Finished Deathly Hallows? SPOILERS WILL PROBABLY ABOUND.- Page 2

[Atrias]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 1:51pm

I was the first at the huge bookstore event to receive my copy (long story), and I took it home directly afterwards. I took a couple of hours to sleep, so I finished it at noon today. I'm one of those people who does tend to skim, but with Harry Potter I never need to. I think I'm just as satisfied as I wanted to be, and even more intrigued than I expected. Traditionally, I read the books to my mom, so I'll get to live the experience all over again starting tonight.

[paradox_error]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 2:34pm

I'm thoroughly satisfied with the ending...I had guessed correctly on a few issues, but there were surprises in store throughout the book.

I sobbed through the last three chapters...Rowling doesn't disappoint in the climax of the adventure!

[VonTussleGirl]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 5:54pm

I finished at about 4:30AM. And yes, I'm a remarkably fast reader. I started reading these books when I was six, and now it seems ridiculous to say it, but it's basically the end of my childhood - or, at least, a very long, important chapter of my life.

I have to say that the best moment of the book came, hands-down, from Mrs. Weasley. You know the line I'm talking about...

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 5:59pm

I am SOBBING right now.

[kelzama]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 6:38pm

Cried my eyes out on several chapters, but loved the book. Terrific end to the series. Well worth neglecting all else for a day.

[Nothatsmrt]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 6:48pm

Hey everyone! I don't post often, but the last HP book is a reason enough to! It got delivered to my apartment at around noon, and I just finished, at 6:41, with a couple of breaks in between. All in all, I'm very happy with how it turned out, and my boyfriend has been laughing at all the sobbing I've been doing as well. Wow, I can't believe I've finally read the last book!

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 6:49pm

I finished around 6am, but I had a bit of a...headstart, thanks to the leaked copy on the internet. Nearly got killed by the others waiting in line when I confessed to it, too.

I wasn't crazy about the epilogue, but it had a nice moment or two tucked into it, and I'm grateful that it provided just enough information to keep idiotic fanfic writers from screwing with main the characters for years to come.

Gotta say, I was most touched by the part where...let's see, how do I make this as spoiler free as possible...a certain person saw surrounded by people he loved, and told one of them to stay close by him as he faced a terrifying event. Bawled my eyes out at that.

And MRS. WEASLEY! Wow, never saw that coming.

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 6:51pm

I had tears streaming down my face for a good part of the last 50 pages.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 7:01pm

Yeah Mrs. Weasley!!

I absolutely cannot wait to see Alan Rickman's work in the final movie.

[Taryn]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 8:19pm

SPOILERS WILL ABOUND IN THIS POST. SERIOUSLY. THIS WAS ALREADY MARKED A SPOILER POST, I'M NOT GOING TO AVOID THEM.







Mrs. Weasley was just so...Ripley in Aliens. It was classic. I laughed out loud in utter glee when I read it.

It took me ten hours, almost to the dot, which was the exact amount of time I predicted it would take me. My mom, bless her, woke me up when it came in the mail and then went out to get donuts for me.

Some things I predicted: RAB being Regulus, which yes, was a common prediction, but also that Kreacher helped him retrieve the locket, which was an idea my dad and I developed recently in conversation. However, only three of my predicted deaths came true: Moody, Snape, and Voldemort. And the last was a given, really, and Snape was a given for me at least, so I barely counted them as predictions. I was sure that Hagrid was a goner, along with Harry in the end. But I guess the important thing is that he DID win by making the ultimate sacrifice. Lupin and Tonks had me crying the most. I desperately love Lupin, so I refused to believe he would die, especially as the rest of his life has been so horrible, but my dad was convinced of Tonks' death. So I said, "Okay, either neither or both go. Tonks can't die while Lupin lives." I'm positive that they were the two deaths JKR didn't originally plan, with Hagrid being the unexpected reprieve. However, I owe my mom a dollar for Hagrid being alive.

One popular prediction that I staunchly refused to believe would happen was that Harry was accidentally made the final Horcrux. I was so adamantly against it. Obviously I was adamantly wrong.

It was so strange not having Hogwarts. Like, this idea that they just...camp out, move around, not really accomplish much for a few chapters... I admit, I said to myself, "What is going ON here?" Because in the other books, when the plot progress is lulling, you have the familiar backdrop of classes and school. And with so much of the book dedicated to the trio, as the necessity of plot required, the other characters did have to suffer for it, which was unfortunate.

