fenderlove (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
fenderlove) wrote2007-07-23 12:30 pm
fenderlove) wrote2007-07-23 12:30 pm
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Thoughts on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Finished the book. Can't say that I was thrilled or overly impressed with it. In the same way that Season 7 of Buffy was the weakest season, I feel that Book 7 of HP was the weakest book. This is the only time, I believe, that the movie will turn out far better than the book.
Now for more in-depths thoughts and spoilers.
Wanna know why I really hated this book? I read the last few chapters and was so proud that the book picked up and was good. I had been happy that JKR was not afraid to write all the death and violence, the reality of war, the reality that Harry and Co. were facing. However, the fanfiction epilogue was too much for me. It disgusted me. I swear, I've read like 40 dozen fanfics that read exactly like that! JKR, what where you thinking?!
Albus Severus, James, and Lily? I get that people want to name their kids in honour of someone, but isn't putting that kind of thing on a kid like expecting too much out of them? It's just that naming all three of them like that is a bit much. And Albus Severus in particular! Severus? Harry, I'm glad that you realized finally that Snape wasn't really your enemy, but please don't over-do your newfound affection for him. Victoire is a nice name for (I've guessed) Bill and Fleur's daughter; I've used that name in my stories as well. Scorpius Malfoy made me happy, and so did Hugo Weasley. I bet Teddy (by the way, I thought Teddy Lupin sounded like a child's toy) is a punk rock boy, totally not emo. Though Rosie I could have done without. It's nice to know that they only thing Ginny and Hermione did with their lives, as we were shown, was become breeders. So much for the most talented witch of her age.
I wanted to read more about what they did with their lives! What jobs did they get? How did they move on? How did the wizarding world rebuild itself after such extensive damage? I could have done without the "they all grew up and became daddies and mommies and lived happily ever after in twu wuv and happiness and peace." Bah to that I say! Bah!
The story lagged in more places than Goblet of Fire. It was pure torture to get past some of the middle chapters. It felt even worse to know that it got so good towards the end only to be given a third-rate, predictable G-rated ending. When are Hermione and Ron gonna learn that Harry is usually always right? It's like when the Scoobies doubt Buffy, turn her away, and then feel bad later because they could have saved themselves a lot of heartache by just listening to her and believing in her. God-dammit, I will not turn this into a HP BTVS relation essay.
Another problem I had with the book was that it was almost too predictable for me. Here's some examples:
Things I've Guessed Would Happen and Did!
1. Snape would die at Voldemort's hands. Snape was never really evil. Snape killed Dumbledore at Dumbledore's own request. Snape was in love with Lily and not Narcissa. Snape really didn't like Harry at all, but was still willing to keep him safe. Harry will find out about Snape's good-guy-under-cover status after Snape is dead.
Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. When, at about Chapter 19, the book began to lag and I didn't forsee any answers to my questions, there was some doubt as to if anything at all would be revealed about Snape. I was glad that Snape was able to show Harry the truth of what had been transpiring for years, something Dumbledore had never bothered to do. I appreciated that.
2. Harry will die. ... Sorta right. Well, he kinda did die, didn't he? Not my fault he came back. This really disappointed me. I wanted him to die for the sake of everyone, to be the tragic hero, for this book not to have a stereotypical ending, but I was disappointed on all counts. I suppose he gets points for maturely resigning himself to his fate and leaving details for others to complete his mission.
3. Ron and Hermione are going to get married in the end. I was right, but not because I'm a shipper, but because was damn obvious JKR had no reason to break them up.
4. Neville would play a part in Voldemort's defeat. Neville would eventually have a career in Herbology. Right-o twice! Good for Neville, I really liked him in this book. I was very proud.
5. Draco survives and is shown to be more of a whiny brat than a evil psychopath. Right. I was, however, very pleased with how Draco was handled in this book. I was proud of him for not outright identifying Harry and Co. I was happy that it was shown that his family does deeply care for him. The part with Narcissa and Lucius running through the warzone of Hogwarts just searching for him? Priceless. I'm glad that Bellatrix really does seem to be the odd one out of the Black sisters. Andromeda and Narcissa had love in their hearts; Bellatrix had only blind devotion to her dark messiah.
