Comments on: Harry Potter R******* (spoilers)

By: Jeffery2010

Jeffery2010 — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 13:31:31 +0000

OK Rosefire, I didn’t really mean “epilouge”, but I do think there would ba a good book to be had from the aftermath. I don’t think all the Death Eaters were ready to sit down and break bread with the rest of the community. For lightness we would have the reconstrction of Hogwarts to deal with (that could actually be fun).
As for what Hagrid did to me…. I just did not like how oblivious Hagrid was to the danger he would put Harry et. al. into. “Go ask the spiders, here watch this giant for me…” , and in the middle of a battle to the death, friends dying left and right, he wants to protect rampaging spiders that are out to kill his friends.

Emilianbucks, I’m on your side. Alfonso Cuaron? I hated the sceanes with Aunt Marge and on the Night Bus. Very clumsy direction.

By: Emilianbucks

Emilianbucks — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 04:25:02 +0000

Alfonso Cuaron? Are you kidding me? Did you see Children of Men? Just because he can do dark doesn’t mean he can do quality, as Children of Men readily demonstrates. I for one would much rather have David Yates stay on for the rest of the films. Have you SEEN The Young Visiters? Brilliant!

By: Sphinx Magoo

Sphinx Magoo — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 03:11:58 +0000

Did anyone else read the final confrontation between Voldemort and Harry and get reminded of the final confrontation between Westley and Prince Humperdinck in “The Princess Bride”?

By: Sphinx Magoo

Sphinx Magoo — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 03:06:25 +0000

One thing: Draco’s kid will be named “Scorpius”??!?!

Gak!

By: RoseFire

RoseFire — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 02:45:26 +0000

I think the ending of the book was perfect.

I don’t think anything thing else need to be explained. The epilouge was fine. The magical community pulled together at the end. Although, Rowling didn’t say it directly, they all pulled together and fought against evil. They all didn’t mind dieing for a better world.

About the death of Fred, she didnt need to expand on it since Fred was only important because of his interaction with the main characters. He never had a story of his own other than what you hear through the main characters.

Also, Kingsley was appointed Ministry of Magic at the end…

Snape was never going to come out and tell Harry all of that himself. That’s not his character people! Learning his true character through his memories was fitting.

I don’t think any book should continue. Any other book would just be anti-climatic. NO EPILOUGE OF 600 PAGES NEEDS TO BE WRITTEN!

The horcrux in Harry was destroyed by Voldemort because Harry willingly sacrficed his life. Harry didn’t die because Voldemort attached Harry’s life to him because when he took his blood he essentially holding a part of Harry

And why should Hagrid die? What did he do to you?

By: Joshua

Joshua — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 02:28:37 +0000

I could really have done iwht a little less sitting around in the tent and a little more on the EFFECTS of what happens. Every time a character dies, we just kind of shrug and move on — if even that. The only time the aftermath of a death is really explored, its for … DOBBY? Dobby who basically shows up, says, “Harry Potter, I’m here to save yo–arrrrgh!” Reminded me of Groundskeeper Willie trying to save everyone in the Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horrors, “I’m not very good at this!” Tonks and Lupin die — what effect does that have on their son? Fred dies — what effect does that have on the rest of the family?
Also, JK seemed to lack the sand to actually kill anyone we really care about — just fringe characters. I mean, for crying out loud, she kills HEDWIG. Oooh, that’s so awful. The only two significant deaths, Lupin and Snape, are so rushed that they lost most of their effect. We’re treated to more about Dobby’s death than that of anyone else, and … well, come on, its Dobby. Meanwhile, JK flirts with the idea of killing Hagrid, but never goes through with it.

Too much also happened off screen — Ginny/Neville/Luna raiding Snape’s office, Neville’s resistance, etc. While all this interesting stuff is happening, we’re sitting around watching Harry try to figure out what to do next in the tent, since he doesn’t have a bleeding clue where the H’s are. :-D

My least favourite of the series, by far.

By: Atleebrak

Atleebrak — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 21:41:38 +0000

I have no quibble with the ending. From about the third book on, all Harry ever wanted was a normal life and a family. His whole childhood and adolesence was strewn with deprivation and loss. He was driven by his thirst for normalcy, a thirst every bit as strong as Voldemort’s for power and domination. Why wouldn’t Harry’s perfect ending be seeing his children moving on to the place he loved first and best?

My husband is convinced that Harry is now the Minister of Magic, esp after Dumbledore’s assertion that power is best used by those who don’t seek it, yet who accept it when it is thrust upon them. If Harry is indeed the MoM, it would be entirely fitting that, at the end of the book, he was focused not on his position but on being there for his kids at an important moment in their lives.

I think Rowling purposely left a lot of doors open with that ending so that she would have some elbow room should she ever decide to visit the wizarding world again. The only things she felt she needed to convey were that Voldemort was really dead this time, that Harry was happy, that life goes on, and that all is well.

