| Entry: The Seven Potters |  | = Official Comment |
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From Dave Grant
Website: http://www.divergingroad.blogspot.com/ |
I have yet to read any of the books or see any of the movies. And in answer to the question if I have been living under a rock somewhere: yes....yes I have.
I will probably get to them and experience them as my daughter gets a bit older, though.
Great art and story should never have a deadline. |
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| From henry |
I was very, very disappointed. I felt it was anticlimactic as well -- not just within this novel but as the conclusion to an intricate and immense six-book series.
Plus, I hate happy endings. |
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| From Jessica |
I feel as if someone handed me a copy of the book, I read it, identified it as a fake and am thus still waiting for the true ending of our dear story to find me.
There was no closure. |
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| From Stef |
Since this entry has spoiler written, I am going to write some spoilers in here.
I loved the book, all except that stupid last chapter. I wish it ended the chapter before that because it would have felt more real to me. It would have been happy because Harry killed Voldemort and Hermoine and Ron survived (even though part of me feels it would have been better if one of them died), but there was still sadness because of certain deaths. While things may have gotten better and Harry got to live a normal life 19 years later, I much more cared about what was going on then. And personally, I don't care about his kids, but the questions for 19 years later that I wanted to know was if he became an auror and what happened in the days following Voldemort's death. And while it may not be of great importance, I wanted to know more about George. The death of Fred had me bawling like a baby because he was one of my favorite characters and he and George were almost like one, and while it didn't fully matter, I found myself thinking so much of George being all alone after I finished the book,
There were so many moments in this book that I screamed I KNEW IT. I thought so much about what was going to happen and figured so much out, but I still love the way it played out in the book. The last few chapters involving the fight, I loved. I was completely and totally into it.
The only real problem I had with this book, besides the final chapter, is at times it was confusing and I had to go back and read some parts. I talked to some of my friends and they had the same problems.
I'm going to read the book again this week and take my time with it this time, and hopefully since I know everything that's coming, I can really take it in. |
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| From klara |
Spoilers included.
The last chapter was a mistake all right, but the rest didn't seem that bad to me, Jessica... I had to read on and on as usual, and sometimes shrieked with joy: Aberforth! Gonnagal duelling! Neville the Brave! The plot is an example of JK's magical art: I was really, really impressed with the idea of non-working wand for example. I always wondered how Harry, who sometimes had problems to pass school tests even in the simplest magic, could be a match for Volde, and I had to admit, JK made this highly believable... First by having him repeat spells and curses hundred times during the 7th year, but - most importantly - by the dramatic weakening of Volde. And what is even more impressing, the wand idea has its beginning in the FIRST book !
Another surprise was the truth about Dumbledore. Here I really feel JK stepped from children's series to something more. And if Harry (in the King Cross chapter, which I found even worse than the last - didn't you, Jessica???) forgives Dumbledore, I couldn't... I couldn't help thinking, all these years of tearfully loving Harry... Albus was not so white, was he?
All in all, the plot was (again) wonderfully built. And two chapters that made me uneasy is what I can find in The Goblet of Fire easily too.
Poor Severus, though. He should have got some praise. Here I agree with previous comments - if (IF!) I wanted to know anything about what came AFTER, it was completely different things than were said in the last chapter.
As an afterthought. Maybe JK wrote the last chapter ONLY to say clearly: there will really, really be no more Harry books. |
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| From Kellie |
| I was pleased. Even with the Lifetime movie of the week epilogue. I feel like I got both the literary and the Hallmark endings I wanted. |
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From Nathanael
Website: http://ignorantcritics.com |
I was a bit irritated by the last chapter, mostly because I've never been a fan of Harry/Ginny. It felt like they had a puppy crush on each other, something that wouldn't last into adulthood. But I think the key to the epilogue is its showing of the normalcy that exists after a great evil has been vanquished. Lives go on, and it's fitting that the ending shows the next generation of kids waiting to take their places in the wizarding world. I just wish we could have gotten a bit more information about a few characters (Luna especially, who's one of my favorites). And I agree with Klara; this ending is the best way to bring closure to the series.
Rowling did an expert job of tying many, many threads together without having it appear too forced. And yes, much of the novel was rather predictable, but only because Rowling has such an archetypal myth underlying the series. A few of the deaths were extremely random; but that's the way it works in real life, isn't it?
