HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS
I'm really, really, really sorry for being absent. I've finished Harry Potter since Sunday, but I haven't been able to compile my thoughts. Plus, I've been pretty busy with family stuff. My grandma's having a party tomorrow night for her 77th birthday! She said it's so fortuitous that her 77th birthday should fall on the 17th of the seventh in the year 2007 (would've been cooler if her birthday was on the seventh, but hey...) that she wants to celebrate this year. We didn't get the room on the 17th, so we're doing it on the 27th. Long story short, my family's been put to work preparing the party :).
Moving on to possibly the BIGGEST book I'll ever read in my life: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT!!! HARRY LIVES!!! \^_^/
Well, kind of... But he did! He survived! Man, I really should've put some money down when all the odds were for Harry dying.
But I'm so happy that he lived!
Okay, I really don't know where to start, so I'll be writing under some rough headings.
Theme
I thought the underlying theme of death was brilliant. I'm sure this is going to be a tired analysis (and probably one that's derided by non-Christians), but I thought Harry was rather a Christ-like figure, sacrificing himself, dying for everyone, and by doing so, saving all the others and conquering death itself.
Or rather, conquering the FEAR of death. I think that's something that Rowling had been building up in her books; that death is but another journey; that people who are dead are never gone; that fearing death, seeking immortality, will be the downfall of 'weak' people, such as Voldemort.
I'm not sure how to say this eloquently, but I think I connect deeply with the Harry Potter series because THAT is how I feel about death. I don't really share this with many people (my parents were freaked out and thought I was rather 'morbid'), but I feel that death is not something that's scary or sad. If you believe in the afterlife, which I do, then you're simply moving to a better place. If you don't, well, then you're gone anyway and won't feel a thing. I think that the PROCESS of dying is the scary part. What if you suffer first? And for a long time? Now THAT's scary.
As for the sad part... Well, I feel that Rowling really captured it: What's sad, what should be mourned, is not the souls dying, moving on to a better place, but rather, all the people left behind, having to go on their lives without those who died, having to wait a while before they can join them.
I feel like that's something Harry came to feel towards the end, which emboldened him to face Voldemort.
Hmmm... You tell me, am I being morbid?
Character Deaths
Oh my Lord, at one point, I was like, 'This book is a bloodbath!' She was killing characters, like, every other chapter!
Let's see...
- FRED!!! OMG, I think out of all the deaths, this shocked me the most. He was always brave, of course, and you know that his daring humor will get him into trouble, but somehow I felt that that same humor would've made him impervious, if that makes sense. Plus, I could never have imagined George without Fred... I think I was more torn because we weren't given George's reaction to losing his twin. Somehow, I feel that George would've survived though. I mean, by his humorous reaction to losing an ear, I think he would've coped bravely; he would've known that Fred wanted him to move on jovially.
- Remus/Tonks - Argh!!! I hated that they died having only been together for hardly a year. And with a newborn son! But I think I was okay with their deaths because they went together. It's kind of like what I said before about the saddest thing about death is the loved ones left behind; it would've been heartbreaking if one of them 'left' the other one. Plus, them making Harry Godfather to Ted was almost foreshadowing their deaths and Harry's survival, I thought.
- Hedwig - I was so shocked when she got killed so early on :(.
- Dobby - Awww, Harry's reaction broke me :(.
- Ted Tonks - Poor Andromeda Tonks, losing three family members in a space of less than a year :(.
- Snape - Well, I didn't think he would've survived, but that was such a rotten ending for him. Or rather, a rotten reason for killing him by Voldemort. I KNEW that he was good and that Dumbledore TOLD him to kill him because the older man was dying anyway *Caderyn is smug*. I didn't foresee Snape loving Lily though... That was just... WOW. Sweet. And such an appropriate reason for Snape leaving Voldemort forever. It really stressed home the fact that Snape succeeded in fooling him because Voldemort could not have grasped the idea of someone feeling remorse and sacrificing themselves for someone they love.
