It’s over. It’s done. One of the most enjoyable series of books I, and many others, have ever read is done. I’ve just begun my second reading but wanted to make note of my first thoughts. The first time through is a whirlwind, trying to discover how it all ends. This second time I’ll be able to go through it a bit more carefully. Maybe these opinions will change.

Although I think only two people read my infrequently updated blog I’ll go ahead and say you should stop reading if you haven’t finished the book. I can’t imagine anyone who cares about it hasn’t finished by this point.

- The past two or three books have suffered from Rowling’s success. Like other blockbuster authors, editing has fallen by the wayside. Who cares if the page count is inflated with long, pointless indulgences? It’s going to sell millions anyway.

The main culprit this time around is the prolonged exile of Harry, Ron and Hermoine. Did we really need so many pages devoted to their endless camping trip? The few plot-forwarding bits that happened during that period could have been greatly condensed with no ill effects. I found my attention wandering so can only imagine what the average child reader felt.

-Along this line, why do all the HP books save the best for last? They seem to drag on (which was less painful when the kids were actually at Hogwarts and we had some decent subplots to keep us reading) until the predictable finale. (Harry confronts Voldemort, earth-shaking battle, all is well, end of term feast, the end). But it is only within this final splooge that we actually learn the majority of new, important information.

In the case of DH I think some of the most delicious scenes were what we saw through Snape’s memories. I understand that for the book to end as it did, Harry had to learn what he did at the end. But couldn’t have things ended the same while letting us know about Snape’s love for Lily Evans sooner? Snape has consistently been one of the best characters and I would have preferred to have more time to enjoy these glimpses of his character rather than having it all jumbled in with the frenetic ending.

-I’m very happy Snape was on the right side in the end. I don’t even mind that he was killed. He went the right way.

-The final protracted battle at Hogwarts was also an A++. Harry came off a bit gormless though as he wandered around distracted, his friends fighting tooth and nail all around him. I didn’t really understand what happened when he surrendered to Voldemort. He died and then, uh, he didn’t. Again, I thought of the children. If I was confused, surely they were giving up at this point. (Also, was that mewling, deformed baby at King’s Cross the bit of Voldemort which had been inside Harry?)

-Overall I think the deaths were a cop out. It was like when Rowling said a “major character” would die in GOF. Then Cedric Diggory was killed. Uh, yeah. Remus and Tonks, I expected at least one of them to bite it. Now with both gone and little Teddy an orphan fan fic-ers everywhere have a new sub-genre to explore. Fred, that did suck but there’s still George (Why not Percy? Nobody liked him anyway.) Dobby, I cried. Mad-Eye, well, not a ton of love lost (also, did anyone think the one-eyed begger in Diagon Alley might have been Mad-Eye?). Charity Burbage, who the hell was she? Did I miss the kids taking “Muggle Studies” at some point? Colin, meh. I was truly expecting, not the main three, but someone more prominent to die. Ginny, Neville, maybe Hagrid. I think Rowling took the soft option here.

-Some thoughts I’m still struggling with I think will have to wait until I finish this re-read. I keep thinking of something Rowling said about if Harry was a real kid, he would be severely damaged. How was he damaged by the end? How would the story have been if it had been Neville?

-The epilogue was a bit disappointing. All these warrior kids have become happy suburban families. LAME! I felt like it was just put in to placate sad fans rather than to give us anymore insight to this story. Then again she leaves herself open for sequels. I don’t believe the wizarding world will never fight it’s evil side again. Maybe the children, or the grand-children, of these heroes will rebel and try to embrace to power of the dark side. That would be a good second act. All I can hope is if that does happen it is by able hands. I just can’t stomach fan fic.

2 Comments » -
Fatal error: Call to undefined function: mdv_comment_plugger() in /home/content/d/a/l/dallasdeadgirl/html/blog/wp-content/themes/razzle-dazzle-10/category.php on line 15