I felt like there was quite a bit of closure -- not necessarily in the way one might hope, but far more than is normally given in a series like this. I'll have to read it over to let everything soak in, but I'm much more satisfied with the book than I would have suspected. |
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| From klara |
Thank you, Nathanael, for mentioning Luna and not liking Ginny-Harry relationship. So maybe I was not the only one hoping for Harry-Luna?  ...
I was pleased that both Luna and Neville playd such a big part in Hallows, though, because I missed them much in the Prince. |
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| From Jessica |
What makes a story like this, one that has the right pieces on the board, good or bad is the maker's choices. The book is still good and JK's choices are good enough: But, it could have been and should have been far better. As I said, I was really, really surprised.
She didn't do her own setups full justice.
I can see them all there, breathing, not used to their full dramatic potential, not tied up properly in the end.
With more time (such as the time she had for Goblet) I think she would have come to a stronger finish, not dissimilar, but stronger.
Why are we all ignoring the fact that, two years ago, everyone debated me on my stance that Harry's scar must be a Horcrux and it totally was.  That to me is an example of a strong choice and a unique way to tackle a part of the Hero’s Journey, but (for another example) the execution of how he survives Voldemort and rids himself of the Voldemort Horcrux and then the way Narcissa covers for him was cheap.
There was much about the plot that was way too convenient. The deaths felt random not because of who or when but how and how most were handled. This is not JK Rowling at her very best.
But, she is still good. I wouldn't tell anyone not to read Book 7: It's not like it's some rubbish like The Da Vinci Code. Or something.
"But I think the key to the epilogue is its showing of the normalcy that exists after a great evil has been vanquished."
I agree, (the last line says that quite plainly,) and I think that's a terrific choice, but might it have been better executed? Again, I think so. |
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| From Stef |
I so debated you about the horcrux, but after awhile you changed my mind, as you did about Snape. Leading up to this book, whenever my friends and I discussed it, I would say Snape was not evil and Harry was the last horcrux and not one person believed me. They should have read your views because you would have won them over.
Whoever said they wouldn't have been able to forgive Dumbledore, I'm so glad I'm not the only one who feels that way! All my friends keep sticking up for him and I'm like, I don't care if Harry forgave him, I wouldn't be able to and part of my love for Dumbledore has died, although I still think he's a fantastic character. He's just not the great person we always thought. I kind of like that she did that, but to put it in the last book and have Harry forgive him so easily was kind of not believable to me. Harry faced death and all of a sudden could forgive Dumbledore for everything? That whole chapter slowed down the surrounding chapters that were great, but I understand she needed it to continue the story. I just wish it was done differently.
I have greatly been mourning the loss of Fred and it makes me sad whenever I think of him. I thought him dying while laughing was so perfect. And Percy not wanting to let go of his body killed me. I'm going to cry thinking about it... I need a life. |
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| From klara |
Jessica, we do NOT forget you were right about everything - why do you think we keep coming to your page to discuss ?
Although I must say I had similar views. (Modesty first .)
And this time you're right again. The longer it is since I finished the book, the worse it seems. JK is a fabulous plot-maker, but why don't I cry over Fred's or Lupin's death (as I did when Dumble or Sirius died)? Because there was nothing strong about the moments... Why don't I keep turning all threads of the story in my mind as I did in The Order? And the Hallows themselves - well, did they come to the story just to show us Harry's perfectness again?
Jessica, you are absolutely right: good choices, good setups, but somewhat weakly solved...
However the self-sacrifice of Harry was strong and I REALLY liked it, still I'm not sure why he as a result of it survived and the Volde in him died instead... I was so, so curious how can Harry "get him out"...
And Snape's death also. Though I must say it's quickness and unnecessarity was quite strong, still I hoped that Harry will find out the truth about Snape in a far better way than just from memories in Pensieve... I really hoped Snape will be there for Harry at the very end!
Alas, unlike you, Jessica, I am not always right . And again, I cannot but agree with you. I am partly dissapointed with the book. |
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| From Kellie |
I still have to disagree. I think what we come down to is authenticity and humanizing, and our personal feelings towards each. What feels authentic and human to me may not to others.
