Day 324-- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released, I remember telling a friend that no matter how good the book--the final in the series--was, it would not live up to the high expectations of its fanbase.
I was wrong. At least for me, the Deathly Hallows ended up as the best in the series, a wonderful conclusion to a captivating series.
(I'm going to keep this as spoiler-free as possible; if you haven't read any of the books in the series but want to, I'd avoid reading any further.)
I won't attempt a step-by-step review, but I'll say this: the book is great on many levels. Rowling wraps up every loose end in the series without making it feel forced. It's the most exciting out of the books, but also the most weighty; the stakes are so high this time that--by page 30--some shocking things happen. And they keep happening.
The usual themes of friendship, love and coping with death are present, but the ones that really rang clear this time were those of forgiveness, the importance of community and redemption. There were three key instances where I just wept and wept because of how clear these were. I'm wondering how much of the evangelical community--many of whom have chastised the series in the past--will react now that Rowling's intentions with the series have become more clear (that link is pretty spoiler-filled, FYI). I for one always suspected this, and I think that the way Rowling handles it is incredibly moving.
The Deathly Hallows is a great conclusion; the characters are lovingly handled, and I really felt like Rowling did a better job than I could have possibly imagined. Here's to you, J.K.
Labels: review (book)
posted, with grace and poise, by Jason @ 7/26/2007 10:03:00 PM,
