Harry Potter
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
by Jessica Foulke, MC '08
Six hours. That’s how long it took for me to finish Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Six hours to end a ten year journey for me, and 72 million people worldwide (the number of books sold the first weekend – 8.3 million in the United States in the first 24 hours – me included). That tells us one thing: a teenager with a lightening-shaped scar has captured the imagination of many people. A commercial success, without a doubt. But does that mean it’s a good book?
Yes. In fact, it is nothing short of brilliant. It is the best piece of creative writing I have ever read. Please don’t get me wrong – it’s not the best writing I’ve ever read. It’s a children’s novel, so the language, for the most part, is simplified, the dialogue quick. But it is by far the most imaginative, capturing and intelligent plot I have ever been enveloped in. I could not stop reading, though I had made a vow to read it slowly and digest it. I wept unashamedly over the losses I felt for the characters and laughed at myself for being so attached to them.
There was, however, a portion of the book that almost marred the entire series for me. The epilogue. I almost shudder even to utter those words. Overtly cheesy and almost confusing, I understood the need for it, but personally disliked it to the point of anger for its inclusion. My advice to the readers of the book is to skip it, at least for a few days. It cannot hurt to wait a couple of days and it may save you from repeating my frustration in yourselves, because it will give you processing time without having it all neatly tied up with a bow for you. If you like that sort of thing though, be my guest. Just don’t say that I didn’t warn you.
This book lived up to my expectations in every way. And somehow, in some ways, when I closed the last page, I felt the chapter on my childhood close as well. We all grew up with friends in Hermione, Ron and Harry. We all wished we had a Dumbledore to seek advice in. We all loved Dobby and Winky, with their mismatched socks and tea cozies for hats. We all dreamed of the day when we ourselves would get our Hogwarts letter to take us away from the ordinary to become extraordinary. Through Harry Potter’s adventures, we indeed feel the extraordinary in ourselves.
I was twelve when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was released – the same age as Harry himself. Captivation at this point seems like it was inevitable. I’m now 21, the same age as Lily and James Potter were at their deaths. I’m no longer that kid in the corner of my room, devouring the books as quickly as possible. But I love the series no less today. Maybe more because of this last book.
I hope that Harry is lasting. I hope that the lessons those books teach continue within myself and my peers and everyone else around me that loves the series.
I have a feeling that it will.
by Jessica Foulke, MC '08
Six hours. That’s how long it took for me to finish Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Six hours to end a ten year journey for me, and 72 million people worldwide (the number of books sold the first weekend – 8.3 million in the United States in the first 24 hours – me included). That tells us one thing: a teenager with a lightening-shaped scar has captured the imagination of many people. A commercial success, without a doubt. But does that mean it’s a good book?
Yes. In fact, it is nothing short of brilliant. It is the best piece of creative writing I have ever read. Please don’t get me wrong – it’s not the best writing I’ve ever read. It’s a children’s novel, so the language, for the most part, is simplified, the dialogue quick. But it is by far the most imaginative, capturing and intelligent plot I have ever been enveloped in. I could not stop reading, though I had made a vow to read it slowly and digest it. I wept unashamedly over the losses I felt for the characters and laughed at myself for being so attached to them.
There was, however, a portion of the book that almost marred the entire series for me. The epilogue. I almost shudder even to utter those words. Overtly cheesy and almost confusing, I understood the need for it, but personally disliked it to the point of anger for its inclusion. My advice to the readers of the book is to skip it, at least for a few days. It cannot hurt to wait a couple of days and it may save you from repeating my frustration in yourselves, because it will give you processing time without having it all neatly tied up with a bow for you. If you like that sort of thing though, be my guest. Just don’t say that I didn’t warn you.
This book lived up to my expectations in every way. And somehow, in some ways, when I closed the last page, I felt the chapter on my childhood close as well. We all grew up with friends in Hermione, Ron and Harry. We all wished we had a Dumbledore to seek advice in. We all loved Dobby and Winky, with their mismatched socks and tea cozies for hats. We all dreamed of the day when we ourselves would get our Hogwarts letter to take us away from the ordinary to become extraordinary. Through Harry Potter’s adventures, we indeed feel the extraordinary in ourselves.
I was twelve when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was released – the same age as Harry himself. Captivation at this point seems like it was inevitable. I’m now 21, the same age as Lily and James Potter were at their deaths. I’m no longer that kid in the corner of my room, devouring the books as quickly as possible. But I love the series no less today. Maybe more because of this last book.
I hope that Harry is lasting. I hope that the lessons those books teach continue within myself and my peers and everyone else around me that loves the series.
I have a feeling that it will.
posted by Susan Taylor | 2:57 PM
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