I finished the Harry Potter book.

[kyrielle]

Wow, just wow. Yes, I actually like the series again. I might have to read the sixth book properly. (I skimmed it at the time, as after book 5 I was annoyed at Harry and the series.)

That was good. And below here (and in comments) may be spoilers, so skip this if you don't want spoiled.

Granted, that's not because of the end battle trick, which was so cliche and predictable. Poof, resurrected! Complete with almost-not-quite-dead scene with deceased mentor. Did anyone really believe, by the time they read that scene, that she would actually kill Harry off? Would've made one hell of a story if she had. I'm not sure whether I'd have liked it better or worse, but to set it up as if he should die and then duck out of it felt like a cheat (versus not setting it up - for example, if it had indicated 'sacrifice' and he had INTERPRETED that as death).

What were they THINKING not to suspect Luna's father might turn on them, or at least to run a charm to see where she was themselves? And beg pardon, but am I the only one who found Percy's return to the family fold to be completely out of left field, just done for the double oooh moment, first at the joy and then to have him take part in the horror of realizing Fred was dead? I mean, it's nice and all that Percy came back, and it's not impossible, but at the same time it felt contrived. Then again, Percy does contrived, so maybe that's appropriate even though it bugged me. At the end, excuse me, but Harry's kids (one of whom has been to Hogwarts already) have not yet figured out their Dad is famous, even if he indubitably tries to avoid it? You jest. Why did Harry, the godfather, not end up raising Ted? And what's with the "trying to defraud the goblin" bit, which seemed out of character for Harry? Hermione and Ron reacted as I'd expect, but Harry not so much so.

However, for the most part I enjoyed it. Things I liked: Ron, being a prat, and actually recovering from it. Ron and Hermione - the whole relationship felt real, not white-washed sweet. Fred. Oh, I hated it, but it was honest and true and she didn't save the whole family. Snape, actually having been true to Dumbledore at the end (which I was expecting), and his reason. Snape dying made me sad, but it made sense and was good story. "...but the fact remains he can move faster than Severus Snape confronted with shampoo when he wants to...." That is still my favorite line of the book, I think.

Very much enjoyed the book. Thank you, joyoflj - and thank you to all the other people using cut-tags, because I got to read it un-spoilered. (If you posted something about it in the past that you really care if I read, link me. I'm not digging up the ones I missed. ;)

Comments

[tibicina.livejournal.com]

Well, she did at least set up the way for him to get out of death ahead of time. I mean... she telegraphed that. But then all the christ imagery was practically in neon in this book.

I figure Ted was raised by his grandparents, or at least his grandmother. If the grandparents were both dead, I would see Harry raising him, but he had living and non-evil relatives.

I think on the trying to defraud the goblin... he wasn't /really/, he'd just gotten so locked into 'I need this sword to destroy the horcrux, and anything which leads to that happening is acceptable. I'll give it back eventually once I'm done.'

[kyrielle]

Well, she did at least set up the way for him to get out of death ahead of time. I mean... she telegraphed that. But then all the christ imagery was practically in neon in this book.

Interesting. She put all the pieces in that "could" do it, I suppose, but I didn't feel she telegraphed it, in fact I felt she telegraphed his actual death being necessary to finish the task. I felt like she cheated a little to pull it off, cheated the story. I just don't see the telgraphing you did. Dumbledore telling Snape that Harry had to die and then telling Harry that why no, he didn't think he was dead...I suppose it could be that he was setting up Snape and needed Harry not to know that he might survive, or that he didn't realize it until after, but again, it felt like a cop-out to me.

I also don't see neon christ imagery, or any, except after he decided to turn himself over to Voldemort. And I missed that until you said this. (I don't read that way - if I look for cultural references, I find I miss the story. I detested lit-crit classes in school. And I'm not Christian and didn't read the Bible with any understanding until I was in high school, so I suppose things that might jump out at others just wander by me, whistling.)

Re Ted - that makes sense.

And re the goblin, I agree he was ultimately going to give it to him, but it was still slightly un-Harry-ish to me. I was surprised he didn't simply put an explicit delay time in or something, or find another way. Oh, I can understand the whys, it just didn't quite feel like what I thought he'd do. (If he'd been considering Hermione's path and Ron had talked him into it, that I could see - so I realize it's something he could do - but...yeah.)

[geordie.livejournal.com]

He had any number of ways of avoiding death, remnants of mother's charm, the stone, being a horcrux and the elder wand not being willing to kill him.

Yeah, I thought they should just be straight with the goblin, so I was happy the bank got trashed.