All I have to say for an introduction is that this is an extremely long overdue post.
After a shipping/post office mishap and a friend helping to distract me for half the day (with the film The Painted Veil–SEE IT), I finally settled down to read the seventh installment of J.K. Rowling’s massive series at about 6:30 p.m, July 21st, 2007. With the exception of a reading break that totaled about an hour and a half, I did not set it down again until 3:41 a.m. Harry’s epic story had finally come to an end and while I still had questions, the major plot points had been revealed.
I know a lot of people felt that it was disappointing and she wasted a lot of her best characters, that Harry had no moral struggle, etc., but then again, what they have to remember is that it’s Jo’s story. She told it exactly the way she wanted to and that’s exactly the way it should be told. I admit that I would have liked to see certain things but it’s not my place to demand them. Better yet, rather than trying to please all her fans (and thank you, Jo Rowling, for realizing it’s not possible), she wrote the story she’d always intended to. Maybe you don’t like it, maybe you do, but at the end of the day, it’s not your decision to make. As a writer, I know what it’s like to sell out on your story and it makes me deliriously happy that Jo did not.
Of course, on first read-through, I absolutely loathed it. But I stepped back from it for awhile and then read it again. I got over myself and remembered that I’m not the author of the series and once I did that, I loved the book. There are so many moving images, so many things that she pulled together perfectly and in ways I did not expect, only adding pleasant surprises to the reading experience. Yes, I had guessed quite a bit of it, having done a careful rereading of the series but I still managed to find the edge of my seat more than a few times.
At the end of the day, I learned to accept Deathly Hallows for what it was, which is Harry’s story. A wonderful, amazing, thrilling, beautiful story, but more importantly, Harry Potter’s. A million and one thanks to Jo Rowling for having the courage to share it with all of us.
hmm, i’ve never thought to look at it as how rowling wanted it. anyhow, i love it too. it will be a long time before a book would have the same kind of influence on the world as harry potter.