Hello! My name is Chie. I am likely to be the girl you'll see whose eyes would bulge out of their sockets at the sight of a book store and be seized by waves of epileptic shock whenever there is a book bargain. I'll probably be the one pushing you out of my way to get through the book bargain bins and tediously combing through the pile. (I forget my manners when it comes to books). I am tone deaf and have two left feet. But I would endure the embarrassment of a performance in exchange for books (terms and conditions apply). I have created this blog in order to find kindred souls. Those who would gladly share the same passion for books and reading because although reading is solitary task most of the time, it's no fun having no one to ramble to after..
Synopsis: Harry is waiting in Privet Drive. The Order of the Phoenix is coming to escort him safely away without Voldemort and his supporters knowing - if they can. But what will Harry do then? How can he fulfill the momentous and seemingly impossible task that Voldemort has left him?
Review: I know many fans find The Deathly Hallows disappointing. In one sense, I understand the feeling. The book differs drastically from its predecessors in both structure and tone. This is not simply "Year Seven" at boarding school. Harry, Ron and Hermione have left Hogwarts to embark upon a more traditional epic fantasy quest to find magical artifacts.
Although Deathly Hallows probably could never have satisfied the fevered expectations of fans in 2007, the book does suffer from introducing too much plot too late in the series. Almost everything the heroes needed to do in order to defeat Voldemort they learn and accomplish in this book. It makes the book and the series as a whole
In The Half-Blood Prince Dumbledore discovers that Voldemort created seven Horcruxes in order to preserve his soul. One - Tom Riddle's Diary - was destroyed in The Chamber of Secrets whilst Dumbledore destroyed another - Marvolo's Ring - sometime before The Half-Blood Prince. That means Harry, Ron and Hermione still have to find and destroy five additional Horcruxes in the final book. In theory, the Horcruxes could be anywhere and anything. That alone would pose a huge obstacle, enough for most epic fantasy novels.
Because the task is so daunting, The Deathly Hallows - rightly - tries to make the process of searching for Horcruxes seem difficult. We needed to see Harry, Ron and Hermione wandering in the woods at a loss for what to do. Yet, because none of the previous books featured Horcruxes, The Deathly Hallows bears this burden alone. In other words, this one book - which supposedly finishes the series - also acts as the beginning, middle and end of the Horcrux subplot. Thus, it feels like a cheat when Harry, Ron and Hermione manage to destroy all of them (with an assist from Neville Longbottom) so quickly. It's quite convenient that Voldemort hid all five Horcruxes in the greater London metropolitan area rather than say, in a junkyard in China or in a deep ocean trench.
On top of that, halfway into The Deathly Hallows, the book adds yet another artifact quest. Harry, Ron, and Hermione must not only destroy Horcruxes but also stop Voldemort from obtaining the Deathly Hallows. Harry still needed to learn to truly accept death as part of human life. However, you'd think that by book seven in the series, the characters would basically know what they have to do and have already started doing it. Because the book needs to spend so much time on exposition for these additional quests, it has less time to spend exploring the implications of these plot developments.
The Deathly Hallows feels more like the end of the beginning than the end, or even the beginning of the end.
For example, there was a moment when Harry considers pursuing The Deathly Hallows for himself. He already has the Resurrection Stone and Invisibility Cloak, and he knows where to find the Elder Wand. With these three, he would become master over death and supposedly have the power to bring the dead back to life. Even with everything Harry has learnt up to this point, I still think this was - or should have been - a difficult choice. Wouldn't he have been tempted to bring his parents back? Even Dumbledore couldn't resist trying to use the Ressurection Stone to ressurect his sister. Harry's decision should have been a crucial moment for the character, but the book barely touched upon it. I felt that we as readers needed to see Harry struggle at least to make the right choice.
And yet, even if the dénouement feels rushed, emotionally The Deathly Hallows works a story about accepting death. The Tale of Three Brothers with the younger brother who wore the invisibility cloak and welcome death as an old friend, is a beautiful metaphor for passing on gracefully. Harry's walk through the Forbidden Forest to meet his own death at Voldemort's hands reflects a mature acceptance and acknowledgement of the human condition. I am sure many readers cried when the ghosts of James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin appeared to comfort Harry.
I wouldn't consider The Deathly Hallows to be the greatest book in the series, but I am also not disappointed. It has some good ideas and the slower parts - the character development, exposition, even the wandering in the forest - were necessary to obtain the emotional pay off at the end. I just wish J.K. Rowling had spread a bit more of the plot and exposition amongst the other six books. The Deathly Hallows doesn't feel like the final installment of a seven-book series building to a climax. In fact, taking the Harry Potter series as a whole, I'd say Deathly Hallows contains around 80% of the crucial plot, making previous six books feel like glorified back story.
Epilogue:
The epilogue of The Deathly Hallows has become infamous. Deservedly so. The final book in a series should provide a sense of closure. The Deathly Hallows epilogue really only reveals the marital status of the main characters, which readers probably could have guessed. (Ron and Hermione, Harry and Ginny). It does not resolve the many remaining questions. Did Hermione succeed in promoting Elfish welfare? Did Harry ever become an Auror? Did Draco Malfoy find redemption - or is he still a shady Slytherin? How did wizarding society achieve peace and reconciliation after such a bloody civil war? After all, many wizards and witches such as Dolores Umbridge willingly supported Voldemort's anti-muggle policies.
