents to his death.
The action -- was more than I expected, as well, though I shouldn't have been surprised. It felt like there was one action-packed scene after the next. First, the seven Harry's flying through the air -- straight to robbing the locket off of Umbridge in the Ministry -- then the Christmas scene -- then stealing the cup from Gringott's -- straight to the final scenes at Hogwarts and in the Forest. Okay, there were some dull moments when it felt like the three protagonists were simply camping in one spot after another, with no clue what to do -- but I felt like it was extremely effective, because it raised my stress to feel like they were so clueless and hopeless. This book was definitely a page-turner for me.
The love interests -- I was glad that Harry still showed love for Ginny, and that Ron and Hermione still had their ups/downs.
The additional characterization -- though I really felt all along like Snape was a foe, I liked that chapter about his life, and it made sense to me that he was desperately in love with Lily, while he still despised Harry. And Dumbledore, after knowing more about his life, seems like more of a whole character now -- he did actually have flaws and wasn't always perfect.
The theme of life/death -- this, I felt, was the star of the book. I loved how JKR treated the scene of Harry marching off to his death -- how every last heartbeat mattered to him, and every last second. I loved how things became suddenly clear to him, as in what mattered in life. I thought it was so compelling. Then -- King's Cross -- that scene was just amazing. And Dumbledore saying at the end of it, "Of course this was all in your mind, Harry, but why should that not make it real?" (As an aside, I've been to two funerals and one wedding this summer, so this theme has really been on my mind lately.)
Now, the not-so-good (okay, I'll just call it the Bad):
Speaking of King's Cross -- who was that sniveling creature there?? Was that supposed to be Voldemort somehow? Ariana?
I think that Ginny should have emerged from the periphery at last -- but didn't, really, though she played a few big parts in trying to steal the Gryffindor sword and in fighting at the end.
The epilogue -- while I appreciate that JKR answered the question of What Next?, there is still a wide gap of knowledge that isn't answered. Who did Teddy grow up with? Who is doing what for a job (other than Neville)? Who are all the other kids? (Though you have to assume that Victoire is Fleur and Bill's daughter.)
In all, I think this is on the upper echelon of my favorite HP books -- perhaps even first, or second. I wasn't disappointed!
That does it for now. So, what did you think??
posted by jenifer at 6:59 AM
10 Comments:
Yeah... I read the book as well, I suprisingly found it entertaining despite the poor writing quality J.K Rowling delievers. But hey it's a children's book... why be a jerk and be negative about the most influental book on pop culture since 'The Godfather'.
dude, seriously, what WAS that snivelly thing on the floor of king's cross?
i agree with many of your assessments, particularly some of the holes... i thought the whole "should i go after the hallows?!" quandry was sort of a weird tangent that was either a bad idea or poorly developed. that being said, poor fred... poor dobby... and BOY was kreacher dropping some funny lines!
i can't decide if i wasn't all that into it this time because i didn't like it or because i was fighting with the pants All. Yesterday. When. I. Was. READING.
if there were going to be more, i'd say there was a new "no fighting during the new harry potter!"
I assumed the snivelling thing was the part of Voldemort's soul that was in Harry. Because it's not a full person, it couldn't go back to the living world, so it was trapped in limbo. I don't see why it would be Ariana. She's just dead, so she should be in the afterlife.
But then, why would Dumbledore be in the King's Cross place? I think JKR's explanation that Dumbledore is just guessing at all these details, and that finally this may all just be in Harry's mind was lame - not as an explanation of how we think about those we have lost, but as an explanation for how Harry puts all the pieces together before the final battle.
I wondered if the snivelling thing could be Snape- the bad parts of Snape, not the good, brave part of Snape... Esp. as he had just died, so had a good reason to be in limbo. But that did annoy me. As did the very very short and sweet last 10 pages- I wanted to know more about everyone. Did George go on well enough without Fred? What ever did happen to the Dursleys? Did Neville find a love? Teddy- I wanted to know much much more about him...
And- I cried like a baby during the whole Dobby funeral.
All the action in this book made it very very visual for me. I can already see movie #7 in my head- and it's going to be fabulous.
My sweet husband has yet to read the book, so NOT talking about it at home is stressful for me!
my DH hasn't even read book one. but he does watch the movies soooo i really can't talk with him about it. so i've been looking all over the net to talk.
i think the sniveling thing was voldermort or at least the part that was in harry.
i really liked the book and thought it was a good ending to a great series. i started crying pg 691 and had to stop b/c it was then i really thought she was going to kill him off for real and i couldn't handle it.
i was sooo upset about dobby but so glad that he was able to save them. i also like kreacher in this book and how they started treating him better.
i was seriously on the edge of my seat through a lot of the book. i'm sad that the series are done though i would've liked ot hear about ginny and harry and ron and hermione marrying etc. also what jobs do they do and how ted lupin was raised. etc..
I agree with everyone and, btw, THANK YOU for opening a forum to discuss the book. I gobbled it down and have had no one to discuss it with. Sniveling thing? I say that is the portion of Voldemort that had been in Harry. Gone and without anywhere to turn b/c Voldemort was still alive at that point.
I was on edge throughout the book too. I hated Hedwig being gone and then his WAND! I cried during the death of Doby and Harry's realization and acceptance of his own death, his walk to death with his parents and Sirius, Fred's death (that came out of nowhere!) and I LAUGHED OUT LOUD (really did - not the LOL kind) when Mrs. Weasley yelled at Bellatrix "Not my daughter you bitch!". It was so unlike her and yet so like her at the same time!
The whole look into the entire life of Snape and how he truly was braver than anyone us had ever known (and kinder in his own weird way) was touching. My heart melted a little for the outcast that had only ever known one true love and that had been faithful all along - despite our ignorance to his plight.
My only true dissapointments are, as everyone else has stated, the loose ends. The Weasleys (especially George) without Fred? The weddings and subsequent children. I am assuming that Teddy was raised by Harry and Ginny (someone mentions that is he marries Victoire - Bill & Fleur's? - that he would then "really be part of the family") but I would have liked to have known that.
One thing that no one mentions is the loose ends of Harry's relationship with Dudley. Dudley was so obviously hurt at being away from Harry at the beginning. Did they reconcile after it was all done? Did they finally SEE what Harry had gone through and give him the respect, if not the love, he had deserved?
Aah, I think I am going to wait a year or so and then read them over again. . .
Great review. I just posted mine this morning and had a lot of the same feelings.
I cried so hard during the walk to the forest.
i thought it was great but she seemed to wrap some things up rather quickly for me. oh well. and i too cried right through at the end and a couple of other times as well. dave thought i was nuts "crying over a story" but that's ok. sigh. i guess it's over now and that is so disappointing!
Jenifer,
This is your secret Sockapalooza pal! Your socks are done, so no worrying-you'll get them on time!
Woo-hooo!
I enjoyed the book, but like everyone else wondered why wrap it up so nicely and not tell the professions? She tells what they became and who Teddy grew up with in this online chat at the Leaky Cauldron
http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2007/7/30/j-k-rowling-web-chat-transcript
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