Harry Potter 7 SPOILER discussion

Jens_Hoppe · Post by **Jens_Hoppe** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 2:28 am

YEAH, WHAT THE TITLE SAYS. SPOILERS WILL BE POSTED BELOW AND IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK YET AND READ ON HERE, IT'S YOUR OWN DARN FAULT!

However, it seems a lot of people have finished the book. What was your favorite part? Anything you didn't like? Any surprises? How about that ending, eh?

Personally, I was extremely impressed with the book. It got to me on so many levels that I was in turn thrilled, heartbroken, and laughing. It had about as much plot and action as all the other books put together - but without feeling rushed or forced - and I have no doubts that it is my favorite in the series. From the beginning, seeing Moody and Hedwig killed and George maimed, you just know the book is going to be intense.

I couldn't say what my favorite part of the book is, too many spring to mind, whether sad, happy or just plain humorous. Dobby's death had my stomach in knots, Kreacher's change of heart was brilliant, the Snape flashback in the pensieve explained everything to my satisfaction (I am extremely pleased that he turned out to be one of the good guys after all). Harry's realization and acceptance of the fact that his death is required to overcome Voldemort, Mrs. Weasley's duel with Bellatrix, and much more all stand out. The death of Fred, and particularly those of Lupin and Tonks had me on the verge of tears (and I don't cry

).

I can only put my finger on one scene I didn't really feel held up well: The escape from Gringott's. Riding out of underground tunnels on the back of a dragon felt a bit forced. I don't mind our heroes having miraculous escapes, but that was just a teeny bit over the top.

I was surprised and pleased with the way many characters turned out more morally complex than we might have thought: Kreacher becoming devoted to Harry (the bit where the house-elves join the fight at Hogwarts is priceless), Dumbledore's less than perfect past, the intensity of Snape's feelings for Lily, the Malfoys going from plain evil to just confused and scared.

In short, I loved the book and I feel like reading it again.

Jayhawk · Post by **Jayhawk** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:34 am

I loved the book, too. My wife read it in about 10 hours right after it was released, my turn was next (I don't read as quickly), and I finished it about 14 hours later...which was rather miraculous consider this summer cold I'm sporting.

I loved just about everything in the book. I really like the the truth about Snape, and probably the main thing I didn't like (and this is a continuation from book 6) was the Lupin/Tonks relationship. Both seemed too changed, too different to me. Rather tragic Lupin never once, ever - said he was happy to be married to Tonks. I know she was trying to point out his fears of passing on his condition and destroying her reputation and all...but he did say how happy to be a father he was but never said he was happy to be married or in love with Tonks that I can recall. Also, my wife pointed this out...she would have stayed at home with a baby and not gone back to Hogwarts to fight if I was there fighting, and if she was the one fighting she would have expected me to stay behind...she can't comprehend both parents abandoning a newborn child to go fight.

Oh yeah - I did love Mrs. Weasley's fight with Bellatrix...truly showed the power of a mother's love for her children.

Eric

s1m0n · Post by **s1m0n** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:53 am

Never read one of them, but I did applaud the sentiments in this column.

Here's the part that had me hooting. It's not the kick at Rowling (about whom I feel nothing but envy), but the truism about art that I like.

Spoiler alert! There's more to Potter than the plot

Her heavy-handed attempts to quash discussion of her book before publication - have none of her publishers ever heard of freedom of expression? - suggest she doesn't have enough knowledge of fiction nor faith in her own to recognize that its power lies not in the ending but in the telling

Post by **Dale** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 6:11 am

A friend of mine lives in London and when the first book was published in England, he randomly stumbled into a bookshop and Rowling was signing the book. This was, of course, before it became a phenomenon. Something moved him to buy it--so he has an autographed first British edition. Not too shabby.

I read the first chapter of the first book three times. Nothing grabbed me and I never went forward. Similarly, kept falling asleep while watching the first movie. Never did see how it turned out.

missy · Post by **missy** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 6:28 am

I'll admit it - I cried when Dobby died.

Overall, I think it was a great way to tie up most of the loose ends. I do wish the epilog had talked about Luna - wanted to know what happened to her.
While I realize the story is about Harry - I would have liked to have a little more information about what went on at Hogwart's during the year. I know, it would have been impossible to pull off and probably made the book 100 pages longer.......
I "almost" got upset when the sword was in the lake. I was afraid Rowlins was moving into the Arthurian legend realm, and the one thing I've liked about the books (in spite of critics trying) was how she DIDN'T depend on already established legend story lines.

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 6:44 am

Jens_Hoppe wrote:I can only put my finger on one scene I didn't really feel held up well: The escape from Gringott's. Riding out of underground tunnels on the back of a dragon felt a bit forced. I don't mind our heroes having miraculous escapes, but that was just a teeny bit over the top.