- Mad-Eye Moody - Great warrior :). I wasn't shocked that he died, but it was sad nonetheless.
- Colin Creevey - SUCH a brave young thing :(. I somehow knew that he would die though.
- Charity Burbage - Okay, for someone whose name we didn't know until the moment she was about to die, her death was shocking, horrific, and sad. Brave lady :(.
- Rufus Scrimgeour - Never liked him, but the fact that he died protecting Harry was admirable.
- Bathilda Bagshot - One of the most horrifying moments in the book was when the snake came out of her!
I hope I haven't forgotten anyone! It's so weird that I'm sad about these characters' deaths like they were real people, but I guess that's how emotionally-involving these books are!
The other deaths I didn't mention were those of the evil guys, like Voldemort (DUH!), Bellatrix (Oh man, MOLLY! You go girl!), Pettigrew, and Crabbe, all of whom, frankly, had it coming. Didn't really mourn any of them, though it was a shame that Crabbe turned out as evil as he was. I was glad Draco Malfoy and his family didn't die though. I feel that they were salvaged by the fact they still genuinely loved each other. I was also glad that Draco wanted to save Goyle and even mourned Crabbe's death. I still don't like him, but that made him much more sympathizing.
Moving on to happier subjects...
The Ships
Okay, honest to God, I did the "I told you so, I told you so, I told you so" dance when HERMIONE FINALLY KISSED RON :D. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!
Yeah, I'm a smug Ron/Hermione shipper, but, well, what are ya gonna do. I've been waiting for this moment for years! It was GLORIOUS :D. It's gonna be one of those momentous moments I'm recording in my brain: I was sitting in a cafe --- unfortunately not my regular comfy cafe, but an open-plan cafe in the middle of a shopping center --- sipping caramel latte when I read those AMAZING couple of paragraphs:
'Hang on a moment!' said Ron sharply. 'We've forgotten someone!'
'Who?' asked Hermione.
'The house-elves, they'll all be down in the kitchen, won't they?'
'You mean we ought to get them fighting?' asked Harry.
'No,' said Ron seriously, 'I mean we should tell them to get out. We don't want any more Dobby's, do we? We can't order them to die for us -'
There was a clatter as the Basilisk fangs cascaded out of Hermione's arms. Running at Ron, she flung them around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth. Ron threw away the fangs and broomstick he was holding and responded with such enthusiasm that he lifted Hermione off her feet.
'Is this the moment?' Harry asked weakly, and when nothing happened except that Ron and Hermione gripped each other still more firmly and swayed on the spot, he raised his voice. 'OI! There's a war going on here!'
Ron and Hermione broke apart, their arms still around each other.
'I know, mate,' said Ron, who looked as though he had recently been hit on the back of the head with a Bludger, 'so it's now or never, isn't it?'
'Never mind that, what about the Horcrux?' Harry shouted. 'D'you think you could just - just hold it in until we've got the diadem?'
'Yeah - right - sorry -' said Ron, and he and Hermione set about gathering up fangs, both pink in the face.
Oh yeah :). All I'll say is... Rupert better do the lifting-Emma-off-her-feet thing in the kissing scene ;).
I thought Harry/Ginny was super-sweet too. Their birthday kiss was... WOW. I'm glad that we get to see things from Harry's perspective. At least one of the ships was able to be described with the appropriate superlatives :D. I really could see Ginny being very beautiful in his eyes and I particularly ADORED how Harry thought that she was wonderful because she was rarely weepy. It really indicated why Harry didn't fall in love in Hermione. Speaking of which...
I really liked how the Harry/Hermione relationship was finally spelled out. 'I love her like a sister'... Wow :). I thought these two had some GREAT moments together too, the hug in the Godric Hollow graveyard being on top of that list :). And, you never know, Dan and Emma might get to kiss after all, in that scene where Ron had to destroy the Horcrux. By the way, hmmm, it was interesting that Ron DID feel insecure about Harry/Hermione. It was the one thing that I never really seriously saw in the previous books and I thought that it was simply human nature for Ron to feel slightly jealous and insecure.
