Deathly Hallows

[sistermagpie]

I feel weird writing this post, because I don't really feel like posting, yet it seems like I should, and then I think--what, do you imagine the public is waiting on pins and needles for your words? Get over yourself!:-D

Anyway, I didn't much like it. Perhaps my feelings will change, but stop here if you don’t want to read any negative stuff. I don't have any rants prepared or anything or want to harsh anybody's buzz. (But misery also loves company!) I was talking to someone who's asked me what I needed from the book, what I wanted to happen or what would have made me satisfied, and the truth is, I don't have an answer. I don't have a list of prescriptive criticism, or think things were done badly, or should have been done a different way.

Well, except one little thing, which couldn't be helped. When that white doe showed up I never doubted for a second it was Snape's Lily!Patronus (cause she's a lady!James!). We'd seen Arthur's and Kingsley's Patronuses talk, and oh, how I wanted that beautiful sparkly stag to come up to Harry and tell him to get this Quest going already in Snape's sarcastic voice.

I've never loved these books the way some do--which should not be taken as a criticism of people who do. I just mean that I know there are people who re-read the books over and over as comfort, and that's not something I ever did. I didn't ever want to re-read to spend time with these people or in this world. There are other books I do feel that way about, books that other people find meh. Basically, I felt like JKR was writing a story of good and evil, and life and death, that resonated with her and satisfied her, and felt like a triumph for her--just not me. So I was a bit left out of the story, objectively even seeing characters doing good, brave things, and just not sharing much in the emotions. More than once I felt like I was seeing more story outline/structure than story so that it seemed very contrived (a couple of times Harry himself seemed to admit it) and made it feel like nothing was building to anything.

What it mostly made me do is go over all the ways I was reading it wrong, making my issues more central than the author really considered them. I don't think I was ever so off as, say, a Harmonian banking on the Hippogriff o'love or anything like that, and some things that happened I did predict (Snape/Lily, obviously, and DDM!Snape). But in general I think I was reading Rowling a bit too much like a Tolkien fan, and maybe too much as a Jungian (not that I'm any expert on Jung, but I was reading from my own idea of his stuff). And I think when JKR said that she was Christian and if she talked about her faith we'd know the ending, I immediately began interrogating from the *wrong* Christian perspective and got that wrong too.

Contrary to what some may have thought at times-or not-I don't hate the good guys. Still don't hate them, just still would not want to spend time with them or re-read the books to spend time with them. The characters I liked the most I think less of now or am just kind of confused by, which is unfortunate. I find Harry affectionately naming his child Albus Severus downright creepy--but that wasn't the first time in the book where that kind of thing happened.

Not sure what I predict fanfic-wise. I wonder if people might not start writing some interesting stuff. I did at one point think how I wanted to take a favorite character and put him in a different story.

Oh, also I've been dreading the epilogue for years, because I've always hated epilogues. Even when I was too young to know the name for them I hated them. Some books I guess can make a case for them being appropriate. HP is really not one of them that I can see. There was no reason I could see for needing to see these people married with children. The one good thing I read about it was after it was leaked, before I read it, and I read a comment where someone said the epilogue read like any cliché H/G fic...or any cliché post-war H/D fic.;-)

Comments

[playscape.livejournal.com]

Just dropping by from friendsfriends for a few random thoughts...

Aside from the Epilogue and a few other things I overall liked DH. However:

While reading DH it felt like I was reading about people I didn't know--perhaps because I am a re-reader of the series and I know the other books so well--but it just didn't feel like "home" to me if that makes any sense. In a lot of ways the book was a very uncomfortable read, with all the tent-pitching and arguing and being led into traps week after week, with no Hogwarts and no Peeves and McGonagall and sneering Snape. The book wasn't silly or very funny, and the other books take time to have a lot of light-hearted humor, so that in itself made DH a somewhat comfusing, whatthehell kind of read.

I did love Snape in this. I can see how expectations would have been very high for this story line, but the tragic nature of how it unfolded and ultimately ended was very fitting imho. He was not recognized in life for his heroism, died a spy's death, and yet still managed to change everything, beginning with asking Voldemort to spare Lily. What I really missed was Harry's prcoessing of this information after The Prince's Tale...we get nothing. I felt we really missed the big, Snape?! Loved? My MOTHER?!? I was WRONG about him!? If he hadn't loved her she would not have been given the chance to die for me, and therefore I would be dead....? There was no pause for reflection there.

Also, I fully excpected a Harry/Draco resolution--conversation included!--but, alas. Same with house unity. No revolution, so resolution. Naming your kid after Snape in the Epilogue does not count, imo.

But finally, I too hated the epilogue and see no reason why it had to be included. It was just a big, resounding WTF. Readers' imaginations can do a much better job with these characters' fates, and for Rowling to tell us that this is what happens to our beloved good guys YES THEY'RE STIL MARRIED WITH CHILDREN 19 YEARS LATER, SO DON'T EVEN TRY left a bad taste in my mouth. I will just have to try and forget that I ever read it.

Something I loved: I felt completely vindicated when the true nature of Dumbledore's chatacter was revealed. Finding out that he was so Machiavellian was wonderfully creepy. THANK GOD he wasn't the kindly, benevolent old man many people thought he was. In many ways Snape was a better human being.

[aasaylva.livejournal.com]

I totally agree - especially with the Dumbledore part. My disappointment chifly stems from the fact that it's the only Turnaround she's given us. I mean there have been heaps and heaps of instances where Slytherins and Gryffindors do the exact same thing but are judged very differently for it. I started to be worried after HBP, but as everybody kept saying it really was just the first half of the last book, I essentially clung to the hope we were still in the part of a detective novel where all the false clues are displayed. And then - they were supposed to be true! Umbridge disfiguring Harry's hand - bad. Hermione disfiguring Marietta's face - good. Draco's Crucio - bad. Harry's crucio - sign of overboarding chivalry. And so on and so on. What really bothers me is that JKR menat this as a moral tale and thought about it for years. Only to come up with this downright double-moral (is that a word? Not sure). I guess I'll have to work through that feeling of being let down before I can enjoy the good parts of the book that undoubtedly were there...

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

That's true about Harry processing--like I said, I found it just plain bizarre that Harry named his kid after him given what his story really was. It really wound up doing an end-run around what I expected for Harry/Snape, because Snape was already dead when Harry forgave him, and it's a lot easier to forgive the dead, especially when you've just watched them horribly killed. I just felt like Harry really never had to face any of the things that would be really difficult for him. He faced metaphorical things, but he always seemed in his comfort zone, so that people always became good before he forgave them.