Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

After 6 epic novels, the tale of Harry Potter finally comes to a close in The Deathly Hallows. As a fervent Potter fan, this can be nothing but bittersweet. There are few living authors that can keep you engaged in the way J.K. Rowling can. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a tremendous novel, a fitting conclusion to the end of one of the greatest stories of post-modern fiction.<BR><BR>

J.K. Rowling is a unique author in that that, above all things, she is a storyteller. She doesn’t delve into the deepest reaches of the human condition, questioning the metaphysical, or shed light on uncomfortable truths. She tells stories. Harry Potter, like the fairy tales that influenced her is a story of good and evil, the power of love and compassion persevering despite unthinkable obstacles and tragic loss. The formula has been done a million of times before, but she presents it in such a way that seems fresh and new. She goes through a conscious effort to tie emotional responses to the character’s actions. There are times this comes across as overly melodramatic, but there is no denying it’s effect. You care about Harry Potter and his comrades unlike few characters in post-modern fiction. The formula for a good story starts with an emotional attachment to the character’s actions and reactions, and at this there is no denying her success.<BR><BR>

The novel, like all her previous works, is written plainly. Sentences are short and succinct, dialog quick and snappy. This deliberately simplistic style causes the novel to flow effortlessly from one harrowing event to the next. The beauty is not in the language itself, but rather, in the fantastic plot it creates. There are some that credit this “simple” writing as catering to children, but this conclusion does Mrs. Rowling a grave disservice. True, this clearly isn’t Joyce, but plain, simple, writing has its own charm and allure, she never lets the words get in the way of the story, and as a storyteller, this is paramount.<BR><BR>

Compared to the previous Harry Potter novels, this is the most well-conceived since The Goblet of Fire. The action never lulls, like it does at times in The Half-Blood Prince, and throughout The Order of the Phoenix. The ending was conceived before she began book one, and this is apparent from the very beginning. Action starts from chapter one and remains consistent till the very end. The grim ending of The Half-Blood Prince is the perfect segway into The Deathly Hallows, as tragedy and struggle follow the characters every step of the way. To me, it seems that Mrs. Rowling struggled to get through books five and six because she had all of this amazing content bottled up for the epic final novel. She had to flesh out the events leading up to the end, but refrain from revealing her biggest plot twists and turns for the last full measure.<BR><BR>

The novel does have it’s faults, however. I believe she got overzealous in executing her characters. She wanted to portray that this is a war, and in war there are casualties, but she goes overboard. At times characters die for no apparent reason other than to raise the body count. She clearly does this emphisize the burden on Potter’s shoulders, but she got a little carried away.<BR><BR>

The novel, thankfully, explains all the previous mysteries that has plagued Harry for all of these years, and does so very elegantly. I hope this is the last we hear about Harry Potter and his comrades. Not because I don’t want to hear about their future trials and tribulations, but like any good story, it must end. The story finally reaches its denouement, and anything else would serve to only tarnish it’s greatness. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows is a testament to the power of good storytelling. While other author’s try to mimic Hemingway and Faulkner, J.K. Rowling has a singular pursuit, to tell a great story, the fantastic tale of the Boy Who Lived, and at this, she has few equals.

i tried to read it as slowly as possible, but I couldn't help myself and it didn't even last for a week.. It was the best book in the whole serie, and in my opinion it is the best fan-fiction book on earth (with The Return of The King). The Prince's tale shook my nerves, and Snape become my favorite character (even though I knew Dumbledore couldn't be wrong about him.) Kings Cross was the other chapter that really got me emotional.. Anyway, even though all was well in the end, the book left me in such a space that I'm not sure if anything can fill it anymore..

Overall DH is a fantastic and worthy end to the Potter series. I didn't have a problem with the different structure of this book in comparison to the others, though I have to admit I felt it was a little anticlimactic and the epilogue a tad limited (we've waited a decade after all). Other than those very slight disappointments I couldn't have been more satisfied about the ending to my favorite series. I was seriously happy to be proven correct about Snape and loved that the right couples ended up together (those Harry/Hermione shippers were always nutty!). A brilliant read that further develops the characters and world of Harry Potter. I'm about to read it a second time now after giving it a few months off, I'm sure to pick up even more detail as with any Harry Potter book. This is one of the brilliant things about the series - the books are enjoyable time after time, unlike most which you only feel the desire to read once then shelve forever. I'm glad to finally have an end and answers, although I'll miss the forums full of entertaining theories and wonderings that have kept me entertained for the past six years!

