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fembuckSo, I know I'm a bit late to the party, but ... wow.
I’m still kind of bowled over by everything that happened in this novel. When I think about it, all that immediately comes to mind is ‘soooo good’ (in a peppy, teen girl voice).
But that's never stopped me from rambling on about something in the past so ...First thing first, from the first chapter I loved the tone of this novel. So dark and angsty, and haunting and beautiful, and endearing and moving. I went from laughing out loud at comments and descriptions, and turning pages anxious and nervous about what was going to happen next, to going ‘damn jo, damn damn, damn’.
The thing is Rowling just went there. With the war coming, I wasn’t sure if she was going to go as dark as it should be, but she didn’t hold back at all and I was glad for it. I mean she had Bellatrix torture, Hermione effing Granger. That’s hardcore. I think if I was a little kid this book would have scared the shit out of me (my dad had to take me out of 1001 Dalmations as a child, and I still can’t watch Bambi because the first ten minutes scared me so deeply as a kid that I just can’t make myself watch it now), but as an adult reader I floved it.
“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things.” I really came to respect Harry in this book. Harry has stepped on my last nerve a couple of times in almost every novel, and I downright disliked him in Order of the Phoenix (though the movie did an admirable job making him more likable), but in this novel we saw him become a man, and I like the man he became.
Luna, Luna, Luna. I love Luna. I kind of liked her at first, but with every appearance I’ve become fonder and fonder of her, and with DH I can say that I absolutely LOVE this character. She is just so beautiful. I think everyone should have their own Luna Lovegood. When Harry found those pictures of himself and Ron and Hermione and Neville in her room, it literally brought tears to my eyes. I have never been so happy as when she showed up in the cellar of Malfoy Manor. I can’t even contemplate how broken hearted I would have been if she had died. Such a beautiful, wise soul. “…I guess the answer would be that a circle has no beginning or end.” I literally whooped and cheered at that line. OH LUNA!
The story of Neville Longbottom was another one that I was amazing touched by in the novel. We always knew that there was more to Neville than met the eye, but to see him come into full bloom was a wonderful thing. Neville totally became the man. If I had to go up against any danger I would totally love to have Neville and his Gran by my side.
Dumbledore is human! I like this flawed, human Dumbledore. Learning about his past made him so much more understandable, and as Harry came to the respect the man Albus at the end instead of the legend he and other had built up in their heads, so did I. I also really loved the glimpse we got into the Dumbledore/Snape relationship, which I found really touching as well.
Snape! I’ve not been a Snape fangirl, even with Alan Rickman playing him, I’ve never really loved Snape. I do now though. The flashbacks to his childhood and his relationship with Lily were tragically beautiful. I mean, yes the man had his faults, but his endless devotion to Lily Evans was *points at heart and gets seriously misty-eyed*
On that note, James Potter is a douche-bag. Honestly, although he apparently grew up to be a decent guy, I hate the teenage James Potter with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns. Not really loving teenage Sirius either. They were The Old Timers equivalent of Draco, Crabbe and Goyle. Horrible, horrible children. *spits* “Arrogant toe-rag” indeed. Lily obviously had some sense, and I’m assuming she only got with James once he stopped being a raging, hemroidal asshole.
And speaking of Lily that bringing me to Petunia. I have to agree with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
amluv in that I was really disappointed with Petunia. I know we were supposed to understand that she had regret with her last look at Harry, but not once did she rise above her petty jealously of her sister and rejoin the human race. The flashbacks showed us that Lily clearly had a lot of love for her sister, and for Petunia to treat Harry the way she did was disgusting. I really hoped that she would redeem herself somewhat, as Dudley did, but no. Hears hoping Fiona Shaw will give us something in the movie version so that I don’t have to completely hate Petunia’s guts, which I do right now. *spits*
I don’t know, but the complete lack of Rudolphus Lestrange in this novel cracked me up. Mostly because in like almost all blackcest fic Rudolphus is nowhere to be found, just like in the novel. Which means I’m pretty much convinced Bellatrix moved into Malfoy Manor to have her way with Narcissa, and Lucius was to scared of her crazy to really do much about it, which only made Bellatrix laugh heartily at him even more. Vive le Blackcest.
