Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I just completed a reread of the entire series (which was an absolute delight... you just get so much more out of reading really well-plotted books a second time) and am left both stunned and a little heartbroken that there isn't more (well, except for "The Cursed Child", Grindewald, but you know what I mean.)

The Deathly Hallows finds Harry, Ron and Hermione in the last summer before they are to return to school.. except the three of them know they will never be returning, that they have been tasked by Dumbledore with hunting down and destroying the remaining horcruxes so that Voldemort can be killed.

The best thing about this was the reveal of so much information. The story of Regulus Black and Kreacher (whose old elf heart finally show more warmed towards Harry.) The Hallows and the Elder Wand. The history of the Dumbledores. All of these are woven into the narrative with absolute skill as JK Rowling leads us through Godric's Hollow, through Gringotts, and finally to Hogwarts to seek out the final bits of Voldemort's soul. And as we get to the final battle, Snape's memories, and we see how cleverly the allegiance of the Elder Wand has been plotted out all along, you just want to sit back and applaud for the skill of the storytelling. JK Rowling spins a magnificent yarn. show less

** Aviso, esta reseña tiene spoilers **

De verdad ¡Qué pasada de libro! No tengo ninguna duda al decir que este es el mejor libro de toda la serie.

Lleno de aventuras, de dramatismo y con un final digno de la serie.

Yo me pregunto ¿por qué decidieron cambiar el final en las películas cuando el del libro es taaan bueno?

Otra vez me ha sorprendido, caray que sigo realmente sorprendida de que mi memoria retuviera mucho más las películas que los libros cuando los leí.

Hay varios momentos realmente dramáticos, una de ellas es la muerte de Fred y esto lo comento porque de verdad levantó una gran reclamo a Rowling, primero por matarlo, claro, pero ya que lo ha hecho, me habría que me contara qué pasa con George después de la muerte de show more su gemelo, no nos dicen nada y de verdad que me encantaría saberlo, me parece que nos lo merecemos y los personajes también cuando fueron dos personajes realmente importantes en toda la saga.

Otra parte es la reivindicación de Snape… mmm… no creo que se lo mereciera tanto, me parece que sus motivos siempre fueron demasiado egoístas y ciertamente odiaba realmente a Harry, tengo que reconocer que su sacrificio fue grande, pero sigue pareciéndome muy egoísta.

Por otro lado todo lo que Dumbledore le explica a Harry mientras se encuentran en limbo, es lo que termina por poner cada pieza en su lugar, aunque siempre me ha parecido muy rara esa escena, me parece un momento y un lugar muy raro para que se lleve a cabo esa platica.

Y llegó a la mejor parte del libro, ese enfrentamiento que tienen Voldemort y Harry al final, mientras dan vueltas uno alrededor del otro y cuando Harry le explica a Voldemort porque será él quien muera es FA BU LO SA!!!

No me cabe duda alguna de que Rowling escribió una serie de libros fuera de serie, la manera en que vemos crecer a los personajes, la historia, la narrativa, como se va convirtiendo en algo tan oscuro donde empieza con un libro infantil, es realmente algo digno de verse y de alabarse.

Toda la aventura de Harry, Hermione y Ron para encontrar los Horrocruxes es maravilloso, cada página tiene su algo, por supuesto la muerte que hay en este libro me pudieron mucho y también por supuesto la muerte de Lupin y Tonks, que injusto! como que no me gusta que se muera tanta gente del lado de los buenos.

Me encanta y siempre me ha encantado la escena final ya pasado el tiempo (suspiro) ¡cómo me gustaría que Rowling nos escribiera más libros de Harry Potter!