Apparently, the Pottermore website has short stories about the lives of the main characters after The Deathly Hallows.
Synopsis: Harry is waiting in Privet Drive. The Order of the Phoenix is coming to escort him safely away without Voldemort and his supporters knowing - if they can. But what will Harry do then? How can he fulfill the momentous and seemingly impossible task that Voldemort has left him?
Review: I know many fans find The Deathly Hallows disappointing. In one sense, I understand the feeling. The book differs drastically from its predecessors in both structure and tone. This is not simply "Year Seven" at boarding school. Harry, Ron and Hermione have left Hogwarts to embark upon a more traditional epic fantasy quest to find magical artifacts.
Although Deathly Hallows probably could never have satisfied the fevered expectations of fans in 2007, the book does suffer from introducing too much plot too late in the series. Almost everything the heroes needed to do in order to defeat Voldemort they learn and accomplish in this book. It makes the book and the series as a whole
In The Half-Blood Prince Dumbledore discovers that Voldemort created seven Horcruxes in order to preserve his soul. One - Tom Riddle's Diary - was destroyed in The Chamber of Secrets whilst Dumbledore destroyed another - Marvolo's Ring - sometime before The Half-Blood Prince. That means Harry, Ron and Hermione still have to find and destroy five additional Horcruxes in the final book. In theory, the Horcruxes could be anywhere and anything. That alone would pose a huge obstacle, enough for most epic fantasy novels.
Because the task is so daunting, The Deathly Hallows - rightly - tries to make the process of searching for Horcruxes seem difficult. We needed to see Harry, Ron and Hermione wandering in the woods at a loss for what to do. Yet, because none of the previous books featured Horcruxes, The Deathly Hallows bears this burden alone. In other words, this one book - which supposedly finishes the series - also acts as the beginning, middle and end of the Horcrux subplot. Thus, it feels like a cheat when Harry, Ron and Hermione manage to destroy all of them (with an assist from Neville Longbottom) so quickly. It's quite convenient that Voldemort hid all five Horcruxes in the greater London metropolitan area rather than say, in a junkyard in China or in a deep ocean trench.
On top of that, halfway into The Deathly Hallows, the book adds yet another artifact quest. Harry, Ron, and Hermione must not only destroy Horcruxes but also stop Voldemort from obtaining the Deathly Hallows. Harry still needed to learn to truly accept death as part of human life. However, you'd think that by book seven in the series, the characters would basically know what they have to do and have already started doing it. Because the book needs to spend so much time on exposition for these additional quests, it has less time to spend exploring the implications of these plot developments.
The Deathly Hallows feels more like the end of the beginning than the end, or even the beginning of the end.
For example, there was a moment when Harry considers pursuing The Deathly Hallows for himself. He already has the Resurrection Stone and Invisibility Cloak, and he knows where to find the Elder Wand. With these three, he would become master over death and supposedly have the power to bring the dead back to life. Even with everything Harry has learnt up to this point, I still think this was - or should have been - a difficult choice. Wouldn't he have been tempted to bring his parents back? Even Dumbledore couldn't resist trying to use the Ressurection Stone to ressurect his sister. Harry's decision should have been a crucial moment for the character, but the book barely touched upon it. I felt that we as readers needed to see Harry struggle at least to make the right choice.
And yet, even if the dénouement feels rushed, emotionally The Deathly Hallows works a story about accepting death. The Tale of Three Brothers with the younger brother who wore the invisibility cloak and welcome death as an old friend, is a beautiful metaphor for passing on gracefully. Harry's walk through the Forbidden Forest to meet his own death at Voldemort's hands reflects a mature acceptance and acknowledgement of the human condition. I am sure many readers cried when the ghosts of James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin appeared to comfort Harry.
I wouldn't consider The Deathly Hallows to be the greatest book in the series, but I am also not disappointed. It has some good ideas and the slower parts - the character development, exposition, even the wandering in the forest - were necessary to obtain the emotional pay off at the end. I just wish J.K. Rowling had spread a bit more of the plot and exposition amongst the other six books. The Deathly Hallows doesn't feel like the final installment of a seven-book series building to a climax. In fact, taking the Harry Potter series as a whole, I'd say Deathly Hallows contains around 80% of the crucial plot, making previous six books feel like glorified back story.
Epilogue:
The epilogue of The Deathly Hallows has become infamous. Deservedly so. The final book in a series should provide a sense of closure. The Deathly Hallows epilogue really only reveals the marital status of the main characters, which readers probably could have guessed. (Ron and Hermione, Harry and Ginny). It does not resolve the many remaining questions. Did Hermione succeed in promoting Elfish welfare? Did Harry ever become an Auror? Did Draco Malfoy find redemption - or is he still a shady Slytherin? How did wizarding society achieve peace and reconciliation after such a bloody civil war? After all, many wizards and witches such as Dolores Umbridge willingly supported Voldemort's anti-muggle policies.
Apparently, the Pottermore website has short stories about the lives of the main characters after The Deathly Hallows.
