I DID love DH - General First Observations (LONG)

[Kathryn Lambert]

No: HPFGUIDX 172222

Hey all, Happy Tuesday! Finally, we can post!!!
   
  All over. I can't believe it. I finished DH in just about 9 hours, and once it was over, I really felt a bit drained, like I needed to take a deep breath and a nap. This 10 year long ride was over, and I was tired!
   
  However, I am seeing quite a lot of people who didn't like the book, or who felt she didn't answer enough of our questions. While I can understand that (there are certainly still things unresolved, and I can't wait to theorize about those later), I DID really LOVE the book. It was appropriately dark and frightening, which it had to be, considering what came before, but the ending was a happy one. 
   
  I will get into detailed discussion later, as I reread, and ideas begin to form more succinctly, but in general, I really believe DH was the perfect ending to the series. We lost a lot of people, as we knew we had to, considering that the WW was in open warfare. And I sobbed myself silly over all of them. But it was appropriate to the situation. I did not feel the number of deaths were over the top. I did not think they were unnecessary deaths, or that this book was inappropriate for children. (Although I do think children would have a hard time simply following the story.) 
   
  In terms of consistancy...good god, the woman has written over 4000 pages of one narrative! I think she's generally done a remarkable job of making things fit and preserving a flow to the story. So, one or two things along the way weren't perfect. Doesn't bother me in the least. 
   
  I particularly loved the ending of this book. The Battle of Hogwarts was a classic battle scene in the tradition of Helm's Deep - and actually, I thought the Battle of Hogwarts was more stirring and exciting. Neville pulling Godric Gryffindor's sword out of the Sorting Hat literally made me drop my book and cry. All I could hear in my head was Dumbledore saying, "Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the Sorting Hat..." Neville definately ends the series as one of the most well-rounded, brave, and remarkable characters JK created - and certainly in my top 5. He's amazing.
   
  Also, the image of Kreacher coming in at the head of a house elf army, shouting to do it for Harry...wow. That was as good as the Rohirrim coming up over the hill in the movie version of Two Towers, or the talking animals rising up in Narnia. I couldn't have loved Kreacher more. I loved his whole turn-around. So unexpected, and so fulfilling. 
   
  And certainly, while Harry continues to be a flawed hero (which I personally much prefer to a perfect one), his bravery at the end, walking into death, was really staggering, and not at all what I was expecting. And boy, was I WRONG, WRONG, WRONG about Harry not being a Horcrux. I really messed that one up. Huzzah to all of you who saw that coming.
   
  I continue to marvel at the way that JK can make these books come to life. She has an incredible gift at description that brings HP to life the way no other book I've ever read has. I can actually see the entire context of the scene, and movement and sound...it truly is like a movie in my head, only more real and more vivid than any movie could be. It really does come to life. (I think that's why I don't like the movies that much. My head is so much better!)
   
  And in closing, I KNEW SNAPE WAS GOOD!!! I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT!!!! Yippee! That made me feel great! I know many did not like Snape, or worse, think him a child abuser, but he's one of my absolute favorite characters, and I was so happy to know he was a good guy!! Although his death broke my heart, and I would have loved to see an actual reconciliation scene between him and Harry, I was so proud of Snape, and so vindicated for him. And I loved that one of Harry and Ginny's kids was named after him. That whole thing that Harry says about Snape being one of the bravest men he'd ever known...whew, got me crying again!! I actually am getting choked up now, just thinking about it.
   
  I'm sure we have months, if not years, of detailed analyzation ahead, but I just wanted to throw out my first impressions! Which, in a nutshell, is: LOVED IT!
   
  Katie, feeling ecstatic and relieved that the Trio made it, very sad about Hedwig, Dobby, Mad-Eye, Lupin, Tonks, Fred, Snape, and even annoying little Colin Creevy...and so, so proud of Neville! (And Percy, though I really still kind of feel he's basically a git)
   

       
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