Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows
J. K. Rowling
2007
This book met all expectations. It was a thrilling adventure/fantasy novel on it's own, and it was a forcible finale to an exceptional series. The loyal reader of the 6 other novels is rewarded in spades in this installment as events both major and minor from all previous books reappear with varying degrees of surprising importance.
Both the story and Rowling's writing have matured over the ages. The humour from the first two volumes is nearly absent. In fact, previously funny terms or situations, such as the name "Diagon Alley", seem strangely out of place in the now fully dark and serious world of wizards. They are a relic from an era more carefree and simpler, both in Potter's world, and Rowling's. Rowling is no longer writing a children's novel. Her readers have grown up. Anyone who first got started on the books as a child is now in their twenties. And, any kids who begin reading Potter now will do a lot of growing before they get around to the last one. Rowling is no doubt conscious of this and adapts her writing appropriately. She is a much more confident and experienced author by this last book. The words move by at a frentic heavy pace, which is a striking contrast to the silly wizards-are-so-cool style of her first book. Rowling has a point to get to and a story to tell, and she wastes few words getting there.
Every page offers serious plot developments. The knowledge that millions of readers worldwide know the previous volumes in detail has allowed Rowling to dispense with cumbersome back story and repetition. The imaginative and creative details are given full freedom to soar and Rowling can take the story anywhere knowing that readers will be able to stay with her.
At the end of the sixth book the scene is so bleak that war is unavoidable. The conflict between good and evil builds to such a climax that is can only be resolved through massive destruction. In the final book this destruction happens as the conflict explodes into a battle worthy of any fantasy novel. The battle is so vivid and powerful that Rowling seems almost to be rewarding the reader for staying with her so long. It runs multiple chapters and is unquestionably the most thrilling part of any Potter novel. All characters return and in a Hobbit style Battle Of Five Armies, anyone who can fight, fights. The book is a worthy cap off to a tremendous series, and and the final battle if a spectacular finale to all of it.
J. K. Rowling
2007
This book met all expectations. It was a thrilling adventure/fantasy novel on it's own, and it was a forcible finale to an exceptional series. The loyal reader of the 6 other novels is rewarded in spades in this installment as events both major and minor from all previous books reappear with varying degrees of surprising importance.
Both the story and Rowling's writing have matured over the ages. The humour from the first two volumes is nearly absent. In fact, previously funny terms or situations, such as the name "Diagon Alley", seem strangely out of place in the now fully dark and serious world of wizards. They are a relic from an era more carefree and simpler, both in Potter's world, and Rowling's. Rowling is no longer writing a children's novel. Her readers have grown up. Anyone who first got started on the books as a child is now in their twenties. And, any kids who begin reading Potter now will do a lot of growing before they get around to the last one. Rowling is no doubt conscious of this and adapts her writing appropriately. She is a much more confident and experienced author by this last book. The words move by at a frentic heavy pace, which is a striking contrast to the silly wizards-are-so-cool style of her first book. Rowling has a point to get to and a story to tell, and she wastes few words getting there.
Every page offers serious plot developments. The knowledge that millions of readers worldwide know the previous volumes in detail has allowed Rowling to dispense with cumbersome back story and repetition. The imaginative and creative details are given full freedom to soar and Rowling can take the story anywhere knowing that readers will be able to stay with her.
At the end of the sixth book the scene is so bleak that war is unavoidable. The conflict between good and evil builds to such a climax that is can only be resolved through massive destruction. In the final book this destruction happens as the conflict explodes into a battle worthy of any fantasy novel. The battle is so vivid and powerful that Rowling seems almost to be rewarding the reader for staying with her so long. It runs multiple chapters and is unquestionably the most thrilling part of any Potter novel. All characters return and in a Hobbit style Battle Of Five Armies, anyone who can fight, fights. The book is a worthy cap off to a tremendous series, and and the final battle if a spectacular finale to all of it.
# posted by mz @ 3:58 PM 
