SPOILERS WITHIN
Jul. 22nd, 2007 09:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
furyofvissarionHarry Potter & the Deathly Hallows - J. K. Rowling. I was pretty underwhelmed, actually: more relieved that it's just over already! There were bits I really liked--like the resurgence of the DA, & oh, Neville! Neville kicking butt! And Luna--her serenity in the face of everything, & the portraits she had in her room, &, yes.
I hated what was done to Tonks, though--let's make her pregnant & shove her out of the way, & then have her come back after she gives birth, seemingly more interested in protecting Lupin than in fighting Voldemort. And then they both die. And Harry bashing Lupin for leaving Tonks while she's pregnant to go fight? What about all that "for the greater good" stuff you were so into, Harry? What, no one else fighting has kids they're leaving @ home?
I liked the way Dumbledore was shown to not be perfect, no one is good & evil unmixed, & people can change, blah blah. Harry was an annoying git through most of the book, & I'm still annoyed that he did the whole Spiderman thing, breaking up w/Ginny @ the end of the last book. I did think that Ron & Hermione's relationship was fairly realistic, for teenagers under an incredible amount of stress.
I liked getting to see what Snape had been going through, playing his dangerous double game, but I found the whole "I did it all for the love of Lily" thing to be maybe a tad bit overdone, even tho' I liked the general idea.
Was glad as Hermione to see Ron giving a shit about the house elves (poor Dobby! And I loved how they all came out fighting @ the end, led by Kreacher--what happened w/that Death Eater that Hermione accidentally gave access to 12 Grimmauld Place, tho'?).
The whole "Harry dies & chats w/Dumbledore, only he's not really dead" thing confused me, arrrgh. Draco's mom faking out Voldy about Harry being dead was cool, tho'. Harry losing the stone that was part of the Deathly Hallows seems like an open door for some kind of sequel/side book, except I assume Rowling won't do that. Expect the stone to be found & fought over in fanfic. Mrs. Weasley kicking butt over Ginny was fun, & the return of Percy was just great--he's such a prat, but a repentant prat, & that was super sweet. Glad to see he got to see Fred again before he bit it (sniff!!).
I loved pretty much all the Battle of Hogwarts--I just have a kink for big scary endgame battle scenes like that. I thought that showcased the sorts of things Rowling is good @: cute/funny/apt details. She's still not a v. good actual writer--I like her ideas, but some of her descriptions are so clunky, as well as some of her dialogue (tho' some of it's quite funny & sharp). And could we fine her every time she uses a damn ellipsis, please? Also, the epilogue sucked. I really hate books that jump so far ahead @ the end, like it's an afterthought. I was interested to see that apparently Ron & Hermione have not felt like they had to name a child in memory of Fred, which seemed a bit cold.
I hated what was done to Tonks, though--let's make her pregnant & shove her out of the way, & then have her come back after she gives birth, seemingly more interested in protecting Lupin than in fighting Voldemort. And then they both die. And Harry bashing Lupin for leaving Tonks while she's pregnant to go fight? What about all that "for the greater good" stuff you were so into, Harry? What, no one else fighting has kids they're leaving @ home?
I liked the way Dumbledore was shown to not be perfect, no one is good & evil unmixed, & people can change, blah blah. Harry was an annoying git through most of the book, & I'm still annoyed that he did the whole Spiderman thing, breaking up w/Ginny @ the end of the last book. I did think that Ron & Hermione's relationship was fairly realistic, for teenagers under an incredible amount of stress.
I liked getting to see what Snape had been going through, playing his dangerous double game, but I found the whole "I did it all for the love of Lily" thing to be maybe a tad bit overdone, even tho' I liked the general idea.
Was glad as Hermione to see Ron giving a shit about the house elves (poor Dobby! And I loved how they all came out fighting @ the end, led by Kreacher--what happened w/that Death Eater that Hermione accidentally gave access to 12 Grimmauld Place, tho'?).
The whole "Harry dies & chats w/Dumbledore, only he's not really dead" thing confused me, arrrgh. Draco's mom faking out Voldy about Harry being dead was cool, tho'. Harry losing the stone that was part of the Deathly Hallows seems like an open door for some kind of sequel/side book, except I assume Rowling won't do that. Expect the stone to be found & fought over in fanfic. Mrs. Weasley kicking butt over Ginny was fun, & the return of Percy was just great--he's such a prat, but a repentant prat, & that was super sweet. Glad to see he got to see Fred again before he bit it (sniff!!).
I loved pretty much all the Battle of Hogwarts--I just have a kink for big scary endgame battle scenes like that. I thought that showcased the sorts of things Rowling is good @: cute/funny/apt details. She's still not a v. good actual writer--I like her ideas, but some of her descriptions are so clunky, as well as some of her dialogue (tho' some of it's quite funny & sharp). And could we fine her every time she uses a damn ellipsis, please? Also, the epilogue sucked. I really hate books that jump so far ahead @ the end, like it's an afterthought. I was interested to see that apparently Ron & Hermione have not felt like they had to name a child in memory of Fred, which seemed a bit cold.
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Date: 2007-07-22 02:37 pm (UTC)I was pretty underwhelmed, actually: more relieved that it's just over already!
I felt the same way. It's not that I was expecting it to be my favorite book, but it seems as though the HP books are never quite as good as I want them to be. There always seems to be something lacking for me.
I hated what was done to Tonks
Same here - Tonks has never been one of my favorite characters, but I was not into the whole depressed -> married -> pregnant -> dead-chain of events. It seemed out of character and unnecessary to me.
What, no one else fighting has kids they're leaving @ home?
I'm glad that you brought this up, it's something I never really considered. I think (partially because of the way that the books are written) I really only care about/consider the main characters, which effectively renders every single minor character to be invisible.
Draco's mom faking out Voldy about Harry being dead was cool, tho'.
I thought that scene was pretty cool. It was just nice to see her do something, even if it was totally self-interested.
Mrs. Weasley kicking butt over Ginny was fun
That was one of the few moments of the book that I actually responded to out loud. I have kind of mixed feelings about Mrs. Weasley, so it was nice to see her get out & become a part of things & do damage.
The cute/funny/apt details are basically what keep me interested in reading her books. If it weren't for fun quirks and great little lines here and there, I don't think I'd have a whole lot to get excited about that couldn't be found elsewhere.
I definitely wasn't into the epilogue, though, for me, the fact that Ron & Hermione didn't name one of their children after Fred wouldn't have seemed like such a big deal if Harry & Ginny didn't give their kids such grossly significant names. Which seems sort of cheesy to me, but I guess in that situation, how could you not?
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Date: 2007-07-22 03:01 pm (UTC)I love Mrs. Weasley, & was glad to see her kicking butt, but... of COURSE it was in defense of her child, right? I mean, obviously everyone in the battle was trying to defend their friends/girlfriends/children, etc. But the one moment (I think?) that we see Mrs. Weasley doing something violent like that--what was she doing for the rest of the battle?--was as her role as a mother... Which, yeah. Mothering is important, duh. I just wish she'd been more than the mama bear protecting her cubs @ the end, as I'm sure she has the potential to be!
I didn't think the kids' names were cheesy (altho' Albus Severus is an awful name), I guess just b/c I figure ppl here name kids after their parents & stuff all the time, even w/o a war. Heh.
Your point about the major characters & how caring about them renders the minor characters invisible--yeah, I definitely think it's something about the way Rowling has written the books that encourages that viewpoint.