I was really apathetic towards this book starting out; I was only reading it to find out how the story actually ended. And because of my low enthusiasm and expectations, I ended up not being terribly disappointed. And there were a lot of things to be disappointed with in this book. There were a few things I liked, particularly nearly any scene involving Neville or Mrs. Weasley. But Deathly Hallows has a lot of strikes against it. There are characters acting against type, subplots resolving way too abruptly, clumsy phrasing, and a lot of really heavy handed plot points. Maybe Rowling had some of these plots in the works for years, but they weren’t foreshadowed enough in the previous books, so when they showed up here she had to have her characters work REALLY hard to explain things. (One good example of this is the discovery regarding the invisibility cloak; I don’t want to spoil anything specific, so that’s about as detailed as I’m going to get.) Add to that the number of “important” deaths, Harry whining a lot again, and a fan-service epilogue, and I’m just glad there were only seven books in the series. Now if only Rowling could have stopped at four.

I came to the HP series a bit late having been under the impression that they were books for kids only. I was so wrong! Just finished Book 7 and feel a bit sad that there isn’t another to read . . . Ron, Hermione, and of course Harry became like friends. Great series for all who enjoy themes of friendship, mystery, adventure, and love.

Aaaaaaah.

I sat up til late last night savoring every word and nuance of the final Potter book. I had put off reading it forever, knowing that after I was done… I was done.

It didn’t disappoint.

In fact, the final tale to the Potter epic was remarkably deep and powerful in themes of love, redemption, sacrifice, family, friendship and learning the purpose in life.

I had skimmed the book Looking for God in Harry Potter and was impressed by the intricate weaving of classic literary themes and Christian elements into the Potter series. In that book, the author unashamedly recommends the Potter series for reading by all.

I would echo that sentiment. In Potter, as in other tales of fantasy and epic literature, there are themes as grand as the imagination can bear.

In particular, however, I was struck by J.K. Rowling’s use of biblical themes from Jesus’ life. In one instance, Harry and friends find the inscription, “Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also” (Matthew 6.21) on Dumbledore’s parents’ grave.

In another instance, 1 Corinthians 15.26 is inscribed, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

While reference is not made to the source of these two verses, they remain true in our reality – as well as in Potter’s. I was fascinated and even moved by the final chapters of the epic as Potter willingly moves toward his destiny. (I’ll skirt that here for those of you who haven’t read it.)

As I closed the final page, I did so with warm reluctance. It had been a deep and fantastical journey since I read the first book back in 1997. Another grand literary epic was brought to a more than fitting conclusion.

Bravo, J.K.

It was pretty good, but it wasn’t my favorite of the harry Potter books. I put down the wrong date on the time I read it, but I can’t remember exactly when I read it. I got the book when it came out. That was the first and last time I will ever stand in a line until midnight waiting for a book.

My least favorite of all 7 Potter books. I truly hate the lack of being at Hogwarts and all. True, I know it was needed for the plot and no way could Harry be truly safe from the Dark Lord there. Still, I liked the ending and the epligoue. In fact, I beat me goal to read all 7 books before Halloween by less than 3 weeks to go!!!! NOt bad for a first timer.

In closing, I felt really sad it had to end, but I’ve heard rumors of an 8th book, so who know’s. Atleast there’s still a couple of movies to be made.

Worth Consuming!

Notes while I read this:

1. Rowling says it’s not a good idea to summon Kreacher, though Harry et al would like to know what’s going on. He might be accompanied by a bad guy “hanging on.” Then why not prepare for that by being ready to kill a bad guy if he comes along?

This leads to another observation: the “good guys” never seem to kill “bad guys” even when it’s self-defense.

2. Harry et al. have gone quite a long way w/o bothering to figure out what’s up with what Dumbledore left Harry. He tried to open it once, but not since. They’re sitting around wondering how to find the Horcruxes, but are not using these as clues. How long can Rowling use this as an open loop?

3. And why don’t wizards disapparate when they’re in a tight spot and about to be killed? For example, Harry’s parents? (OK, one of the pitfalls of having “magic” in the world…you have to set up boundaries to keep the plot going.)

It took me over a month to read it because I was actually “saving” the book; I wouldn’t read more than one chapter a day to make it last longer :)

<3

I finished the book the day it came out and it has taken its place as my favorite Harry Potter book. JKR’s writing has come so far from SS/PS and is amazing. The plot is full of action, you can’t put it down! The characters get more developed and have some amazing moments (and romances, I’m a sucker for that)! All in all it’s just an amazing story!