Andromeda! Final-fucking-ly we get to see Andromeda Tonks for like 5 seconds. I’ve been waiting forever to see Andromeda, and while I would have liked to find out a bit more about her, I was glad to get something at least. Mostly, I was pleased that I could definitely see “Black” in her. Harry mistaking her for Bellatrix at first was a nice touch, and then her haughty demanding demeanor were a nice reference to the family she left behind. Obviously, Andromeda is of a different mould than Bella and Cissy, but she’s still a Black. Also, it would have been nice to find out how she was coping with being so royally fucked over by the events of the novel, but at 600 pages, I give JK credit for squeezing her in there at all!
Really, I just give JK credit all over the effing place. The amount of things she managed to do in this novel were just incredible.
Yes, I didn’t love the fact that almost every woman in the novel seemed to be weeping constantly. Or that Tonks got knocked up at the beginning and was at home barefoot and pregnant for most of the novel only to give birth and die. Or that apparently Fleur gave up her job and became a housewife after marrying Bill, since no mention was ever made of her going to work again.
But honestly, the constant weeping, the June Clever-ness of the women was the only thing that I had a problem with, and it was a very minor nitpick.
There’s so much more to say about this novel really, but it’s all jumbled up in my head and I’m tired now. But, what an ending to a terrific series. Really I couldn’t have asked for a better send off.
I’m gonna miss this guys though.
I’m still kind of bowled over by everything that happened in this novel. When I think about it, all that immediately comes to mind is ‘soooo good’ (in a peppy, teen girl voice).
But that's never stopped me from rambling on about something in the past so ...First thing first, from the first chapter I loved the tone of this novel. So dark and angsty, and haunting and beautiful, and endearing and moving. I went from laughing out loud at comments and descriptions, and turning pages anxious and nervous about what was going to happen next, to going ‘damn jo, damn damn, damn’.
The thing is Rowling just went there. With the war coming, I wasn’t sure if she was going to go as dark as it should be, but she didn’t hold back at all and I was glad for it. I mean she had Bellatrix torture, Hermione effing Granger. That’s hardcore. I think if I was a little kid this book would have scared the shit out of me (my dad had to take me out of 1001 Dalmations as a child, and I still can’t watch Bambi because the first ten minutes scared me so deeply as a kid that I just can’t make myself watch it now), but as an adult reader I floved it.
“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things.” I really came to respect Harry in this book. Harry has stepped on my last nerve a couple of times in almost every novel, and I downright disliked him in Order of the Phoenix (though the movie did an admirable job making him more likable), but in this novel we saw him become a man, and I like the man he became.
Luna, Luna, Luna. I love Luna. I kind of liked her at first, but with every appearance I’ve become fonder and fonder of her, and with DH I can say that I absolutely LOVE this character. She is just so beautiful. I think everyone should have their own Luna Lovegood. When Harry found those pictures of himself and Ron and Hermione and Neville in her room, it literally brought tears to my eyes. I have never been so happy as when she showed up in the cellar of Malfoy Manor. I can’t even contemplate how broken hearted I would have been if she had died. Such a beautiful, wise soul. “…I guess the answer would be that a circle has no beginning or end.” I literally whooped and cheered at that line. OH LUNA!
The story of Neville Longbottom was another one that I was amazing touched by in the novel. We always knew that there was more to Neville than met the eye, but to see him come into full bloom was a wonderful thing. Neville totally became the man. If I had to go up against any danger I would totally love to have Neville and his Gran by my side.
Dumbledore is human! I like this flawed, human Dumbledore. Learning about his past made him so much more understandable, and as Harry came to the respect the man Albus at the end instead of the legend he and other had built up in their heads, so did I. I also really loved the glimpse we got into the Dumbledore/Snape relationship, which I found really touching as well.
Snape! I’ve not been a Snape fangirl, even with Alan Rickman playing him, I’ve never really loved Snape. I do now though. The flashbacks to his childhood and his relationship with Lily were tragically beautiful. I mean, yes the man had his faults, but his endless devotion to Lily Evans was *points at heart and gets seriously misty-eyed*
On that note, James Potter is a douche-bag. Honestly, although he apparently grew up to be a decent guy, I hate the teenage James Potter with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns. Not really loving teenage Sirius either. They were The Old Timers equivalent of Draco, Crabbe and Goyle. Horrible, horrible children. *spits* “Arrogant toe-rag” indeed. Lily obviously had some sense, and I’m assuming she only got with James once he stopped being a raging, hemroidal asshole.
