My wife and I purchased our copies, and one for our daughter, a few minutes after midnight on Saturday, at a Barnes and Noble a few minutes from our house (our son and his girlfriend bought their copies around the same time, in the city). When we left the store, kids with their copies were sitting in front, eagerly reading. I should have taken a picture.
I finished the novel around 5 this morning. My family had finished about a day earlier (hey, I had to leave a little time for watching television - but I also like to read at a leisurely pace).
There were so many things I loved about the novel. I'll go over some of them here. But consider this review a work in progress - I'll be back with more.
The interactions among the magical species were better than in the any of the previous novels: The banking, swordmaking goblins, in particular, were fleshed out, and played a crucial role in this story. So did house elves, and the giants and centaurs put in good appearances, too. Harry, Hermione, and Ron even got a chance to fly on another dragon.
All the beloved elements of the series got a great workout: Whether you like Patronuses or Nearly-Headless Nick or the magic of wizardry painting (enabling the people in portraits to talk to viewers, move to other frames in their vicinity, or even migrate to other portraits of themselves, wherever they may be - as a media theorist, I especially enjoy that) - they're all here.
It was good to see radio in the picture: Harry, Hermione, and Ron spend an amount of time on the run, cut off from knowledge of what is happening to their friends and enemies. As I was reading a heart-warming, riveting section in which Ron is able to tune in a pirate radio station - Potterwatch - I realized that only someone from Britain could write this so effectively. When that country teetered on the edge of falling to the Nazis at the beginning of World War II, it was Winston Churchill's voice on the radio that kept it going. Harry Potter is in many ways a uniquely British contribution to the world - at once British and universal. Much like the Beatles, it reflects the special genius on the other side of the Atlantic for entertaining and educating the world.
Lots of good details that explain oddities in our world: For example, why you sometimes walk or drive down a street, and notice the numbering on the houses has missed a beat - as if a number was accidentally skipped or left out. (This was probably in earlier novels, too, but it was good to get that little insight again. One of the best things about science fiction and fantasy is their offering exotic but logical explanations for everyday oddities.)
My favorite line: Molly Weasley, dueling with Bellatrix: "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" Yeah, all caps, and deservedly so.
Life and deaths: With a few exceptions, all warranted, and deeply satisfying.
Quibbles? Inevitable - no story, even the one J. K. Rowling has given us, can be perfect for every reader. But they're so few - indeed, just three, really - that I can put them here in one little paragraph: (i) Several good people died at the end, who didn't need to, or whose deaths were too off-scene and therefore didn't seem motivated. (ii) I don't get why Harry, Hermione, and Ron refrain from using killing curses on the villains, and confine themselves to stuns, etc. (iii) There was an unnecessary Epilogue.
But these are small reservations to an extraordinary ending to an extraordinary series.
And I'll be back here with more in the days, months, and years to come...
Enjoy a 15-minute (free) podcast: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: The View from New York
See also about Harry Potter:
Harry Potter and Obama
The New York Times Spoils Harry Potter - A Little, But Still Too Much
The Elite Attack on Harry Potter
Harry Potter and the 3-D Phoenix movie review
Harry Potter and Spoilers: An Occasion for Basking
Harry Potter and the Refutation of Illiteracy
8 comments:
I just recently started reading your blogs, and loved them .
I do agree the the Epilogue was quite unnecessary .. who wants to know Harry as a 36 yr old .
I loved the way Snape's character was portrayed in the series ..by far the best.
Pity the series is all over :(
Welcome to Infinite Regress, faraz!
I agree with about Snape - the resolution of his story was effective and heartbreaking....
Glad you're enjoying the blog ... good to have your comments.
Hey Paul, great review!
My kids and I just wrapped up the final pages last night around 11 (we read it aloud so it takes a while!),and I'm pleased to read some of the commentary on Book 7.
I like all your points a lot. The underground radio and the resistance movement reminiscent of WWII were great touches.
I never thought about the little oddities bit, but you're right! that's wonderful isn't it?
Anyone possessing an imagination as rich and deep as Rowling's, along with the ability to bring it to life through prose, is awesome to me! The way she brought that entire universe to light - not in caricature but fullblown, with the good and the bad - is amazing.
My few quibbles: As in books 5 and 6, there were places in the first two-thirds that I thought could be tightened up. She always gets more compelling in the final chapters.
The denouement, as usual, involves a somewhat torturous and confusing Dumbledore monologue that's tough to puzzle out.
Even more so in previous books, the character of Ginny became something of a cypher, and I never got good feelings about her being Harry's "soul-mate." She just seemed like someone Harry would inevitably hook up with because of his ties to the Weasleys.
My favorite character, Luna Lovegood, had so many wonderful moments - and even a strong connection with Harry at so many places that I thought maybe Ginny would be killed off and he'd end up with Luna (who might grow out of some of her fey wanderings). Yet there was no mention at all of Luna in the epilogue, which fell flat for me because we got no information at all about what our beloved characters are doing (except Neville), other than marrying and having kids. I agree with you that this epilogue felt unnecessary. I'd like more information or no epilogue at all.
I think the key line of the book - and maybe the series entirely - is at the end of the penultimate chapter:
Tell me one last thing," said Harry. "Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?"
Dumbledore beamed at him, and his voice sounded loud and strong in Harry's ears even though the bright mist was descending again, obscuring his figure.
"Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"
Isn't this exactly what Rowling has done, in the end? Taken something wholly from "inside her head" and turned it into something that is about as "real" and satisfying and thrilling as possible, to millions and millions of people around the world. It's a comment on the triumph and the veracity of art, and I wholly agree with her.
Now. How's that Firefly series coming along? :-)
:) Hey, Karen - I've been so busy reading, writing, and watching current tv that I haven't watched Firefly yet - but you did inspire me to get the DVD ....
I agree with your analysis of Harry completely! Especially right about Dumbledore and his explanation, and not enough Ginny and Luna (who's delightful) ...
And your key line of the novel is right on, too ...
See, there was something good to talk about after Lost ...
(And soon I'll put up something here about Firefly...)
(And soon I'll put up something here about Firefly...)
Great! I'll look forward to it.
I liked the epilogue. But I guess I really would have prefered more details. I don't want to spoil anything for those who have yet to read the book, but a marriage in the last chapter would've been nice.
I'd like to hear what you think of my review
I HATED the epilog. It ruined the whole book. Are we really supposed to think that Harry & friends defeated the greatest force of evil for their age only to just keep things the same? What about changing the forces that led to the rise of Voldemort? What about dealing with the hatred/fear between the magical races? What about desegragating Hogwarts to allow non-Humans? What about fostering understanding between humans & the goblins... the centaurs... the elves...?
Hmm, I found the epilogue to be a relief, it kind of really ended the series, though I can see why some of you would say it was unnecessary. It really kind of stated the obvious, well not the obvious, I really wasn't expecting to hear anything about kids. The epilogue really showed the world in a more peaceful state though.
I agree with Jonny: "a marriage in the last chapter would've been nice"
Besides the epilogue really did explain enough, it told us what happened with the major characters: Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Draco, were the only noteworthy characters, the ones who we saw grow and change from beginning to end.
As I said, it was relief, letting us know everything really did work out in the end. Just like a fairy tale (but better, naturally).
Other than that Paul, I totally agree with and understand what you're reviewing.
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