I loved the Albus history. I had a feeling about Snape. I hate the epilogue. And in general I think the whole series brilliant in that it is readable, interesting, fun. I mean, sorry, but I always bog down in the Lord of the Rings stuff. And this creates a wonderful alternative world without it being so darn complicated. I love how with this, I can be out of touch with that alternative world and then, once I’m into the story, totally recall it.

My favorite is still #3. It’s the godfather thing no doubt.

Could I just have suggested that she spend more time on the anti-climax, letting the story resolve a bit without the need to jump ahead and create the happily ever after epilogue? Like, we could have gone to funerals, seen how the wizarding world was going to reorganize itself, and frankly, we could have used a little compassion toward Draco, a little fleshing out there would have completed the character. And made Harry finally better than his dad. Better even than Snape.

Ok yes, so I spent a week in July re-reading the Harry Potter books so that I could go into book 7 with all the building blocks firmly in place. Overall, the series is uneven, not terribly well written from a language point of view, but the stories keep dragging you along, dragging you along, and the characters are compelling enough that, I’ll admit it, Rowling regularly makes me cry. Order of the Phoenix is still my least favourite (there’s just too much in there that doesn’t add anything). And Deathly Hallows definitely managed to tie up a lot of loose ends, raise the stakes on the complexity of the characters and the situation, and bring the series to a satisfying close. That said, if you haven’t read it yet, I’m quite happy to recommend that you not bother to read the epilogue. I suppose it’s still possible to spoil people at this point, so I won’t go into detail, though I’m happy to discuss this with people some time.

Another good book in the series. Tied almost everything together very well. As with the last few, the book dragged in the middle. But it should please the majority of Harry’s fans.

http://family.fernandezlopez.org/2007/08/what-ive-been-reading-harry-potter.html

Sad that they are over! Who can believe it’s been 10 years since they started…

SPOILERALERT!! DO NOTREAD IF YOU HAVEN’T READTHEBOOKYET!!!! -

Oh my gosh ! It was probably the BEST book I’ve read… ok it IS the best I’ve read so far !!!

I loved how everything was wrapped up, and I loved the epilogue; I thought it was a sweet ending (Harry and Ginny and Ron and Hermione – all having kids ^_) and for those who call it fanfiction crap rolls eyes you go try to write a 7-book epic novel. Rowling did AWESOME because she kept with the flow of her writing style – any other way would just NOT be her and would NOT match the story.

Anyway; I loved everything in the book, but above all, my favorite was the meaning behind the book. The message about living life to the fullest, not giving up, and appreciating life. It was just…. wow…. so amazing. It left me dazed, actually. I spent 4 days reading it (I’m not a super-reader o.o) and I just went outside afterward and stared at the sky (puffy white clouds rolling over a bright-blue midday sky) – and just thought about everything the book represented. I’ve literally grown up reading these books – I was 10 when I started reading from the first book, and now I’m 17 and finished the last one.

Anyway, I highly recommend the entire Harry Potter series, and this book most of all!! Prisoner of Azkaban used to be my favorite, but Deathly Hallows blows it away by a mile xD

Good read!

- Cesisdraco

The Goblet of Fire used to be my favorite book in the series, but it isn’t anymore. A great conclusion to a wonderful series.

PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE!!!!! Don’t read ANY of the reviews below mine unless you WANTSPOILERS, b/c most of them have them. There should be a rule on this site to post SPOILERALERT before writing them, b/c I just think it’s a shame for anyone to not enjoy the surprises and natural flow that comes from reading the book. You don’t have to read my review either if you haven’t read the book yet, but just so you know there aren’t any spoilers in it.

Hits every high note of the series multiple times. Great twists, that all fit perfectly with the story. I don’t think it could be any better. The last chapter was written by the amazing J.K. around the same time as the first book, and she says she locked in a drawer until she was ready to do Book 7. I think this played out very well.

Also, I love the philosophy/cosmology of the Harry Potter series, and that with that in mind, Deathly Hallows goes way beyond a simple “good conquers all” morality. In fact the complexity of the books meanings and tales are what make it feel so human, real, and timeless.

