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July 23, 2007
About The Book
Spoilers ahead. If you haven't finished Deathly Hallows, well, what are you doing reading this? Go read the book. Now. Goodbye.
In brief, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was good to finally get explanations for most of the mysteries. And the battle scene at Hogwarts, in particular, was fantastic.
But my favorite chapter is most likely the last one. The setting at the train station, with all of the heroes now sending their own kids to school was a fitting end to the series. Harry & co. finally grew up, new life (through children) has come, some sort of normality has returned, and Harry now has his own family.
I am also pleased to see I was correct about Snape. I was a bit off on Dumbledore, but the resurrection theme did finally come through.
Overall opinion of the series: I liked Alan Jacob's verdict (borrowing from Chesterton): "the greatest penny dreadfuls ever written." The Potter series is not "great fiction." Compared to something like Tolkien's universe, Hogwarts falls a bit short. Potter's constant tantrums and brooding get tiring at times, for example, and the plot contrivances do stretch believability.
But Potter is still great fun to read. Rowling deals with themes everyone has to struggle with at some point or another - a desire to belong, coping with your own mortality, trying to determine what is right, finding meaning and purpose, etc. And she does it in a creative and, in the end, fun way, using entertaining and sympathetic characters (I'm still sad Remus and Tonks had to die).
Lastly, I haven't seen anything else like this, but the point where Potter gives himself up to be killed by Voldemort was strangely reminiscent of Aslan's giving himself up in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Dark forest, evil baddie circled by minions, silent and un-protesting, but knowing victim, and so on.
misc | By maphet | 05:07 PM
Comments
SPOILER COMMENT: Deathly Hallows............
DON'T READ UNLESS YOU WANT TO KNOW THE ENDING.
Bah, I thought the ending was dreadful. He basically defeats Voldemoort on a technicality?! (Voldemoort didn't know that Draco techincally defeated Dumbledore... and then Harry accidentally disarmed Draco). How silly.
I think the book should've ended with the "willing sacrifice" duel rather than the "out-clevered" duel. The latter was an "a -ha!" moment that tied the book together, but nothing deeper.
In a series that - as you say - deals with "a desire to belong, coping with your own mortality, trying to determine what is right, finding meaning and purpose", the final duel had none of that.
Posted by: Joe at July 23, 2007 08:35 PM