I totally agree, it was a great book, but didn't need the goo at the end. I was perfectly happy to use my own imagination as to what happened in later life.
The only thing I can think of, is that JKR did it so she was never tempted to write another HP.
Yeah I really don't think it needed the epilogue. It just seemed so forced. I agree that it was probably to enforce the idea that she wasn't going to do any more books.
I really liked the book but the epiloge spoiled it. It left too many questions about what had happened to them (fortunetly JKR had an interview where she explained what she thought had happened to the characters) and was a bit corny for me. poor kid being called Albus Severus.
I was quite disappointed by this ending! the least JKR could of done was tell us what everyones professions were. The only one that I know of was Neville (Herbologist teacher).
No.
She wasn't just finishing off Harry's story, she was showing that even after the (any) story ends, the world still goes on. There will be new dangers, and perhaps the heirs to the boy who lived will play a part in defeating them.
I wrote a long review of this at Amazon last year pointing out how bad this book really was. It seriously needs an editor to trim a large amount of the middle section where NOTHING HAPPENS for ages... there are too many "McGuffin" quests that are never resolved and do nothing to drive the plot forward.
The ending is spectacularly mishandled. The final battle is just silly and there is no aftermath. One of the most important parts of a "fight scene" is what happens afterwards. The emotional impact of the repercussions of a war only happen AFTER the battle. Take Lord of the Rings as an example: the "final battle" takes place halfway through the 3rd volume. The latter part of the book is all about what happens after... coming to terms with the tragedy, the triumph, resolving the plot hooks that have driven the story forward.
A proper chapter AFTER the final battle would have allowed us to see the emotional resolution of the losses in the battle, the reconstruction of the society, and people dealing with the consequences ofthe triumph and the tragedy.
Instead, we get a very poorly written vignette, that answers no questions and left me totally dissatisfied. I want to know what happened to everyone. How did everyone rebuild their lives?
What happens to a hero when he no longer NEEDS to be a hero? That is a fascinating subject.
I'm afraid my answer to your question is "I dislike the book and HATE the epilogue". Having been a fan all these years, it was a major let down.
I think it's too obvious that it was written at a completely different time to the rest. I've got to be careful when saying that of course; would be too easy to read the fact that I knew it had been sitting in a bank vault for a decade bofore into my reading of it. All of it is a little too, ". . . and they lived happily after" for my taste but, to be fair to Rowling, I don't see what else she could have done. It's an excellent suggestion that she should have included a post-battle chapter - I would have gone with the funeral of a well-loved character. Still, she couldn't resist going for the happy ending and that means that the ending was always going to be a little saccarine. It's pretty hard to do a profound or wistful conclusion when all your characters survived, grew up, had children, and live in fame and comfort in large houses - probably owning labradours.
The epilogue is hilarious. After 7 books of derring do and a life or death battle against the dark side they all grow up and become civil servants living in suburbia with their childhood sweethearts. Perhaps that counts as a happy ending if you've had a turbulent life like Rowling (although on the recent documentary I did get the feeling she's hammed this up - the flat she lived in while writing the first book seemed perfectly nice and was hardly a drafty garret in the middle of a rough estate).
Once again there is a comparison with the Narnia books where there is a very brief passing mention of Susan having grown up and relegated her adventures in Narnia to childhood fantasy - that seemed real and interesting. The epilogue to HP7 just turned the whole series into a new exemplar of bathos.
I agree, the ending was all a little too idyllic for my liking. I really enjoyed the book but the last chapter left me feeling a little disappointed, it just seemed all too convenient and unrealisitic in comparison to the rest of the books.
the important contribution of the epilogue is in my view to give credit (by revealing (Albus Severus' name and his dialogue with Harry) to Snape and to his role in the story - which is lacking in the book / to show that Harry and Snape have come to terms.
anything else in the epilogue is cheezy, yeah. But what is the problem with that?
Well I think we're all in consensus. If JKR had to write and epilogue then she should have written it better(it really was just absolutely terrible) and included more detail than a quick "they lived happily ever after". And as for the book, it really could have been so much better.
Epilogue was NOT needed. She must have written it so that neither she or anyone else could contest to what happened 'after' and would stop any 'sequels' from happening.
While it was nice to know what kids were called and such (something i'm sure we could have gotten online anyway...) such mush and going over the same 'slytherin' things aid before was pointless.
I completely agree. I just consider the second to last chapter as the last chapter: that I would be satisfied with as an ending. The last chapter just doesn't fit with the rest of the book at all.
