SPOILER WARNING - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - discussion

Sassiness · July 21st, 2007, 03:47 AM

Woah... just finished reading it. Anyone else read it?

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Highlight - I really don't want to spoil it for anyone, so I'm taking all the precautions I can!

Nearly cried when Hedwig, Dobby, Fred and the happily married couple bit the dust. Wasn't expecting the ending - I really didn't think she'd actually countenance killing off Harry (which, I guess she didn't really in the end) I am so glad that the Snape is good theory was proved right (primarily because I thought he was and my mother thinks he's bad! Can't wait til she reads my note in the margin when she gets to it - I'm sending her the book first thing Monday)

Liked the ending - a bit cheesy that everyone got married and had kids, but very nice. And I'm glad Draco didn't totally turn out bad.... sort of (did like Ron's "That's twice we've saved your life now you two-faced bastard!")

REALLY liked the Dumbledore-isn't-quite-saintly storyline. VERY intriguing.

Also really liked the way the Ministry behaved after Voldemort took over - even before it. Some good parallels to Nazi Germany and other totalitarian governments. I really hope that this helps kids to understand how bad humankind can be - by showing them how insidious xenophobia is and what it leads to. Bit moralistic, but definitely a good thing - especially considering how popular the books are. Kids will (I hope!) learn things via HP that they might sleep through in history and social studies.

So... what did anyone else think?

karistiona · July 21st, 2007, 02:11 PM

I adored every part of it, I thought it was just amazing. I cried so much for this one, especially at Dobby and Fred, and when Harry thought he was on his way to die, and he was asking his mother to stay close to him. Amazing.

I'm still in shock, feeling so sad that it's all over now.

I love you JK!!

MoodyJenny86 · July 21st, 2007, 08:57 PM

I am still not sure how I feel about the book...

I JUST finished it...all I know is that I didn't hate it...but I didn't love it...

I just feel...I don't know...

**SPOILERS**

~Highlight below to read!~

Like, I absolutely am Neville's number 1 fan and was hoping he'd be a big part of the book (which, he did AMAZING things and really came into his own and FINALLY grew a backbone and he's a hero!!! Not only that but proved his loyalty to everyone by staring Voldemort right in the face and smart mouthing him...which, omfg...I was so scared I honestly thought he was a gonner right then!!!)

I have to agree with Sassiness though about the ending...O.o

I'm sorry but I found it incredibly cheesy (like some really, really, really cheesy fan fic...which, ummm I must say I have come across so many fan fictions that have had Harry and Ginny get married with their kids 'James, Lily' and whatever and they are all so happy, blah blah...) majorly disappointed...the very end I felt like I WAS reading a cheesy fan fic...I guess I'm just not a very big sap for happy endings but c'mon...oh, and the fact that practically all of Harry and Ginny's kids were named after someone (I.E. Lily, James, Albus) But what bothered me is that there was barely any mention of Neville other than we know he's now a professor at Hogwarts, (C'mon J.K...I need more! Is he married? probably not >:I or Is he happy?) and then no mention of Luna at all!!! I wish she would have described the lives of at LEAST the sextuplet- Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville & Luna...

Although, I suppose I'm not such a cold-hearted bia afterall because I did shed a few tears when Harry came to the realization that he had to die and when he was just going to 'do what he had to do' without saying any good-byes...oh, man that was rough...

Oh, and just a quick little thing...I KNEW Fred was a gonner...I knew that one of the twins would die and something I've noticed throughout the whole series is that Fred has always seemed to be the 'favored' twin and he seemed to get the most spoken words, the better jokes, better girls, etc...(which I've always wondered about that...) and then in the beginning when George was injured that was when I knew for sure, 100% that if one of them died, it would be Fred...kind of sad but meh...

Was totally not expecting the death of BOTH Remus and Tonks though I must admit...I figured one of them would die but surely not both...=/

birdmadgirl · July 22nd, 2007, 02:15 AM

I finished it today and loved it. Yeah, the last chapter was sort of cheesy...but when I really think about, that's how I really wanted it to end. I never liked the whole house-elf storyline, but I teared up when Dobby died. All in all, a great finish to a spectacular story.