And speaking of Lily that bringing me to Petunia. I have to agree with
amluv in that I was really disappointed with Petunia. I know we were supposed to understand that she had regret with her last look at Harry, but not once did she rise above her petty jealously of her sister and rejoin the human race. The flashbacks showed us that Lily clearly had a lot of love for her sister, and for Petunia to treat Harry the way she did was disgusting. I really hoped that she would redeem herself somewhat, as Dudley did, but no. Hears hoping Fiona Shaw will give us something in the movie version so that I don’t have to completely hate Petunia’s guts, which I do right now. *spits*I don’t know, but the complete lack of Rudolphus Lestrange in this novel cracked me up. Mostly because in like almost all blackcest fic Rudolphus is nowhere to be found, just like in the novel. Which means I’m pretty much convinced Bellatrix moved into Malfoy Manor to have her way with Narcissa, and Lucius was to scared of her crazy to really do much about it, which only made Bellatrix laugh heartily at him even more. Vive le Blackcest.
Andromeda! Final-fucking-ly we get to see Andromeda Tonks for like 5 seconds. I’ve been waiting forever to see Andromeda, and while I would have liked to find out a bit more about her, I was glad to get something at least. Mostly, I was pleased that I could definitely see “Black” in her. Harry mistaking her for Bellatrix at first was a nice touch, and then her haughty demanding demeanor were a nice reference to the family she left behind. Obviously, Andromeda is of a different mould than Bella and Cissy, but she’s still a Black. Also, it would have been nice to find out how she was coping with being so royally fucked over by the events of the novel, but at 600 pages, I give JK credit for squeezing her in there at all!
Really, I just give JK credit all over the effing place. The amount of things she managed to do in this novel were just incredible.
Yes, I didn’t love the fact that almost every woman in the novel seemed to be weeping constantly. Or that Tonks got knocked up at the beginning and was at home barefoot and pregnant for most of the novel only to give birth and die. Or that apparently Fleur gave up her job and became a housewife after marrying Bill, since no mention was ever made of her going to work again.
But honestly, the constant weeping, the June Clever-ness of the women was the only thing that I had a problem with, and it was a very minor nitpick.
There’s so much more to say about this novel really, but it’s all jumbled up in my head and I’m tired now. But, what an ending to a terrific series. Really I couldn’t have asked for a better send off.
I’m gonna miss this guys though.
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no subject
Date: 2007-08-01 01:58 am (UTC)okay, if i made you spit out apple juice then you just made me spittle all over myself w/ laughter. as brittany would say..."crying leads to a face full of pain"...darling girl that brittany is... ;)
I'm somewhat mollified by the women kicking butt right alongside the men in the final battle though. And by the fact that in the interview that I sent you in the response to your commentary, that Hermione didn't become a Quidditch mom after marrying Ron like a feared from the epilogue, but actually has an important job in the Ministry and whatnot.
okay, "quiddatch mom" is like the best term ever...well played...*grins*...but yeah...i read this additions on wikipedia before i read the blubs from MSNBC...at first i thought some random fanfic writer added the info and then was relieved to see it was rowling who mentioned it...but that's the thing...you prettty much could guess what they were gonna end up doing so it didn't really need to be mentioned...although i am amused by luna's "occupation" it's just so her...god i love her too...(gaaah!!)...love, love, love, this series....
and don't worry, you should be feeling a little better about stuff after about a week... ;)
no subject
Date: 2007-08-01 02:53 am (UTC)Oh, she speaks the truth, she speaks the truth.
okay, "quiddatch mom" is like the best term ever...well played...
*grin*
but that's the thing...you prettty much could guess what they were gonna end up doing so it didn't really need to be mentioned...although i am amused by luna's "occupation" it's just so her...god i love her too...(gaaah!!)...love, love, love, this series....
Yeah, true. It's like Harry and Ron Aurors? Shocking! Only not. Though I was happy to read about Hermione because really, after the novel I was kind of convinced that she'd become a quidditch mom. Luna's occupation like Luna herself was just awesome.
and don't worry, you should be feeling a little better about stuff after about a week... ;)
Oh good to know, good to know. Now I can enjoy the intense obsession while it lasts :D
no subject
Date: 2007-08-01 04:34 am (UTC)Yeah, true. It's like Harry and Ron Aurors? Shocking! Only not. Though I was happy to read about Hermione because really, after the novel I was kind of convinced that she'd become a quidditch mom. Luna's occupation like Luna herself was just awesome.
aw, you knew hermy was gonna be some kind of advocate for the "little guy"...so no worries about her being a
soccerquidditch mom... ;)