Zygoptera on 23/7/2007 at 21:54
Re the epilogue, I took it to be something she can point to when asked to write more HP books and say that the story is finished and there cannot be more.
As for the rest of the book, the only real criticism I have is that bringing back just about every single character who had ever appeared in any one of the novels for a cameo felt forced. If that's the only criticism I can come up with it must have been good.
Phydeaux on 24/7/2007 at 11:54
Just finished it. Wow. I had high expectations, and they were wildly surpassed.
[spoiler]I have to disagree with all the negative sentiment about the epilogue. I don't feel at all that it was written awkwardly, hurriedly, badly, or trite. Quite the opposite. I feel that it was very deliberately written the way it was. Everything that needs to be known is there. There's some holes, like who's the Minster (Kinsgly Shacklebolt?), who's the Headmaster (probably McGonagall, as she was Deputy Headmaster under Dumbledore), who does Teddy Lupin live with, how did the wizarding world recover and rebuild itself after the defeat of V, what jobs do all the main characters have, etc? I'm guessing that the people who were disappointed in the epilogue were hoping that all these details would be spelled out for them, but I don't feel that it's necessary, and if they were all spelled out, I'd probably feel less fulfilled with the ending than with the one in the book. All those details are trivial to the knowledge that the main characters are living their lives in peace and happiness, because that's what Harry and everybody with him were striving for these 7 books.
I also feel that these details were deliberately omitted by Rowling for us to ponder with our own imaginations. And she did so in a way that will prevent other authors from trying to ride her coattails and hoard in on the world she created. I wouldn't want it any other way.[/spoiler]
jimjack on 24/7/2007 at 19:39
Not that I don't appreciate 700 pages of HP, it was doing my head in getting through this part:
[SPOILER]For six books Dumbledore has been..well...Dumbledore and now it actually turns out that he's this manipulating scumbag. It felt tacked on. The thing that strikes me is that he is the worst villian of all. At least Voldemoret did not look to hide his bad nature. Dumbledore was a villian and a hypocrite. His sisters blood was upon him (of course it was he who cast the killing blow) "It might have been me, I don't know".
He threw Snape to the wolves (he knew what it meant to ask Snape to kill him when he was the holder of the Elder Wand and betryed Snapes greif over the death of Lily and tormented him with it. He betrayed Harry and lied to him for sending a kid to do a job he wasn't ready for. It was more like Oh by the way Dumbledore for a time was BFF with thei evil bloke and over there...his sister was beat up by muggles and he uses everybody.
As for the rest its' matured well over the years with darker stuff and more adult as readers are obviously getting older. The relationships more complex and the villians harder to spot. I agree that you want to know what will happen later but maybe its best to put an end to it. Best book of the series. Probably go back to reading the first ones again
* I like that Neville became headmaster. That was perfect.[/SPOILER]
D'Juhn Keep on 24/7/2007 at 21:02
Quote Posted by jimjack
He betrayed Harry and lied to him for sending a kid to do a job he wasn't ready for.
Well it seemed he did pretty well
Phydeaux on 25/7/2007 at 08:15
BTW...How did the sword of Godric Griffindor return to the Sorting Hat after Griphook yoinked it in Gringotts? It occurred to me a few hours ago, and I couldn't find it anywhere in the book.
Shayde on 25/7/2007 at 08:35
Quote Posted by jimjack
[SPOILER]
* I like that Neville became headmaster. That was perfect.[/SPOILER]
[SPOILER]Did he? I thought he was just the Herbology professor? [/SPOILER]
Quote Posted by Phydeaux
[SPOILER]
How did the sword of Godric Griffindor return to the Sorting Hat after Griphook yoinked it in Gringotts? It occurred to me a few hours ago, and I couldn't find it anywhere in the book. ]
[/SPOILER]
[SPOILER]It was said in Prisoner of Azkaban that "only a true Gryffindor could pull the sword out of the hat when needed." Both were artifacts of Gryffindor and you can hardly argue that the sword wasn't needed. Loved that Neville got a chance to be all bad ass. [/SPOILER]
ilweran on 25/7/2007 at 09:16
In reply to jimjack
[SPOILER]I really don't see Dumbledore like that at all. Ok, he had a murky past, but to a degree that was understandable after what happened to his family - his sister being attacked led to his father being imprisoned and his mothers death. I think his later actions against Voldemort make up for that.