Bellatheball · July 22nd, 2007, 02:33 AM

I finished it tonight too. I cried so much I gave myself a headache. I totally agree with those who felt the last chapter was WAY too cheesy for JKR but it was still oddly satisfying. Everything gets wrapped up into neat little perfect packages.

onemoresong · July 22nd, 2007, 11:16 AM

I agree, the epilogue should have been left out. It was just over the top. And I am one of those few who were actually hoping for some Harry/Hermione action - but still, I am happy with how it turned out. Wish I could just rip the epilogue out of my mind and pretend it wasn't apart of the book!

yanna · July 22nd, 2007, 11:22 AM

I cried for Snape when I reread that part. At the first read I was just angry that Rowling killed my fave character and later gave his undying love for Lily and her spawn as his only motivation. It really cheapened what Snape had to sacrifice and do for the cause.

And the epilogue was beyond ridiculous. Cheesy as hell with some cheese on top.

In all, I rather liked it but could have done with no Snape death and character assassination and a little less exposition esp. in the end when Harry puts his exposition hat on and tells Voldie where he went wrong with all that convoluted wand business. It was cool to get all that info about Dumbledore, though and I loved Aberforth.

phishtickie · July 22nd, 2007, 03:08 PM

Just finished as well. I thought it was AWESOME! I cried most at the Snape parts as well, although I've never been fond of the character, and I was surprised about crying at those parts... I thought it was a bit predictable at times, but I didn't mind. One way or another, a few things would be predictable in the end. I didn't mind the cheesy ending either, it is supposed to be a book for a younger audience after all... Nothing wrong with a cute happy ending once in a while

awshuks · July 22nd, 2007, 03:21 PM

I cried several times reading this book. The oddest time was during the battle between Mrs. Weasley and Bellatrix. I guess I was just so proud that she kicked ass. The ending was somewhat cheesy, but it had to be done. How else could it have ended that would have been satisfactory to the most people? Plus, it was good closure. As in nothing else to tell. I guess she meant it that this was the last one. She certainly killed off anything else that might have happened, showing everyone at the end living happily ever after. After all, there's no "Cinderella 2, Wrath of the Stepsisters" or some such. Happily ever after means nothing else of note happened except, well, happiness.

A*O · July 22nd, 2007, 03:26 PM

Never mind - With that LAME ending JKR has left the door wide open for another series of books about the new generation of Potter/Weasley kiddies.

yanna · July 22nd, 2007, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by awshuks

I cried several times reading this book. The oddest time was during the battle between Mrs. Weasley and Bellatrix. I guess I was just so proud that she kicked ass..

I just don't get how Molly who had presumably been using cleaning and cooking spells in her house all those years could beat Bella who was batshit crazy and totally murderous. But I guess Molly was a member of the Order for a reason and we are supposed to believe that she had kept her duelling skills intact. And there was also Bellatrix's stay in Azkaban to consider.

I started crying early, myself. I cried for Hedwig, as ridiculous as that might sound to some people. Poor Hedwig.

mistify · July 22nd, 2007, 04:14 PM

I loved it, cheese and all........ LOVED MOLLY... "Get Away from my daughter you BITCH!!!!!!" She channelled Ellen Ripley and kicked some ass!!! WOOHOO!! Loved that .. also loved the duel Harry against Lord Voldemort, and Neville actually is who made me cry.

onemoresong · July 22nd, 2007, 04:18 PM

I was dissapointed that we never found out what happened to Luna in the epilogue...

mistify · July 22nd, 2007, 04:38 PM

me too, or Fleur and Bill.. Was Victoire their daughter?

tofucheesecake · July 22nd, 2007, 07:21 PM

*~*SPOILERS*~* Highlight below to read:

I first and foremost hated the epilogue. Naming the children Albus, James, etc...I gagged a little when I read that - the whole ending seems so unlike JK, especially when you think of some of the suprising things she's done in the other books. I was left at the end with a feeling of incompleteness, though there were parts that I enjoyed and I did like seeing how she managed to tie a lot of things back to the very first one (e.g. Grindelwald, Griphook). But some important people died - I mean, Lupin was everything to Harry in book 3 - and yet I would have rather she talked more about how the deaths affected the characters, as they did with Sirius & Dumbledore, rather than hear all about their happy, multi-offspringed families 15 years down the road. I don't know...a lot was introduced in the last 2-3 books...maybe I just read too fast and need to retrace to better understand and appreciate.

*~*End*~*