Finally, the title is really as cool of a book title as I’ve ever heard.

p.s. This is my fav Harry Potter band ever!

http://www.myspace.com/harryandthepotters

It took me about thirteen hours, with about one hour sleep. i couldn’t put it down, per usual. Bought it at Walmart at midnight and read on bus and at airport and on airplane and saw several people doing the same but no one as far into it as me. It wasn’t what i was expecting exactly, and i know that i read it very quickly and was so tired and excited that i had a hard time slowing down enough to properly digest it, so i’m working on rereading it now. Rowling surprised me in several ways, but i have no big complaints except the last chapter was kinda silly and that there aren’t going to be any more.

I loved this book! As much as I have loved all the books in the Harry Potter series, this is definitely my favorite. In some parts you will cheer for your “friends” and in others you will cry for the losses. I can’t wait to reread it…..

Orphaned as a baby and subsequently raised (in the loosest possible terms) by his Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, Harry’s early years were thoroughly miserable. Although he had been told his parents had been killed in a car crash, in reality they were murdered by an evil wizard called Voldemort. Harry, however, somehow survived this attack and Voldemort subsequently disappeared for many years. Tracked down by an apparent giant called Hagrid on his eleventh birthday, Harry discovered he was a wizard and has since been attending Hogwarts – a very prestigious school for training young witches and wizards. His time has Hogwarts has provided also him with some of the happiest moments of his life : he has made friends for the first time (Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Hagrid being the most notable) and has become the Seeker on Gryffindor’s Quidditch team. (Gryffindor is Harry’s house, while Quidditch is the most popular wizard sport). Unfortunately, it has also become apparent that Voldemort’s disappearance was only temporary, and his desire to kill Harry has not lessened. In fact, according to a prophect, one of the pair must die at the other’s hand. Now, having reached the final book of the series, Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Albus Dumbledore, who had been the school’s headmaster, was killed by Professor Snape at the end of “The Half-Blood Prince”. This is a devastating blow – considered by many to be the greatest wizard of modern times, Harry in particular idolised him. Snape, the teacher who killed Dumbledore, had once been a loyal follower of Voldemort’s – however, for some reason, Dumbledore had always trusted him.

Before Dumbledore died, he had been giving Harry some additional lessons on Voldemort’s past. In an attempt to achieve immortality, Dumbledore believed that Voldemort had split his soul into seven peices : six parts were stored in horcruxes, with the seventh remaining in Voldemort’s restored body. While even one of his horcruxes remains intact, Voldemort will never be truly dead. A Horcrux could be anything – though it is believed each item used held some significance to He Who Must Not Be Named. While some of the items have been already dealt with, Harry has decided to search for the remaining horcruxes and destroy them – before dealing with the Dark Lord himself. “The Deathly Hallows” sees Harry, Ron and Hermione on their final quest.

I really enjoyed “The Deathly Hallows”, and it gives the series a great send-off. Harry, Ron and Hermione have a very difficult year : Harry’s under attack from the off, the Ministry of Magic falls to Voldemort’s forces early in the book, while Snape – Dumbledore’s killer, and once more a Death Eater – is appointed Hogwart’s headmaster. Although they never planned to return to Hogwarts, they are now on the run and spend the year living as renegades. Harry has a difficult time dealing with his mission – he feels ill-prepared, which is something he partly blames Dumbledore for. Furthermore, a recently published biography of his hero makes Harry question whether Dumbledore was quite the noble wizard he’d always believed.. It is, however, also a very sad book – and not only because the series is now at an end. With the final battle approaching and Voldemort’s forces on the march, there are several characters killed – and they aren’t all saved for the book’s climax. Only one thing left me feeling a little unsatisfied – while all the major questions were answered, the epilogue left a few things frustratingly up in the air. Still, despite saying JK Rowling she’s done with the wizarding world, it does give her the option to return to Hogwarts once again…

I spent all day last Saturday holed up with this, finishing it in the wee hours of Sunday morning. The intent had been to spread it out through the weekend, half and half, but that just didn’t happen. Sunday was spent prowling the internet for interviews and getting lost in Wikipedia looking for extra, missed details from the series.

It was a perfect way to end the series, and I couldn’t be more satisfied. She managed to wrap up every loose end, including some she didn’t need to. I’ve been reading other things since finishing in an attempt to dePotterize myself, but while trying to fall asleep I still find myself thinking of Snape, Dumbledore, or Harry himself.

In all the internet browsing, I’ve come across plenty of criticisms of the book (naive, poor writing, etc.). Book 7 is a more concentrated version of the rest of the series, and if you didn’t like the other books, you’ll hate this one. But it also makes me wonder: if one hated the other books so much, why read Book 7 in the first day, or even week?