1) I don’t feel like Narcissa covering for Harry was cheap at all. Hate her or not, Narcissa loves Draco more than anything, and she risks certain torture and death by Voldemort to do what she has to do in order to get to the castle and find her son. Lilly died to protect Harry, and Narcissa – while no where near the person Lilly is in any way – is taking the same risk to protect Draco. She doesn’t care about Harry, there is no change of heart, she still hates Muggles and Mudbloods, but she loves her son. That is authentic to me. Narcissa is willing to take Voldemort’s wrath by claiming Harry is dead to get to her own son and do what she can to protect him. That’s not cheap to me. That’s what a Mother does. I can see where some might consider it too convenient, but it provides JK the opportunity to further humanize Narcissa. Besides, I would rather it be Narcissa to check if Harry’s alive than some random Death Eater of whom we’ve never heard.
2) I forgive Dumbledore. We make mistakes. In his own words, being “cleverer than most men, my mistakes tend to be correspondingly huger.” He’s not fallen in my eyes. To never let Harry face Voldemort is to hand over the entire wizarding world to Voldemort. But to force him to go negates Harry’s choice. I don’t think that Harry would have made a different decision if he knew from the beginning what the score was. I don’t think he would have made a different decision if James and Lilly had survived and he was raised by them. He would have joined the fight and fought to the death regardless, because that’s who Harry is. You lose some to save millions, and I think Harry would have willingly been part of that "some" with or without Dumbledore. Dumbledore regrets his thoughts and actions from his youth, and he hates what Harry has to face and his part in making it happen. He’s spent his entire adult life making up for it. Do we not allow for regret? Do we not consider the countless – countless – things Dumbledore has done to make the wizarding world better? To protect Muggles who don’t even know he exists? I am not the person I was at 20, and I hope I am not the person at 40 that I am today at 30. There would be no growth otherwise. You can't expect differently of Dumbledore. Even with his mistakes, Dumbledore is a great man. His mistakes humanize him. They show that we all have the ability to decide who we are and who we want to be, and that we have the freedom to change our path if necessary.
3) Molly calling Bellatrix “you bitch!” was perhaps the funniest thing I have ever read.
4) I’m sad that there won’t be any more books for us to debate. |
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From Nathanael
Website: http://ignorantcritics.com |
| I guess I'm closer to Jess's opinion than I previously thought. I agree that not everything was handled as well as it could have been, but I'm happy just to see all of the pieces on the board, as Jess said. I've read far too many books and watched far too many movies whose endings are narrative messes. I'm simply happy that the basics are there; Jess wishes it had been executed better. I think that means I suffer from lower standards. |
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From Curtis Sawyer
Website: http://ussexcalibur.blogspot.com |
Finally read the last Harry Potter book. Here be spoilers.
Personally, I like my endings wrapped up with a bow and I had no issue whatsoever with the final chapter. I like seeing at the end of a movie what happened to the characters years into the future - to me, that is closure. So I have to disagree with all the preceding comments about how bad the last chapter was.
My main problem with the book, as someone who has read 1-6 only once, was that I had trouble remembers who some of the supporting cast were. The witch who gets killed in the first chapter? No clue who she was. So something that was probably supposed to be shocking was to me, "Eh?". Lots of characters popped in from time to time - sometimes just mentioned by name, sometimes with an actual role. And I could only remember about 2/3 of them at all, and only about 1/3 of them really well. Lots of the deaths in the end had little impact on me because I couldn't remember what the characters did in the earlier books (some, like his owl and Dobby hit me much harder).
The second thing I didn't like was all the back story on Aldus. I felt like it was just an extra complication in an already complicated story line and I don't think it added much. Oh, so he had a rebellious youth! Oh, so he played things close to the chest! Oh, the flash of blue means we might bring him back! It just seems like Harry always has some role model in each book who's motives he ends up questioning and this just seemed very formulamatic to me.
I also question the length of time the book covers. It seemed like the mission was critical and yet they spend weeks and weeks and weeks essentially doing nothing. The story seemed to go in fits and starts and that seemed odd to me - maybe it was all set up for Lupus to have time to have a son.
Despite all my complaints above, I still enjoyed the book and the series. I think she did a good job of maturing the subject matter along with her readers (who are now 10 years older than they were at book 1). I don't think I had the high expectations that Jess had for the end. Harry Potter has never been in the same league as LotR, in my humble opinion, regardless of his popularity.
Yes, it was a cool, fun read and highly enjoyable but I don't find myself with the same sense of longing, of wishing that the story would continue, as I did at the end of LotR. |
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