Soy fan de esta serie y lo seré por siempre. show less

I have so many emotions going through me right now that coherent sentences may not be possible. I have loved Harry Potter since I was eight years old. Now, I am 21 and still in love. I love everything about that world. I love the wands, I love the magic, I love the house-elves, the goblins, Diagon Alley, Quiddittch, Fang, Buckbeak, Sirius, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Hogwarts, the Weasleys, Ron, Harry, Hermione, hell I even love the Dursleys and Voldemort because there would be no story without them. This end, is brilliant, epic, all good things combined. No book, or ending of a series, has ever (and probably will ever) bring on this much satisfaction. I cried, I laughed, I cheered, I screamed, I had to put the book down just to breathe, and I show more was in it, right there the whole time with Harry, Ron and Hermione. No characters have ever made me care this much in my entire life. Fictional as they may be, they are my best friends. I am aware that I can easily crack open one of my many duct tape clad books, or pop in a dvd, and there they all will be, the world all still there. That makes me happy, but at the same time, the feeling will never be the same as it is right now. After tomorrow (my midnight ticket has been purchased for weeks now) it will truly be over in that, this will be it. I started these books when I was 8. The first movie came out when I was 11 (along with Harry, Ron and Hermione) and now the end is coming at a time where I am truly grown up. Its over for Harry, and its over for me. Its bittersweet in the weirdest way. And honestly, I have no idea what I will feel after seeing the final film and having it truly be over. Just now, as I finished the final book, I still am unsure of my feelings. Happy, excited, satisfied, but sad. Sad that the journey is finally over, sad that I won't wait for days, weeks, months for the next Harry Potter book, only to fight over who gets to read it first with my sister. Try to steel it if she gets first pick when she makes the horrible mistake of setting it down to go to the bathroom, stay up until 3 am reading and then bawling when I find out Sirius is dead; looking online eagerly for new photos of the cast, new interviews, waiting in line for the midnight showing, the anticipation as the lights finally dim and everyone silences instantly. It will finally be over. I saw J.K. Rowling speak at the london premiere (on youtube I'm not cool enough to actually get to go to london) and she said "wether you come by page or by screen, Hogwarts will always be there for you to welcome you home." Somehow hearing that, makes it easier, but the little 11 year old girl, who sat in the theater with her Harry Potter diary, and a homemade wand in her lap will never read, or see it in the same way, and thats the part that is sad. Thats why its bittersweet. It truly is the end of an era, and the end of my childhood. J.K. Rowling, MADE my childhood, she made me love to read, she made me love her characters fiercely, she gave me an imagination that could go anywhere, and for that.....I have no words other than "thank you" because it has truly been the experience of a lifetime. show less

After a week of marathon sessions reading aloud with my family, we have at last finished the end of an era.

It was far better than I expected. I still feel a bit shell-shocked, to be honest, even though I read the last page four hours ago. I've been reading the adventures of Harry Potter since I was fourteen; I can hardly believe there'll be no more books.

The book was slow in places: Harry, Ron and Hermione spent a lot of time just waiting around (in the Burrow, while camping, at Shell Cottage), Dumbledore's final chapter (King's Cross) seemed to last forever, and as pleased as I was to read them, Snape's memories dragged a bit. I was really glad JKR fit all she did in there, and I wouldn't necessarily cut it (I am greedy for any bit of show more that world I can get), but I think a really excellent editor might have helped.

Overall, I loved it. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows isn't a perfect book by any means, but some of its charm lies in the unpolished energy and sheer enthusiasm of the writing. Most of its charm, however, lies in the characters. I was completely wrapped up in each of their lives--I felt personally betrayed when Lupin left Tonks (wtf?), cried when Dobby died (a free elf!), and cheered for Neville's triumphant rise to true heroism. There were so many, many excellent bits that I can't list them all.

I was right on a few of my predictions: Snape's true loyalties were revealed to Harry, but too late; one of the twins died; Percy came back to help save the day; the final battle was at Hogwarts; RAB was Regelus Black; Lupin died; the final horcrux was Harry.
The one thing I got totally wrong was Draco Malfoy, who I thought was going to switch sides halfway through the book. I kept reading scenes at Malfoy Manor and thinking "this is it!" but in the end, it was Draco's mother Narcissa who switched. Did not see that coming.

