Current Page: Finished. (and for the record, I have been for a while.
i will refrain from posting anything in this area about the book, so as not to spoil things, but I will say that I was pretty much totally satisfied. Was it life-altering? No, but I never really expected it to be.
(see comments for more stuff WITH SPOILERS. You've been warned, again.)
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3 years ago
2 comments:
So for most of the second half of the book, I had a running AIM commentary going with Alan. I figure I'll just reprint it here, with additional comments. (spacing indicates different thoughts)
SamniteX (3:53:25 PM): I was just thinking to myself, "y'know, it's about time for aberforth to make his appearance"
SamniteX (3:53:26 PM): and bam
SamniteX (3:53:28 PM): there he is
SamniteX (4:03:49 PM): hahaha
SamniteX (4:04:02 PM): I was thinking, well now that we've got aberforth
SamniteX (4:04:12 PM): you know who hasn't made an appearance and really needs to?
SamniteX (4:04:17 PM): Neville
SamniteX (4:04:30 PM): This book is silly like that
SamniteX (4:08:08 PM): I like how Neville turns out to be a supreme badass
rockkamoose (4:11:35 PM): he is badass
rockkamoose (4:11:42 PM): hes just like yeah got beat up and shit whatever
SamniteX (4:12:40 PM): yeah and then they were gonna kill my gram but she beat the crap out of them and ran away
SamniteX (4:12:53 PM): he's a damn good revolution organizer too
SamniteX (4:13:15 PM): or something
SamniteX (4:15:06 PM): hahahaha
SamniteX (4:15:20 PM): Cho: I could show you this picture of Ravenclaw
SamniteX (4:15:27 PM): Ginny: No! I think Luna could do it!
SamniteX (4:20:03 PM): And there's McGonagall, right on cue
(This is more of me talking about every character needs to show up and does so pretty much exactly when you get that feeling of "so and so really ought to show up")
SamniteX (4:20:47 PM): So now it's time for Snape to actually show up
SamniteX (4:20:53 PM): besides his little beginning segment
SamniteX (4:21:00 PM): He's pretty much the only one left
SamniteX (4:26:40 PM): best magic fight scene in teh series?
SamniteX (4:26:50 PM): Snape vs. McGonagall
SamniteX (4:29:19 PM): It's short but it's really cool
I liked that fight because it wasn't just gunslinging and there wasn't any wands connecting type nonsense. It felt very magical with them creating things and transfiguring them and stuff. It's the way two really talented wizards should fight, rather than this dodging green lasers stuff.
SamniteX (4:30:33 PM): Wow
SamniteX (4:30:37 PM): they're bringing EVERYONE back
SamniteX (4:30:41 PM): I mean
SamniteX (4:30:49 PM): even the old Gryffindor Quidditch team
SamniteX (4:32:01 PM): And percy redeems himself!
rockkamoose (4:32:20 PM): he finally redeems himself!
SamniteX (4:32:45 PM): I remember reading somewhere that he was gonna turn bad
SamniteX (4:32:48 PM): and I was like no way
SamniteX (4:33:04 PM): Percy is the definition of a basically good person who's just a big tool
SamniteX (4:37:32 PM): also
SamniteX (4:37:40 PM): How much is Kingsley Mace Windu?
rockkamoose (4:37:54 PM): theyre brothers
rockkamoose (4:37:57 PM): pretty much
SamniteX (4:38:03 PM): The random black dude who's a good guy and known to be a badass
SamniteX (4:38:07 PM): but doesn't really do much for a while
SamniteX (4:38:26 PM): and then shows up at the end and becomes an important and hardcore guy
SamniteX (5:21:01 PM): okay, Ron and Hermione kiss = kind of a letdown
rockkamoose (5:50:33 PM): wow i thoroughly enjoyed that
I thought the kiss was kind of generic, the standard "well, just in case we don't make it out alive..." kiss. There were better times for it and I kinda feel like it's only there because Rowling had to put it somewhere or the fans would have blown up her house.
SamniteX (6:42:41 PM): OMG WHAT A SURPRISE! Dumbledore asked Snape to kill him
As much as it was really obvious pretty much from the beginning and I thought it would come off as really contrived, it worked simply because Dumbledore's days were already numbered. I have a lot of trouble believing Dumbledore would ask Snape to kill him simply to protect Draco and to maintain his cover, but if he's going to die anyway then I buy it.
SamniteX (7:11:49 PM): OH MAN
SamniteX (7:12:16 PM): Mrs Weasley totally gets the best line
rockkamoose (7:42:02 PM): the move bitch line?
SamniteX (9:07:29 PM): the "get away from my daughter, bitch!"
Other things:
The final death toll was surprisingly low. Fred and Dobby were pretty rough, but Lupin and Tonks felt kinda random and underdone. At least harry got to say goodbye. And I guess my one serious prediction of Hagrid dying turned out to be false. Oh well.
Speaking of people not dying... where the hell did Umbridge go? She basically comes back from the dead and really shows her true evil colors only to be conspicuously absent from the final conflict.
I feel like I've been ragging on the book a lot, but I honestly really liked almost all of it. The one thing that really bothered me was the epilogue. I don't think it was necessary at all. It doesn't really tell you anything interesting; most of the revelations are pretty obvious. I mean, who EVER would have guessed that Harry and Ginny would get together and name their kids James, Albus, and Lily? And Neville teaching herbology? SHOCKING! The only real point of the epilogue it seems to me, is to have Albus be Albus Severus so Harry can say that he likes Snape again. Meanwhile I think it disrupts one of the big structural concepts of the series, which is that every book starts with Privet drive and ends with Dumbledore. Furthermore, "All was well" may be the single worst last line in the history of publishing. "I've had enough trouble for a lifetime," is MUCH better.
In speaking to some friends, people have said that the epilogue didn't go far enough, and should have explained more. I disagree. I think ultimately that the book needs to focus on being a good story, not telling every single detail of Harry's life. Nobody faults the Illiad for leaving out the Trojan Horse. I know it's hard to say goodbye to beloved characters and that it feels like Rowling needs to tell us what happens, but I think it detracts from the storytelling overall.
Okay, that's all for now.
I thought the Ron and Hermione kiss was terrible (just awful) and that frankly their whole relationship throughout the last book was pretty stagnant. All they did was the usual: argue argue argue. I mean when Ron left I was surprised and thought it might make a difference, but it didn't. he was bound to come back. Depressing.
Surprisingly, I liked the Snape thing, but it might just be because he is my favorite character and the only one i wanted to be truly redeemed.
As far as the epilogue, I completely agree. Supposedly she had that thing written for a while and put it in, but it feels like fan fiction (as some of my friends have said) that was put on at the end of the book.
I am being very harsh on the series, but that is only because I think it needs the harsh criticism. We all sat spellbound and read our respective copies (which most of us bought), so some harsh criticism can be allotted. Also, I feel like one could too easily forgive this book because it is the last in the series. While some of the things, particularly the actions sequences were jaw-droppingly rendered, I found some of the things you brought up (the lack of similar beginnings and endings to the other books and the whole name-dropping characters) frustrating.
Oh well, I mean it was still an accomplishment and you can't fault Rowling at all for it.
I guess what I would suggest is that they should franchise the work for the die-hard fans like they did for Star Wars. I know people hate that idea, but I like it. I always wanted to see more of the other houses (did Rowling ever show us Hufflepuff dorms?) and the every day goings on of the school fascinated me more than anything else. It's at least nice to dream of the other lives of this wonderful wizarding world she created.
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