DH
Well. I read the carpet-edition a couple of days ago. I'm still just trying to process it all. I can't wait for the audio-book, so that I can have Stephen Fry's dulcet tones lead me through it.
I absolutely didn't mind reading a leaked book - I read it in very much a similar way I would have otherwise - cuddled up in my bed, book/computer on my lap. And I was tired of being afraid of being spoiled, so by just reading the bloody thing, I could guarantee that the experience wouldn't be ruined for me by spoiler trolls. That said, I probably wouldn't have needed to worry - I didn't filter my flist at all, and I haven't seen any spoilers anywhere. Way to go, fandom! :)
Well, while the last book felt like one, slow lead-up to bigger events, then this - absolutely lived up to being the "bigger events". Even though the book did seem to drag in places (i.e. when the Trio/Duo was on their long camping trip without having much of a purpose), it certainly was action-packed wasn't it? And I was surprised how "predictable" much of the plot line was, in terms of what we've seen in fanfic. I mean - DEs attack the Wedding at the Burrow, Trio goes into hiding (I even felt that I'd read fics about there being a lack of food and Hermione making unpalatable attempts at making some :p), Harry cries at his parents' graves, a Snape!pensive scene, and then a final showdown at Hogwarts. Heck, we even had Draco clinging to Harry on a broom, even though the setup was slightly different than it usually is in fic ;) I didn't think this was bad, though, just comfortably familiar.
Man, I still feel as if I've read an unusually rambly fanfic and am struggling to remember what happened :p
Well... Random shout-outs and reactions:
What a way to start a book - the first ship we get a glimpse of on the horizon is Harry/Dudley?! OK, actually, I thought it was kind of sweet ;) We never got to know what happened to the Dursleys, though, did we? Did they reach security?
Hee! I loved Harry getting uncomfortable with all the polyjuiced people undressing his body without a hint of modesty :p
Oh, Hermione making her parents forget about her! *sob* I think she got so little credit for that in the story. She was the most alone of them all, she made the biggest sacrifice. Ron had the possibility of running away and spending Christmas with his brother - she didn't.
Dumbledore's will - It is incredibly annoying when a character takes much longer than the reader to figure something out. It made no sense that Hermione didn't think of the stuff Dumbledore left them as a riddle of some sort. None of them tried to spot a connection - I mean, it's Dumbledore for christ's sake!
Speaking of Dumbledore - I really liked his backstory. Dumbledore/Grindewald OTP! goes without saying ;) But I just really liked how she was able to take this apparently revered character of her books, admit to all of the flaws everyone has been complaining about, but the books have never recognised, and still have him come out a good - almost better - man. This final book has made Dumbledore's character so much richer. I can't wait to go back and read the other books knowing what we know now.
Kreacher - I loved Kreacher, but I thought Harry's journey towards the truce was a bit under-developed. But still - ♥
Wasn't to upset about Dobby's bitter end - I mean, what a better way to go if you're a Harry Potter fan-elf, eh?
Funny about polyjuice potion - in previous books, the hour always seemed almost up before it began - this never came up in this book. The seven Harrys didn't seem to worry about a thing, and the potion wearing off seemed to be the least of the Trio's worries during the ministry break-in.
WTF was up with Remus? Shotgun wedding, emo, a brat, death? Eh, I still need to figure that out, although I'm not as upset about it as some people do seem. I mean, Reamus, bless him, has been under a lot of stress... I'm sure a lot of us would have, er, acted the same?
I liked what she did with Ron - how the locked enhanced all his worst qualities. And his coming back, and thus enhancing his good qualities all by himself. And saving Harry - and yelling at him that he's mental :p
Oh, Snape. Poor Snape. I mean, no surprises about his loyalties, obviously, but... Dumbledore was all about how love made the world go round, but for Snape, personally - without any regards to loyalties - it really was the worst thing that could've happened to him. Love ate him up for decades, made him alone forever, made him feel his failure every day. Love ruined Severus Snape. How cruel.
BTW, can it be a coincidence that hardly a single ship was sunk in this book? I mean, Snape/Harry, Harry/Draco, Snape/Draco, Neville/anyone, Luna/anyone... It's all sailing happily away.
I didn't like the diadem one bit. Seemed too rushed, and I thought of the tiara as soon as the diadem was mentioned. Felt cheap and rushed somehow, compared to the other horcruxes...
I really need to read the ending again - but was I the only one who felt distinctive echoes of Narnia there? If only you face evil without defending yourself, then you'll rise again?
