Thursday, July 26, 2007

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

***SPOILER ALERT***

I've given you all a day to have read it. If you haven't finished reading, stop reading this now (you shouldn't be reading this now anyway, because you should be reading Harry Potter). I, as was predicted, read it on Saturday. Other people at the bar exam had also taken a study break on Saturday to read it, so I was not the only one. I haven't finished my reread to get the details that I missed on the first go round, but I am taking it slower this time.

Overall it was amazing. The fact that they were moving arond the whole time, rather than always being at Hogwarts added a whole new dimension to the story. But naturally, the big climax had to still be at the school. I cried when Harry saw his parents, Sirius, and Lupin in the Forest with the resurrection Stone, and during the epilogue when he and Ginny had their kids, James, Albus, and Lily. I also screamed out loud when Molly cursed at Bella, both because it was so out of character and because I couldn't believe the publishers let Jo get away with that. I had some other moments when I reacted out loud (like when Dumbledore told Snape that Harry was a horcrux and was going to have to die, even though I was totally prepared for Harry to die - but YAY! he didn't), but that was the only time that it was an actual shriek.

I appreciated when Neville got to have his "Gryffindor" moment and stand up to Voldemort, because he'd been working towards that for such a long time. Also the line when they turned into Harry with the Polyjuice potion at the Dursleys' house and they were changing their clothes, and Harry felt they were being a little free with his body and he wouldn't have done that - how not true is that statement?

I do have to say, though, that I was a little unfulfilled by the ending to the Dursleys' story. I kept waiting for them to come back and for there to be some sort of resolution. But none ever came. Hopefully when the encyclopedia gets written, we'll find out what happened to them.

And for those who want to know what the trio does for a living once they get to be adults - Harry and Ron are aurors (Harry is of course in charge of the auror office) and Hermione is a lawyer with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. It had to be edited out of the epilogue to make it more readable.

Any discussion that anyone would like to start about the book, please feel free.

3 comments:

Nell said...

I loved it. I cried a lot. And I'm so glad that Harry survived. I'm sorry, but I have to have an 'I told you so' moment. It feels so good to be right. I knew she wouldn't kill him. So, here it is, I told you so! Ha!

I also think that it is so cool that Molly Weasley and Neville finely showed what they can do. And how awesome is Professor McGonnegal. All Harry had to do was drop the D bomb (Dumbledore) and she was ready to declare war.

Thanks for letting us know what they are when they grow up. I was a little disappointed it wasn't included. I also wondered about the Dursley's, but it really doesn't bother me that much. They are jerks.

Amanda G. said...

I loved it as well. I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Snape, and never believed he was truly evil (never wanted to, anyway), so I was so very happy to read he was not really working for Voldermort.

The only disappointment was the epilogue; they shouldn't have edited it down.

Amanda G. said...

ps. thank you for announcing that this post contained spoilers.

I would have hated to have killed you. :)