Love Conquers All: HP7
Jul. 23rd, 2007 12:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
callmemadamI wasn’t sure in advance whether I was going to buy the new Harry Potter but on Saturday morning I decided I’d feel left out if I didn’t, so braved the puddles to W H Smith’s, the most convenient place to buy it. I was the only customer. Then I had to spend the weekend avoiding LJ, Girlsown and all media outlets which might give something away. For the sake of anyone who hasn’t read it, comments after this
I knew I was right! Snape has always been my favourite character (even before he was played by Alan Rickman in the films!) and at the end of Book 6 I was utterly convinced that Dumbledore was begging Snape to kill him. Yes! He is vindicated and Harry names his son after him. Hurrah.
I much preferred this book to the last one though I admit there is some clunky writing. If you want an example, read the chapter where Harry & Hermione are at Godric’s Hollow at Christmas-time. They hear ‘a carol’ coming from the church. A carol? Would it kill JKR to tell us which one? You only have to compare this chapter with the Christmas ones in The Dark is Rising to see that Susan Cooper is a much better writer than JKR. Yet as a reader who dislikes fantasy as a genre I find The Dark is Rising series, especially the last book, a load of overblown nonsense, whereas I enjoy HP very much. I think this is due partly to the humour in the books and the endless novelties of their magical world.
Sometimes, good writing can take second place to good storytelling and what a page turner Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is! I absolutely galloped through the last few chapters and will have to read them again some time. It was almost convincing but perhaps too happy an ending? As this journal is open I won’t name names but I think the person on the GO list who said that the epilogue read like fanfic got it absolutely right.
I knew I was right! Snape has always been my favourite character (even before he was played by Alan Rickman in the films!) and at the end of Book 6 I was utterly convinced that Dumbledore was begging Snape to kill him. Yes! He is vindicated and Harry names his son after him. Hurrah.
I much preferred this book to the last one though I admit there is some clunky writing. If you want an example, read the chapter where Harry & Hermione are at Godric’s Hollow at Christmas-time. They hear ‘a carol’ coming from the church. A carol? Would it kill JKR to tell us which one? You only have to compare this chapter with the Christmas ones in The Dark is Rising to see that Susan Cooper is a much better writer than JKR. Yet as a reader who dislikes fantasy as a genre I find The Dark is Rising series, especially the last book, a load of overblown nonsense, whereas I enjoy HP very much. I think this is due partly to the humour in the books and the endless novelties of their magical world.
Sometimes, good writing can take second place to good storytelling and what a page turner Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is! I absolutely galloped through the last few chapters and will have to read them again some time. It was almost convincing but perhaps too happy an ending? As this journal is open I won’t name names but I think the person on the GO list who said that the epilogue read like fanfic got it absolutely right.
