(Brownie points if you know what I’m going to write about already, though it only gets second billing)
First, thanks tons to everyone who came to the surprise birthday party for me, but Willie in particular. While not mind-blowingly surprising, it was still more than just the moobie I was expecting, and a lot of fun overall. While not good as a habit, I’ve come to appreciate the birthday, an intrinsically worthless marker, but a good reason to appreciate or be appreciated for one day in a year. It’s a good boost for anyone. Thanks again. It was great.
So for the rest of you who want to get to the “juicy” part of this post, yes, it did take me less than 48 hours, but I am now in the honored group of people to have read all 7 Harry Potter books. The last one was okay.
**********AND YES, SPOILER ALERT***************
It was familiar. The plot was compelling, as I chomped through all 700ish pages in the equivalent of about three sittings. The writing style was plentiful, and it only felt like anything happened at the very end. All the details were cleaned up in what, in retrospect, seemed to be an obvious way (somewhat related article about psychology being “obvious”), and things seemed very convenient.
Perhaps I’m not in the series as deep as most, but I wasn’t affected by the story at all. When George got his ear blown off, it wasn’t a tragedy. Three minor characters die at the end, but even that felt meaningless. Perhaps it was relatively trivial in the scope of Harry’s plot, but I didn’t develop a strong connection to the characters. I’m not the sort who would cry over it or anything, but I like to be gripped by a story. I want to pull for the good guys, feel the injustice, hope for magical/plot intervention against death,
but I didn’t get any of that.
I guess if you were affected by the deaths, it wouldn’t feel this way, but I thought the end was very, very tidy. Which isn’t directly tied to Harry living or dying. I couldn’t care less if it was powerful, but I didn’t get even that. There was a message, and I thought the scene in his head with Dumbledore was clever, but it still felt gimmicky. But I wasn’t disgusted with the end, so I guess it was okay.
More than any other novel, though, it definitely felt kiddish to me. In theory, yes, it should be the darkest and most removed from that, and it likely was, but as I’m (also in theory; many of you would likely refute this) maturing at the same time, I recognize factors I guess I wouldn’t otherwise. And I’m viciously trying to think of an example, but like the other novels, the details of it have escaped me 24 hours after reading it. Or maybe that’s a cop-out by me. Your call.
I came across this on Digg or something, I think. It’s some web chat with Rowling about other details the community, so if you haven’t seen it and have read the book, it’s interesting. Of course, if anyone finds something better, I’d be curious enough to read more.
It feels like I’ve been doing a lot of literary/cinematic review, recently. Well, the next one, probably soon, is going to be on the Bourne Ultimatum, so it’s not stopping.