The Deathly Hallows
I finished the last Harry Potter book yesterday afternoon. Carl and I had been listening to it together on audio books, but I had sent him off to the office with the disc, and I wanted to read. Because I love the feel of pages beneath my fingers and the weight of a book bending at my wrists. I was deeply satisfied with the ending. I know this is presumptuous of me to offer any criticism given the level of Rowling’s success, but I’ll take the risk.
My feeling is that Rowling is an okay writer and an absolutely brilliant story teller. The opening of Book Seven was slow, the wedding tedious beyond belief, and the much of the center of the book felt slow and padded. There were nice moments, but I was becoming increasingly worried that she couldn’t pull it out. Part of this was due to the fact I was listening to it read, and my god, every awkward sentence or padded paragraph stands out when you hear it aloud. I often read what I’m writing out loud, but I think I’m going to adopt Daniel Abraham’s technique where he reads a novel he’s completed aloud before he sends it out to his editor.
Then we hit the moment where Harry takes charge, and from there until the end the book went like a runaway train. I’m fascinated with the arc of a young person (normally male) learning to take command. It’s the emotional theme of the series I’m writing so Rowling had me hooked. Most of the twists I had anticipated. There were some I hadn’t seen coming. One of the writer’s in Critical Mass found the book predictable and dull because she had figured out many of the secrets. I didn’t have a problem with that. In my group we have spent a year discussing the conclusion, our guesses and it added to the sense of enjoyment for me when I hit those moments of “ah ha! I thought that’s how she would handle that plot point!”
I found many scenes genuinely moving and sad. And now I’m feeling a little sad because it’s the end of an era. I have anticipated the release of a new Harry Potter book for the past ten years and now that pleasure has ended. I truly do think Rowling has created a classic that will endure for many generations of children (and adults) to come. I read a peculiar and annoying essay in either Time or Newsweek slamming the Potter books because of the lack of “god” in the stories. I’m grateful that she didn’t go down that C.S. Lewis, Tolkien path. (At least Tolkien was far more subtle than Lewis who’s work I find unreadable). Rowlings books are a celebration of the human spirit and personal integrity. The problems are caused by human failings — the desire for power, fear of death, greed, jealousy, etc. And solved by human traits that reflect the best of our natures — loyalty, courage, friendship, sacrifice, love, etc.
My hat is off to Rowling. She paid it all off. I’m sad, but that’s the beauty of books. I can go back to Hogwarts anytime I want by just opening the cover of a book. That’s the true magic.
Melinda
July 26th, 2007 at 9:30 am
I read HP7 on Tuesday. I wish it had been about 100 pages shorter, but generally liked it quite a bit. I love epilogues like the one she included.
July 26th, 2007 at 9:39 am
The review, re: lack of god, was probably Lev Grossman’s piece in Time. At his blog, he tried to clarify that in fact he thought that in his opinion it was both interesting and a good thing (and also, I think, that he himself is an atheist, since some called him on having an agenda).
For my part, I think the overt absence of “god” isn’t much of anything. Hollywood has been presenting secular, godless stories for ages because, well, why clutter the story with metaphysics? Similarly, I just think it’s not germane to Rowling’s story whether there’s a god or not. I don’t believe it’s some sort of secular/humanist statement.
July 26th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
There is something about a good book series that becomes so much a part of your life that it’s easy to find yourself feeling as though it’s reality! I have not, to this point, even read the first Harry Potter book, but after all the different articles I’ve read singing the series’ praises, I just might have to begin my journey.
Heather
audio book downloads
July 26th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
The reason I get the feeling Rowling is a secular humanist goes back to an interview she gave years and years ago to Katie Couric on The Today Show. Couric was asking in that breathless way she has about the Christian parents who feel the books promote satanism and were burning or protesting the books. Couric wanted to know how Rowling viewed those people. Rowling’s expression of complete disdain was something to see and she declared. “They are ignorant.” That was it. It rocked Couric back in her chair. I don’t think she was used to that level of bluntness.
Of course I could be completely wrong, and for all I know Rowling goes to the C of E every day.
And I obviously misread that essay by Grossman. It sure cam across as a slam on the books.
July 26th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
Actually, Stephen and I were disappointed in it. My review is at http://smofbabe.livejournal.com/319101.html or we can talk about it when we see you.
Meanwhile, now that you’ve finished HP7, I really urge you to read the clever and extensive parody at http://diogenes-sinope.blogspot.com/2007/07/potterdammerung-mega-spoilers.html. It reveals some weak points in the plot but also manages to retell the entire story in a very funny way.
