(no subject)
Jul. 21st, 2007 12:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meoraeI'm done. Read from 1:15 am when I got home until 8:45. First reactions under the cut. I've been awake for more than 24 hours straight, so sorry for typos or incoherency.
The book was decent. I liked it more than I've liked the past three books and it's about how I thought it would end. I predicted about half of the deaths although all of them happened differently than I expected and it was an utter blood-bath. I assumed the epilogue would be something like it was, so whatever.
I disliked a few small things about the book. Such as the fact that Rowling answered a question on her website about secret keepers and what happens when they die and then completely changed that in the book. She also continued to butcher Lupin and Tonk's characters and then in one sentence offed both of them 100 pages before the end (and wtf? marriage and baby before Fleur and Bill even marry?) I expected the Snape being good, Harry learning it from Snape or Dumbledore's memories and the Snape/Lily thing. But really 'Sev,' a doe? How sappy can you get?
And then the swearing and unforgivable curses thing bugged me. I mean, ok, sure I expect Ron to swear, but making the swear 'Merlin's sagging left...' just didn't seem right. And ok Mrs. Weasley had a reason to call Bellatrix a bitch, but she's never sworn before. And then Harry crucioing and imperioing left and right, which yes I expected although with more uncertainty before/guilt afterwards, but McGonagall using imperio as well?
Also, there were a few things I thought would be included, although not from the previous books but from Rowling's interviews and comments on her website. Like Harry's green eyes? Ok, Snape loved Lily and he dies looking at 'Lily's eyes' but it seemed like it would be more important. And what about Lily and James' jobs being important enough that Rowling couldn't reveal them? And we never learn about anyone but Neville's future job? And what about a character learning/doing magic later in life?
I liked the whole Kreacher thing (surprisingly) and the Dumbledore thing and the horcrux thing wasn't as boring as I expected and the fact that Ron actually matures in this book. I can actually see the Ron/Hermione thing now, the Bill/Fleur thing was fine and I expected the Snape/Lily. I still dislike how Rowling handled the Remus/Tonks relationship and don't see more than infatuation in the Harry/Ginny relationship. I also liked that it didn't end with a heart enveloping Voldemort and killing him from the love or whatever cliched "power of love" thing I feared Rowling would choose.
I laughed while crying at Fred's death because it was "rocks fall, Fred dies." I expected it but cried at Snape's death, although although there was no funeral and no portrait in the headmaster's office and and... What river in Egypt? I was shocked at Hedwig's and Dobby's deaths. I completely expected Peter's death and predicted that the Marauders were dying in reverse order of their names on the map (Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs - so first James, then Sirius, Peter, Remus) so expected Remus's death, but to handle it the way Rowling did? Not even a proper death during battle scene? Just one line? I didn't blink at Moody's death or Crabbe's or any of the others, really. I was surprised Hagrid was still alive by the end, though. He was one of my predictions up with the remaining Marauders and Voldemort. Harry's "death" was obviously not real because Rowling would never do that.
I was surprised that she chose to redeem like every bad character - Dudley, Snape, Draco, the Malfoys, Percy, Scrimgeour - and that none of those redemptions involved the throwing self in front of Harry to take the Avada Kedavra I expected. They were all uniquely redeemed. I was also surprised at how much of a blood-bath the book was. From here, because I can't actually remember all of them off the top of my head, there were a total of 18 character deaths, not including the random DEs and Hogwarts students killed in the battle.
Also, so much love for this fanart (contains spoilers).
I'm going to sleep now. Might be back with more later.
eta. Penknife's thoughts are almost identical to mine and I'm too lazy/tired right now to write mine in more details.
I laughed at most of these in the book, but seeing them on their own is so much better.
eta2. Anyone found any Dumbledore/Grindlewald fic? Not even slash, just genfic would be fine. I've found some genfic just trying to come to terms with the book and people who were disappointed with the epilogue have started writing Albus Severus/Scorpius slash (with the acronym of ASS), but although I've seen Dumbledore/Grindlewald mentioned in a number of people's reaction posts, I haven't found any fic yet. There seem to be two communities (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
hpannuitcoeptis and grindeldore) for it but nothing has been posted yet.
The book was decent. I liked it more than I've liked the past three books and it's about how I thought it would end. I predicted about half of the deaths although all of them happened differently than I expected and it was an utter blood-bath. I assumed the epilogue would be something like it was, so whatever.
I disliked a few small things about the book. Such as the fact that Rowling answered a question on her website about secret keepers and what happens when they die and then completely changed that in the book. She also continued to butcher Lupin and Tonk's characters and then in one sentence offed both of them 100 pages before the end (and wtf? marriage and baby before Fleur and Bill even marry?) I expected the Snape being good, Harry learning it from Snape or Dumbledore's memories and the Snape/Lily thing. But really 'Sev,' a doe? How sappy can you get?
And then the swearing and unforgivable curses thing bugged me. I mean, ok, sure I expect Ron to swear, but making the swear 'Merlin's sagging left...' just didn't seem right. And ok Mrs. Weasley had a reason to call Bellatrix a bitch, but she's never sworn before. And then Harry crucioing and imperioing left and right, which yes I expected although with more uncertainty before/guilt afterwards, but McGonagall using imperio as well?
