Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows
I reviewed the first half of the book here.
Aherm. *clears through*
ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER!!!!
*dies from the squeeage*
There are no words.
Actually, there are, I have ten million, alongside massive exclamation point overuse:
Harry - Harry is win!! Mainly because he totally, totally rocked, in GROWING UP! I mentioned this before, but let me say again - squeee!! In playing dead! In not going off the rails!! In giving the sword to Ron to use!! In feeling bad about lying to the goblins!! In calling his son Albus Severus!! In saying that Severus Snape was the bravest man he'd ever known - and for going to Snape when he was dying, before he knew that he was a good guy!! *incoherent flailing*
Hermione - oh, Hermione! *hearts* You are win. It is official. Especially for going off with Ron and squishing the cup! And for kissing only after he got concerned about the house elves!
Ron - you squished the cup! You remembered Parseltongue! You learned to drive!! *hearts even more* I love capable!Ron, and emotionally realistic!Ron. Love, love, love.
Snape - oh, JK, how I regret having doubted you, you did right by him, 'tis true. I take it all back. Again, the Albus Severus bit was the best bit for me, in that Harry, having grown up, has actually put Snape into his life, instead of forcing him out of it. He's not brushing over all the points where Snape saved him, or lingering on the petty torments, but remembers the abandoned boys - how much am I loving the triumverate of Harry, Snape and Voldemort, btw?? - and, well, *sniff* I LIKED IT, OK?? I even liked the death scene. I shed an actual tear.
Shut up.
The Lily/Severus unrequited love bit I expected to make me vomit, but was instead strangely touching. I think it was them having been friends in the beginning, and then drawing away from each other. Sidebar - that petunia knew Snape? ROCKS MY WORLD. And that she wanted to go to Hogwarts? Even more.
Also, Snape's death has reawakened my Snape/Harry interest (strangely perverted, given the doe, dotcha think? *g* But, hey, what's wrong with doing the Snape/Harry, Snape/Lily thing, eh???), which is sick and wrong, I know. But! Harry grew up!! *is still in shock* Shut up, I'm good with it now.
The Malfoys - officially win my 'they are fucked up but are still wonderful, loving parents' award. Narcissa asking after Draco of the faking Harry was an especial favourite. Also I liked Draco surviving, and not really being redeemed, but just sorta deciding that, well, the Dark Side ain't great. I would have been really pissed off if he'd been redeemed. I liked Crabbe and Goyle turning on him after realising that his family were losing their influence with Voldemort.
Tonks & Lupin - sorry, I was never a big Lupin fan, and I know that people are doubtless crushed by his death, but given that I expected the entirety of the older generation to be killed off, it wasn't really a shock for me. Also, they were never characters I emotionally invested in, and although I liked Lupin's cowardice over his baby, and liked him going back to Tonks even more, during the battle of Hogwarts I just lost track of them.
The students - rock. Especially Neville. That is all.
The teachers - rock even harder. McGonagall telling Harry that they might be able to summon up some magic between them to defend the school - hee! You tell 'im, Minerva!
The Weasleys - Oh, Fred! I knew a twin was gonna die, and as George had been injured already, I figured it was Fred. Woe. *sniff* I have to say, though, I was mainly relieved that no one else bought it in the meantime. I was worried about the rest of the Weasleys. I loved Percy reconciling with his family - especially with Fred, actually, given later events - and, oh, Molly's battle with Bellatrix rocked! "Not my daughter, bitch!" - indeed!
Dumbledore - is a cowardly little shit. Oh, ok, he isn't, he just had tiny wee cowardly little shit moments, but that was enough for me. Squee Grindelwald! Squee evil!Muggles - thank goodness we saw some Muggles that were actually rather mean and horrible, eh? I know that we have the Dursleys, but it was pretty strongly implicated that Ariana was treated even more badly by her attackers, so... I strongly suspect that JK edited that bit down, it sounded an awful lot like molestation to me, which was a bit of a shock in a children's book! Also, Dumbledore being more concerned with his own power and prestige than his sister was brilliant, and I liked Aberforth calling him out on it. I liked Aberforth full stop, actually, up to and including his patronus. "A stag!!" Hee! I totally dig young Dumbledore as basically a young Tom Riddle, and Dumbledore just had the horrible shock of his sister's death to put him to rights - whereas Riddle just kept sliding into insanity.