I LOVED THE BOOK! I did not think it was predictable, and I could not put it down! I read the book in two days jaja I'm a literature major, so reading is my thing. But for sure if you ever get a chance to read Harry Potter do, is a great story, and also offers themes, and if you think hard enough you can see how this book is related to the social problems going on in our world. Read it, #7 was the best book by far!

I finally read this a few weeks ago -- I've always been so far behind on this series. I don't buy them at midnight like everyone else, but when I do get around to reading them months later, I go through them just as fast. So, needless to say, this book was great in that impossible-to-put-down way. I was a little disappointed in the deaths in this book -- none of them seemed as emotional as they should have been -- but other aspects made up for that. I was very impressed with the way J.K. played on history by creating a witch-hunt for non-witches, and I loved the depth she gave to Dumbledore and Snape and the moral complexity... and I don't know if anyone could have predicted what Harry was able to work out about the wands at the end. Oh -- but I was disappointed in the epilogue. Too perfect, for one thing. Who marries the person they have a crush on at age 17? And also, why did she only show us their family lives and not whether Harry became an auror, after all that discussion about it in the other books?

SPOILER WARNING

Well, just finished reading this, and all I can say is "wow." Pretty much the same thing I said for the past six books, but this deserves the biggest "wow" of them all. Not only was it ridiculously well-written, but it is full of emotion, plot-twists, and final loose-end-tying-up, which was definitely much needed after six long books of "holy crap."

It's a bittersweet parting- I would love for there to be more, and I will definitely miss reading about the adventures of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but, like all good things, it must come to an end. Rowling's characters are so well-developed that I can definitely imagine them having lives off the pages of Harry Potter, and I hope that the years at Hogwarts of Albus, James, Lily, Rose, Hugo, Teddy, and Victoire are as eventful and memorable as were Harry's and all of his friends' (and even enemies). I will probably always mourn the deaths of Sirius, Remus, Fred, Dumbledore, Tonks, and even Snape, but perhaps time is better spent celebrating the lives of those who remain (listen to me talking about these characters as if they're more than fictional).

Good on you, Rowling.

This book is truly J.K. Rowling's masterpiece. It is lengthy, but worth it. Even the tiniest piece of information in this book is vital. It is captivating, and fascinating. I couldn't tear myself away from it. Near the end I was bawling like a baby. In my experience, that is truly the sign of a good book and beautiful writing. All right, I'm a bit of a nerd for Harry Potter now.
I recently re-read this book, and was reminded how glorious it actually is. I honestly think I'm going to re-read the whole series for a third time. It's just great.
Oh, and I secretly wish I was Ginny Weasley. Okay, I guess it's not so secret anymore. If this book was lacking in one area (which I don't think it was) it was Ginny Weasely. I just couldn't get enough of her, and found myself wanting more of their relationship.
So good!

At least I was vindicated in my steadfast faith that Snape, after all, was acting honorably! I battled my family on this, but was so glad Snape is Good!

I loved the whole series, but I thought the ending was weak. I want to know more about Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermoine and their children.
It may be an unconventional way do to do it, but I like the redemption story that JK wove thruout the books. And she made her characters so easy to identify with. As a mom I really hurt for Harry because of the abuse that occurred in his life. Anyway...fabulous stories, I was sad when they ended and I read them all twice.

I'm tempted to start this review with something like "what total garbage ...", but I think one has to remember that the Harry Potter books are mysteries, not fantasy. As a mystery, The Deathly Hollows isn't too bad, although terribly bloated (like everything starting with HPIV has been). You've got a tricky ending with pieces you can put together from the hints scattered around the book.

As fantasy, though, or even just as a novel, this book is absolutely terrible. Where is the role for Ron and Hermione in the final showdown? It's as if Sam, Pippin and Merry inexplicably vanished from The Return of the King. We've spent seven books getting to like these characters, only to have them totally marginalized at the end, as if Harry Potter is the only one who mattered.

Then we get the horrible mixed messages. One of the big themes of the last few books is that of the persecution of "mixed blood" wizards by the "purebloods". But then Harry is the one who has to fight and defeat Voldemort because ... of his parents. There can be no role for Ron and Hermione, because they had the wrong lineage.

Then the final ending of the book is just dumb, as it turns on a matter that would be better settled in a civil property rights lawsuit than a wizard's duel. Which is particularly painful since Rowling spent some time in the first half of the book potentially building a traditional "the magic is in you, not the wand" plotline, but no, it isn't, it's actually all about the wand.

Some of The Deathly Hollows is fun, but most of it is misguided, and I am very happy to be thorugh with this series. A colossal disappointment given how much fun the first three books were.