Any misgivings I had about the book, however, JKR made up for in the scene where Harry's dead loved ones surround him as he walks willingly to his death. I forgave every flaw I had felt.

There was an excellent essay on the Leaky Cauldron about Snape and his possible motivations and loyalties. There was a brilliant line in it about how the Harry Potter books, at heart, are about three half-blood men with painful childhoods: Harry, Voldemort, and Snape. Harry chooses one side, Voldemort chooses the other, and Snape is poised between them. I was amazed how clearly this idea actually was expressed in the text at one point. I was really sad not to see more of Snape; I really wanted him to die in protection of Harry. I mean, I guess he has always been working to protect Harry, so he technically did, but...you know what I mean. A blaze of glory where he shows his true colors. But really, in the end...as sad as it is, Snape wasn't exactly working against Voldemort for great ideals and morals like Harry. It was all about Lily.

I LOVE NEVILLE. He is just amazing.

More thoughts as they come.

[Anakela]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 8:22pm

I got mine at the midnight party at Borders (ok so it was closer to 1am when we finally got out of the store- and there was still a good 50% of the crowd left, including people who had blue wristbands (meaning they were 'waitlisted' for their advance copies) and people with no wristbands (after all of the wristbanded advance copies people got theirs, those with no wristbands might be ale to purchase one))...anyway, just finished it 8pm EST. Although, I did actually sleep last night/this morning too, so I'm not that slow of a reader. :)

I could have done without the whole epilogue. The whole thing entire. I love me some J.K. Rowling, but that read like some bad eighth grade fanfiction right there (no offense to the eighth graders on here who write fanfic)...hell, I'm surprised there were no sets of twins in the epilogue, it was that bad.

Other than that- loved it. I had totally called some stuff- who R.A.B. was going to be (although- was that really supposed to be a mystery?), and the 'location' of the seventh horcrux, and most of Snape- but there were enough surprises to make me glad that I have spent almost the past 24 hours internet/tv/newspaper/outside world deprived, so that I could read without any spoilers.

[Kitzarina]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 8:24pm

MASSIVE SPOILERS!!!!




I'm with you about crying over Tonks and Lupin--their deaths just utterly destroyed me. Not only did they seem to happen as an after-thought, they just weren't at all necessary in my mind. So pretty much all of my favorite Potterverse characters are dead, except for Ginny and George.

Did anyone else find the way she wrote about the Tonks/Lupin deaths to be confusing? At first I thought they were just sleeping; it was like a stab to the gut when I realized they were dead. I was literally sobbing so hard I had trouble reading the next few pages. And no book has EVER done that to me, except maybe "Where the Red Fern Grows."

Final pet peeve--sure Harry is surrounded by his loved ones, but where I Tonks? I can see how it was supposed to be a Maurauder reunion of sorts, but it seems strange that Lupin wouldn't have his wife with him. In case you didn't guess, I'm a bit of a Tonks/Lupin shipper, but only casually.

[Anakela]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 8:36pm

re: this-

It was so strange not having Hogwarts. Like, this idea that they just...camp out, move around, not really accomplish much for a few chapters... I admit, I said to myself, "What is going ON here?"

Was anyone else, while reading, thinking that she should totally write an 'alternate' book 7, like a parallel book, showing what-all was happening at Hogwarts this year? The few newspaper clippings, and radio broadcast and recaps from Neville and whatnot were good, but a lot of the time while I was reading I kept thinking that I want to read the book 7 of what has been happening at Hogwarts while everything else I'm reading about has been going down.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 8:36pm

I loved it. Perfect.




SPOILERS!



I absolutely cried my eyes out when Dobby died. It had more of an impact of me than any other death by far.

But the two times I thought Hagrid had died come close.

ETA: I thought the whole Snape thing unraveled beautifully. What a character.

Updated On: 7/21/07 at 08:36 PM

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 9:37pm

SPOILERS!!!

Dobby's death was really sad, surprisingly more so than Hedwig's. Hedwig's was a bit glossed over, unfortunately. Wish she'd gotten more of a proper funeral as well. And God, Snape... siiiigh.

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 9:49pm

SPOILERS

I could have done without the whole epilogue. The whole thing entire. I love me some J.K. Rowling, but that read like some bad eighth grade fanfiction right there (no offense to the eighth graders on here who write fanfic)...hell, I'm surprised there were no sets of twins in the epilogue, it was that bad.