The epilogue is saccharine drek that should never have been published. Albus Severus? Seriously? I'm going to repress that chapter and instead just remember the absolutely excellent last chapter, in which Harry ruthlessly, calmly deconstructs all of Voldemort's carefully crafted illusions. show less

Description: In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final book in the epic tale of Harry Potter, Harry and Lord Voldemort each prepare for their ultimate encounter.

Voldemort takes control of the Ministry of Magic, installs Severus Snape as headmaster at Hogwarts, and sends his Death Eaters across the country to wreak havoc and find Harry. Meanwhile, Harry, Ron, and Hermione embark on a desperate quest the length and breadth of Britain, trying to locate and destroy Voldemort’s four remaining Horcruxes, the magical objects in which he has hidden parts of his broken soul. They visit the Burrow, Grimmauld Place, the Ministry, Godric’s Hollow, Malfoy Manor, Diagon Alley...

But every time they solve one mystery, three show more more evolve—and not just about Voldemort, but about Dumbledore, and Harry’s own past, and three mysterious objects called the Deathly Hallows. The Hallows are literally things out of a children’s tale, which, if real, promise to make their possessor the “Master of Death;” and they ensnare Harry with their tantalizing claim of invulnerability.

It is only after a nigh-unbearable loss that he is brought back to his true purpose, and the trio returns to Hogwarts for the final breathtaking battle between the forces of good and evil. They fight the Death Eaters alongside members of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore’s Army, the Weasley clan, and the full array of Hogwarts teachers and students.

Yet everything turns upon the moment the entire series has been building up to, the same meeting with which our story began: the moment when Harry and Voldemort face each other at last.

Thoughts: I remember very clearly reading this book for the first time. I picked it up at a midnight release party and sped home to start reading. I think I read clear through until about 7am at which point I napped and then started reading again immediately. I was completely engrossed and couldn't bear to put the book down. I finished it that day and immediately started it again for a second, more measured reading.

While there have been plenty of people who complained that this book wasn't set at Hogwarts or that all the tramping about was boring and pointless, I loved the tone of this and how Rowling repeatedly reinforced this idea of growing up and setting aside childhood things to make really hard decisions. Harry's split with Ginny, deciding not to return to Hogwarts, loosing Hedwig, relying on only Hermione, Ron, and his own skill and intelligence to solve these problems, these were all things that signaled that the trio had grown up, that they were willing and capable of making the right choices. I love how their relationships and character are tested and how they put themselves back together.

The battle of Hogwarts still makes me cry. Listening to it in the car on a two hour drive yesterday still had the tears flowing. The terrible losses and the beautiful redemptions. The trip into Snape's memories makes my throat clench up just thinking about it. The Resurrection Stone scene... constant gut punches.

I don't LOVE the long conversation at Platform 9 3/4 where Dumbledore conveniently lays it all out or the drawn out speech Harry gives Voldemort to explain some more. These were the worst excesses of telling rather than showing that Rowling falls into. I wish the information could have been imparted some other way that breaking the action to give an oration. But it's forgivable.

Like many others thought, I'm not a fan of the epilogue. I appreciate that Rowling let us know who ended up with who and that they are happy and safe and that all is well. I just hate that we don't get to see any of the happiness and healing. I desperately want to know what happened in the days after the battle, I need the closure of some funerals. I want to see Harry and Ginny getting to know each other without loaming disaster. I want to see Ron and Hermione exploring each other in a new way (get your minds out of the gutter). I want to meet Teddy Lupin and see Harry's relationship with him. I WANT WEDDINGS! I also want to see the mundane of the Potters and Weasleys just being the best of friends in a world that isn't full of menace anymore. Do they have dinner parties? Do they go for drinks after work? Do they drift apart like high school friends do so often but never completely because they are family now? I WANT TO KNOW. I NEED TO KNOW. A scene on the train platform could never satisfy that.

But it's a tall order and she'd be writing forever to make us all happy. I accept that. I don't like it, but I accept it. I've grown up too.