July 27th, 2007 at 7:04 am
I guess because I know how hard it is to tie up a massive series (I’m worrying a bit about my EDGE series), I felt that Rowling did a very fine job given the complexity of her themes, and the _hugh_ expectations that were dumped on her. I’m not sure I could have written the final book knowing I was the most successful author in the world. Talk about pressure.
The fact that Dumbledore turned out to be a rather grey character I thought was masterful. I was hoping for a bit more of Snape because I found that character fascinating, but the books were about Harry.
I too was looking for the Scouring of the Shire. Like Olbermann I had thought that Harry would have to lose his powers in order to defeat Voldemort. Then we would have had the Frodo moment — I have saved all I love, but I can no longer be part of it.
But overall I was satisfied because I’m not sure I could have pulled it off.
July 27th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
I’m probably second in evil to Voldiekins for saying that, but I _loved_ that ’summary’.
I can absolutely see why the books are so popular, but children heros that won’t grow up beyond the teenage stage don’t interest me, so I never really got into the books. I can stand kid MCs at the beginning of a series only if I know they will grow up into adults soon.
I read the first HP, skimmed the second, got a verbal summary of book 3 and 4 from my nephew, learned Dumbledore died in book 6, but I got all the twists in that retelling of book 7. At least I won’t feel left out now.
August 2nd, 2007 at 9:44 am
Melinda, I have only just finished the book, and I have been avoiding reading any blogs about it up to now, because I have been resolutely avoiding spoilers. So I’m just catching up. Like you, I have been listening to the book, but I also have a hard copy, and I was following most of it through, to pick up the details I couldn’t get on the first hearing.
What I am about to say includes spoilers, so people who are still reading it might want to stop here.
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It seems to me that the whole ending of the book is a metaphor about Jesus. I am not a religious person myself and was rather enjoying the fact that this series was not about religion. I did enjoy the ending and found it satisfying. But the whole thing was about Christian beliefs.
Harry is a Christ-like figure. First, he undergoes the temptation of the Hallows (parallel to Christ’s temptation in the desert). If Harry can seize all of the hallows, he becomes the most powerful wizard on Earth. (If Jesus decides to come out of the closet and be a god, he becomes the most powerful being on earth.) But both of them decide to go through with the original plan, which involves them DYING so that others may live.
Harry decides to die without resisting, and it is that sacrifice that saves everyone else. HE IS THEN RESURRECTED. After he comes back, he informs Voldemort that the fact that he sacrificed himself extended a protection over all his followers. Very much a Christian idea.
Voldemort is all about fear of death. It is because he fears death that he wants to split his soul into seven parts. He figures he will be harder (or impossible) to kill.
It is only by not fearing death that Harry can overcome him.
This disturbs me, because I basically believe that people invent religions because they fear death and they need some mythology of eternal life to counteract that fear. They counteract the fear by pretending that they are immortal. Harry had a chance to stand up to the fear of death, and all he did was stand for Resurrection, perpetuating the mythology.
There was a hint of things to come earlier in the story, when Harry and Hermione see some kind of Christmas display which morphs into a statue of Harry and his family. Father, mother and son. A Holy Family.
So while I enjoyed the series, I am rather disappointed with what I see as the underlying metaphor.
Best,
Kathy H.
August 2nd, 2007 at 12:17 pm
Another thought: Rowling’s comment to Katie Couric about her Christian critics being “ignorant” could be interpreted to mean, “They wouldn’t recognize a Christian metaphor if it stood up and slapped them in the face.”
It doesn’t necessarily mean she’s a secular humanist.
–Kathy H.
August 2nd, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Interesting analysis, Kathy. I confess the longer it’s been since I finished the book the less satisfied I’ve become. I really wanted a scene between Harry and Snape that wasn’t just memories. It feels like they never resolve their issues. I wanted Snape to do something to actually help Harry in this book.
I was also disappointed that the entire relationship between wizards and the other creatures — house elves, centaurs, etc., wasn’t actually resolved. She promised me that.
I think you may be on to something with the Christ metaphor (and that weakens it for me too). After all you were the person who nailed the RAB initials from book six. You and I both were right that Snape loved Lily and he’d transferred that love to Harry though he had a really nasty way of showing it. You had thought that Snape was trying to fail Harry in Potions so he could never become an Auror. I think you may have been right about that too.