By: Mark Parsons

Mark Parsons — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 19:54:55 +0000

Wow, I loved it!

The coda was sweet, but like most of you, I wish it had been just a bit longer and included more of a sense of aftermath. I think Rowling was perhaps writing for the youngest end of her demo: I imagine kids will love the epilogue.

I really liked the lost in the woods sequence. Harry & Hermione and nobody to help them.

I was right all along about Snape (not a hrd thing to guess, really) and I loved his final line too, but I do wish somehow we’d had more of him. A longer, revelatory scene with Harry would not really have fit, but perhaps McGonegal and Snape? I WANT A SNAPE BOOK! And one about the Founding Wizards. And one about the Next Generation: Salazar Slytherin still looms large, apparently, selfishness and evilish ambition are part of human nature.

I predict that Rowling WILL return to this world eventually. There is too much room to explore. Remember when King retired? HA! As if. I thought that sounded doubtful and I doubt Rowling will stay away from the Potterverse, although I expect a very long gap in publication. **makes sigil to ward off poxy-stinky Lucascurse**

By: Randall Kirby

Randall Kirby — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 19:13:19 +0000

Harry’s kids’ initials are A.S.P.

Yeah, he’s going to Slytherin.

By: JJ

JJ — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 17:56:40 +0000

My only real gripe is that Snape was so absent in this book. For me, he is the most real, compelling character in the series. I was sure he was not evil, but dreaded that he was not good. I was disappointed that his complexity was all boiled into a series of memories in a bowl. Sigh.

I also realized a long time ago that Harry couldn’t really be killed off by JKR, but it seemed clear after HBP that he would have to somehow sacrifice himself and be brought back. I envisioned it being through the use of the Deathly Hallows as this book progressed. I was disappointed at the nebulous nature of his restoration to life. Sigh again.

But nothing’s perfect! It was a great ride and a fun read.

By: crosswordbuzz

crosswordbuzz — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 17:37:31 +0000

ask almost anyone who has been through some sort of madly horrific experience, like HP’s life to this point, and they’ll usually tell you that all they want is to go home and live a nice, quiet life, without all the fuss.

the people going through these epic adventures rarely enjoy them, so when they’re over, those people rarely seek out MORE adventures.

what i’m trying to say is that rowling’s ending for the book is both touching, realistic (in its own internally consistent way) and just the right touch, leaving much of these answers to our imagination rather than spelling them out for us.

and she obeyed one of the first rules of entertainment, no matter the medium: “always leave ‘em wanting more.”

By: Dagwan

Dagwan — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 16:30:21 +0000

I think this was a terrific ending to Harry’s story.

While Ms. Rowling has said she won’t be writing any more Potter books, I would love to see some novels about some of the secondary and tertiary characters, especially the ones who had the most happen to them in this book.

By: Ms.L

Ms.L — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 16:26:10 +0000

I just finished the novel last night after reading the whole thing in two very long sittings. Part of me wanted to attribute the emptiness I felt as reader’s fatigue, but upon further reflection, I think it’s the epilogue. It was as if after 598 pages of an emotional roller coaster, we drift to the end. I would have preferred another chapter about the aftermath before the Happily Ever After. I feel like it would have allowed the readers a chance to actually grieve for the fallen. Really, except for Dobby’s, all the deaths in DH were glazed over.
I really wished Rowling had paid more attention to Fred’s death. I think that would have made his final march to the forest even more poignant. Afterall, he was a character that I’m sure many readers loved.
But overall, I loved the book and am very sad the saga is over.

By: matteo

matteo — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:20:22 +0000

I am 29, I am a total sarcastic art snob … and I freaking loooved the ending!! Why does everything have to be bitter-sweet ? When I was a kid I hated the fact that after the journey Frodo goes away, sad… why can’t characters just be…happy ? Why isn’t Harry Potter as good because the survivors are not melanchonic …19 years later? Good literature has to end in tragedy to be considered such?

And the best thing about the epilogue…was reading that harry’s son has “severus” in his name. Snape’s love for Lily brought tears to my eyes…

Oh, btw, maybe I am stupid, but…how does exactly Voldemort die? Because the wand refuses to hurt his rightful owner ? And what happened to Harry’s horocrux ? I gotta re-read the last 150 pages a little more slowly…

By: Silent 3

Silent 3 — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 14:15:05 +0000

RE: the bourgeois ending. Yes, it was anticlimactic, compared to the burly-brawl fight scenes that preceeded it, but remember… bourgeois means “middle class”, and the vast readership of the Potter tales are not wizards or witches… they’re middle class people.

While the wizards and witches at Hogwarts are heroic, they’re not real people, but real people can be heroic, just by living their lives.

I live a middle class life. I have a wife. I have kids. I go to work every day to feed them, clothe them, and give them a home. There’s nothing magical about it, but to me, the people who get up and go to work, day after day — because they love others — are the real heroes in life.

And that’s something all of us Potter fans can really do in life.