Friday, August 3, 2007

Finishing The Deathly Hallows

I just got off the phone with Amanda, and she reminded me that I haven't posted my thoughts on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I don't know how I missed doing that--I finished the book on Sunday morning and surely that is more interesting than analyzing the effects of Clarence Thomas's childhood on his speech patterns. Or not.
I loved the book. I wanted to read it slowly and really enjoy it. Sometimes when I read the Harry Potter books, I find myself speeding through because I'm so anxious to find out what happens next. This time I made myself sit in a chair and read all the words. It was great. I don't agree with people who think the middle was too long and slow. I think J.K. Rowling was building up the quest, making it clear how arduous it was, thereby making the climax even more satisfying. With all of the expectation surrounding the ending, I am blown away that she handled it all so well. I don't really want to give anything away, in case anyone hasn't finished it or eventually wants to read the series. Suffice it to say, I think she had a tough challenge ahead of her in pleasing readers and...I am pleased. I do agree with Jay that a lot of action and information was stuffed into the final pages.
Sometimes I really want to be British. I tried reading some of the book out loud with a British accent, but I was unconvincing and mostly just freaked out the cats.

1 comment:

Amanda said...

I actually feel so grateful to have been a part of the whole Harry Potter experience. J.K. created something that so many people loved. I know there was a lot unveiled at the very end, but there were quite a few loose ends to be wrapped up from the last decade. I don't think it would have had the same impact if it had been unveiled slowly throughout the course of the book. Jay mentioned, and I agree, that the camaraderie among HP readers was very, very cool. I don't know that we'll experience something like that again in our lifetime. So thanks J.K! And thanks Sarah for posting about it!