6. Mrs. Weasley is finally going to do something! Yay for killing Belletrix! I hate to see Bellatrix go, but I loved how she went! "Get away from my daughter, you bitch!" Haha!
7. Dumbledore was going to be really shown to lie between benevolent crazy and cunning manipulator. He was both. I'm glad that he admitted that to Harry. I'm glad he was sorry for hiding stuff behind Harry's back. Although I like to pretend that Harry's little death vision of Dumbledore was really all in his mind and that he was just knocked unconscious by Voldemort's spell. I believe being unconscious and finally getting a rest after nearly a year of getting no sleep at all finally allowed Harry's brain to put all the pieces together in the form of good ol' Dumbledore. I can wank it that way.
8. R.A.B. was Regulus Black. But who didn't see that coming a mile away? I liked Kreacher very much, btw.
But some stuff were surprises!
Things I've Guessed Would Happen and Did NOT!
1.Fred and George become superior business men and become very wealthy. They were on their way, it seems. I was terribly upset about Fred's death. He was one of my favourite characters. I admit that I cried a little. Maybe George will carry on the business in honour of his brother.
2. Percy will come back as a Deatheater and have to battle his father. Well, I was way wrong about that. I'm glad Percy didn't come back as a totally prat.
3. Hagrid will most likely die. I was kinda glad I was wrong. I sorta like Hagrid.
4. Lucius's bond to Voldemort is stronger than the love he has for his son. Narcissa might kill Lucius to save Draco. I was really happy that, besides being evil, they were a loving family all the way around. Lucius begging for news about Draco was wonderful. I'm glad he loved his son and his wife.
5. After Hermione and Ron get married, they have one son that they name Harry. Though that bit of fanfictiony offal would have fit the cheap-ass ending, it did not happen. Thank God.
6. Lupin would admit his love for Sirius and say that he married Tonks out of self-pity and comfort. I think I got that when he says marrying Tonks was a mistake. I think the younger Sirius we got at the end in ghost-form was really wanting for Lupin, so that they could be as they were, like old marrieds in life and death. I was sorry that both Tonks and Lupin died though, leaving poor fuzzy Teddy behind.
7. Draco and Pansy get married. I'm not sure who Draco was married to at the end. Maybe it wasn't Pansy. Maybe it was Luna. XD Those Malfoys want blonde babies! I can picture Luna telling her baby all about dirigible plums and all the creatures her father made up, while Draco listens with kind of a bemused and loving look on his face. Aww, now I kinda want it to be Luna. XD
8. Snape's patronus is a panther. It was a doe, but I like that better.
And now for the most important:
Things That I Wish Had Happened
1. I wish Harry stayed dead. Seriously, it's not because I hate him, but because I thought it would be more poignant.
2. Fred didn't die. I love him too much. He was my favourite twin.
3. I wish we had finally found out what drew Lily and James together. I saw no attraction between them at school, but then we see them as a very happy married couple. What was inbetween?
4. I wish Ron hadn't acted like a douchebag for half the book. I understand he doesn't want to be the sidekick and he was dealing with problems and it was the Horcrux, but seriously.
5. I wish that Hermione relaxed a little. You live in a world of magic, when are you going to learn that anything is possible... except for Leprechauns.
6. I wish the WWII references etc were toned down. We get it, JKR! "Magic is Might/Work Sets You Free"? Nurmengard/Nuremburg? High Inquisitor? Ruling Race? Yeah, we get it. Dial it back away from 11. You don't have to beat us over the head with it.
7. I wish the epilogue wasn't even there. It needs to be begone from my sight. How come I feel Draco going bald was a sign of his past evil deeds? You are evil, JKR!
I'm done for now. I'm tired and I want to rip the epilogue out of the book.
