This is the end, my friend
So I'm done with Harry Potter.
My thoughts, in no particular order:
- Much like with the 6th book, many gambling houses opened bets to predict which characters would die in this book. Ultimately, they had to close the books because the bets for Harry were running nearly 100%. So what happens now? Do they get to collect? Did Harry actually die? Does it count if only half of him does? Actually, can anyone explain to me what the hell happened in the end that allowed Voldemort to die?
- For that matter, did anyone find the deaths of certain characters anywhere near as horrible? I guess killing off Tonks and Lupin was pretty rough. And I couldn't really bear to see Fred go, especially since George almost bit it at the beginning. But if that's what it takes to turn Mrs. Weasley into a epithet-hurling killing machine, then so be it.
- I just feel like there was a lot of wasted time here during the camping/escape scenes. So many plot ends to tie up and yet they spend nearly 200 pages taking the same disapparating journey over and over again. And it doesn't really lend that much to the plot, especially since I was pretty damn sure that Hermione and Ron would start some kind of snog-fest the minute Harry was sent out to keep watch. But, hey, I didn't write the first six books, I'm in no position to complain about the pacing of the seventh.
- Do they have a director for the movie yet? The wierd Eraserhead-meets-the Matrix Reloaded style scene with Dumbledore and the writhing soul-baby thing convinces me that, at the very least, that scene should be done by David Lynch. I don't know if he's up to the challenge of the whole movie though since, frankly, I thought Dune was one of the more boring, incoherent things I've ever seen on film.
- I was kind of hoping for more closure on the Malfoy story. One of the consistent themes throughout the books is that love can conquer Voldemort's powers, and I feel like it was frequently hinted that Draco, Narcissa and Lucius shared such a bond that might prove pivotal later on. But I guess not. Not really.
- Neville kicks ass. Glad to see him get his due.
- I also liked the idea of seven different people destroying the seven different horcruxes. Gives a lot of characters a chance to shine. Well, depending on who gets credit for destroying the one inside Harry. I just wish the destruction of the diadem could have been a bit more intentional.
- There were a few things earlier in the series that were emphasized as REALLY IMPORTANT that, in the end, didn't seem to have much impact on the finale. In Order of the Phoenix, they place a whole lot of emphasis on the fact that Voldemort hasn't properly heard the prophecy. But so what? Would he have done anything differently if he had? I never quite got that piece of the puzzle. In Half-Blood Prince, they place a whole lot of emphasis on Harry learning how to do wordless spells, and yet he never gets around to using any. Ever. I feel like the scene where Snape gets strangled and they try not to be overheard would have been an opportune moment but, meh, I can't blame Harry for wanting to watch Snape die.
Well, got work to do. I'm sure I will find plenty more things to gripe about/praise later on. Ultimate judgment is that this one ranks somewhere below Order of the Phoenix and Half Blood Prince on the lis of my favorites.
My thoughts, in no particular order:
- Much like with the 6th book, many gambling houses opened bets to predict which characters would die in this book. Ultimately, they had to close the books because the bets for Harry were running nearly 100%. So what happens now? Do they get to collect? Did Harry actually die? Does it count if only half of him does? Actually, can anyone explain to me what the hell happened in the end that allowed Voldemort to die?
- For that matter, did anyone find the deaths of certain characters anywhere near as horrible? I guess killing off Tonks and Lupin was pretty rough. And I couldn't really bear to see Fred go, especially since George almost bit it at the beginning. But if that's what it takes to turn Mrs. Weasley into a epithet-hurling killing machine, then so be it.
- I just feel like there was a lot of wasted time here during the camping/escape scenes. So many plot ends to tie up and yet they spend nearly 200 pages taking the same disapparating journey over and over again. And it doesn't really lend that much to the plot, especially since I was pretty damn sure that Hermione and Ron would start some kind of snog-fest the minute Harry was sent out to keep watch. But, hey, I didn't write the first six books, I'm in no position to complain about the pacing of the seventh.
- Do they have a director for the movie yet? The wierd Eraserhead-meets-the Matrix Reloaded style scene with Dumbledore and the writhing soul-baby thing convinces me that, at the very least, that scene should be done by David Lynch. I don't know if he's up to the challenge of the whole movie though since, frankly, I thought Dune was one of the more boring, incoherent things I've ever seen on film.
- I was kind of hoping for more closure on the Malfoy story. One of the consistent themes throughout the books is that love can conquer Voldemort's powers, and I feel like it was frequently hinted that Draco, Narcissa and Lucius shared such a bond that might prove pivotal later on. But I guess not. Not really.
- Neville kicks ass. Glad to see him get his due.
- I also liked the idea of seven different people destroying the seven different horcruxes. Gives a lot of characters a chance to shine. Well, depending on who gets credit for destroying the one inside Harry. I just wish the destruction of the diadem could have been a bit more intentional.
- There were a few things earlier in the series that were emphasized as REALLY IMPORTANT that, in the end, didn't seem to have much impact on the finale. In Order of the Phoenix, they place a whole lot of emphasis on the fact that Voldemort hasn't properly heard the prophecy. But so what? Would he have done anything differently if he had? I never quite got that piece of the puzzle. In Half-Blood Prince, they place a whole lot of emphasis on Harry learning how to do wordless spells, and yet he never gets around to using any. Ever. I feel like the scene where Snape gets strangled and they try not to be overheard would have been an opportune moment but, meh, I can't blame Harry for wanting to watch Snape die.
Well, got work to do. I'm sure I will find plenty more things to gripe about/praise later on. Ultimate judgment is that this one ranks somewhere below Order of the Phoenix and Half Blood Prince on the lis of my favorites.