Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Jul. 22nd, 2007 12:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lady_flamewingMy reaction to the book, neatly summed up in one word(?):
FGHSHRDSKJAD??!?!?!?!
'Cause I pretty much did that...oh, every other page.
You know, I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. I liked it, I didn't like it, I cried over it, I wanted to hurl it across the room. I'm going through for a second read to see if I can manage to make up my mind.
I think my biggest irk about it is that it felt like a total cop-out. Harry was supposed to die. All the signs were there, everyone knew it and had either accepted it or gone into denial about it, and all of a sudden, JKR pulls this, "Oh, no, wait, he dies...But then he comes back!" What? No. I understand why she did it, I do - but it still feels more than a little half-assed to me.
What is with the sucky character development? Don't get me wrong, I liked a lot of it (Kreacher aiding the Light, Snape's past, Narcissa's overwhelming concern for her boy), but it gave me whiplash. I mean, characters are switching sides (or at least losing concern for the side they originally chose) at the drop of a hat. And nothing comes of Draco. Snape manages to redeem himself, but Draco's just left hanging in the wind. He played such a big role throughout this series, and then...he's just gone.
Oh, my God, the deaths. I literally feel torn to shreds. I absolutely sobbed over Dobby, and Fred just bewilders me. How? How could she kill ONE twin? Does she not grasp the concept of siblings? It's bad enough that the Weasleys, so briefly reunited (and Percy's reappearance made me tear up, I must admit) are torn from one another, but that bond is all the stronger with twins. And then we hear nothing about George. Nothing. He can't be coping well.
I had thought...that George's losing his ear meant no death for the twins. I thought that made them safe. And so it hit me so much harder when Fred went, because I didn't want to believe it. They were some of my favorite characters, and just...gone. Forever.
Lupin and Tonks deserved better. How could JKR think that measly sentence (SENTENCE) could do them justice? They're fine, they're married, they have a son and Harry's his godfather, and suddenly...they're dead. We don't even know how, or at whose hands. They're just lying there beside Fred (FRED!!), and that's all we ever get.
On the flip side, there were so many aspects of this book that pleased me. I think most of it, though, was just how much I feel justified for believing, even in the face of people's doubts.
Snape is good. Incontrovertibly. He always was. And I always knew it. He served Dumbledore until the very end, and he DID care for Harry, in his own way. I'm anguished by his death. I had thought he might survive this...or at least die with dignity. But I suppose his was the fate of a spy, even one unknown.
Neville IS a hero. (My "Neville Longbottom is My Hero" t-shirt is TOTALLY justified.) He finds the courage to be what he was always meant to be, and that makes him amazing. He finally has the respect he deserves, the pride of his grandmother, and the confidence and strength to defy Lord Voldemort - to his face. He is the new ringleader of the resistance, falling easily into Harry's vacated role. Perhaps the prophecy was about them both, for Neville proved himself absolutely essential to Voldemort's downfall.
Dumbledore wasn't REALLY dead. Okay, okay, he was, but he wasn't gone. I feared, for a moment, when Harry stopped trusting him, because after all, he is only around, "As long as people are loyal to him (I'm paraphrasing)". But it all worked out in the end. He was there when Harry needed him, working through the people he met, and even in Harry's own mind. Dead? Hah. Even if he is, that's not going to stop him.
There are things for me to fangirl, too. Neville, for one. Tally one for the "true Gryffindor", who pulled Godric's sword from the hat (Bet Griphook wasn't too pleased about that). Percy's return. Ron and Hermione FINALLY getting together ("There's a war going on! Can't you two just...hold it in until it's over?"). Snape. Dumbledore. McGonagall kicking some serious ass. Molly Weasley calling Bellatrix Lestrange a bitch. Kreacher and his locket. Regulus Black. The list goes on and on.
And perhaps I've just found my answer. I think the list of good far outweighs the list of bad. Though the book feels unfinished to me (despite the utterly cheesy and - God, I hate to say this - totally endearing epilogue), like there are more questions than answers, I think there is just so much that tugs at the heartstrings (mine, at least) that I cannot help but love this book.
I just wish I didn't have to say goodbye.
So, there you have it. My ridiculously long take on the last (LAST!) Harry Potter novel. And the final conclusion? I'm pretty sure I love it.
FGHSHRDSKJAD??!?!?!?!
'Cause I pretty much did that...oh, every other page.
You know, I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. I liked it, I didn't like it, I cried over it, I wanted to hurl it across the room. I'm going through for a second read to see if I can manage to make up my mind.
I think my biggest irk about it is that it felt like a total cop-out. Harry was supposed to die. All the signs were there, everyone knew it and had either accepted it or gone into denial about it, and all of a sudden, JKR pulls this, "Oh, no, wait, he dies...But then he comes back!" What? No. I understand why she did it, I do - but it still feels more than a little half-assed to me.
What is with the sucky character development? Don't get me wrong, I liked a lot of it (Kreacher aiding the Light, Snape's past, Narcissa's overwhelming concern for her boy), but it gave me whiplash. I mean, characters are switching sides (or at least losing concern for the side they originally chose) at the drop of a hat. And nothing comes of Draco. Snape manages to redeem himself, but Draco's just left hanging in the wind. He played such a big role throughout this series, and then...he's just gone.
