I started reading HP7 on Sunday night. I finished it last night. This is a testament, once again, that it was nothing short of a page-turner! In fact, I would have finished it even sooner if I hadn't had to go to my pesky job! Anyway, this morning I've been processing. Two weeks behind most of you, I know, but I'm still entitled! By the way, somehow I managed to escape all spoilers swirling around...thank goodness. I dislike nothing more than a spoiled surprise. I am not - absolutely not - one of those readers who will read the last page first. So....
If you haven't read the book, read no further into this post!
I absolutely, positively loved this book. It was just....wow. Awesome. There are no words. But I'm going to use some anyway. There are so many things I could say, but here are the highlights, for me:
Did anyone else notice the palpable likeness of the locket horcrux to The Ring in Lord of the Rings? The burden, the ability to inflate the fears of its wearer, its connection with its creator, its near indestructablility? I love it.
And I just want to say about Snape - I knew it. He has been one of my favorite characters all along - perhaps because he is so complicated and secretive - but what a brilliant revelation in this book!
We've known that love played a part in Harry's survival since book one, but who could have forseen that the Malfoy's love for each other would be stronger than their allegiance to Voldemort - and that it would play such a part in Harry's (and everyone else's) survival? That was cool.
The fact that Harry definitely could not have accomplished the defeat of Voldemort alone in no way diminishes the fact that there was a huge part of this defeat that only he could carry out - and for that part, it was key that he be willing to do it.
What about the obvious overtones of the Nazi regime, sacrifice and resurrection? And the house-elves to the rescue on more than one occasion?
One more thing...not surprisingly (to me, at least), there's almost as much Christian allegory in the Harry Potter books as in The Chronicles of Narnia. It really came to fruition in this last book though.
I set out on this journey with Harry, Ron and Hermione (that's really how I view it and that's what makes it so wonderful) when I was in college. I picked up the very first Harry Potter book at the very strong recommendation of my grandparents! And now, these books will always be classics for me. Seriously great literature. Time to read them all again, I think!
5 comments:
I have to say I knew it about Snape too- I knew Dumbledore wouldn't be wrong about him. Although, I didn't know how she would make his prior bad-seeming actions right, so that was a surprise to me.
I loved Snape as well! Just something about him constantly caused me to doubt whether his motives were really malicious.
I also saw the connection between making wizards pure-blood to Hitler's intent to create a pure-blood race. Maybe she intended it to be so obvious if many others see it as well.
I haven't started reading the HP series yet because I hate waiting for books to come out. Now that the last of the series has been released, I will start reading! I'm so excited!
How did you like the epilogue? I didn't so much. I heard someone else say she should have done a D.A. Reunion and completely agree! The way she did it left my imagination still going as to the rest of their friends and family.
I thing one of the greatest things about GREAT literature is when something this good comes to an end, you can read it again! That's my favorite part. I'm reading HP aloud to Colt, we're on book five, and I can't wait to read the final page of the final book! He'll be so amazed!
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