Like everyone else who has the smallest smidgen of enjoyment of Harry Potter I was looking forward to reading the last of the series (allegedly). In fact, I received Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at noon today and promptly sat down and read it cover to cover in one sitting. This 600-page fantasy reads rather well, it has to be said, flowing nicely along at a good pace. It's dark and bloody, but then again what do you expect with Voldermort kicking around?
Alas, one could argue that therein lies the problem. There are not really any of the plot twists and turns that one expects from Harry Potter books. In fact, one could argue that must of it was rather predictable in extremis. That is not to say it is not a rather enjoyable romp through the final tale of the boy wizard. One thing that strikes one throughout the book is that it is rather visual, almost cinematic. The book was clearly written in a manner that would not make it too terribly hard to turn into a script.
J. K. Rowling seems to have recovered the part of Hermione and she is not a whining teenager anymore. She does have a strop, which is a bit of predictable foreshadowing to the end of the book, well rather, the epilogue of the book. There are a lot of loose ends that are tied up rather well for all the characters, although I have to say that I was disappointed to see one of my favorite characters in the whole set of tales, Hagrid, reduced to a bit part in this novel. In fact, truth be told, much of the book only really revolves around the core three, which one might have expected.
Many people have wondered and asked me about Potter's eventual fate. In response I offer a well known phrase from another author of another series of tales, as I quote from the Necronomicon:
- That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange aeons even death may die.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - ck
we did not enjy jk rowling's last novel and as two very dedicated harry potter fans we were extremely disappointed at the end of this book. we expected better from jk rowling and instead of ending our favorite series of all tiems with sadness, we ended the book with puzzled looks on our faces. e continue to love hp, but do not care much for the last book at all and we found it a bit random.
2 - Marty Dodge
Yeah it was a bit limp this one. I liked the darkness and the fin d' sicle thing going on. What stuck me most was it felt a bit rushed like Rowling want to get it over with.
3 - Egbert Sousé
"This 600-page"
My book was 759 pages. Would love to know what you perceive as a plot glitch because i didn't see any.
4 - Slash
how do u think the book was random it was so clear and really dark there were a few spelling errors but NO plot glitchs it was a great book 1 of the best in the series!!
5 - john gardner
book is brillant but dissapointed that ginny is ginger and ron isnt a grebo. I hate slit wirsts baby and we can have some fun. oh yeah dumbledore is really stan shunpike but he hads lost diadem on his big head. haryr fancies malfoy. woop.
6 - #5
i do not understand why some people havent been satisfied with this book. this book has been the best of the hp series. it seems that the first two commenters had not enjoyed this bk because it had ended on a happy note. the reason why i think rowling has done that is because this is the last bk and we'll never be able to read about harry again, so she wanted us to remember him in a happy light. i found the story unbelievable and VERY unpredictable; however if one had been reading the clues she had left behind in the other series, it may have been predictable on what wouldve happened at the end of this story, but of course, this is rowling we're talking about-that woman is amazing. her mind works in funny yet creative ways. i admire her style.
but moving on, this book has left me greatly satisfied of the ending to this whole series and kinda sad, but at least it was a good book, you know? and thats what ill remember.
7 - Jade
I failed to see any plot glitches and I thought there were plenty of twists. Maybe it seems different to anyone who's read the story spread out, but I actually just completed the first six a few weeks back and the way 'twists' were done is exactly the way they've been done in the past. There's rarely something to come up that one hasn't thought of.
I felt like she found the best way to tie up loose ends without being predictable, or rushed even. I'll admit the epilogue was a little random, but I understood its need, and it was the only 'random' thing I found in the story.
I'll be sad when this movie rolls around as I'm concerned they'll be leaving out a certain character they've deemed acceptable to ignore in the films.
8 - Marty Dodge
Well the book I have is 607 pages and its sitting right next to me. I think the UK version (adults version) has more words per page.
You didn't find it all a tad predictable maybe?
9 - Rish
Found it predictable? - Yes.
I think the series taken as a whole is great. But this book as a part of it is weak. A lot of the deaths in the book were unnecessary.
And was it just me or did Voldermort not seem as menacing as the legend made him sound out to be? He seemed mighty unintelligent to me at times.
10 - Marty Dodge
Rish I believe the word you are looking for is one dimensional. And yes I thought he basically was a bit pathetic as the "baddie".
11 - cris
i felt that in order for the book to be reailstic, all those deaths were necessary. i mean, its a war! people, and IMPORTANT people will die. the book was fast paced, but it had to be. i found there were enough twists and it was cleverly concluded in the end. i really liked this book. one of jk's best books written.
12 - Marty Dodge
Yes, I am not the slightest bit surprised or perturbed by the deaths (unlike some) I just found some of them to be a bit forced.
13 - Zara
Over all good book.
but i still cant get over the death of Dobbie.
14 - Egbert Sousé
The ending predictable, yes, but what story isn't. The question is was it believable, and it was. You have yet to point out any plot glitches.
"it just me or did Voldermort not seem as menacing as the legend made him sound out to be?"
Isn't that usually the case. Please cite where his intelligence waned.
15 - elliot
on the whole i think that the final book in the hp series was a little anti-climatic and i felt that the ending was definately predictable. There were however, a large number of twists in the plot, and i found it a great read, however i agree with a number of other poeple that this was not the best book in the series.
16 - Morgan Lee
I really liked this book up until close to the end. It was dark, intense, and very captivating along with some great moments of comic relief. However, I thought the way that she acted like harry must die and gets you all prepared for it only for him to not die in the end was a bit of a cop out. It was like she wanted to kill him with him being the last of the horcruxes and all but then decided that would be too heavy for the book. i also thought it felt very rushed and like she just wanted to get it over. the last chapter was completely awful and seemed liked the tie up at the end of a movie where they have flashes forward to "where are they now?" i guess it was kind of necessary to tie it up and prevent other people from writing books and changing things, but i believe it could have been done in another way. I am also not so sure if i like they way she tainted dumbledore. he was supposed to represent all that is good and pure and noble and then that idea is ruined for us. i guess we are supposed to see it is harry that is really that way, but it just didnt fit with the rest of the books. She did kill a lot of people, especially some of which i didnt expect at all (dobby, lupin, tonks) , but then again like said before, it is a war and there will be many deaths. All in all, amazing book right until the end.
17 - Dumbledore is Human
I find many of these comments to be impeccably off. Dumbledore was a human -- he made mistakes. His character is the best character in the book -- the genius who cannot truly hold power -- for his geniuis is seductive. Harry -- who was not half the wizard as he -- could hold power -- because he didn't want it.
Overall a good book -- though I think Harry should have died . . . she was building so brilliantly to his death.
18 - Kaonashi
Since some of the comments apparently cannot refrain from posting spoilers, perhaps the reviewer may add a note in his review warning people who haven't read the book not to read the comments.
19 - CH
I think it was an excellent book, a delightful read, but I think Harry should have died. She built up to it and prepared us for it and seems to then have lost the nerve. I was very intrested in the turns that she took us through involving Dumbledore and Snape's relationship. I think she did a brilliant job with Severus.
20 - Danny
Overall i thought the book was okay...
ive read each book about 7 times tbh... and i was thoroughly excited for this one, but it didnt meet my expectations.
A few things bugged me about it; the way dumbledore was put down so much, i didnt even enjoy reading them things.
Also the fact that harry seemed so tame... he didnt actually do any extraordinary magic throughout at all, i expected him to be somewhat powerful and dangerous...
and finally, i found the idea of an unbeatable wand quite stupid...not really that imaginative
yes it was a good read, but not close to been my favourite.