The Deathly Hallows - ******SPOILERS*******

[Dmitry]

Okay, I just finished it. Yes, I spent all of yesterday and today reading it. And I'm a bit ticked off at Amazon (actually, UPS) because I've now ended up with 2 copies. I pre-ordered it from Amazon and they promised a Saturday morning delivery. By noon it hadn't arrived and the tracking info on the UPS web-site contained no follow-up since Friday, so it looked like the book wasn't even "on truck for delivery," which is what it usually says. I called and they had no additional info. So I went to B&N and bought a coyp. And then at 5pm I checked the on-line status again and it said they tried to deliver the book half-an-hour earlier and I wasn't home. There was no note downstairs from the driver. So it was a lie - and it's happened before with this driver. So I have 2 brand new copies. But anyway, I'm done with the book...

And it's really quite something. Very suspenseful story and plenty of deaths and injuries sprinkled throughout to keep tugging at your heart-strings. The Battle of Hogwarts is fascinating - though most of it is implied, not seen since we're always following Harry, Ron, and Hermione - and they've got their own mission. But it's impressive in what is not said about it. And there are many many revelations about characters we thought we knew...and really, we knew nothing. The final confrontation is very interesting and the solution to it both surprising and something we've seen happen before. But Rowling has been a mistress at referencing back to events and characters we thought insignificant or unique hundreds of pages earlier.

I didn't care for the Epilogue, though. I thought with it Rowling was pandering, though I understand why it's necessary.

 

[scumonkey]

I Want Spoilers!

 

[Dmitry]

Send me a PM if you want spoilers!

 

[marrone]

I got the book from BN on 86th and 2nd Friday night at 12:15. Basically I register 2 days before and picked up a arm band Friday. I got there about 9:45 and was out by 12:15. There was a huge line all the way down 86th and right around onto 2nd avenue. These were all the people that didn't register.

I haven't look at any reviews, from regular fans, but the books is very different from the regular HP books. I wonder if some people will have a problem with that, I know some people didn't like the last book as it got away from the regular HP book formula.

I think the book does answer all the questions and we do find out things that really fill in every thing and without giving anything away cast some major characters in a very different light. I found that the ending to be a little off and not really to my liking.



Anyone looking for spoilers should go to the newsgroups, either google or through a newsgroups reader.

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.harry-potter/topics?lnk=lr

 

[Dmitry]

All of the critical reviews I've seen have been very positive. And I agree that some people will be upset that the book does not follow the formula of the rest of the series - most of the book does not take place at Hogwarts. I thought it was a good thing myself!

 

[marrone]

I really liked Book #6, with all the flash back scenes, but everyone was wanted a normal HP book and some people were turned off by the book. Not having an ending, as book #6 & 7 were suppose to be one story, kinda hurt the book in some peoples eyes.

I thought book #7 had a lot of turns in but was a little turned off by the final solution at the end.

 

[Dmitry]

Do you mean that you were disappointed in the final confrontation? If so, I can understand that. But I also understand why it is the way it is. A scene of greater violence and carnage would have been more exciting, but this one feels right to me. And it brings things full circle to the night Voldemort tried to kill Harry for the first time.

 

[marrone]

I was more disappointed in the scene before the final confrontation, I know this is something that usually happens, before the ending, but it seems to cheapen the ending somewhat.

I guess what you really have to understand is that these books are about children for children, even though a lot of adults are heavily into them. So even though there were a lot of deaths in the book I think you have to take into account who the books are written for, children, when you look at the ending of the book. I think if it was strictly an adult book the ending may have been some what different.

 

[thepudge]

My prizm skimmer is a horcrux

 

[masterswimmer]

I thought the book was great. I wanted to take my time reading it. Being the final book in the series, I was having 'separation anxiety' before I even started it.

I liked the ending. My questions were answered.

I'd like to discuss the Elder ..........
Would you guys think it's too soon to get into some details? Or should we start a new thread and label it a spoiler, as a warningi?

 

[Dmitry]

Either a new thread labeled SPOILERS or make a post stating that everything that follows is a free-for-all.

 

[marrone]

Ok, I changed the title of the thread. Anyone that didn't read or finish the book shouldn't be looking in any HP threads or posts anyway.

It's been less than 1 week and even though a lot of people still haven't finish the whole book we can talk about it as there is a lot of talk going on already.

 

[masterswimmer]

Thanks Mike, I just gotta talk about this book.....

SPOILER FROM HERE..........Don't read if you don't want to know!!!!!!

