Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

[locker_monster]

Gah. I don't think I've ever read a book in one day before. My eyes hurt. And I think a new condition should be created: Harry Potter Wrists. Damn this book is heavy.

I'm not going to go into great detail about what I thought. It was okay. The ending sort of confused me though. Not the sappy "Nineteen Years Later" bit, which totally felt like fanfic, but the part where Harry confronts Voldemort. How the hell is the Elder Wand Draco's? If someone could explain that to me, that would make the ending a little better. But Voldemort is defeated because his spell backfires? Huh?

I kept joking that Harry would die and it seems like J.K. Rowling managed to work that in without actually having to kill Harry permanently. Harry died, but he got better. ;-) It just read like a cheap trick so Dumbledore could exposition his heart out. A character who dies and comes back from death is nothing new, but I didn't really appreciate the giant sections of exposition. Fine, things needed to be explained. At least it broke up the chapters with all the fighting. I imagine that when they make this book into a movie, it will be a nice breather from all the special effects. And speaking of the movies, it was my sister who said at the end of the fifth one that she wished to see the school rise up a la Buffy's graduating class at the end of season three. Well, it looks like she got her wish. I liked that part. Seven years these kids have been learning and they're finally given the chance to put their knowledge to use. Though, what was the point of calling the book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows if he never used the damn things together until the end of the book. A whole book of Harry, Ron, and Hermione drifting around the English countryside. At least in the movie they'll be able to cut that down.

But I do think J.K. Rowling wimped out on the deaths. Ron and Hermione survived. The only death that is described is Fred's and it's partial at best. Moody, Tonks, and Lupin's death all happened off screen (off page?), so it's just a shock when you learn they die. Actually, I'm kind of sad Lupin and Tonks didn't make it. So very Joss Whedon of J.K. Rowling to kill them off just as they were entering happy lives. :-D And wow, Lupin and Tonks got married. And they had a kid. I bet the shippers out there are very happy.

And we get a happy ending. As I said before, it felt like fanfic. Harry and Ginny are married and they have kids named after people important to Harry. Ron and Hermione are married, too. I suppose it was appropriate that Ron and Hermione finally kissed upon the eve of the approaching battle. Doesn't that always happen? :-D All very wrapped up. I suppose a sad ending would really be a bummer. People died but you just can't end a massive series on that. And fans can write stories to fill that nineteen gap to their hearts content.

Well, I'm all Harry Potter-ed out. I expect many a reaction posts by tomorrow.

Comments

[celisnebula.livejournal.com]

In the Astronomy Tower, Draco took Dumbledore's wand from him. Ollivander explained to Harry that forcefully taking a wand from a Wizard was enough to make that wand the other wizards, especially in light of legend that only killing the owner of a wand would make it yours (something that Voldemort obviously believed to be the only way wands could exchange, hence the ministry's questioning the muggle-borns about how they got their wands). Hence the Elder Wand was Draco's, not Snape's -who Voldemort assumed took ownership after Dumbledore's death.

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

Ah. Thank you. I didn't have a chance to read over The Half Blood Prince. This clears up a lot of things. Okay. Good to know that piece of important information didn't come out of nowhere. :-D

[aryas_zehral]

Loved the Hermione/Ron kiss. :D However the epilogue really spoiled the book for me because, as you say, it reads like fanfic- and not very good fanfic at that. Oh and I'm totally in denial over Fred. Didn't happen. :)

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

It was the thing you were waiting for besides to see if Harry makes it to the end of the book. I would have liked to see how Ron and Hermione managed in the fight after they kissed. Were they distracted? Was Hermione's safety the only thing Ron could think about?

I don't mind flashbacks, but flashforwards sort of annoy me for some reason. I suppose it's like at the end of some movies where they have a still of the character and there's text on the screen saying what happened to them. We don't get to see it, only the end result.

[aryas_zehral]

I'm not too bothered about not seeing much of R/H during the fight- because I think it helps with the sense of chaos and Harry having to step up, and I don't mind the epilogue being in the future, I just think it wasn't good. It was too focused just on those four and the names of the kids were so... indulgent. Personally I would have prefered like a one year later epilogue, a Weasley Christmas or Graduation a year later where the kids that should have been doing their final year this year got to do it next year. That way we could see how all the Weasley's are as well as the rest of the year are etc. Which I personally would have found satisfying.