Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Here we are, at the end of a truly great storyline. I have said it several times before, but I'll repeat it one last time for good measure: despite the fact that I don't like J.K. Rowling anymore because of her shitty behavior on Twitter, I will always love Harry Potter. I've literally just finished re-reading this story for the 4th time, and I already want to go through it all again. It is just that well-written.[return][return]Anyway, what do I think of the final entry? It's great, obviously. I will say it's probably my third favorite book in the series, behind Order of the Phoenix and Goblet of Fire, which are probably tied at the top for me. Firstly, I will talk about the few problems I have with it. One, the epilogue, while done show more fantastically in the movie, is not as stellar in the book. It's okay, but I feel it could have been a bit more... satisfying, you know? The way they did it in the movie left tears streaming down my face; here, I thought it was okay. My main problem with this book, however, is the pacing. It feels like certain sections of the book move a little too quickly, and certain other sections move a bit too quickly. The fact that, by the last 400 pages of this nearly 4,000-page story, only 2/8 of the fragments of Voldemort's soul had been destroyed is a bit odd. Things have moved a little too slowly by this point. Only 2 of the remaining 6 fragments of Voldemort's soul were within reach of the protagonists, and they had no way of destroying them. Then, things start moving very quickly, and the remains of Voldemort's soul (Horcruxes and his own body) are very quickly destroyed. I don't know. It almost felt like there should have been another book because there was so much left to be done.[return][return]Besides that, though, this is an exceedingly satisfying conclusion to the saga. So many things are finally revealed and resolved. As I mentioned in my Letterboxd review of Deathly Hallows Part 2, the reveal of Snape's loyalty is probably my favorite aspect of this entire story. It is even more detailed and satisfying in this book, where Harry reveals the truth to a stunned Voldemort as hundreds of on-lookers watch. Severus Snape will forever remain one of the most well-written characters in all of fiction. He is truly incredible. While I do slightly prefer Alan Rickman's adaptation to the book version because of how much less nasty he is in the movies, I am still a massive fan of this character in the books. He's probably my second favorite character behind Sirius Black. [return][return]A lot of people dislike the first half of this book because of how "boring" it is, but I must disagree. While the first 150 or so pages aren't that interesting because they form the obligatory section before the main story (at Privet Drive and the Burrow), everything that comes afterwards is immensely entertaining. Even the camping parts of this book I found interesting. There was so much work that had to be done by the main characters that I couldn't help but remain hooked, avidly anticipating their next course of action and wondering how they are going to overcome the obstacles that faced them. [return][return]The part of this book that absolutely blew me away, however, was the chapter "The Forest Again". It is an absolute master stroke of writing. Harry Potter, with the devastating knowledge that he is the final Horcrux and must walk into Death's arms, proceeds slowly through the Forbidden Forest with both fear and bravery. He has gone through more than any other witch or wizard in the history of his world, and he willingly carries out what he perceives to be his final sacrifice. The way Rowling depicts his fear at leaving his world is breathtaking. It honestly overwhelmed me. Bravo.[return][return]At the end of the day, Harry Potter has proven to me, time and time again, that it deserves to be held up there with the all-time-greats of fictional writing. It is one of the most brilliantly crafted stories of all time, and I won't stop coming back to it til the day I die. show less

“Every second he breathed, the smell of the grass, the cool air on his face, was so precious: To think that people had years and years, time to waste, so much time it dragged, and he was clinging to each second.”

I'm sure everyone knows what I mean when I say it's both a good and a bad thing that I've finished the series. Good because I've experienced it all, bad because it's now over.

I knew the plot before going in because the last movie was the freshest in my mind, so I braced myself for the deaths that were coming, revelations that jumped out to reveal themselves, and the creative wrap-up. Rowling used her imagination at top form to show the hidden natures of some of the characters we previously viewed as villains, backstories of show more heroes, and twists in escaping death and losing for Harry Potter himself.

Since it was the last book, it was the darkest as the battle reigned supreme for Hogwarts and Harry and his friends - they finally had to face that final fight, leaving no one unscathed. My favorite part was definitely at the school when the battle was waging. McGonagall remains a favorite, I wish we knew about her story afterward. Bellatrix versus Mrs Weasley was an epic time, Neville standing up for his friends, and of course the sad, sad deaths that happened to some series regulars.

Truthfully some of the down parts were a little dull at times - Harry and Hermione and Ron wandering around had some interesting scenes though, such as the snake Nagiri in the Hollows scene being so creepy it was like something written out of a horror book. The scene where Harry finds the sword was awesome as well, but it just seemed like a little magic was missing when the gang was separated so long from the school and other characters. Those characters, classes, school, hiding from teachers...all of that was a strong binding substance for the story being as great as it was.

It would be nice to know more in the epilogue about what happened to some surviving characters, such as the Weasley's besides Ron and Percy, Luna and her father, and a few others. Hopefully Harry kept Kreacher around as a personal house elf for life.