Will post something more later - I think it's still a bit too much to take in at the moment :)
I absolutely didn't mind reading a leaked book - I read it in very much a similar way I would have otherwise - cuddled up in my bed, book/computer on my lap. And I was tired of being afraid of being spoiled, so by just reading the bloody thing, I could guarantee that the experience wouldn't be ruined for me by spoiler trolls. That said, I probably wouldn't have needed to worry - I didn't filter my flist at all, and I haven't seen any spoilers anywhere. Way to go, fandom! :)
Well, while the last book felt like one, slow lead-up to bigger events, then this - absolutely lived up to being the "bigger events". Even though the book did seem to drag in places (i.e. when the Trio/Duo was on their long camping trip without having much of a purpose), it certainly was action-packed wasn't it? And I was surprised how "predictable" much of the plot line was, in terms of what we've seen in fanfic. I mean - DEs attack the Wedding at the Burrow, Trio goes into hiding (I even felt that I'd read fics about there being a lack of food and Hermione making unpalatable attempts at making some :p), Harry cries at his parents' graves, a Snape!pensive scene, and then a final showdown at Hogwarts. Heck, we even had Draco clinging to Harry on a broom, even though the setup was slightly different than it usually is in fic ;) I didn't think this was bad, though, just comfortably familiar.
Man, I still feel as if I've read an unusually rambly fanfic and am struggling to remember what happened :p
Well... Random shout-outs and reactions:
What a way to start a book - the first ship we get a glimpse of on the horizon is Harry/Dudley?! OK, actually, I thought it was kind of sweet ;) We never got to know what happened to the Dursleys, though, did we? Did they reach security?
Hee! I loved Harry getting uncomfortable with all the polyjuiced people undressing his body without a hint of modesty :p
Oh, Hermione making her parents forget about her! *sob* I think she got so little credit for that in the story. She was the most alone of them all, she made the biggest sacrifice. Ron had the possibility of running away and spending Christmas with his brother - she didn't.
Dumbledore's will - It is incredibly annoying when a character takes much longer than the reader to figure something out. It made no sense that Hermione didn't think of the stuff Dumbledore left them as a riddle of some sort. None of them tried to spot a connection - I mean, it's Dumbledore for christ's sake!
Speaking of Dumbledore - I really liked his backstory. Dumbledore/Grindewald OTP! goes without saying ;) But I just really liked how she was able to take this apparently revered character of her books, admit to all of the flaws everyone has been complaining about, but the books have never recognised, and still have him come out a good - almost better - man. This final book has made Dumbledore's character so much richer. I can't wait to go back and read the other books knowing what we know now.
Kreacher - I loved Kreacher, but I thought Harry's journey towards the truce was a bit under-developed. But still - ♥
Wasn't to upset about Dobby's bitter end - I mean, what a better way to go if you're a Harry Potter fan-elf, eh?
Funny about polyjuice potion - in previous books, the hour always seemed almost up before it began - this never came up in this book. The seven Harrys didn't seem to worry about a thing, and the potion wearing off seemed to be the least of the Trio's worries during the ministry break-in.
WTF was up with Remus? Shotgun wedding, emo, a brat, death? Eh, I still need to figure that out, although I'm not as upset about it as some people do seem. I mean, Reamus, bless him, has been under a lot of stress... I'm sure a lot of us would have, er, acted the same?
I liked what she did with Ron - how the locked enhanced all his worst qualities. And his coming back, and thus enhancing his good qualities all by himself. And saving Harry - and yelling at him that he's mental :p
Oh, Snape. Poor Snape. I mean, no surprises about his loyalties, obviously, but... Dumbledore was all about how love made the world go round, but for Snape, personally - without any regards to loyalties - it really was the worst thing that could've happened to him. Love ate him up for decades, made him alone forever, made him feel his failure every day. Love ruined Severus Snape. How cruel.
BTW, can it be a coincidence that hardly a single ship was sunk in this book? I mean, Snape/Harry, Harry/Draco, Snape/Draco, Neville/anyone, Luna/anyone... It's all sailing happily away.
I didn't like the diadem one bit. Seemed too rushed, and I thought of the tiara as soon as the diadem was mentioned. Felt cheap and rushed somehow, compared to the other horcruxes...
I really need to read the ending again - but was I the only one who felt distinctive echoes of Narnia there? If only you face evil without defending yourself, then you'll rise again?
Will post something more later - I think it's still a bit too much to take in at the moment :)