..:: Written .:. Off ::..

Well, I just put the 7th and final (?) Harry Potter novel on the shelf next to the first six books. I wanted to write a review that was a bit different, so I’ve decided to review it purely from a writing point of view.

J.K. Rowling is certainly a skilled writer. She has created a world full of characters who are loved world-wide. Most of the previous novels followed a similar formula. The stories usually took place over the school year at Hogwarts. Rowling has broken this formula, since deem it necessary to have most of the action take place off school grounds. Without giving too much away, Harry is on the run and needs to figure out how to destroy the Dark Lord.

Pacing

The novels pacing is a subject of much discussion by readers. The novel starts off with a bang but somewhat sags in the middle. This is somewhat understandable since the characters know what they have to do, but clearly have no idea where to start. Much of the middle section of the novel revolves around the characters following leads into dead-ends. It’s realistic but still drags the story down.

Action

There are three major events in the novel that are almost purely action. The action scenes are elaborate and well written. Rowling does a fantastic job of keeping track of the characters during these scenes which sometimes span 2-3 chapters. During these scenes, there is a lot going on in the background, and Rowling manages to keep the level of suspense high.

Characters

Since this is the final novel, it is jam packed with characters from previous novels. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of all of them. In the final action sequence, it seems that everyone who is still alive shows up. Again, Rowling does a great job of giving these characters their 15-minutes (or in some cases, their 15-words). One thing that did annoy me a bit was some of the characters reactions to certain events. Some of the sub-plots (there are dozens) seemed forced. I also thought that the relationship between Ron and Hermione seemed a bit forced at times. They spend most of the novel arguing, and don’t seem to see eye to eye on anything.

Details

One thing you will notice as soon as you start reading the book is the sense of finality. She goes through great pains to let the reader know that this is the last book. It feels like the last book. She manages to tie up every loose end from the previous novels. You will also learn things about characters, like Dumbledore, that are very surprising.

World Events and Baddies

Voldemort is really, really, really bad, and Rowling is not afraid to show it. She certainly holds up her end of the deal in this respect. Everyone is afraid of Voldemort, even his closest followers. He achieves record level nastiness that is liable to give young readers nightmares. My opinion on this matter is, if you are going to spend 6 novels building up a bad guy, he had better be the King of all Baddies. In a lot of fiction, the bad guy usually ends up coming off as much cooler than the good guys. Not so in Harry Potter. There is nothing likable about Voldemort. Anyone who idolizes him probably needs a few visits with counselor.

The big picture of how his return affect the wizarding world is very well done. There is a great sense of paranoia running through the book. The characters are unable to trust anyone, even those who they thought were allies.

Overall

Even though the novel had some short comings, I really enjoyed it. Even when the book dragged, I still felt compelled to read more. The final battle and epilogue were masterfully done and should leave no reader disappointed. I

Wow! The country is once again going crazy over Harry. No surprises, since this is the final book in the series. I’ve actually been a fan of Harry Potter since the second book was released. I had never heard of Harry, until I saw a copy of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, prominently displayed at my local bookstore. I was kind of surprised to see a fantasy book displayed in the front of the store.  The title and the cover art got my attention, so I picked it up and leafed through it. A few days later, I purchased the first book in the series, and have been reading about Harry ever since.

Since I’m a bit of a slacker, I still have yet to pick up a copy of the new book. I’m currently reading Beowulf by Seamus Heaney, and plan to read Grendel by John Gardner next. After I’m through those, I will probably make time for Harry.

Since so many people are lining up to buy the new Potter book, I was curious as to how many copies were flying off the shelves. While reading some news articles, I found an interesting story regarding how retailers aren’t making too much money off this book due to the deep discounts being offered. Check it out here:

Harry Potter and the Diminished Returns