But it all worked out :). BIG YAY for the "NINETEEN YEARS LATER" chapter! I'm so happy that they ended up One Big Happy Weasley Family after all. I haven't gotten used to their kids' names yet, but whatever... These two pairs had families! :)
My only complaint is that we didn't get enough! Okay, we know that Malfoy also got married and had a boy. Percy was still alive, Hagrid was still around, and Neville got to be the Herbology teacher. And, oh yeah, Ted Lupin hooked up with a Weasley cousin named Victoire, who I'm willing to bet was Bill and Fleur's daughter, by her French name. But what of other marriages, dammit! I smell bucket-loads of fanfics. I personally want Charlie/Penelope, George/Angelina, Oliver/Cho.
Oh and Dean/Luna ;D. Okay, I was slightly leaning towards Neville/Luna before, but I really think Dean and Luna had something. Rowling had been VERY SUBTLE with her ships and I thought Dean asking Luna to hold his hand as they were about to go off into battle was such subtle sign. Plus, I think these two would mesh well together because both were raised by a single parent and were written as very good at drawing/art :). Yeah, I like the idea of them :).
Hallows v. Horcruxes
You know, for an idea that was only introduced in this book, Hallows were very intriguing. I'm guessing Rowling took inspiration, if I'm not mistaken, from the free-masons/the templars/the crusaders, with their 'all-seeing-eye' insignia...
...and who were also searching, not for Hallows, but for the famous Holy Grail. I guess it's part of literary tradition, huh?
As for the Horcruxes, I LOVE that Ron, Hermione, and Neville all got to destroy one. Neville was AMAZING. I cried like a baby when he led the charge in the War. Very Lord of the Rings. I was thinking that Peter Jackson might be suited to direct Deathly Hallows ;).
But speaking of LotR, the revelation of Dumbledore's past with Grindelwald was also reminiscent of that book, whereby Dumbledore gave up power (eg. like the RING) because he knew that he could not have helped but be corrupted by it. Very wise :).
And Grindelwald just reminded me of Hitler for some reason, what with taking an ancient symbol (eg. the Swastika, the Deathly Hallows) and using it (almost 'bastardizing' it) to his own cause, as well as the fact that he was defeated in 1945. Hmmm...
Other Things
- It was simply BRILLIANT when every good person who ever appeared in Harry Potter came back to the castle to join Harry (OLIVER WOOD!!!). That war scene is going to be incredible when filmed :).
- Kreacher really surprised me. It was heartwarming to see him changed for the better and later led the house-elves' charge against Voldemort.
- Percy really redeemed himself. I cried with him when Fred died in front of his eyes :(.
- Aberforth turned out to be a fascinating character. I wish there was more of him. Why was he obsessed with goats, for instance?
- Xino Lovegood --- Well, you can't be mad at him for turning in the trio. The Death-Eaters got his daughter!
- Potterwatch was INCREDIBLE!!! I loved, loved, loved it and wished there was more of it!
- I wish Umbridge got killed.
- Breaking into Gringotts was amazing. I was thinking, 'Wow, this book even has my favorite thing in a story: A Heist!'
- The Ravenclaw Common Room sounds wonderful! However, I doubt that I would've belonged in Ravenclaw. I never would've solved those riddles, haha...
- Finally, the business with the wands being won their loyalty... Hmmm, I thought it was HUGE that Draco Malfoy ended up playing a massive part in the final defeat of Voldemort. And LOVED LOVED LOVED that Harry ended up finishing Voldedmort with his signature 'Expelliarmus!' Very poetic, Rowling :).
