WARNING! HERE BE SPOILERS!!!!!
We had not received our copy from Amazon in the morning on the 21st, so the family went to Wal-Mart to shop. While there, I made the decision that I should go ahead and buy another copy. Otherwise, I would be hounding Micky, screaming "KEEP READING!!!" for several days. I finished it in two days, despite a heavy work schedule. What a roller coaster! The Harry Potter books usually have a decent amount of "fluff" at the beginning of the book, but after a short, final visit to the Dursleys, you get a Death-Eater chase and the action does not stop. There are none of the Tolkienian resting points that most fantasy writers use.
So, how did I do?
1. Harry does survive, though at the cost of Hedwig, Dobby, Fred, Lupin and Tonks (Don't forget Colin Creevey!) Harry was a horcrux, which is something Micky had suggested to me at the end of the last book. Ginny survives and she and Harry marry and have children somewhere between the proper end of the book and the epilogue. According to a USA Today article I read, early drafts had Mr. Weasley die, but Rowling (Who I also read is pronounced "rolling." I'll have to adjust my pronunciation like I did with Tolkien...) couldn't do it and "traded out" Fred, Lupin and Tonks. Harry does indeed pay a price for victory in the death of many close friends. A happy ending, but not without sadness.
2. Ron and Hermione do survive and marry.
3. I am extraordinarily happy with Snape's redemption in the book. He's the primary reason I own a Slytherin tee shirt.
4. Sirius Black does not come back, except as a phantom when Harry activates the ring.
I was very happy with this book. I'm not sure I have ever been as satisfied at the end of a series. I have minor quibbles about the Epilogue, but they truly are minor. I am currently re-reading the section from Snape's death to the end with care, especially the chapter "King's Cross" which Nick Knisely has pointed out has definite overtones of Gregory of Nyssa's atonement theory. (I've asked Nick to expand on this.)
So if Rowling is working in a Mythopoeic style, what does she emphasize in the primary world? She has a Tolkienian "Short-Term-Defeat, extremely long-term-victory" style that does not deny the reality of death and suffering. Her heroes, even Dumbledore (who was untouchable until Half-Blood Prince) have human foibles that lead to further suffering. She emphasizes that love is the most powerful force in the universe. It is Voldemort's complete inability to understand it that is his undoing. Love is what saves Harry from Voldemort in the first place, and love, even though somewhat twisted, is what brings Snape to defy Voldemort. (Did you catch that at the last Snape wanted to stare into Harry's eyes - Lilly's eyes?) Friendship is a version of this love. When Harry pushes his friends away, he gets in trouble. When he trusts them, he succeeds. Even though trust sometimes fails, as in the case of Harry's parents, it is worth it in the end.
These are the same rules that Christians hold that the primary world operates by. There are those right-wind fundamentalists frothing about the use of magic in the Harry Potter series, usually without thought of what this means about the Chronicles of Narnia or the Lord of the Rings, but I would be willing to say that I think this series is Christian literature in it's very best form. It teaches Gospel values in an unobtrusive way. I cannot imagine that children who have internalized this saga have not been positively changed.
I look forward to seeing some analysis from better commentators than I - maybe an updated version of "The Gospel According to Harry Potter." Until then, I'm just going to continue to enjoy the sweet aftertaste of a most remarkable series of books.
Thank you, J.K. Rowling!
David+
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OMG FREAKING YES! I did catch that "look..at..me" GAH! Rip my heart out, why don't you, JK. Between that and Fred dying (Fred! Noooo!) I was a mess of tears for the last few chapters. That and Hedwig. I never did cry for Mad-eye, but I cried for Hedwig. So. Sad.
I found that the epilouge was too short, and felt rushed--it was like she tried to cram too much information into too short a blip. It was very satisfying to see all our beloved characters all grown up and happy and living their lives, but I am hungry for more details! Is Harry an auror? Why in the hell isn't Hermione at Hogwarts? How about George? How is he doing, sans Fred? Did he lose his sense of humor and become a recluse? WE NEED TO KNOW! Also, Micky is a genious. She had the whole thing pegged.
Posted by: Maggie | August 05, 2007 at 07:53 AM