And the kids who tried to get me to sign the "Don't Kill HP!" petition at the book release party at Books-A-Million need to go forth and die. You don't sign a petition to tell an artist what to do with his/her work.
Now for more in-depths thoughts and spoilers.
Wanna know why I really hated this book? I read the last few chapters and was so proud that the book picked up and was good. I had been happy that JKR was not afraid to write all the death and violence, the reality of war, the reality that Harry and Co. were facing. However, the fanfiction epilogue was too much for me. It disgusted me. I swear, I've read like 40 dozen fanfics that read exactly like that! JKR, what where you thinking?!
Albus Severus, James, and Lily? I get that people want to name their kids in honour of someone, but isn't putting that kind of thing on a kid like expecting too much out of them? It's just that naming all three of them like that is a bit much. And Albus Severus in particular! Severus? Harry, I'm glad that you realized finally that Snape wasn't really your enemy, but please don't over-do your newfound affection for him. Victoire is a nice name for (I've guessed) Bill and Fleur's daughter; I've used that name in my stories as well. Scorpius Malfoy made me happy, and so did Hugo Weasley. I bet Teddy (by the way, I thought Teddy Lupin sounded like a child's toy) is a punk rock boy, totally not emo. Though Rosie I could have done without. It's nice to know that they only thing Ginny and Hermione did with their lives, as we were shown, was become breeders. So much for the most talented witch of her age.
I wanted to read more about what they did with their lives! What jobs did they get? How did they move on? How did the wizarding world rebuild itself after such extensive damage? I could have done without the "they all grew up and became daddies and mommies and lived happily ever after in twu wuv and happiness and peace." Bah to that I say! Bah!
The story lagged in more places than Goblet of Fire. It was pure torture to get past some of the middle chapters. It felt even worse to know that it got so good towards the end only to be given a third-rate, predictable G-rated ending. When are Hermione and Ron gonna learn that Harry is usually always right? It's like when the Scoobies doubt Buffy, turn her away, and then feel bad later because they could have saved themselves a lot of heartache by just listening to her and believing in her. God-dammit, I will not turn this into a HP BTVS relation essay.
Another problem I had with the book was that it was almost too predictable for me. Here's some examples:
Things I've Guessed Would Happen and Did!
1. Snape would die at Voldemort's hands. Snape was never really evil. Snape killed Dumbledore at Dumbledore's own request. Snape was in love with Lily and not Narcissa. Snape really didn't like Harry at all, but was still willing to keep him safe. Harry will find out about Snape's good-guy-under-cover status after Snape is dead.
Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. When, at about Chapter 19, the book began to lag and I didn't forsee any answers to my questions, there was some doubt as to if anything at all would be revealed about Snape. I was glad that Snape was able to show Harry the truth of what had been transpiring for years, something Dumbledore had never bothered to do. I appreciated that.
2. Harry will die. ... Sorta right. Well, he kinda did die, didn't he? Not my fault he came back. This really disappointed me. I wanted him to die for the sake of everyone, to be the tragic hero, for this book not to have a stereotypical ending, but I was disappointed on all counts. I suppose he gets points for maturely resigning himself to his fate and leaving details for others to complete his mission.
3. Ron and Hermione are going to get married in the end. I was right, but not because I'm a shipper, but because was damn obvious JKR had no reason to break them up.
4. Neville would play a part in Voldemort's defeat. Neville would eventually have a career in Herbology. Right-o twice! Good for Neville, I really liked him in this book. I was very proud.
5. Draco survives and is shown to be more of a whiny brat than a evil psychopath. Right. I was, however, very pleased with how Draco was handled in this book. I was proud of him for not outright identifying Harry and Co. I was happy that it was shown that his family does deeply care for him. The part with Narcissa and Lucius running through the warzone of Hogwarts just searching for him? Priceless. I'm glad that Bellatrix really does seem to be the odd one out of the Black sisters. Andromeda and Narcissa had love in their hearts; Bellatrix had only blind devotion to her dark messiah.