All in all, a HUGELY emotionally-charged and emotionally-involving book. It's a very fitting end to the series. I was satisfied on all accounts. I feel a great loss that there won't be more, but, really... CONGRATULATIONS J.K. ROWLING for this amazing accomplishment! :D
Alright, well, I've blabbered on a lot. I'm going to check your posts now!
Moving on to possibly the BIGGEST book I'll ever read in my life: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT!!! HARRY LIVES!!! \^_^/
Well, kind of... But he did! He survived! Man, I really should've put some money down when all the odds were for Harry dying.
But I'm so happy that he lived!
Okay, I really don't know where to start, so I'll be writing under some rough headings.
Theme
I thought the underlying theme of death was brilliant. I'm sure this is going to be a tired analysis (and probably one that's derided by non-Christians), but I thought Harry was rather a Christ-like figure, sacrificing himself, dying for everyone, and by doing so, saving all the others and conquering death itself.
Or rather, conquering the FEAR of death. I think that's something that Rowling had been building up in her books; that death is but another journey; that people who are dead are never gone; that fearing death, seeking immortality, will be the downfall of 'weak' people, such as Voldemort.
I'm not sure how to say this eloquently, but I think I connect deeply with the Harry Potter series because THAT is how I feel about death. I don't really share this with many people (my parents were freaked out and thought I was rather 'morbid'), but I feel that death is not something that's scary or sad. If you believe in the afterlife, which I do, then you're simply moving to a better place. If you don't, well, then you're gone anyway and won't feel a thing. I think that the PROCESS of dying is the scary part. What if you suffer first? And for a long time? Now THAT's scary.
As for the sad part... Well, I feel that Rowling really captured it: What's sad, what should be mourned, is not the souls dying, moving on to a better place, but rather, all the people left behind, having to go on their lives without those who died, having to wait a while before they can join them.
I feel like that's something Harry came to feel towards the end, which emboldened him to face Voldemort.
Hmmm... You tell me, am I being morbid?
Character Deaths
Oh my Lord, at one point, I was like, 'This book is a bloodbath!' She was killing characters, like, every other chapter!
Let's see...
- FRED!!! OMG, I think out of all the deaths, this shocked me the most. He was always brave, of course, and you know that his daring humor will get him into trouble, but somehow I felt that that same humor would've made him impervious, if that makes sense. Plus, I could never have imagined George without Fred... I think I was more torn because we weren't given George's reaction to losing his twin. Somehow, I feel that George would've survived though. I mean, by his humorous reaction to losing an ear, I think he would've coped bravely; he would've known that Fred wanted him to move on jovially.
- Remus/Tonks - Argh!!! I hated that they died having only been together for hardly a year. And with a newborn son! But I think I was okay with their deaths because they went together. It's kind of like what I said before about the saddest thing about death is the loved ones left behind; it would've been heartbreaking if one of them 'left' the other one. Plus, them making Harry Godfather to Ted was almost foreshadowing their deaths and Harry's survival, I thought.
- Hedwig - I was so shocked when she got killed so early on :(.
- Dobby - Awww, Harry's reaction broke me :(.
- Ted Tonks - Poor Andromeda Tonks, losing three family members in a space of less than a year :(.
- Snape - Well, I didn't think he would've survived, but that was such a rotten ending for him. Or rather, a rotten reason for killing him by Voldemort. I KNEW that he was good and that Dumbledore TOLD him to kill him because the older man was dying anyway *Caderyn is smug*. I didn't foresee Snape loving Lily though... That was just... WOW. Sweet. And such an appropriate reason for Snape leaving Voldemort forever. It really stressed home the fact that Snape succeeded in fooling him because Voldemort could not have grasped the idea of someone feeling remorse and sacrificing themselves for someone they love.
- Mad-Eye Moody - Great warrior :). I wasn't shocked that he died, but it was sad nonetheless.
- Colin Creevey - SUCH a brave young thing :(. I somehow knew that he would die though.
