I can’t think of a more difficult book to review. I am not typically a series reader—I’ve long been of the mind that if you cannot say it in one book, then pare it down or find another way to express what you want in one (I’ve believed this for most of my lifetime—not being a comic book reader I think poured the concrete of this idea). I have also spent most of my life as a literary snob. My friends joked about my faux-regal attitude when saying I would not deign to read children’s books. On a whim, I picked up a paperback copy of The Philosopher’s Stone, in 2001, and was so hooked that I bought it in hardback along with all books to Goblet of Fire. Normally a disciplined reader as far as pace is concerned, I went through all 1300 or so pages in 11 days. (I also have copies of one or more of the books in Czech, French, Bengali, and Chinese)
So how do you review any book in a series without going through the whole series to explain the events? The simple answer is that you don’t. This will have no spoilers in it, promise. No one who doesn’t want to be confused as if reading the last dozen pages of an Agatha Christie novel will bother to pick up The Deathly Hallows. You are either familiar with the whole series by way of books alone, books and movies, or movies and summaries from friends before reading the final book.
In brief, Harry, Ron, and Hermione do not go back to school in this book. They are on a quest that will lead them to the ultimate fight between Harry and Voldemort. This has been coming since The Philosopher’s Stone, so this gives nothing away. The triumvirate has disagreements over what method to take, but the methods bring them to the final battle. Before the end of the novel, we meet people from earlier novels in a way of tying up loose ends. As far as plot, no more need be said.
At first, I was with the group who were going to dread finishing the last novel because, like the interminable wait between books 4 and 5, it was going to leave us wanting more. I no longer want more. I want to expand, but leave that for a later time so I give nothing away.
The Deathly Hallows is what many of us expected from a maturity standpoint. What I noticed after reading the first 4 books so quickly is that the situations, sentence structure, and language aged with the principles. To the point where, I give nothing away with this since this is a review of the last book, there is kissing, a bit of foul language, and the death of a young man in The Goblet of Fire. This structure impressed me as much as the stories did. If this was planned, it was well planed, if it was an accident it was inspired one. In The Deathly Hallows, the language is rougher and it contains many S.A.T. words (I think most young adult writers, especially American writers, realize that they can slip rarer words into the work as an aid for the language sections of that test) and there is at least one open mouth kiss something that did not happen in earlier novels. The kids who were 11 when the first book was published are 26 now, so in many ways The Deathly Hallows is a doff of the hat to those very faithful (sometimes insanely so) readers.
It took me a full week to read the book because, unlike my pals, I wanted to savor it rather than swallow the meal whole, choke it back up and read it more carefully. Because of this, I had ample time to cry when the story called for it, and (to quote a friend of mine) there are plenty of times that require the slinging of snot unless you are just heartless.
The book is not perfect since there are some moments where Ms. Rowling seems to forget things that were important in earlier novels. Ordinarily this would chap my butt, but they were so minor that there was no need for chap-butt stick.
This is going to sound a bit silly, but please oblige me. There is only one person on the planet who understood Harry completely—and a vast number of readers, including kids, have pointed out inconsistencies throughout the books would argue that they understand him at least as well as the author. It is not uncommon for thoughtful readers of any book or series to understand things overlooked by the author. Ms. Rowling seems to understand all possible psychological expressions from her hero. This is refreshing even if it gives us literary critics less to examine.
I am happy to have had Harry, the Weasleys, Hermione, Dumbledore, Neville, and even Snape and the Malfoy’s in my life for 6 years. I look fondly on the time now and doubt I will change my mind or forget them. But Ms. Rowling knew what she was doing when she planned this out. I also hope she keeps to her promise not to continue to write. Unless she has found a way to bring back some the caliber of Shakespeare, I cannot imagine her able to match this series let alone top it. It is best to go out on top, like the British tend to do, than to muddy what she had written.
Thank you Ms. Rowling, rest well, be well, long life.
Recommended:
