Almost a fantastic bookDecember 3, 2008 The Deathly Hallows brings to a close perhaps the most beloved book series of all time. Harry Potter has become a cultural phenomenon the likes of which we have never seen before. To say expectations were high is an understatement of the highest order.
The book starts in uncharted territory - without Albus Dumbledore as leader. The absence of Dumbledore was, of course, essential to Harry's journey, and it shows early on in the fact that the book edges much further into chaos than the other 6.
SPOILER TO FOLLOW:
There are some strokes of absolute Rowling genius in DH.
1. The Hallows themselves are an utterly fascinating concept. The fact that Voldemort, Grindelwald (the two most evil wizards in history) AND Dumbledore were all fascinated with them makes them all the more compelling.
2. Many readers did not like what Rowling did to Dumbledore's character in this last book. I disagree. I think it was necessary to explore the fallible side of Dumbledore. He always seemed just a bit too perfect to me. I found that I liked him WAY better than I ever have before.
3. In general, the plot was everything I've come to expect. The brilliance of Ms. Rowling has never been in exceptional writing technique, but in her creativity in telling a story and even more important than that, her uncanny knack of planning the storyline so well that the intricate plot weaves nearly seamlessly in and out of 7 books over a decade's time.
4. The final scenes with Dumbledore and Voldemort were quite well done. I would have been disappointed if Harry had used avada kedavra to kill Riddle. The last discussion that Harry has with Voldemort was really good too. Voldemort's fear at finding Harry alive once again was nearly palpable. He was far more frightened than Harry. I could not have imagined it any better.
Why the book did not quite make fantastic
1. The camping scene was WAY WAY too long. It was the first time EVER in a Harry Potter book that I found myself a tad bored. I feel as though this section could have been cut short by several chapters and still been fine.
2. It was more complicated than it needed to be, and some of the explanations didn't make sense to me.
-The worst, of course, was Ron "learning" to speak parseltongue to get the basilisk fang out of the chamber of secrets. It is incongruous with how rare the ability is said to have been. I didn't buy it. -Next,the whole disarming of wands and becoming it's new master made no sense whatsoever. The D.A. practiced disarming spells all the time - why didn't wands change ownership then? -the Elder wand was said to have been unbeatable. That's why Grindelwald and Voldemort wanted it. So how did Dumbledore defeat Grindelwald when he had the wand? Makes no sense. They were supposed to have been about evenly matched in skill. You would have thought that Grindelwald would have had the edge in the duel.
3. By FAR my biggest beef with the book was it's treatment of Snape. Throughout the series, he has been the most intriguing, mysterious and wondered about character. After he killed DD in book 6, fans literally discussed his true motives for YEARS. Was he on DD's orders? Was he working for Voldemort the entire time? I consider Severus Snape the most important character in the books outside of Voldemort and Harry. And we get his explanation, his back story in one chapter?????? It was a serious letdown, and it was why the book got 4 stars from me.
If you've read the other books in the series, this is a absolute MUST READ. You won't be sorry.
Potter ends...December 1, 2008 Ahh, the Harry Potter books comes to an end. If you haven't understood yet, this IS the last HP book. It's just as good as the one before, if not better. My only complain is that horrible epilogue, which ruined it for me. I wish I hadn't read it. It gives such a short overview of what happened, doesn't take care of all the characters, and leaves nothing to the (though obvious) imagination. Shame shame. Still worth the buy though ;D
Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsNovember 30, 2008 It was very interesting and a good book. I recomended for people of all ages. Is my favorite book of all seven's.
An entertaining and engrossing readNovember 29, 2008 If you've read all the other Potter books you probably enjoy all the quirky but ever endearing characters. In this final book Lord Voldemort's army grows in power and makes normal life for wizarding community impossible. After the death of Albus Dumbledore Harry, Hermoine and Ron set out to search and destroy the remaining Horcruxes to diminish the power of Lord Voldemort. Climatically Harry and Voldemort clash and all the Wizarding community must choose sides. Luckily, Harry has faithful followers who are willing to do what they can to protect and stand along side with Harry. After months of hiding, searching for Horcuxes and researching the story of the Deadly Hallows Harry sets out and stands alone in front of his arch enemy equipped only with his invisiblity clock, resurection stone and an legendary wand. In his final act of friendship he choses to protect his friends in love the way his mother protected him. After all the most powerful magic in the world is love. You'll find it hard to put this book down. The truth and surprising events are gripping and unforgettable. Friendships will be tested during this supremely difficult time. Read with Kleenex in hand. This book is well worth your time.
JK Rowling Does not DisappointNovember 29, 2008 Another outstanding book in the Harry Potter series. Amazing writing and creating...a book you can't put down and only disappoints because the experience is over. How about one more?? You rock JK!