- Charity Burbage - Okay, for someone whose name we didn't know until the moment she was about to die, her death was shocking, horrific, and sad. Brave lady :(.
- Rufus Scrimgeour - Never liked him, but the fact that he died protecting Harry was admirable.
- Bathilda Bagshot - One of the most horrifying moments in the book was when the snake came out of her!
I hope I haven't forgotten anyone! It's so weird that I'm sad about these characters' deaths like they were real people, but I guess that's how emotionally-involving these books are!
The other deaths I didn't mention were those of the evil guys, like Voldemort (DUH!), Bellatrix (Oh man, MOLLY! You go girl!), Pettigrew, and Crabbe, all of whom, frankly, had it coming. Didn't really mourn any of them, though it was a shame that Crabbe turned out as evil as he was. I was glad Draco Malfoy and his family didn't die though. I feel that they were salvaged by the fact they still genuinely loved each other. I was also glad that Draco wanted to save Goyle and even mourned Crabbe's death. I still don't like him, but that made him much more sympathizing.
Moving on to happier subjects...
The Ships
Okay, honest to God, I did the "I told you so, I told you so, I told you so" dance when HERMIONE FINALLY KISSED RON :D. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!
Yeah, I'm a smug Ron/Hermione shipper, but, well, what are ya gonna do. I've been waiting for this moment for years! It was GLORIOUS :D. It's gonna be one of those momentous moments I'm recording in my brain: I was sitting in a cafe --- unfortunately not my regular comfy cafe, but an open-plan cafe in the middle of a shopping center --- sipping caramel latte when I read those AMAZING couple of paragraphs:
'Hang on a moment!' said Ron sharply. 'We've forgotten someone!'
'Who?' asked Hermione.
'The house-elves, they'll all be down in the kitchen, won't they?'
'You mean we ought to get them fighting?' asked Harry.
'No,' said Ron seriously, 'I mean we should tell them to get out. We don't want any more Dobby's, do we? We can't order them to die for us -'
There was a clatter as the Basilisk fangs cascaded out of Hermione's arms. Running at Ron, she flung them around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth. Ron threw away the fangs and broomstick he was holding and responded with such enthusiasm that he lifted Hermione off her feet.
'Is this the moment?' Harry asked weakly, and when nothing happened except that Ron and Hermione gripped each other still more firmly and swayed on the spot, he raised his voice. 'OI! There's a war going on here!'
Ron and Hermione broke apart, their arms still around each other.
'I know, mate,' said Ron, who looked as though he had recently been hit on the back of the head with a Bludger, 'so it's now or never, isn't it?'
'Never mind that, what about the Horcrux?' Harry shouted. 'D'you think you could just - just hold it in until we've got the diadem?'
'Yeah - right - sorry -' said Ron, and he and Hermione set about gathering up fangs, both pink in the face.
Oh yeah :). All I'll say is... Rupert better do the lifting-Emma-off-her-feet thing in the kissing scene ;).
I thought Harry/Ginny was super-sweet too. Their birthday kiss was... WOW. I'm glad that we get to see things from Harry's perspective. At least one of the ships was able to be described with the appropriate superlatives :D. I really could see Ginny being very beautiful in his eyes and I particularly ADORED how Harry thought that she was wonderful because she was rarely weepy. It really indicated why Harry didn't fall in love in Hermione. Speaking of which...
I really liked how the Harry/Hermione relationship was finally spelled out. 'I love her like a sister'... Wow :). I thought these two had some GREAT moments together too, the hug in the Godric Hollow graveyard being on top of that list :). And, you never know, Dan and Emma might get to kiss after all, in that scene where Ron had to destroy the Horcrux. By the way, hmmm, it was interesting that Ron DID feel insecure about Harry/Hermione. It was the one thing that I never really seriously saw in the previous books and I thought that it was simply human nature for Ron to feel slightly jealous and insecure.
