It has been a week since my copy of HP arrived and almost a week since I finished it. This book was a literary phenomenon (of course the debate rages regarding whether or not it was literary genius). It has been amusing watching folk pouring though the book on the train and subway. Last week my assistant even gave up her lunch hour to sit at her desk and read. It was fun sneaking up on her and asking if she wanted to know who died. I am aware of at least twenty people I know who are reading this book right now. That is not something I have been able to say since the tired days of English class!
If you're a Potter fan, you've been waiting for this book for a very long time, and, if you haven't read it yet, you may be wondering if it’s worth the wait. The short answer is: yes. As final books go, The Deathly Hallows wraps things up quite nicely indeed - far better than many 'finale' books usually do.
I did my usual re-read of all the previous books prior to starting this one and I am glad I did. Phrases, situations, and characters from the previous books took on new significance in this final installment of the series. I don't think that I would have gotten as much out of the book had I not refreshed my memory - I mean really, it has been almost 10 years since the first book was published!
Throughout this book Harry returns to many places we've seen in earlier books: Gringots, The Shrieking Shack and The Ministry of Magic, among others. Each of these places plays a small role in the Harry's quest to defeat Voldemort. We also get to visit the house where Harry lived when Voldemort attacked his parents. This visit gives us some more insight into the events that happened that night, and show how prepared Voldemort is to find Harry and his friends. Rowling does a nice job of weaving all these places into the story, as Harry, Ron and Hermione try to find all of Voldemort's Horcruxes and figure out what the Deathly Hallows actually are.
As far as the plot goes, it’s basically a quest, with Harry and company running from encounter to encounter, trying to stay ahead of Voldemort and his cohorts. In fact, the first 2/3 of the book is basically Harry on the run, trying to figure things out while staying out of sight. Unfortunately, while there is some action during this period (the infiltration of The Ministry for example), this section tended to drag quite a bit, as it takes quite a bit of time for Harry and friends to figure out what they want to do, and how to do it. At one point Ron leaves Harry and Hermione, frustrated by their lack of direction and purpose. I wanted to cheer because I felt that same!
Once the siege of Hogwarts begins, however, the last part of the book is all action, and moves quite quickly toward its satisfying showdown between Harry and Voldemort. Rowling obviously took some time to figure out how this showdown would occur, and weaved the pieces needed throughout the earlier parts. The twist that occurs is obvious in hindsight, but was executed quite well. This final section of the book is so fast paced that you'll likely not be able to put it down. Be forewarned though because it lasts for more than 100 pages.
We also get answers to many previously unanswered questions as the story unfolds. As I mentioned, even things mentioned only in passing in earlier books constitute as the missing pieces in the jig-saw puzzle. We discover things about Lily Potter, Snape (I always knew that a character as enigmatic as he had a story to tell, I had been rooting for some goodness in him and yes folks, it is there) and…Dumbledore - the haloed wizard who we was human with human frailties after all.
While the book isn't as light and 'magical' as the early Potter books are, I do think the ending leaves the series on a high note. We've seen Harry move from innocence and naiveté into a competent, self-assured adult. In fact, he matures far more than the characters around him. This maturation may be a result of the burdens placed upon him or more likely is a result of Rowling's 'relationship' with her central character.
So ended the journey we begun with Harry 10 years ago. The journey has had its ups and downs but well… all is well that ends with a well written book.I close it with mixed emotions as I say goodbye to Harry - the boy who lived and still lives on.
A great review and thanks for it.
This last book was good. I find I am still mulling over details from the book several days after reading it, and there is a also a real sense of loss knowing the series is over (the mark of good writing if you ask me).
Posted by: Robert | July 29, 2007 at 10:15 AM
Rob - I know what you mean about the loss. The good thing though is now you have a complete story and can enjoy it at your own pace in the future.
Posted by: Jerry | July 29, 2007 at 02:47 PM