Also, there were a few things I thought would be included, although not from the previous books but from Rowling's interviews and comments on her website. Like Harry's green eyes? Ok, Snape loved Lily and he dies looking at 'Lily's eyes' but it seemed like it would be more important. And what about Lily and James' jobs being important enough that Rowling couldn't reveal them? And we never learn about anyone but Neville's future job? And what about a character learning/doing magic later in life?
I liked the whole Kreacher thing (surprisingly) and the Dumbledore thing and the horcrux thing wasn't as boring as I expected and the fact that Ron actually matures in this book. I can actually see the Ron/Hermione thing now, the Bill/Fleur thing was fine and I expected the Snape/Lily. I still dislike how Rowling handled the Remus/Tonks relationship and don't see more than infatuation in the Harry/Ginny relationship. I also liked that it didn't end with a heart enveloping Voldemort and killing him from the love or whatever cliched "power of love" thing I feared Rowling would choose.
I laughed while crying at Fred's death because it was "rocks fall, Fred dies." I expected it but cried at Snape's death, although although there was no funeral and no portrait in the headmaster's office and and... What river in Egypt? I was shocked at Hedwig's and Dobby's deaths. I completely expected Peter's death and predicted that the Marauders were dying in reverse order of their names on the map (Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs - so first James, then Sirius, Peter, Remus) so expected Remus's death, but to handle it the way Rowling did? Not even a proper death during battle scene? Just one line? I didn't blink at Moody's death or Crabbe's or any of the others, really. I was surprised Hagrid was still alive by the end, though. He was one of my predictions up with the remaining Marauders and Voldemort. Harry's "death" was obviously not real because Rowling would never do that.
I was surprised that she chose to redeem like every bad character - Dudley, Snape, Draco, the Malfoys, Percy, Scrimgeour - and that none of those redemptions involved the throwing self in front of Harry to take the Avada Kedavra I expected. They were all uniquely redeemed. I was also surprised at how much of a blood-bath the book was. From here, because I can't actually remember all of them off the top of my head, there were a total of 18 character deaths, not including the random DEs and Hogwarts students killed in the battle.
Also, so much love for this fanart (contains spoilers).
I'm going to sleep now. Might be back with more later.
eta. Penknife's thoughts are almost identical to mine and I'm too lazy/tired right now to write mine in more details.
I laughed at most of these in the book, but seeing them on their own is so much better.
eta2. Anyone found any Dumbledore/Grindlewald fic? Not even slash, just genfic would be fine. I've found some genfic just trying to come to terms with the book and people who were disappointed with the epilogue have started writing Albus Severus/Scorpius slash (with the acronym of ASS), but although I've seen Dumbledore/Grindlewald mentioned in a number of people's reaction posts, I haven't found any fic yet. There seem to be two communities (
hpannuitcoeptis and grindeldore) for it but nothing has been posted yet.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-22 09:34 am (UTC)Am I the only one who now wants Albus/Grindelwald slash? And Harry/Draco, OMG. IT WAS THERE! o.O
I'll have more coherent things to say after I've slept. Hopefully.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-22 06:00 pm (UTC)Plenty of people seem to be talking about it, but I haven't seen any. Yeah, I loved the Harry/Draco. "Malfoy was screaming and holding Harry so tight it hurt." And both of them are still alive! Unlike Sirius/Remus, although now they're together in the afterlife *nods* But I mean, come on, Rowling has to mention bikini-clad muggles on Sirius's walls?
no subject
Date: 2007-07-22 09:38 pm (UTC)Draco even nods at Harry in the epilogue! Not only is he the only non-trio member there, not only does Harry actually notice him, but he *nods* at him. He acknowledges Harry's existence without being snarky about it. Like they've made peace. Like maybe they have a secret. Like maybe they had a relationship once and it's over now. Or maybe Draco just confessed his feelings to Harry and Harry was like WTF EW and then they got past it. (I see glimmers of Harry going to return Draco's wand, since he has no use for *two* wands, much less three, and all the ways that could turn slashy. A tense, perhaps one sided slashy. But still.)
As for Sirius: I know! So unnecessary. No one *else* has pictures of bikini-clad anyone on their walls. ><; If she'd just said "bikini-clad muggles" and let the girls be implied, I would have adored her for giving us that much. But no. (So now we're back to closeted Remus and closeted-or-bisexual Sirius. Grr.)
On the other hand, I was (guiltily) cheering when Remus proved to be less than thrilled with having married Tonks. Not once in either book does he indicate that he actually *likes* her or is attracted to her, beyond marrying her (which totally doesn't count: look at Brokeback Mountain :P). We only see him getting happy or excited about anything when the kid is born, which you can easily interpret as being "yay I love my son"/general excitement at new life in all the death.
I'm just as glad Remus died--it would have been wrong for him to live, but I vaguely wish she hadn't killed Tonks. I'd have rathered a mourning Tonks than the implication of them being together in death, not to mention that a screaming Tonks would make his passing more notable Harry randomly noticing it, and would sort of give a reason that he hooked up with her, because that way he'd have someone to remember him and miss him, specifically.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-31 07:34 pm (UTC)