I am full of thoughts on Dumbledore/Grindelwald. Fic to come soon, I feel.
Voldemort - Oh, Tom! I pity you, actually. Weird - I thought his death woudl be ultimately unsatisfying, becase of the big build-up - but the final moments of demise, stemming, as they do, from the conversation Harry has with Dumbledore, are strangely meaty and full of lots of flavour. Mmmm, orange sauce....
No, seriously, I loved that Voldemort's obsession with power was what undid him, in the end. He wasn't interested in learning why things worked the way they do, he just wanted the power at the end of it. The Deathly Hallows bit was great new canon, thank you JK, but it also fit in with Voldemort's character, and it did mean that love squished his silly fat head in the end. Ha! *cough* Of course, I mean - there was lovely foreshadowing. Yup.
The plot - Everything I hated about HBP is resolved here - and everything I wanted answered is answered here. What more could I ask for? In truth, I had three main worries/expectations from this book, so let's address each of them in turn:
1. Following HBP, Snape is a bad guy.
Not so much an expectation as a worry - that she doesn't do a good enough job of explaining his fluid, shifting loyalties, and reason for them. I really liked the explanation - they never shifted, and he was always driven by the same thing. It just drove him to different people, in the end. And I did like his death. He died as a consequence of his actions, rather than dying to save Harry (which would have been a little trite, yes?) , but, at the same time, those actions were coerced by Dumbledore. And I do like that faint whiff of pathos about him a great deal. Witness the "maybe we sort too early" from Dumbledore, and Snape's stricken expression.
2. Harry carries on being a vessel for Dumbledore.
This was partly realised in this book, in that Harry does do it - but that he also questions why he's doing it. I loved the bit where he's worrying why he chose the Hallows, then the Horcruxes, then the Hallows - has he made the right choice? Is he right to trust Dumbledore? etc. I'm a little uncertain as to the wisdom of choosing faith over prudence, but it was always going to be a toss-up at that point. Anyway, the point is that he thought about it, and realised it, and considered it, which had always been my main issue with the earlier books, aka, why I never liked Harry. Did I mention that I really liked him in this book??
3. Voldemort's death is a damp squib-type thing.
aka the plot sucking. The issue was 6 years of backstory, and then trying to tie it all together... I was dreading more of the HBP/CoS stuff we had, which I found excrutiating. Instead, we got Dumbledore, which was awesome. That was really, really unexpected and IMo worked well. It brought great new backstory to a key character who wasn't infallible anymore, and, most importantly, wasn't around to save Harry's hide when everything went to the wall. I loved the V for Vendetta fascist state set-up - this is gonna be so pretty in the films!! - the questionings, the infiltration, etc. The Taboo word was pure genius - it makes so much sense! The secret radio broadcasts, the random stop&searches, the ongoing investigations - all these are brilliant touches to fleshing out the occupied state.
By the time we reached the final battle and Voldemort's death, everything had been pretty much resolved satisfactorily. So the battle itself didn't really matter by that point, we were simply panting in the aftermath of Harry's choice. Climax, as it were, had been reached a little while earlier, the battle was a curious little plateau, after which we had the epilogue of sweetness. OK, it might have been a little syrupy - everyone meeting on the train platform, the many children, etc - but these books were always going to need an epilogue, IMO. The ramp up to the battle was so steep, that whatever you did for the post-climax part would feel like a trail-off. They require a setting up of the young generation as, well, the old generation (if you see) - the start of a new journey for their kids in their normal lives. All is right with the world - and thought the scars remain, the debts have all been paid.
I've also read three other books in the last couple of weeks, btw - The God of Small Things, Diary and The City and the Star, which I really must review at some point... But, for HP7, I have two thumbs up.