Oh, my God, the deaths. I literally feel torn to shreds. I absolutely sobbed over Dobby, and Fred just bewilders me. How? How could she kill ONE twin? Does she not grasp the concept of siblings? It's bad enough that the Weasleys, so briefly reunited (and Percy's reappearance made me tear up, I must admit) are torn from one another, but that bond is all the stronger with twins. And then we hear nothing about George. Nothing. He can't be coping well.
I had thought...that George's losing his ear meant no death for the twins. I thought that made them safe. And so it hit me so much harder when Fred went, because I didn't want to believe it. They were some of my favorite characters, and just...gone. Forever.
Lupin and Tonks deserved better. How could JKR think that measly sentence (SENTENCE) could do them justice? They're fine, they're married, they have a son and Harry's his godfather, and suddenly...they're dead. We don't even know how, or at whose hands. They're just lying there beside Fred (FRED!!), and that's all we ever get.
On the flip side, there were so many aspects of this book that pleased me. I think most of it, though, was just how much I feel justified for believing, even in the face of people's doubts.
Snape is good. Incontrovertibly. He always was. And I always knew it. He served Dumbledore until the very end, and he DID care for Harry, in his own way. I'm anguished by his death. I had thought he might survive this...or at least die with dignity. But I suppose his was the fate of a spy, even one unknown.
Neville IS a hero. (My "Neville Longbottom is My Hero" t-shirt is TOTALLY justified.) He finds the courage to be what he was always meant to be, and that makes him amazing. He finally has the respect he deserves, the pride of his grandmother, and the confidence and strength to defy Lord Voldemort - to his face. He is the new ringleader of the resistance, falling easily into Harry's vacated role. Perhaps the prophecy was about them both, for Neville proved himself absolutely essential to Voldemort's downfall.
Dumbledore wasn't REALLY dead. Okay, okay, he was, but he wasn't gone. I feared, for a moment, when Harry stopped trusting him, because after all, he is only around, "As long as people are loyal to him (I'm paraphrasing)". But it all worked out in the end. He was there when Harry needed him, working through the people he met, and even in Harry's own mind. Dead? Hah. Even if he is, that's not going to stop him.
There are things for me to fangirl, too. Neville, for one. Tally one for the "true Gryffindor", who pulled Godric's sword from the hat (Bet Griphook wasn't too pleased about that). Percy's return. Ron and Hermione FINALLY getting together ("There's a war going on! Can't you two just...hold it in until it's over?"). Snape. Dumbledore. McGonagall kicking some serious ass. Molly Weasley calling Bellatrix Lestrange a bitch. Kreacher and his locket. Regulus Black. The list goes on and on.
And perhaps I've just found my answer. I think the list of good far outweighs the list of bad. Though the book feels unfinished to me (despite the utterly cheesy and - God, I hate to say this - totally endearing epilogue), like there are more questions than answers, I think there is just so much that tugs at the heartstrings (mine, at least) that I cannot help but love this book.
I just wish I didn't have to say goodbye.
So, there you have it. My ridiculously long take on the last (LAST!) Harry Potter novel. And the final conclusion? I'm pretty sure I love it.
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no subject
Date: 2007-07-22 06:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-22 07:58 pm (UTC)I did anticipate Snape being in love with Lily, but I really didn't guess at that being the reason he was playing spy for Dumbledore. That threw me a little bit.
Dude, Neville pwns all. Forever.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-23 07:30 pm (UTC)I guess love does make people do crazy things. In a way I think that was touching of Snape to switch sides--sort of--for Lily.
Dude, Neville pwns all. Forever.
And Evah and evah!
no subject
Date: 2007-07-31 01:46 am (UTC)You're totally right about the book.
Molly Weasly calling Bellitrix a bitch was the highlight of the whole series.
Although the epilogue was compeltely and utterly cheezy, it was to be expected. I mean, think about it. What would her fans do If JKR had NOT ended it that way? Say, for instance, that Harry and Ginny didn't end up together and Ron and Hermie didn't end up together? They would blow a gasget.
Anyway... that's all.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-31 03:45 am (UTC)The more I think about the book, the more ambivalent I get about it. It's a total study in opposites for me: some things I absolutely loved, some I absolutely hated. It's hard, really. Generally, I'm pretty clear about books: I'm an avid reader, so I sort of have to be. But this is completely throwing me for a loop - I absolutely cannot decide whether I love this book or hate it.
I agree about Ron and Hermione, that's been hinted throughout the books, but I'm not sure how I feel about Harry and Ginny. But I suppose that's just personal opinion.
And while I did enjoy Molly Weasley's mama-bear tendencies coming to the forefront, I really would have appreciated a Bellatrix-Neville showdown. That would have made me cry.
Feel free to keep stopping by my journal, by the way. As an aside, what made you decide to peek in? Just curious.
Nice to hear from you!
no subject
Date: 2007-07-31 07:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-31 07:44 pm (UTC)P.S. I'm glad you like my stories.
no subject
Date: 2007-08-01 02:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-01 07:55 pm (UTC)Hey
Date: 2007-09-03 12:02 pm (UTC)Straightxedgexmino(at)gmail(dot)com
Re: Hey
Date: 2007-09-08 11:03 pm (UTC)Re: Hey
Date: 2007-09-09 08:48 pm (UTC)