Deathly Hallows Impressions
Well, I just finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and my official review is - wow.
I just thought I'd put up a thread for my initial impressions.
I won't put any spoliers here on the front page, but "continue reading" for specifics.
To any who haven't read it yet let me say that it is a most satisfying read especially if you have read the other six books carefully because Rowling does an excellent job of wrapping up all the loose threads. I really need to go back and reread The Half-Blood Prince but she refers to all of the previous six books. Having read Deathly Hallows it is very clear that the whole series was carefully plotted out. She was not making it up as she went along.
Spoilers follow - you have been warned.
"Pius Thicknesse" may be my new favorite Rowling name ever. The fact that he becomes the new Minister of Magic is just too classic for chance. It is always a calamity when leaders rise to power, by means of others, who are pious and thick.
The scene in the forest where Harry finds Gryffindor's sword is so amazingly classic I felt goose pimples all over me as I read it. Somehow I knew Ron would return at that moment. Ron Weasley always had a bit of the Arthurian aura about him as evidenced by the names in his family. His pulling the sword from the water and saving Harry... brilliant. Worth the price of admission right there.
And speaking of Gryffindor's sword, how cool is it that Neville fulfills his destiny and strikes down Nagini?
I am glad that Snape's role in the series was explained at last and satisfactorily. And I liked the explanation. It all fit. Snape is such a fantastic literary figure. He, and Narcissa Malfoy in the end, show the weakness of those who choose to rule by fear.
In the realm of romance, being the hopeless romantic that I am, I am so glad that Ginny didn't die. I really feared she would. I could have read a lot more about her.
Ron and Hermione, well, what more can be said? The long awaited kiss was well worth the wait. Can someone come up with a more perfectly paired literary couple? I can't think of any at the moment.
I am also so glad that Beatrix had her come uppance at the hand of Molly Weasley. Word to the wise, mess with the Weasleys, you answer to Molly.
I had feared that either Fred or George would die. That one hit me harder than any of the others.
Percy came back! I knew he would! Good on you, Perce!
I loved the amount of backstory included in this installment. The stories, legends, histories were great. Rowling's imagination is amazingly rich.
Draco Malfoy... have you learned anything? Has your grace been too cheap? Can you appreciate how much you have been loved without earning it? I ask the same questions of myself sometimes.
Feel free to add your own impressions or respond to mine. What were your favorite moments or overall impressions?
Comments
I was disappointed with the ending. First it's revealed that Harry has to die in order for Voldemort to die, and then - he lives. Felt like Rowling was trying to have her cake and eat it too.
Posted by: Markk | July 26, 2007 7:57 PM
I read it last weekend, really fast so I wouldn't hear about it from anyone else. I really liked it, probably more than several of the others. I really appreciated not having to skim through a lot of boring quidditch stuff, for one thing :) One night, before the book came out, I was going through some of the things I remembered, trying to figure out where Rowling was going to go with this, and I wondered if Harry might be a horcrux, so I wasn't surprised by that. I was glad that he lived, but it would have worked out all right if he had not, as well. I hated that one of tghe Weasley twins died--I loved them for their goofy guyish-ness--the kind of guys who sit in the back of every classroom and are so much fun to be around. I never really got the Ron/Hermoine pariring, really. I was a lot like Hermione at one time, and I would never have gone for Ron. I was also disappointed by the deaths of Lupin and Tonks. They had just become parents--that was just wrong--plus, it came off as an after thought--oh, yeah, there are their bodies.... I would have rather have seen Hagrid gone, really.
Posted by: Leah | July 27, 2007 10:57 AM
well i should say it was a twister some thing that i wouldnt have expected specialy the deaths of fred ,tonks and lupin,i would have gone for the malfroys but when i read the book it was amazing and i wished it went on a bit more..and the true character of snape comes up realy perfectly and it did make my hatred towards that character change well over all the book is great and i am looking forward for the full movie of it.and the book proved that love is powerfull than death.thank you mrs rowling
Posted by: roshan | July 27, 2007 4:39 PM
I also made sure to read it before I accidently saw a spoiler. I was pleased with how it all ended-even the "they get married and have kids and all live happily ever after" worked for me. My biggest tear jerker moment was when Percy came back.
Posted by: laurie | July 27, 2007 10:12 PM
Lawrence:
I agree with you on many fronts. The Snape story was satisfactory, and even though it seems he and Narcissa were weak, in the end they did what they could -- for love. I wept at the end when Harry named his middle child Albus Severus -- the completion of redemption.
Oh, there is so much to say. I'll probably do that on my blog.
But it was excellent, and thank God for that. We've all been hanging onto that hope -- that Harry will survive and that following Rowling on this journey would be worth it.
Posted by: Michelle | July 28, 2007 10:56 AM