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anitabuchanHave just finished. Harry Potter 7, of course, the reason I've been avoiding the internet like the plague. And it's times like this that I hate being a fast reader. Because I really need to talk to someone.
OMG. Where do I start? At the beginning, I suppose, but the end has pretty much destroyed all memory of what happened at the start. But I do remember Voldemort being evil, but also more human and less cartoon villainish than before - something that continued.
And scariness. Right from the start. This is really a dark book. An adult book, I think. I'm not sure I'd let young children read this. But there were moments of goodness. Dudley. I wish we had found out what had happened to the Dursleys. I suppose we've just got to assume they're safe.
Hermione reminded me why I love her with what she did to her parents. I can't decide whether it shows extreme love or extreme cold-heartedness. Both, really. And Ron's birthday present to Harry. That was a reference to sex he made, wasn't it?
Ministry fell. Not surprising, but chilling. Dumbledore left them things in his will. Which brings me onto something that surprised me - I thought Dumbledore's death was pretty much so Harry no longer had anyone to protect him. But instead, we found out so much more about him. He became this character with all these failings. And maybe he wasn't the wizard everyone thought he was, but I actually like him better now. He's real now.
I can't really remember how it all fits together. I need to read it again. I thought Ron's hissy-fit was both heart-breaking and totally in character. Harry, as usual, was trying to charge off in twenty directions at once. Hermione was trying to be too logical.
But, to be honest, the feelings of love weren't there till the end. Strong like, but not love. And then everything went boom.
The battle of Hogwarts. I was waiting for that. Weren't we all? This was the cheering bit - McGonagall, her hair loose, her cheek bloody, leading a charge against the Death Eaters. And everyone joining in, all the little bit-part characters, all there at the end. And Hermione-Ron-Harry vs Malfoy-Crabbe-Goyle just seemed so right.
But the deaths hurt more than I thought. Fred, Remus, Tonks...especially after how she had built Remus and Tonks up (btw, Harry telling Remus off? I loved!) with their baby. But I didn't start crying till Snape died and Harry got his memories. And I am so glad that Snape was good, but from then on I was crying. Just because Snape had such a life, loving a woman he could never have, completely screwed up by his background but still obviously with enough goodness inside that he could feel like that.
And discovering that Harry had to die. That final walk he made, through Hogwarts, remembering...yep, I cried more. And then when Sirius, Remus, James and Lily appeared. And I didn't know what to think when he was there with Dumbledore, but in the end...He's the Boy Who Lived, isn't he?
And Neville! His moment of glory! My guess would be that he was the one she expected to die but saved. And I'm so glad he's the Professor, though I know people predicted that.
A teeny tiny criticism is that I found the argument between Harry and Voldemort at the end a little staged. Done to clear Snape's name. But never mind. It was done, and Harry used his 'signature' move to finish it.
And then the end. By this point I was crying again. Just because it was ending.
The final scene, nineteen years later? I thought was a little cheesy. But never mind.
Maybe not everyone will love it. Well, they won't. And I have loved almost all the books, and have always been delighted with whatever she came up with. And this one...it's the same. Maybe she's not got the best writing style, but I so rarely feel emotion like I do when I read Harry Potter. And I don't think anyone could deny she's a genius when it comes to plotting - and in this book, it all fell together. And the minor characters played their roles, all the little clues became clear.
And I just loved it.
OMG. Where do I start? At the beginning, I suppose, but the end has pretty much destroyed all memory of what happened at the start. But I do remember Voldemort being evil, but also more human and less cartoon villainish than before - something that continued.
And scariness. Right from the start. This is really a dark book. An adult book, I think. I'm not sure I'd let young children read this. But there were moments of goodness. Dudley. I wish we had found out what had happened to the Dursleys. I suppose we've just got to assume they're safe.
Hermione reminded me why I love her with what she did to her parents. I can't decide whether it shows extreme love or extreme cold-heartedness. Both, really. And Ron's birthday present to Harry. That was a reference to sex he made, wasn't it?
Ministry fell. Not surprising, but chilling. Dumbledore left them things in his will. Which brings me onto something that surprised me - I thought Dumbledore's death was pretty much so Harry no longer had anyone to protect him. But instead, we found out so much more about him. He became this character with all these failings. And maybe he wasn't the wizard everyone thought he was, but I actually like him better now. He's real now.
I can't really remember how it all fits together. I need to read it again. I thought Ron's hissy-fit was both heart-breaking and totally in character. Harry, as usual, was trying to charge off in twenty directions at once. Hermione was trying to be too logical.
But, to be honest, the feelings of love weren't there till the end. Strong like, but not love. And then everything went boom.
The battle of Hogwarts. I was waiting for that. Weren't we all? This was the cheering bit - McGonagall, her hair loose, her cheek bloody, leading a charge against the Death Eaters. And everyone joining in, all the little bit-part characters, all there at the end. And Hermione-Ron-Harry vs Malfoy-Crabbe-Goyle just seemed so right.
But the deaths hurt more than I thought. Fred, Remus, Tonks...especially after how she had built Remus and Tonks up (btw, Harry telling Remus off? I loved!) with their baby. But I didn't start crying till Snape died and Harry got his memories. And I am so glad that Snape was good, but from then on I was crying. Just because Snape had such a life, loving a woman he could never have, completely screwed up by his background but still obviously with enough goodness inside that he could feel like that.
And discovering that Harry had to die. That final walk he made, through Hogwarts, remembering...yep, I cried more. And then when Sirius, Remus, James and Lily appeared. And I didn't know what to think when he was there with Dumbledore, but in the end...He's the Boy Who Lived, isn't he?
And Neville! His moment of glory! My guess would be that he was the one she expected to die but saved. And I'm so glad he's the Professor, though I know people predicted that.
A teeny tiny criticism is that I found the argument between Harry and Voldemort at the end a little staged. Done to clear Snape's name. But never mind. It was done, and Harry used his 'signature' move to finish it.
And then the end. By this point I was crying again. Just because it was ending.
The final scene, nineteen years later? I thought was a little cheesy. But never mind.
Maybe not everyone will love it. Well, they won't. And I have loved almost all the books, and have always been delighted with whatever she came up with. And this one...it's the same. Maybe she's not got the best writing style, but I so rarely feel emotion like I do when I read Harry Potter. And I don't think anyone could deny she's a genius when it comes to plotting - and in this book, it all fell together. And the minor characters played their roles, all the little clues became clear.
And I just loved it.
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(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-21 09:08 am (UTC)I agree the epilogue was cheesy - I think you can tell that chapter was written towards the start of the whole HP madness - but overall I thought it was a fitting end.
Predictably, however, the internet is filled with hate towards JKR at the moment. Meh, she couldn't please everyone!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-21 08:51 pm (UTC)I think some people are just too attached to the characters to the point they feel like they own them. Which I suppose is credit to JKR's talent, but also slightly annoying.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-22 11:11 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-21 11:47 am (UTC)*flails incoherently*
I thought Hedwig dying so soon into the book was painful enough, but . . . oh, wow.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-21 08:52 pm (UTC)Hedwig upset me more than Mad-Eye. Which is possibly wrong, but...Hedwig!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-22 11:10 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-22 06:10 pm (UTC)As for Harry Potter canon/fanon, don't get me started. I used to be quite involved in the fandom but left just because of the numbers of people who semed convinced it was all really happened. And that they could write about it better than JKR.