Oh, but it'll look so good in the movie!
And as I was reading that scene, I'm thinking they're trying to break out of Gringotts, fercrapsake...whatever they did had to be a little ridiculous and over the top.

In fact, I can't decide whether Rowling got to the point of writing with the inevitable screenplay version in mind, or whether it's just that, having seen movies 1-5, I flip back and forth between my head image, and how I think it will look in the movie. Hallows seemed more than chock full of exciting action sequences. (Sequences that would, no doubt, confuse me utterly if I hadn't read the book.)

(real life calling. brb)

Jens_Hoppe · Post by **Jens_Hoppe** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:09 am

Dale wrote:Similarly, kept falling asleep while watching the first movie. Never did see how it turned out.

That'll be the one where Harry defeats Voldemort, right?

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:20 am

Somehow I'd gotten the impression that only two "important" characters would bite the dust. I guess I heard JKR quoted as stating that 2 characters got a reprieve and 2 different ones got the axe, and I interpreted that incorrectly.

So, I was counting as a went along. (although I can, in fact, count higher than 2 when pressed.) So after Mad-Eye and Dobby (not to mention Hedwig,) kicked, I was wondering how she could avoid more casualties only that far into the book. And of course I was wrong, as by that point I'd suspected I was.

Wormtail's artificial hand strangling him was a clever and unexpected touch.

The epilogue was almost too cute, but it left me happy.
I figured Harry would end up teaching at Hogwarts though. I'm having trouble picturing him in a Ministry suit job, so I'd have liked a clue as to what the characters were doing in their adult lives other than being parents. Maybe he gives wizarding seminars, or owns a Quidditch team.

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:22 am

Dale wrote:I read the first chapter of the first book three times. Nothing grabbed me and I never went forward. Similarly, kept falling asleep while watching the first movie. Never did see how it turned out.

Clearly there is a certain percentage of humans who are immune to Harry Potter, in the same way that a small percentage of cats are immune to catnip.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:29 am

One of the enjoyable things about these books for me was trying to figure out the ending from the clues in the previous books.

I did figure out in advance that Harry was the last Horcrux, but almost everything else about the seventh book was a surprise; I particularly enjoyed the irony of all the "will Harry live or die" questions as it turned out these were of course not mutually exclusive options. I liked how his willing sacrifice of himself rendered Voldemort unable to harm anyone else.

Two of the biggest surprises were two previously nasty characters, both of whom redeemed themselves: Dudley (!) and Kreacher (!!!).

I think Rowling did an excellent job of pulling it all together.

--James

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:36 am

I felt kind of bad for the little whimpering sniveling thing under the bench in the Kings Cross Station scene. I presume it was the piece of Voldemort which had been inhabiting Harry, and which he could only separate from by dying.

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:47 am

Dale wrote:I read the first chapter of the first book three times. Nothing grabbed me and I never went forward. Similarly, kept falling asleep while watching the first movie. Never did see how it turned out.

Yes, well, <ahem> thanks for dropping by.

I'm not into clues or guessing how things might turn out. I just enjoyed the whole thing like a ride, but it gave me a lot of entertainment to watch layers being added and then revealed. The concept of the Deathly Hallows, their history, and Dumbledore's relationship with them was brilliant! There's no jokes or wordplay in this book. It has been totally given over to plot; intense from beginning to end.

Losing Dobbie, Tonks and Lupin was not such a big bother to me, as they were only secondary characters at best, but I was surprised she took Fred out of the picture. Kreacher leading the house-elves into the fray was classic Disney and gave me a laugh.

djm

hathair_bláth · Post by **hathair_bláth** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:55 am

I can't believe I was right about Snape! Everyone thought I was crazy for holding out on despising him, especially after HBP. I just knew there was something else going on there. I couldn't bring myself to hate him.

Molly Weasley shouting at Bellatrix there at the end was priceless. I about fell out of the chair laughing. And I couldn't help but cheer at McGonagall's entrance in the Ravenclaw tower. She's one of my favourite characters.

Tears were shed when Dobby died, in the Godric's Hollow cemetery, and I was practically bawling when Fred, Lupin, and Tonks died. I didn't realise how attached to the characters I've gotten.

gonzo914 · Post by **gonzo914** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:14 am

Too bad about Fred. I like to think he became a ghost at Hogwarts, and that George became the Charms professor after Flitwick retired.

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:19 am

gonzo914 wrote:Too bad about Fred. I like to think he became a ghost at Hogwarts, and that George became the Charms professor after Flitwick retired.

That's an interesting thought and concept. Still creating mischief together. Lectures infused with tricks and humor, presented from 2 realms.

I think Fred would hang around until George was ready to go.

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Harry Potter 7 SPOILER discussion

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