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chomijiI usually don't like to give an opinion until I've read something through twice, but I want to get at least first impressions up before I start talking about this with anyone. And I mean anyone: I finished 10 minutes ago, the Young Lady is at tech camp, and the Mr. is working late.
Well, when she concentrates on action, Ms. Rowling can write a ripping good yarn. And as a Mom, I really have to approve, most strongly, of one particular action scene. The emotional bits are far less successful. And the ending, although satisfying on one level, definitely proves that she's no J.R.R. Tolkien.
There are some fascinating magical ideas in this volume, though. I look forward to savoring these, and some of the action scenes, when I go back through this more slowly.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling - review
I was right about Snape! I was right about Snape! Go me! I've been saying he's a creepy excuse for a human being but not evil, and that he was no traitor. (Well, I guess he did betray Voldemort, if you want to go there ... .)
On the other hand, I was ironically both wrong and right about something that happened halfway through The Deathly Hallows: I became firmly convinced that the doe Patronus was Harry's mom's. And it wasn't - but it was. Of course it was Snape's, and he had it because he was so terribly in love with her - poor tormented creature that he was.
And good Lord, did I love Mrs. Weasley on the battlefield! Let's hear it for all us chunky, dumpy, spacy mothers who love our kids and husbands more than anything! Lionesses and she-bears of the world, let's have three cheers! You go, Molly! (Of course, she's now busy spoiling her flock of grandchildren rotten, and knitting them all bizarre sweaters.)
Neville with the sword, fighting the snake, was also great. That Neville got to do it with "one fluid movement" - doubly great. (And here I was so sure that he was bound to end up being among the dead ... .)
About the ending ... What was missing was the wrap up, after the battle, but before the Epilogue: the equivalent of the Houses of Healing and Field of Cormallen sequences in LotR. All these people have died, tragically - and we see almost none of the reaction. George left without his twin? The heartbreaking decisions about who will now raise Tonks' and Lupin's baby? An acknowledgment of Narcissa's helpful deception - even if it was because of her anxiety for her own son? The professors' reactions as the realize what poor Snape has been up to all these years? All of it is a void. Of course, given that her weakness is the emotional material, it may be just as well. Still, it is too bad.
Now my main thought is, "What in the world is Rowling going to do for a follow-up?" If she's been clever about her investing, she needn't do squat, from the point of view of earning a living - but you can bet that people will be asking her to write again.
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Date: 2007-07-24 02:51 am (UTC)Someone on my f-list called Molly's big scene out of character, but I think it's perfectly in character - she's paralyzed by the *thought* of something happening to her family, but when it *does* happen, she's like just about every mother animal out there, and pure Gryffindor. :D
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Date: 2007-07-26 06:15 pm (UTC)Yeah, I'm actually arguing a bit of some of that sort of thing on Oyceter's LJ. There's a difference between making what my late Dad used to call "Mommy noises" and actually preventing your kids from doing things that might let them grow. The latter is overprotective, the former is just another way to express mother love. I don't know why people think that being cuddly and silly with your children prevents you from being a complete monster when they're threatened ... .
The sweaters thing ... I don't remember seeing the posted, but I'm not at all surprised. (And please let me know if/when I'm guilty of creating you any Molly Weasley-style icons ...!)
Hallows
Date: 2007-07-24 12:57 pm (UTC)Rowling is, I believe, richer than the Queen. She's have to be unbelievably stupid to not be able to live like one for the rest of her life. I bet she will write again fairly soon though.
Meanwhile I'm still just partway through Phoenix...
TK
Re: Hallows
Date: 2007-07-26 06:19 pm (UTC)Just a crush, alas! She gets mentioned in passing whenever there's a set of "good kids" doing something (like being members of Dumbledore's Army, which is revived for the final book, because there's need).
Indeed, her bank account is much plumper than that of Her Royal Highness Elizabeth II at this point. I hope she's beefing up her charitable donations and so forth. (One of the nice things about being comfortable financially at the moment is being able to give money to good causes, like our bunny-sitter's animal rescue farm.)
You're reading that at the same time as the Cherryh? Or you're taking a break from CJC Herself?
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Date: 2007-07-24 04:18 pm (UTC)My question is, what happened to Neville/Luna? She seems to have sunk that one just out of spite.
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Date: 2007-07-26 06:26 pm (UTC)Eeeek! Somehow I missed your LJ writeup! I'll have to get over there on my next break ... .
Actually, the folks at neilgaimanboard did some good snooping around and found this on MSNBC, where Rowling gives some more info about what happened to various characters:
"I think that Luna is now traveling the world looking for various mad creatures," Rowling said. "She’s a naturalist, whatever the wizarding equivalent of that is ... "
When she was first asked about the possibility of Luna hooking up with Neville Longbottom several years ago, Rowling’s response was "Definitely not." But as time passed and she watched her characters mature, Rowling started to "feel a bit of a pull" between the unlikely pair.
Ultimately, Rowling left the question of their relationship open at the end of the book because doing otherwise "felt too neat."
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Date: 2007-07-26 07:10 pm (UTC)