Agree -- the epilogue was the one part with which I wasn't completely satisfied. I like the idea of an epilogue with those sentiments, but I don't really love the execution of this one. I think the thing that most bothered me was the children's names. It was overkill. At the same time, I think that this is the rare heroic tale where I could actually see the hero and his comrades going on to lead (relatively) normal lives, and I liked seeing what the victory symbolized for the future with the main characters as parents sending their own children off to Hogwarts. Harry isn't the type to be so affected by the war that he could never be happy with or appreciate a "normal" existence, which is also why he doesn't want the Wand of Elder. I just would've preferred a slightly less anvilicious approach.

Dobby's death affected me so much more than I would have thought, and I love that that's the thing that makes Harry reevaluate his choices.

[eponine88]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 10:05pm

SPOILERS

Overall, I have to admit that I was much more satisfied than I expected to be. Favorite bits included Mrs. Weasley (you go!), Trelawney chucking crystal balls, and that passing line about moving faster than Snape when he's confronted with shampoo...

Also was quite satisfied with the way Snape's story unfolded though I would have liked to see more of him (he's always been a favorite of mine so I wouldn't have been happy if he had really been true to Voldemort the whole time).

Between Dobby, Tonks, Lupin, and Fred I used up a lot of tissues this evening, though I know that if it had been Hagrid I probably just would have thrown the book out the window.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 10:09pm

SPOILERS


I was actually quite surprised that all of the Big Three survived.

[liotte]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 10:11pm

I liked it.

[Anakela]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 10:21pm

I think the thing that most bothered me was the children's names. It was overkill.

Seriously! And then, I was all 'wait- why Hugo, shouldn't that kid be named Fred?' And then I was mad at myself for even thinking that! :)

I get the point of the epilogue, what with the happily ever after (for now) ending, and it kills there ever being a Book 8 with an 18 year old Potter and friends, (and ok- I may have cheered a little learning that Neville becomes a professor!), etc. But that, especially with the names, was just a bit too much.

Again, totally loved the rest of the book- both as a book on its own, and as a wrapup to the series.

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 10:44pm

Right! Rose and Hugo -- huh? I also think, and other people that I've talked to have agreed, that the epilogue is a generally not written as clearly as it could have been. I was confused about which children belonged to whom the first time through.

The choice of names in this book overall seemed strange to me. Dumbledore's mother was named Kendra, and his sister Ariana? Those names seem so contemporary to me, and definitely at odds with Albus and Aberforth. Updated On: 7/21/07 at 10:44 PM

[yodamarie78]

Posted: 7/21/07 at 11:41pm

*SPOILERS*

I have to say that while all of the deaths upset me, nothing hit me like Hedwig. I think it was the sudden realization that no one was really safe. That whole chapter really set the perfect tone for what was to come.

I was wrong in many of my predictions, but on the whole very satisfied with what did happen.

[Craww]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 12:52am

It took me 12 hours. Mostly straight, how sad and pathetic. I'm not a ninja like you speed readers.

Overall, I liked it. I'm happy Ron and Neville did not die. I'm happy that Dumbledore was a homosexual communist. I'm happy that it contained both things I did expect and things I did not.

I don't like the last chapter and will probably try and forget it exists. Just because it was lame.

[Anakela]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 12:52am

The choice of names in this book overall seemed strange to me. Dumbledore's mother was named Kendra, and his sister Ariana? Those names seem so contemporary to me, and definitely at odds with Albus and Aberforth.

I wasn't too distracted by that (next time I read it I will be :)), but I was totally for some reason reading the sister's name as 'Audrina,' and having some weird V.C. Andrews flashback.

[singingwendy]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 1:06am

Just finished it.....and I was very satisfied with the way the whole thing turned out. I'll admit I didn't shed a tear until the last few pages, and I think it was because finally Harry had what he always wanted...a family...and it made him so happy.

I do have to say, I was shocked that so many of the younger Hogwarts crew survived. I'm really shocked that we didn't lose Dean, Luna, Neville or Ginny. Not that I'm complaining, but it did seem that the Death Eaters took out more of the Older members of the order than the younger ones.

And way to go Mrs. Weasley! Loved that little twist! You know Ginny got her powers from somebody, right?