The resolution was sweet since it showed the future and who the main characters got together with, as well as Harry giving an important tribute to two main characters in the naming of his son, but it did feel a little off for some reason, not sure why. It almost felt a little forced. It answers marriage and kids but what about careers and other stuff?

I know some wanted Harry to end up with another girl in the series, but I'm happy with how it ended. Even J.K. Rowling herself now says she wish she had done that differently, but I think she made the right decision the first time.

As evil as Voldemort was, he made a memorable villain. On the other side of the coin, Harry and his friends made intelligent and worthy heroes. I'll miss the school and the stories - everything from laughing and learning, to fighting and plotting. I'll miss the characters who were killed off, and wonder what happened to those left behind. I still think it would have been more interesting had a certain professor lived and played a part in the ending.

Of course this series couldn't last forever, but it's good the author wrote seven lengthy books that are impossible to forget. Long live in the magic. show less

If you’d asked me a few years ago if I thought I’d be reading a children’s book about wizards and witches at a magical boarding school, I’d probably have laughed at you. (Although The Worst Witch was great, back in the day.) It’s been a few days since I finished reading Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, and I’m still not completely sure how I feel about it. Out of respect of those who haven’t finished reading it, I’ll try not to give away any major plot points.

Overall, I’d say Deathly Hallows was a good book, although there were a few things I didn’t care for. For starters, the pacing and intensity. There seem to be only two levels of intensity, either mundane or OMG!DeathEaters!, with little segue between the two. show more While I have no problem with the dramatic, intense moments, you can’t have the entire book run at fever pitch, because then the readers get burned out.

A second point is the way some character’s deaths were handled. Now, I’m not talking about character death in general; I knew and fully expected loads of character death, since this is the big magical showdown between good and evil. But when a fairly central character dies, I was expecting a little more than just a passing “oh, so-and-so died.”

Predictability was also an issue. I realize this is supposed to be a children’s series, and so maybe Rowling didn’t want to confuse young readers with all sorts of dramatic plot twists, but I felt the ending was fairly predictable. Who would win, who would live, who would die, who would end up together; maybe there was a little meandering on the way, but I saw the final outcome a mile away. And while I was right about certain character’s allegiances, the only somewhat surprising thing for me was the REASON behind those allegiances.

And finally, one of the biggest beefs for me, was how contrived the plot was in places. I wouldn’t go as far as to call it deus ex machina, but it was close. Like when one of the horcruxes is destroyed, and Hermione explains the heretofore unmentioned magical phenomenon that can ALSO destroy horcruxes. Wow! Lucky thing that, eh? And the existence and behavior of the Deathly Hallows themselves.

All things considered, I would say Deathly Hallows is a decent finale to the Harry Potter series. It ends the series neatly, gives us a peak into the future, but leaves room for more. Whether or not Rowling will give us more is debatable, but there is certainly room for more history and interludes, should she choose to write them. show less

Yes I jumped on the Harry Potter bandwagon too, I didn't go to the midnight release, but I was there at 7am when Wal-Mart opened (even though it compromised my principles a bit to do so). I even stopped reading a book I was half way through (Michael Flynn's Eifelheim) in order to get through this before I heard too many spoilers.

And man was I glad I went out of my way to read this thing, it is a great book. The series comes to an incredibly satisfying conclusion, with every character, hero and villain, given a chance to shine (in many cases right before they die). The book is a bloodbath, which I was not expecting at all, but only once in the book did it ever feel excessive to me. After 7 books Rowling has earned her apocalyptic battle show more between the forces of good and evil, and she does not disappoint her readers in its telling. 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

What if we write a whole damn series of books, hundreds and hundreds of pages. And the point of every one of the first six books is "Harry can't do it alone." He needs his friends to win a crucial game of chess, and learn the formula for disguise potions, and sacrifice themselves over and over again to keep him safe.
So then in book seven, our hero goes and camps out in the woods doing nothing because that's his best plan. And at the end of all that doing nothing, the bad guy comes to him, monologues for a bit, then our hero kills him in a one on one duel while all the wizards who clearly are more powerful, better trained, and better prepared stand around and watch.

The Deathly Hallows is very different from the previous books. I remember some people were put off by that when it was first released. The Harry Potter series is very formulaic in nature, there is always the miserable summer with the Dursleys, some back-to-school excitement, followed by the inevitable Hogwarts Express chapter, and the opening feast, and then some average everyday classes before the plot thickens, with a couple Quidditch games thrown in. It's incredibly consistent, so the atmosphere in this one is almost alien, as our beloved trio of characters are thrust into the "real world' where they have to figure things out for themselves.

I also remember thinking it was a little on the slow side the first time I read it, which is show more funny considering I read it over the course of 2 days. This is the first time I've read it since it was released and I must say, I don't know what I was thinking! What an absolutely riveting conclusion to the series.

Granted, there are a few issues with it, the worst being the expansion of wand lore within the book, creating the idea of "wand loyalty" which kind of breaks the way wands and magic work within the whole Harry Potter universe. That doesn't really change what an emotional roller coaster the book is, and the fact that now that I'm done with the series my life is empty and without meaning. Y'know, just like before I started re-reading them. show less