6. Mrs. Weasley is finally going to do something! Yay for killing Belletrix! I hate to see Bellatrix go, but I loved how she went! "Get away from my daughter, you bitch!" Haha!
7. Dumbledore was going to be really shown to lie between benevolent crazy and cunning manipulator. He was both. I'm glad that he admitted that to Harry. I'm glad he was sorry for hiding stuff behind Harry's back. Although I like to pretend that Harry's little death vision of Dumbledore was really all in his mind and that he was just knocked unconscious by Voldemort's spell. I believe being unconscious and finally getting a rest after nearly a year of getting no sleep at all finally allowed Harry's brain to put all the pieces together in the form of good ol' Dumbledore. I can wank it that way.
8. R.A.B. was Regulus Black. But who didn't see that coming a mile away? I liked Kreacher very much, btw.
But some stuff were surprises!
Things I've Guessed Would Happen and Did NOT!
1.Fred and George become superior business men and become very wealthy. They were on their way, it seems. I was terribly upset about Fred's death. He was one of my favourite characters. I admit that I cried a little. Maybe George will carry on the business in honour of his brother.
2. Percy will come back as a Deatheater and have to battle his father. Well, I was way wrong about that. I'm glad Percy didn't come back as a totally prat.
3. Hagrid will most likely die. I was kinda glad I was wrong. I sorta like Hagrid.
4. Lucius's bond to Voldemort is stronger than the love he has for his son. Narcissa might kill Lucius to save Draco. I was really happy that, besides being evil, they were a loving family all the way around. Lucius begging for news about Draco was wonderful. I'm glad he loved his son and his wife.
5. After Hermione and Ron get married, they have one son that they name Harry. Though that bit of fanfictiony offal would have fit the cheap-ass ending, it did not happen. Thank God.
6. Lupin would admit his love for Sirius and say that he married Tonks out of self-pity and comfort. I think I got that when he says marrying Tonks was a mistake. I think the younger Sirius we got at the end in ghost-form was really wanting for Lupin, so that they could be as they were, like old marrieds in life and death. I was sorry that both Tonks and Lupin died though, leaving poor fuzzy Teddy behind.
7. Draco and Pansy get married. I'm not sure who Draco was married to at the end. Maybe it wasn't Pansy. Maybe it was Luna. XD Those Malfoys want blonde babies! I can picture Luna telling her baby all about dirigible plums and all the creatures her father made up, while Draco listens with kind of a bemused and loving look on his face. Aww, now I kinda want it to be Luna. XD
8. Snape's patronus is a panther. It was a doe, but I like that better.
And now for the most important:
Things That I Wish Had Happened
1. I wish Harry stayed dead. Seriously, it's not because I hate him, but because I thought it would be more poignant.
2. Fred didn't die. I love him too much. He was my favourite twin.
3. I wish we had finally found out what drew Lily and James together. I saw no attraction between them at school, but then we see them as a very happy married couple. What was inbetween?
4. I wish Ron hadn't acted like a douchebag for half the book. I understand he doesn't want to be the sidekick and he was dealing with problems and it was the Horcrux, but seriously.
5. I wish that Hermione relaxed a little. You live in a world of magic, when are you going to learn that anything is possible... except for Leprechauns.
6. I wish the WWII references etc were toned down. We get it, JKR! "Magic is Might/Work Sets You Free"? Nurmengard/Nuremburg? High Inquisitor? Ruling Race? Yeah, we get it. Dial it back away from 11. You don't have to beat us over the head with it.
7. I wish the epilogue wasn't even there. It needs to be begone from my sight. How come I feel Draco going bald was a sign of his past evil deeds? You are evil, JKR!
I'm done for now. I'm tired and I want to rip the epilogue out of the book.
And the kids who tried to get me to sign the "Don't Kill HP!" petition at the book release party at Books-A-Million need to go forth and die. You don't sign a petition to tell an artist what to do with his/her work.