But it all worked out :). BIG YAY for the "NINETEEN YEARS LATER" chapter! I'm so happy that they ended up One Big Happy Weasley Family after all. I haven't gotten used to their kids' names yet, but whatever... These two pairs had families! :)
My only complaint is that we didn't get enough! Okay, we know that Malfoy also got married and had a boy. Percy was still alive, Hagrid was still around, and Neville got to be the Herbology teacher. And, oh yeah, Ted Lupin hooked up with a Weasley cousin named Victoire, who I'm willing to bet was Bill and Fleur's daughter, by her French name. But what of other marriages, dammit! I smell bucket-loads of fanfics. I personally want Charlie/Penelope, George/Angelina, Oliver/Cho.
Oh and Dean/Luna ;D. Okay, I was slightly leaning towards Neville/Luna before, but I really think Dean and Luna had something. Rowling had been VERY SUBTLE with her ships and I thought Dean asking Luna to hold his hand as they were about to go off into battle was such subtle sign. Plus, I think these two would mesh well together because both were raised by a single parent and were written as very good at drawing/art :). Yeah, I like the idea of them :).
Hallows v. Horcruxes
You know, for an idea that was only introduced in this book, Hallows were very intriguing. I'm guessing Rowling took inspiration, if I'm not mistaken, from the free-masons/the templars/the crusaders, with their 'all-seeing-eye' insignia...
...and who were also searching, not for Hallows, but for the famous Holy Grail. I guess it's part of literary tradition, huh?
As for the Horcruxes, I LOVE that Ron, Hermione, and Neville all got to destroy one. Neville was AMAZING. I cried like a baby when he led the charge in the War. Very Lord of the Rings. I was thinking that Peter Jackson might be suited to direct Deathly Hallows ;).
But speaking of LotR, the revelation of Dumbledore's past with Grindelwald was also reminiscent of that book, whereby Dumbledore gave up power (eg. like the RING) because he knew that he could not have helped but be corrupted by it. Very wise :).
And Grindelwald just reminded me of Hitler for some reason, what with taking an ancient symbol (eg. the Swastika, the Deathly Hallows) and using it (almost 'bastardizing' it) to his own cause, as well as the fact that he was defeated in 1945. Hmmm...
Other Things
- It was simply BRILLIANT when every good person who ever appeared in Harry Potter came back to the castle to join Harry (OLIVER WOOD!!!). That war scene is going to be incredible when filmed :).
- Kreacher really surprised me. It was heartwarming to see him changed for the better and later led the house-elves' charge against Voldemort.
- Percy really redeemed himself. I cried with him when Fred died in front of his eyes :(.
- Aberforth turned out to be a fascinating character. I wish there was more of him. Why was he obsessed with goats, for instance?
- Xino Lovegood --- Well, you can't be mad at him for turning in the trio. The Death-Eaters got his daughter!
- Potterwatch was INCREDIBLE!!! I loved, loved, loved it and wished there was more of it!
- I wish Umbridge got killed.
- Breaking into Gringotts was amazing. I was thinking, 'Wow, this book even has my favorite thing in a story: A Heist!'
- The Ravenclaw Common Room sounds wonderful! However, I doubt that I would've belonged in Ravenclaw. I never would've solved those riddles, haha...
- Finally, the business with the wands being won their loyalty... Hmmm, I thought it was HUGE that Draco Malfoy ended up playing a massive part in the final defeat of Voldemort. And LOVED LOVED LOVED that Harry ended up finishing Voldedmort with his signature 'Expelliarmus!' Very poetic, Rowling :).
All in all, a HUGELY emotionally-charged and emotionally-involving book. It's a very fitting end to the series. I was satisfied on all accounts. I feel a great loss that there won't be more, but, really... CONGRATULATIONS J.K. ROWLING for this amazing accomplishment! :D
Alright, well, I've blabbered on a lot. I'm going to check your posts now!