my thoughts on HP &the DH
audi7, you can have the book now, I'm done.
I've read a lot of LJ reaction to the book today - now that I'm finished, I'm checking out other peoples' opinions. Here are some of mine:
I liked a lot of the little things...
Some of the bigger things I liked...
Now, the really big things...
Snape. Not that I think there was enough of him in the book, because there's never enough Snape in the book, but I am glad that he was still working on the side of the Light, even while making it look like he was on the side of the Dark. The chapter with Harry and a pensieve full of Snape's memories was fantastic - I liked the backstory between him & Lily, the extra bits we learn about Petunia, the Patronus, and even Snape's worst memory. I knew he had to die - as much as I wanted him to live - but I thought it would be a more heroic death - on the battlefield, fighting Voldemort/protecting Harry. Death by Nagini? Sorry, does not compute! I would have liked to see a scene where Harry interacts with Snape, not just his memories, but hey ... I can't complain too much.
Dumbledore. I think it could have been handled differently - yes, he was helping them, sort of, in portrait form, and the scene where Harry "dies" and sees Dumbledore in the train station, was kind of cool, but I think there was too much Dumbledore backstory. And, he wasn't as nice as we were all lead to believe, was he?
Trio. Thank goodness for friends! Harry would have failed miserably if not for Hermione & Ron - disappointed when Ron left, but what a way to come back! Too much time spent tenting around jolly old England, though - it seemed like plot filler to me. Yay! for them going to the Chamber of Secrets for Basilisk fangs, but Ron faking Parseltongue? Sorry, that one doesn't compute either.
Deaths. In a book that takes place during a war, you expect deaths. Some of the deaths I expected did not occur (Hagrid & Ron, for starters). Some of the deaths seemed pointless to me (Hedwig, Tonks) but I suppose the point is that some deaths in war are pointless. Sorry, too many "points" in that sentence. I expected Snape. I expected a Weasley to die, just not a twin - wasn't it bad enough that George lost his ear? Percy coming back, only to die in battle? That would have worked for me way better than George losing Fred.
That's it for now - I'm sure there's more, and I'll post again if anything else comes to me.
I've read a lot of LJ reaction to the book today - now that I'm finished, I'm checking out other peoples' opinions. Here are some of mine:
I liked a lot of the little things...
- the descriptions of what each person's Polyjuice potion looked & tastes like.
- the wandlore from Mr. Ollivander
- Aberforth helping them via the two-way-mirror
- Kreacher's acceptance of Harry as master after receiving Regulus' locket
- Dudley's concern (? if I can call it that) for Harry when he & the Dursley's left Privet Drive.
Some of the bigger things I liked...
- Neville! Way to go! So glad he outgrew his incompetence & gained tons of confidence
- The slow realization between Ron & Hermione that they were more than just friends.
- Dobby coming to the rescue at Malfoy Manor.
- The booby-traps at Grimmauld Place designed to keep Snape out.
- The Room of Requirement sheltering the rebel students & making the new connection to Aberforth's Pub.
Now, the really big things...
Snape. Not that I think there was enough of him in the book, because there's never enough Snape in the book, but I am glad that he was still working on the side of the Light, even while making it look like he was on the side of the Dark. The chapter with Harry and a pensieve full of Snape's memories was fantastic - I liked the backstory between him & Lily, the extra bits we learn about Petunia, the Patronus, and even Snape's worst memory. I knew he had to die - as much as I wanted him to live - but I thought it would be a more heroic death - on the battlefield, fighting Voldemort/protecting Harry. Death by Nagini? Sorry, does not compute! I would have liked to see a scene where Harry interacts with Snape, not just his memories, but hey ... I can't complain too much.
Dumbledore. I think it could have been handled differently - yes, he was helping them, sort of, in portrait form, and the scene where Harry "dies" and sees Dumbledore in the train station, was kind of cool, but I think there was too much Dumbledore backstory. And, he wasn't as nice as we were all lead to believe, was he?
Trio. Thank goodness for friends! Harry would have failed miserably if not for Hermione & Ron - disappointed when Ron left, but what a way to come back! Too much time spent tenting around jolly old England, though - it seemed like plot filler to me. Yay! for them going to the Chamber of Secrets for Basilisk fangs, but Ron faking Parseltongue? Sorry, that one doesn't compute either.
Deaths. In a book that takes place during a war, you expect deaths. Some of the deaths I expected did not occur (Hagrid & Ron, for starters). Some of the deaths seemed pointless to me (Hedwig, Tonks) but I suppose the point is that some deaths in war are pointless. Sorry, too many "points" in that sentence. I expected Snape. I expected a Weasley to die, just not a twin - wasn't it bad enough that George lost his ear? Percy coming back, only to die in battle? That would have worked for me way better than George losing Fred.
That's it for now - I'm sure there's more, and I'll post again if anything else comes to me.