Aherm. *clears through*
ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER!!!!
*dies from the squeeage*
There are no words.
Actually, there are, I have ten million, alongside massive exclamation point overuse:
Harry - Harry is win!! Mainly because he totally, totally rocked, in GROWING UP! I mentioned this before, but let me say again - squeee!! In playing dead! In not going off the rails!! In giving the sword to Ron to use!! In feeling bad about lying to the goblins!! In calling his son Albus Severus!! In saying that Severus Snape was the bravest man he'd ever known - and for going to Snape when he was dying, before he knew that he was a good guy!! *incoherent flailing*
Hermione - oh, Hermione! *hearts* You are win. It is official. Especially for going off with Ron and squishing the cup! And for kissing only after he got concerned about the house elves!
Ron - you squished the cup! You remembered Parseltongue! You learned to drive!! *hearts even more* I love capable!Ron, and emotionally realistic!Ron. Love, love, love.
Snape - oh, JK, how I regret having doubted you, you did right by him, 'tis true. I take it all back. Again, the Albus Severus bit was the best bit for me, in that Harry, having grown up, has actually put Snape into his life, instead of forcing him out of it. He's not brushing over all the points where Snape saved him, or lingering on the petty torments, but remembers the abandoned boys - how much am I loving the triumverate of Harry, Snape and Voldemort, btw?? - and, well, *sniff* I LIKED IT, OK?? I even liked the death scene. I shed an actual tear.
Shut up.
The Lily/Severus unrequited love bit I expected to make me vomit, but was instead strangely touching. I think it was them having been friends in the beginning, and then drawing away from each other. Sidebar - that petunia knew Snape? ROCKS MY WORLD. And that she wanted to go to Hogwarts? Even more.
Also, Snape's death has reawakened my Snape/Harry interest (strangely perverted, given the doe, dotcha think? *g* But, hey, what's wrong with doing the Snape/Harry, Snape/Lily thing, eh???), which is sick and wrong, I know. But! Harry grew up!! *is still in shock* Shut up, I'm good with it now.
The Malfoys - officially win my 'they are fucked up but are still wonderful, loving parents' award. Narcissa asking after Draco of the faking Harry was an especial favourite. Also I liked Draco surviving, and not really being redeemed, but just sorta deciding that, well, the Dark Side ain't great. I would have been really pissed off if he'd been redeemed. I liked Crabbe and Goyle turning on him after realising that his family were losing their influence with Voldemort.
Tonks & Lupin - sorry, I was never a big Lupin fan, and I know that people are doubtless crushed by his death, but given that I expected the entirety of the older generation to be killed off, it wasn't really a shock for me. Also, they were never characters I emotionally invested in, and although I liked Lupin's cowardice over his baby, and liked him going back to Tonks even more, during the battle of Hogwarts I just lost track of them.
The students - rock. Especially Neville. That is all.
The teachers - rock even harder. McGonagall telling Harry that they might be able to summon up some magic between them to defend the school - hee! You tell 'im, Minerva!
The Weasleys - Oh, Fred! I knew a twin was gonna die, and as George had been injured already, I figured it was Fred. Woe. *sniff* I have to say, though, I was mainly relieved that no one else bought it in the meantime. I was worried about the rest of the Weasleys. I loved Percy reconciling with his family - especially with Fred, actually, given later events - and, oh, Molly's battle with Bellatrix rocked! "Not my daughter, bitch!" - indeed!
Dumbledore - is a cowardly little shit. Oh, ok, he isn't, he just had tiny wee cowardly little shit moments, but that was enough for me. Squee Grindelwald! Squee evil!Muggles - thank goodness we saw some Muggles that were actually rather mean and horrible, eh? I know that we have the Dursleys, but it was pretty strongly implicated that Ariana was treated even more badly by her attackers, so... I strongly suspect that JK edited that bit down, it sounded an awful lot like molestation to me, which was a bit of a shock in a children's book! Also, Dumbledore being more concerned with his own power and prestige than his sister was brilliant, and I liked Aberforth calling him out on it. I liked Aberforth full stop, actually, up to and including his patronus. "A stag!!" Hee! I totally dig young Dumbledore as basically a young Tom Riddle, and Dumbledore just had the horrible shock of his sister's death to put him to rights - whereas Riddle just kept sliding into insanity.