I can absolutely see why it was done, and in some ways it *was* a refreshing change for an author to let readers into the 'afterlife' of these characters we've been rooting for all this time. Apart from JKR's own reasons to deter sequels etc, I think it did serve a purpose - first and foremost that Harry has finally got his heart's desire for a family, because that is what he aches for throughout all seven books and what, ultimately, he's fighting for. Someone also mentioned Snape, another good point - it shows that the anti-hero has finally gained the respect of the hero.
But, having said that, the whole epilogue me feel slightly sick. Surely there must have been a better way of doing it? Even a family tree, or an short chapter that was written in any other way... it was just a bit oh, and then they all married and had kids. Which is nice, but it's got all the subtlety of being hit in the face.
I thought the whole thing was a bit ham-fisted. Up until this book I thought the way that she dealt with death was quite good, it was sensitive and she explored the sense of loss and grief quite well. But in this book major characters become cannonfodder in the blink of an eye, and the way she handled Harry's "death" was clumsy at best. I think the problem with this book is that JK Rowling's overwhelming success across generations has left her confused as to who her audience really is. The tone is so different to that of the first book, and the way that she tries to tackle heavy philosophical questions about death and morality within the framework of what is essentially a childrens book made it just feel patronising and contrived.
The epilogue itself was a bit rubbish, but at the same time if she had just left it then it would have been worse. Its a lose-lose situation. When it is essentially a book for children you can't really leave it totally unresolved, younger readers have invested too much emotion into the books to leave it hanging, but at the same time the epilogue was too saccharine and happy ever after for older readers.
Good book and a reasonable ending to the series, but I feel that she reached her peak with the 3rd and 4th books, since then I've not been as impressed. I still read them compulsively, as the gripping story pulled me through some of the tedium of the longer books and some of the clumsy writing, but all in all I feel the series went a little downhill towards the end.
I totally agree, it was a great book, but didn't need the goo at the end. I was perfectly happy to use my own imagination as to what happened in later life.
Anonymous User about 1 year agoThe only thing I can think of, is that JKR did it so she was never tempted to write another HP.
Yeah I really don't think it needed the epilogue. It just seemed so forced. I agree that it was probably to enforce the idea that she wasn't going to do any more books.
Lucy Clark about 1 year agoI really liked the book but the epiloge spoiled it. It left too many questions about what had happened to them (fortunetly JKR had an interview where she explained what she thought had happened to the characters) and was a bit corny for me. poor kid being called Albus Severus.
Kirsty about 1 year agoI was quite disappointed by this ending! the least JKR could of done was tell us what everyones professions were. The only one that I know of was Neville (Herbologist teacher).
Guy about 1 year agoIt was most definitly a bit daft, no point to it whatsoever!
Emma about 1 year agoNo.
Richard about 1 year agoShe wasn't just finishing off Harry's story, she was showing that even after the (any) story ends, the world still goes on. There will be new dangers, and perhaps the heirs to the boy who lived will play a part in defeating them.
I wrote a long review of this at Amazon last year pointing out how bad this book really was. It seriously needs an editor to trim a large amount of the middle section where NOTHING HAPPENS for ages... there are too many "McGuffin" quests that are never resolved and do nothing to drive the plot forward.
The ending is spectacularly mishandled. The final battle is just silly and there is no aftermath. One of the most important parts of a "fight scene" is what happens afterwards. The emotional impact of the repercussions of a war only happen AFTER the battle. Take Lord of the Rings as an example: the "final battle" takes place halfway through the 3rd volume. The latter part of the book is all about what happens after... coming to terms with the tragedy, the triumph, resolving the plot hooks that have driven the story forward.
A proper chapter AFTER the final battle would have allowed us to see the emotional resolution of the losses in the battle, the reconstruction of the society, and people dealing with the consequences ofthe triumph and the tragedy.
Instead, we get a very poorly written vignette, that answers no questions and left me totally dissatisfied. I want to know what happened to everyone. How did everyone rebuild their lives?
What happens to a hero when he no longer NEEDS to be a hero? That is a fascinating subject.
I'm afraid my answer to your question is "I dislike the book and HATE the epilogue". Having been a fan all these years, it was a major let down.