Rating: 4.33

Liked: 4.5
Plot: 4.5
Characterization: 4.5
Writing: 4
Audio: 4

https://www.librarything.com/topic/172068#4809436 show less

This is my third re-read of this book. My opinion of this book has never been very high compared to its predecessors. I think there are moments in it that are unparalleled and the ending is brilliant but i’ve always felt that Rowling hurried to end the book. “Caw! I’m at 500 pages and i haven’t even got them half way! I’d better DO something…”

Let me ‘splain.

We get 100 pages of the Trio camping and groping about for almost a year then the story moves again. We spend another 100 pages or so moving along nicely but then it all just comes together and Kings Cross happens as a cheesy moment of pure “let’s wrap it up” exposition and the book ends. It really felt rushed.

It occurred to me that it might have been better had show more Harry been alone at Kings Cross, discovering some of the things he was told there on his own and then, later, finding a hidden stash of Dumbledore’s memories hidden away, perhaps behind his portrait in the Headmaster’s office. Harry could have then learned about the nuance of everything without having to conjure forth Dumbledore.

My biggest problem is the Hallows themselves. Usually, Rowling is grand about weaving clues and precursors and foreshadowings into the fabric of each and every book. Everything is usually consistent and already there if you think about it. Like Sirius Black and his motorbike being mentioned in the first several pages of the very first book. It’s there, look it up. However, the only reference we have to the Hallows is a mention of the Peverell family in book 5 or 6. That’s it. Nothing else to even hint at it. Yes, the cloak is there all along and we can retroactively piece together the threads of the quest for the hallows like the Trio does in book 7 but nothing else is there. Not proper Rowling style. We don’t even hear about the hallows or their symbol until more than halfway through this book! For something that is supposed to have driven much of the entire series from behind the scenes, it should have been at least hinted at before. Bad form, JK.

And i do not believe for a second that neither Harry nor Hermione has never heard of Beedle the Bard. not for a millisecond. Especially Hermione. We’re supposed to believe that with all her poking about the library and absorbing facts from all kinds of disparate areas of the wizarding world no matter how trivial it might seem to others, that she didn’t ever come across references to those stories. Really? And as for Harry, can you imagine going through 6 years of BOARDING SCHOOL where you LIVE and never ever hearing about Mother Goose, the Brothers Grimm, or any fairy tale or nursery rhyme? Really? Sorry, but no. Rowling really goofed on that one. Simply not believable in the slightest. It’s a major problem for me.

Now, those are my problems with the story. Some of them, at least. The parts i like are glorious whether dark or uplifting. The final battle between Harry and Voldemort is perfect. Harry’s journey represents one of true enlightenment and self-actualization. His fully realizing what Dumbledore had taught him was awesome to behold. The fact that he offered Riddle a chance to redeem himself at the end is the central theme of this whole epic tale and something the movie completely misunderstood. What Harry does with the wand and the other Hallows is perfect as well. Again, the movie missed the point ENTIRELY. Neville becoming a leader is wonderful and right. Molly taking on Bellatrix? I cheered out loud. Dobby’s fate? Crushing but well-written and meaningful. The revelations surrounding Snape fit into place neatly. Love is the redeemer. Love and grief and remorse. This is something that Tolkien knew, too. It’s a Deep Wisdom and the fact that it appears in maybe the greatest YA series of all time is no mistake. show less

WARNING: This review contains spoilers.

****

A highly emotional conclusion to the much-beloved children's series. The first time I read this book I raced through it, not caring for anything beyond "what happens next, what happens next?" This re-read (in anticipation of the upcoming movie) was a more measured approach, where I tried to pay more attention to the characters and how Rowling wrote. It's an excellent story, with good pacing and some crackerjack battle sequences, and very, very moving farewells for a few characters. (Dobby's death in particular was the hardest to take.) I still think the epilogue is a bit silly, especially after the thrilling end to the main part of the story, but I suppose it was important for some fans to know show more how the protagonists fare in the future. All in all a solid end to the series and well worth a read. show less