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The Elder Wand got very convoluted at the end. When Harry started going in circles with Riddle, he went into some diatribe about how the wand wouldn't respond to Riddles curses. My thoughts are, and they should be easy to prove, I just forgot the ending to year 6 detail when Albus was slain by Snape, didn't Snape use Draco's wand to kill Dumble D? Is that why Harry said that Voldy killing Snape didn't transfer the power of the Elder wand to him? That since Harry procured Draco's wand, he had the Elder wands' powers?

Discuss

 

[marrone]

Draco disarmed DD, so he bested him thus the rightful owner of the Elder wand is Draco. You don't need to kill the person to become the master of the Elder wand, only best the person. So when Harry beat Draco, and took his wand, Harry became master of the Elder wand even though Draco wasn't using the Elder wand at the time. When V tried to kill Harry the Elder wand wouldn't let that happen because Harry was the master, and the spell got reflected back onto V.

The bigger problem is how Grundwald(sp) became the master of the Elder wand in the first place. He stole it from the wand maker and stunned him as he was leaving. I guest that the stunning of the wand maker was good enough to say that Grundwald conquered him. It's pretty weak in my estimation.

The bigger problem is the time line between when Grundwald left DD, got the Elder wand, and DD defeated him, as the book said DD waited a couple of years before he confronted Grundwald. At the time they left each other they were just out of school and would have been about 18-21. Now defeat Grundwald 50 years ago and if DD is 140 or whatever that would mean he beat Grundwald when he was 70-100 years old. I think JKR messed up the years.

 

[Dmitry]

I believe Rowling said that Grundelwald was defeated in 1945 (end of WWII, of course.)

The reasoning that simply "besting" the owner of the Eldar Wand makes you its master and invincible from it is a bit out there, I agree. I suppose it's not hard to imagine that Dumbledore has never been bested...even with a stunning spell. Not until Draco took advantage of his injuries and weakness in Book 6. But still, that a wand would be so fickle? I suppose if it was made by a power-hungry knight in shining armor...he may not have been thinking about the consequences. I guess I can accept Rowling's reasoning on it. Except that it seems to be true for all wands, not just the Elder Wand. If Draco's wand, which Harry was using against Voldemort, had aligned itself with Harry - Harry had beaten Draco many times previously. Indeed, Draco had bested Harry on a few occasions. Do their wands, unbeknownst to them, keep switching allegiances? Seem kinda odd... I'm going to start re-reading the book again, more slowly!

 

[Savager]

I loved it. From start to end, I was extremely excited and sad and happy. Very well done and good way to end the book. And I am so glad that Harry Potter didn't die though. And we finally understood Severus Snape, he was awsome. I wish Sirius Black didn't die, he could've been awsome on final battle.

Since this is a spoiler, I just want to tell you these are the main character who died in this book.
Moony
Fred (so sad)
Remus and Tonks (Harry became the godfather of their son)
Severus Snape
Dobby brave house elf.
and of course, Voldemort.

BTW, I was so happy when Harry was calling Voldemort his real name Tom Riddle at the final battle. And I can just picture the fury on Voldemort's face, just awsome.

 

[Dmitry]

You left out Hedwig, the first casualty. And she was mad at Harry at the time, too!

 

[Savager]

You left out Hedwig, the first casualty. And she was mad at Harry at the time, too!

That's true. I was very shocked to find Hedwig is dead. I wish Harry just let her go before he took the dangerous journey because I am sure Hedwig will find Harry where ever he is hiding.

List of my favorite quote from the book,
Mrs. Weasley yelling "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU *****!"

"You care for him?"
"For him?"
Then Snape does his doe patronus to indicate that he cares about Lily.
Dumble: "After all this time?"
Snape: "Always."
(I think this is one of the most beautiful quote in the book)

"Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love." -Dumbledore

"you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."

And many many more.

 

[Dmitry]

I read some excerpts from an interview with Rowling and she says her epilogue was originally much longer, but that her publisher convinced her to cut it down. In the original version she revealed that Harry and Ron were Aurors in the Ministry of Magic. Hermione was some high-level official there as well. She and Ron had six kids. Victoire, whom Teddy was snogging, is Bill and Fleur's daughter.

 

[Savager]

I read some excerpts from an interview with Rowling and she says her epilogue was originally much longer, but that her publisher convinced her to cut it down. In the original version she revealed that Harry and Ron were Aurors in the Ministry of Magic. Hermione was some high-level official there as well. She and Ron had six kids. Victoire, whom Teddy was snogging, is Bill and Fleur's daughter.

Here's a detail,
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/19959323/