I am full of thoughts on Dumbledore/Grindelwald. Fic to come soon, I feel.
Voldemort - Oh, Tom! I pity you, actually. Weird - I thought his death woudl be ultimately unsatisfying, becase of the big build-up - but the final moments of demise, stemming, as they do, from the conversation Harry has with Dumbledore, are strangely meaty and full of lots of flavour. Mmmm, orange sauce....
No, seriously, I loved that Voldemort's obsession with power was what undid him, in the end. He wasn't interested in learning why things worked the way they do, he just wanted the power at the end of it. The Deathly Hallows bit was great new canon, thank you JK, but it also fit in with Voldemort's character, and it did mean that love squished his silly fat head in the end. Ha! *cough* Of course, I mean - there was lovely foreshadowing. Yup.
The plot - Everything I hated about HBP is resolved here - and everything I wanted answered is answered here. What more could I ask for? In truth, I had three main worries/expectations from this book, so let's address each of them in turn:
1. Following HBP, Snape is a bad guy.
Not so much an expectation as a worry - that she doesn't do a good enough job of explaining his fluid, shifting loyalties, and reason for them. I really liked the explanation - they never shifted, and he was always driven by the same thing. It just drove him to different people, in the end. And I did like his death. He died as a consequence of his actions, rather than dying to save Harry (which would have been a little trite, yes?) , but, at the same time, those actions were coerced by Dumbledore. And I do like that faint whiff of pathos about him a great deal. Witness the "maybe we sort too early" from Dumbledore, and Snape's stricken expression.
2. Harry carries on being a vessel for Dumbledore.
This was partly realised in this book, in that Harry does do it - but that he also questions why he's doing it. I loved the bit where he's worrying why he chose the Hallows, then the Horcruxes, then the Hallows - has he made the right choice? Is he right to trust Dumbledore? etc. I'm a little uncertain as to the wisdom of choosing faith over prudence, but it was always going to be a toss-up at that point. Anyway, the point is that he thought about it, and realised it, and considered it, which had always been my main issue with the earlier books, aka, why I never liked Harry. Did I mention that I really liked him in this book??
3. Voldemort's death is a damp squib-type thing.
aka the plot sucking. The issue was 6 years of backstory, and then trying to tie it all together... I was dreading more of the HBP/CoS stuff we had, which I found excrutiating. Instead, we got Dumbledore, which was awesome. That was really, really unexpected and IMo worked well. It brought great new backstory to a key character who wasn't infallible anymore, and, most importantly, wasn't around to save Harry's hide when everything went to the wall. I loved the V for Vendetta fascist state set-up - this is gonna be so pretty in the films!! - the questionings, the infiltration, etc. The Taboo word was pure genius - it makes so much sense! The secret radio broadcasts, the random stop&searches, the ongoing investigations - all these are brilliant touches to fleshing out the occupied state.
By the time we reached the final battle and Voldemort's death, everything had been pretty much resolved satisfactorily. So the battle itself didn't really matter by that point, we were simply panting in the aftermath of Harry's choice. Climax, as it were, had been reached a little while earlier, the battle was a curious little plateau, after which we had the epilogue of sweetness. OK, it might have been a little syrupy - everyone meeting on the train platform, the many children, etc - but these books were always going to need an epilogue, IMO. The ramp up to the battle was so steep, that whatever you did for the post-climax part would feel like a trail-off. They require a setting up of the young generation as, well, the old generation (if you see) - the start of a new journey for their kids in their normal lives. All is right with the world - and thought the scars remain, the debts have all been paid.
I've also read three other books in the last couple of weeks, btw - The God of Small Things, Diary and The City and the Star, which I really must review at some point... But, for HP7, I have two thumbs up.