"He threw Snape to the wolves (he knew what it meant to ask Snape to kill him when he was the holder of the Elder Wand and betryed Snapes greif over the death of Lily and tormented him with it."
I agree things a bit dubious when you look at Snape, but to some extent Snape put himself in that position, and by getting Snapt to kill him I'd say Dumbledore was partly trying to save Malfoy.
"He betrayed Harry and lied to him for sending a kid to do a job he wasn't ready for."
But Harry won. Voldemort was defeated. Ever since he became the 'boy who lived' he was a target for Voldemort and he was either going to defeat him or be killed by him.
[/SPOILER]
Jan on 25/7/2007 at 15:00
Absolutely loved it!
[SPOILER]Snape: my my, who'd have thought. Very good story, also, very good reason for Dumbledore to have trusted him, and for him to have hated James Potter so much. Makes sense. I don't think Dumbledore used him too harshly. He wanted to keep the whole "really I'm totally caring for Harry because he's Lily's son" quiet. He knew he was an ass to him imo (otherwise why would it have been important that Harry see his memories in the pensieve), and he also knew that by killing Dumbledore he'd save Malfoy. Very tragic. Shayde already said it and I agree: the guy basically had the most tragic story of them all if you think about it!
Dumbledore: I really liked that he was becoming more real, i.e., a person with flaws as well as strengths. Good portrayal of Harry starting to doubt him too, and struggling with the notion of a less-than-perfect Dumbledore.
Ron: I actually liked that he flipped out and left Harry and Hermione. Although that was a little too close to Lord of the Rings (suffering because you're wearing the thing around your neck... Nurmengard...)
Cannot believe that Tonks and Lupin are both dead.
Fred's death. Hmmm. Was a shock, but really it worked too, to drive home the fact that this was a war, and even people who're close to you can and will die. Dobby's death had me wiping away tears, somehow made me more sad than Fred's (even though the twins were among my favorite characters of the series).
Would've liked to hear a bit more about Hagrid and Grawp, what were they doing etc. The was this whole setup with Madame Maxime which sort of fell flat (no time/space probably). Why do the spiders suddenly join the fight is not clear (easy feasting I suppose, but still why now suddenly--they have nothing to do with Voldemort)
Really liked that Neville sort of "came into his own" can you say that? He really stepped up to the task, started a resistance in Hogwarts. Would have very much liked to hear more about that too, as Hogwarts used to be the main stage that the books took place in before. Now it's not so important anymore. It fits too that he became a professor at Hogwarts.
Didn't like the epilogue. Sort of thought something like this would be coming, but it was a little too neat, too perfect; aww how cute they all made a bunch of kids, and of course they'll all be in Hogwarts too and be best-friends-forever there... Oh well, I loved it anyways![/SPOILER]
Will now start over at the beginning and read the whole series again :)
Phydeaux on 25/7/2007 at 23:58
Quote Posted by Shayde
[SPOILER]It was said in Prisoner of Azkaban that "only a true Gryffindor could pull the sword out of the hat when needed." Both were artifacts of Gryffindor and you can hardly argue that the sword wasn't needed. Loved that Neville got a chance to be all bad ass. [/SPOILER]
[spoiler]That makes sense. Harry pulled the sword out of the hat in the Chamber of Secrets, so the two pieces must be connected somehow even if they're seperated.[/spoiler]
Quote Posted by Jan
[SPOILER]Cannot
believe that Tonks and Lupin are both dead.
Fred's death. Hmmm. Was a shock, but really it worked too, to drive home the fact that this was a war, and even people who're close to you can and will die. Dobby's death had me wiping away tears, somehow made me more sad than Fred's (even though the twins were among my favorite characters of the series).
Yeah, Tonks and Lupin both dying was kinda a shock, leaving their new baby behind. I was expecting that Harry would have adopted the kid (he's the Godfather, orphaned by V too, etc); it seems like Bill and Fluer raised him (Victorie being their daughter, and the same age as Teddy).
Fred dying wasn't a shock to me at all. I was fairly certain from even a few books back that one of the twins was going to be killed by V's forces.[/spoiler]