Facebook User about 1 year agoI think it's too obvious that it was written at a completely different time to the rest. I've got to be careful when saying that of course; would be too easy to read the fact that I knew it had been sitting in a bank vault for a decade bofore into my reading of it. All of it is a little too, ". . . and they lived happily after" for my taste but, to be fair to Rowling, I don't see what else she could have done. It's an excellent suggestion that she should have included a post-battle chapter - I would have gone with the funeral of a well-loved character. Still, she couldn't resist going for the happy ending and that means that the ending was always going to be a little saccarine. It's pretty hard to do a profound or wistful conclusion when all your characters survived, grew up, had children, and live in fame and comfort in large houses - probably owning labradours.
Thomas about 1 year agoThe epilogue is hilarious. After 7 books of derring do and a life or death battle against the dark side they all grow up and become civil servants living in suburbia with their childhood sweethearts. Perhaps that counts as a happy ending if you've had a turbulent life like Rowling (although on the recent documentary I did get the feeling she's hammed this up - the flat she lived in while writing the first book seemed perfectly nice and was hardly a drafty garret in the middle of a rough estate).
Once again there is a comparison with the Narnia books where there is a very brief passing mention of Susan having grown up and relegated her adventures in Narnia to childhood fantasy - that seemed real and interesting. The epilogue to HP7 just turned the whole series into a new exemplar of bathos.
Angelo about 1 year agoI agree, the ending was all a little too idyllic for my liking. I really enjoyed the book but the last chapter left me feeling a little disappointed, it just seemed all too convenient and unrealisitic in comparison to the rest of the books.
Facebook User about 1 year agothe important contribution of the epilogue is in my view to give credit (by revealing (Albus Severus' name and his dialogue with Harry) to Snape and to his role in the story - which is lacking in the book / to show that Harry and Snape have come to terms.
Facebook User about 1 year agoanything else in the epilogue is cheezy, yeah. But what is the problem with that?
Well I think we're all in consensus. If JKR had to write and epilogue then she should have written it better(it really was just absolutely terrible) and included more detail than a quick "they lived happily ever after". And as for the book, it really could have been so much better.
Syl about 1 year agoEpilogue was NOT needed. She must have written it so that neither she or anyone else could contest to what happened 'after' and would stop any 'sequels' from happening.
Natasha Wasylko about 1 year agoWhile it was nice to know what kids were called and such (something i'm sure we could have gotten online anyway...) such mush and going over the same 'slytherin' things aid before was pointless.
I agree with you, Lucy!
Facebook User about 1 year agoI completely agree. I just consider the second to last chapter as the last chapter: that I would be satisfied with as an ending. The last chapter just doesn't fit with the rest of the book at all.
Sarah about 1 year agoI can absolutely see why it was done, and in some ways it *was* a refreshing change for an author to let readers into the 'afterlife' of these characters we've been rooting for all this time. Apart from JKR's own reasons to deter sequels etc, I think it did serve a purpose - first and foremost that Harry has finally got his heart's desire for a family, because that is what he aches for throughout all seven books and what, ultimately, he's fighting for. Someone also mentioned Snape, another good point - it shows that the anti-hero has finally gained the respect of the hero.
But, having said that, the whole epilogue me feel slightly sick. Surely there must have been a better way of doing it? Even a family tree, or an short chapter that was written in any other way... it was just a bit oh, and then they all married and had kids. Which is nice, but it's got all the subtlety of being hit in the face.
Facebook User about 1 year agoI thought the whole thing was a bit ham-fisted. Up until this book I thought the way that she dealt with death was quite good, it was sensitive and she explored the sense of loss and grief quite well. But in this book major characters become cannonfodder in the blink of an eye, and the way she handled Harry's "death" was clumsy at best. I think the problem with this book is that JK Rowling's overwhelming success across generations has left her confused as to who her audience really is. The tone is so different to that of the first book, and the way that she tries to tackle heavy philosophical questions about death and morality within the framework of what is essentially a childrens book made it just feel patronising and contrived.
The epilogue itself was a bit rubbish, but at the same time if she had just left it then it would have been worse. Its a lose-lose situation. When it is essentially a book for children you can't really leave it totally unresolved, younger readers have invested too much emotion into the books to leave it hanging, but at the same time the epilogue was too saccharine and happy ever after for older readers.
Good book and a reasonable ending to the series, but I feel that she reached her peak with the 3rd and 4th books, since then I've not been as impressed. I still read them compulsively, as the gripping story pulled me through some of the tedium of the longer books and some of the clumsy writing, but all in all I feel the series went a little downhill towards the end.
Ewan about 1 year agoSilly ... very silly. Somehow I wanted more for them than that.
Facebook User about 1 year ago*timidly*
er....
I quite liked it actually.
*runs for cover*
Facebook User about 1 year ago