Harry Potter and the happy fan

[mona1610]

Two nights ago, I finally finished the last of the Potter series and my first reaction was to go to sleep. Four days and four nights of mindless transition between my real world and Harry's wizarding one had taken their toll on me, and it was with three-quarters regret and one-quarter relief that I finally returned to the world I really belonged

Comments

[latelyontime]

I know it sounds like blasphemy but I did not like the deathly hallows so much. *looks very sheepish*. I thought it was the most scattered and disconnected book that Rowling wrote so far. What you look upon as small dramatic incidents, only irked me because they seemed to be weak, like a lot of crutches to carry forward the tale which could have been shorter. I do agree that in bits and pieces the writing was extraordinary. I enjoyed the way she has crafted the characters as well as how she has ended the book. I thought the Epilogue was a complete waste of pages and wondered if I should just severe them off the book and pretend it never happened.

It was unputdownable (for me) because I have followed the series so closely but I don't think that it stands as an excellent book outside of the hype and expectation context. I did read it in six hours - two back-2-back sittings interrupted only by meals, but I am not sure I want to go back to it over and over again like I did with the other books. But then, that might just be me.

[mona1610]

But you have to agree, there wasn't much meat left in the main plot to advance the story simply on the basis of Harry and Voldemort's battle. I was quite curious to know how she would fill 700-odd pages with only the quest for horcruxes (considering they'd left Hogwarts for that year). The books have always follow a common formula. They begin with Harry with the Dursleys, then Harry joins the Weasleys before beginning school, then adventures in Hogwarts and the climax between Harry and Voldemort. Followed by the sessions with Dumbledore. With Hogwarts completely out of the picture in the first half, the subplots are essential fillers that mark the progress made on the horcruxes and er.. the other things they need to find. I guess I wasn't disappointed

[latelyontime]

I completely agree... and that is why I felt cheated that a writer of her scope and style had to succumb to introducing small diversions just to fill pages. There was no rule that said that she had to fill the 700 pages. It could have had been a tighter, more gripping 350 page book which might have concentrated the attention on the thing that is the most important - the battle between Good and Evil. I think I read some fan fiction which had more important and beautiful plots - though not the style - in their writing. I also feel (and perhaps unfairly) that all the characters 'knew' this is the end and hence there was a lot of uncharacteristic behaviour and worse of it all - some quick fix solutions to more complex questions. I had hoped that Rowling will surprise us all with a new plot structure and a more detailed rendering of the battle than waste so much time on all the random roaming around and red herrings for "whodead?" that she has indulged in. As an editor, I can see at least eighteen things which either require a better

[mythrandyr]

Master's thesis on Rowling's books? That would be interesting reading. What was it about?

[latelyontime]

Oh... thanks! It was quite a time ago and it now seems slightly simplistic and naive when I look back upon it. In my Master's Thesis I was looking at a gendered deconstruction of fantasy and the production of childhood, looking at some of the children's fantasies, including Harry Potter. (Only four books had released then... maybe I will go and revisit it sometime).

[mona1610]

No, no trouble at all! I thoroughly enjoyed every word of that excellent summary. Inspite of her (apparent) misuse(?) of the two terms, I'm quite impressed by Rowling's research and ability to borrow vignettes of information from the real world, for example, the references to ancient runes (which were attributed with magical and divination powers) and as I have discovered, 'Elder' is actually the oldest runic alphabet. It gives me a sort of an absurd thrill to enter the writer's head through her creation. :)

Tell me, do you think the comparisions with WWII or those between Lord Voldemort to Hitler are legitimate? (I'm shortly going to post those queries/doubts that were stuck in my head after reading book 7, you may wish to reply this question there instead).

[latelyontime]

I agree... I too think that Rowling is one of the most accomplished writers we have writing for children right now - even when you take away the hype, the hoopla and the waily waily waily, she remains a compelling story teller and an excellent anecdoter of varied histories.

WWII and Hitler and Voldy? Hmmm not a connection I made or would like to either. I prefer to think that fantasies were not just pale imitations of life - the Aristotlean distinction between the probable and the possible.

[mona1610]

oh the WWII thingy was just something I found repeated on a couple of websites, including wiki. so the question. Personally, I thought it was too far-fetched... but still, thought i'd ask.

anyway, I made a nice long post about the spoiler questions and then the browser did that nasty thing that browsers often do and it was all lost. I didn't have the patience to type it all again. Someday if a cup o'coffee finds us sitting together, I'll pick your brains then. Be Warned! :)

[latelyontime]

Hmmm I have been resolutely staying away from potter sites... Most of them are generally disappointing and filled with emo kids going waily waily waily.

The cuppa coffee and potter talk sound good.All we need to do now is to arrange to be in the same continent-country-state-city; in that order :)

[kingsly]

I thought the Epilogue was a complete waste of pages and wondered if I should just severe them off the book and pretend it never happened.

How then will you connect with the future series of books about Harry's kids ? :-p

[dhempe]

well said Kingsly! ;) I too thought that was the main intention for the epilogue! ;)

[latelyontime]

Who wants to read about Harry's kids?

The only kid I wanna read about is Scorpious Snape - now that is sheer poison.

[mona1610]

*cough* isn't that supposed to be Scorpius Draco Malfoy ?

[latelyontime]

oops... my bad... more like wishful thinking. I was hoping that harry will turn out to be Snape's child he he