Books #39 - #45, The Epic of Harry Potter (spoiler!)

Well, I’ve finished all seven books (reread 1-5, first time reading of 6 and 7). I was especially sad when I finished #6 because I knew I only had one more to go, and I couldn’t imagine leaving that world. I feel like I’ve lost quite a few friends who I will miss dearly. These really are phenomenal books…

Here are my views of book seven, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. First, I’ll say that I was satisfied with the ending. I would have liked to hear what happened to everyone (Hagrid, George and Luna were absent from the last few pages), and I thought the whole “Harry has to die for Voldemort to die but not if Harry kills him, etc.” went on and on and got a little confusing. Did Harry survive because he had the Hallows? I’m still not sure I get it. Otherwise, I loved every bit of it.

I cried like a baby when Dudley showed a little kindness to Harry, and when Dumbledore died. I was relieved that the spiders didn’t eat Hagrid. I was also relieved that Snape wasn’t actually a bastard and Dumbledore was right to trust him all along.

Now I’m just looking forward to all the movies being out on DVD so I can watch them one after the other. Even though they’re not as good. I think I’ll reread the books every few years, too. I was amazed that it was like I was reading them all for the first time again. I knew certain major plot points, but I had forgotten how well written the dialog and the harrowing situations were written.

And how cool would it be to have an invisibility cloak or a wand? Thank you, Ms. Rowling! I’m sorry that the adventure is over.

I Heart Harry

At any given time, I have 10 or so library books languishing on my bedside table. This week, it’s a mix of polymer clay how-to books, a couple of Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove series, and the new Paulo Cohelo. So far, I only have eyes for Harry Potter. For the last two Harry Potter releases, I’ve preordered them from Amazon, and received my spanking new copy with the rest of America - but without the lines and wizard hats. I started Year 6 the day I received it, but couldn’t remember half of the characters from Year 5. I decided then that I would wait for Deathly Hallows to come out, and then I’d start from the beginning. So this week, Deathly Hallows arrived. I immediately picked up my copy of The Sorceror’s Stone, and haven’t been able to put it down.

It’s officially the second book I’ve ever read twice. The only other one is Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - which is my all time favorite book of the universe.

As I was getting my hair cut today, reading about Hagrid and the baby dragon, there was a 14-or-so year old boy reading Deathly Hallows. When I was on the quilt run, I saw several husbands waiting out their wives with crisp new copies of the finale.

Whatever people think about J.K. Rowling and Harry, they can’t deny that it’s created a resurgence of reading in children (and 30-year old stay at home moms!) unseen since the advent of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boy, or even Oprah’s book club. If you’ve never given it a chance, nows the time to pick up the first year - Harry’s trials and adventures appeal to all ages, all cultures. The stories are a marvel of imagination.

And even though wizardry and magic is a central theme - the books are really about good vs. evil, not unlike The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (or Narnia). So don’t shy away because of it’s perceived evil - that’s shortsighted, and you’ll be missing out on wonderful stories.

~End Lecture~