Deathly Hallows Discussion: Spoilers!!!

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 5:03 pm

OK, let this thread take whatever format those posting in it decide it to take. Please remember to use spoiler tags.

Let the fun begin!!!

Post by **Seafoam Understone** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 5:30 pm

Yes remember it's a discussion not a dissection... there is a difference!

Post by **emotional leper** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 6:37 pm

Edited.

Post by **I'm Murrin** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 6:51 pm

It's a good book. I'd say Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows are the stronger ones of the series (the earlier ones, Jo hadn't really hit her stride as I writer, I think; and Half-Blood Prince was, for some reason, a little flat).

For now I'll just say, that apart from the things that were only introduced for the first time in this book, a lot of the 'awful troof' was fairly predictable.

Spoiler

(Or at least, it turned out all my guesses after book six were correct, hehe.)

Post by **Seafoam Understone** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 6:52 pm

Emotional Leper wrote:Snape kills Dumbledore on page 606!

Oh, wait...

That's... funny...

NOT!

Post by **emotional leper** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 7:08 pm

Seafoam Understone wrote:
Emotional Leper wrote:Edited
That's... funny...

NOT!

Sorry... I just figured anyone looking at a discussion and spoilers for book seven would have read six...

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 7:21 pm

Emotional Leper wrote:
Seafoam Understone wrote:
Emotional Leper wrote:Snape kills Dumbledore on page 606!

Oh, wait...
That's... funny...

NOT!
Sorry... I just figured anyone looking at a discussion and spoilers for book seven would have read six...

Oh...my...

My sides are going to really hurt after awhile from laughing with you guys.

Post by **emotional leper** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 7:26 pm

Menolly wrote:
Emotional Leper wrote:
Seafoam Understone wrote: That's... funny...

NOT!
Sorry... I just figured anyone looking at a discussion and spoilers for book seven would have read six...
Oh...my...

My sides are going to really hurt after awhile from laughing with you guys.

Just make sure I'm not channeling Foul when the laughing starts. I'm already told I'm infantile enough without actually becoming an infant.

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 7:44 pm

Emotional Leper wrote: Just make sure I'm not channeling Foul when the laughing starts. I'm already told I'm infantile enough without actually becoming an infant.

Are you channeling now? Then you better stop...

Post by **emotional leper** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 8:10 pm

Menolly wrote:
Emotional Leper wrote: Just make sure I'm not channeling Foul when the laughing starts. I'm already told I'm infantile enough without actually becoming an infant.
Are you channeling now? Then you better stop...

No, no. I've sobered up since noon.

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 8:12 pm

Heheheheheh...

...Ow...

Post by **emotional leper** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 9:45 pm

Menolly wrote:Heheheheheh...

...Ow...

I'm not kidding, either.

And the sad thing is, I have to work from 11pm to 7am tonight, and I'm going to be getting drunk again in a few minutes.

My liver knows no bounds.

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 10:02 pm

<--- be forewarned...

I am almost a tee-totaller. Just ask danlo and dlb, and anyone else in this forum who was at E'Fest on Friday night.

It's not that I don't drink, I just don't do it often, and two drinks do me in...

But, how can anyone work 11 pm to 7 am, only a few hours after drinking?

...not that that doesn't stop my FIL on occasion...

Post by **variol son** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 10:18 pm

I finished the book in about eight hours, the last four of which I was quite drunk, so I will need to re-read obviously. However, I'm pleased to say that that was a very satisfying end to a series.

None of the deaths were too heavily foreshadowed so as to not come as a surprise, the secret about Petunia was interesting and yet not cliched, and Sanpe's reason's for acting as he did, while fairly predictable (how many people guessed that Snape loved Lily afterall), was presented in such a way that I didn't feel cheated.

Saddest death:

Spoiler

Dobby, by a mile. The words Harry carved on his headstone made me cry.

Best duel:

Spoiler

Whilst it was rather short, I look forward to Bellatrix Lestrange versus Molly Weasly in film.

Most chilling moment:

Spoiler

The murder of Charity Burbage. So early pn and it freaked me out.

Most satisfying redemption:

Spoiler

This is a hard one, but I'd have to say Kreacher. Who would have thought?

Post by **I'm Murrin** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 10:37 pm

Spoiler

To be honest, I thought the turnaround with Kreacher was a little too neat. Having him suddenly all happy and pleasant was too big a change too quickly. And his appearance in the last scene was entirely gratuitous, almost absurd--there were a few small bits of the book that seemed like just an excuse to have someone make an appearance.

On deaths:

Spoiler

I'm glad that Snape's death wasn't played up for drama as much as it might have been. In the end, it made perfect sense for Voldemort to do it, and to do it that way--for it not to happen just wouldn't have seemed right. (I'm actually pretty happy with the way Voldemort was handled all the way through--Jo has developed him well and his actions stayed true to the character she constructed.)
Lupin and Tonks, however, seemed a mistake. They die 'off-screen', and when Harry sees the bodies, it seems like it only happened to try and make that scene more emotional. It could just be that the scene wasn't written as well as it could have been to avoid that impression, but as it is, it didn't seem right.

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 10:52 pm

Arrrgh!!!

OK, OK. I brought it on myself by opening this thread, but I still don't even have the book in my own hands yet...

Is there anything I need to be concerned about in the spoilers?

Post by **variol son** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 2:11 am

Ah, yes. Do not read the spoilers Pam! DO NOT!

As for what you said in your second spoiler Murrin:

Spoiler

I agree - Tonks and Lupin deserved a better death than they got in my opinion. Sure, some good guys had to die during the battle for Hogwarts, but killing those two off-screen denied the characters dignified deaths.

I also felt this abbout Wormtail - he also deserved better than Jo gave him in the end.

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 2:35 am

...grumble...

I feel like I'm back in my own Fresh Journey to the Tower thread with all these spoilers I can't read.

However, book is now sitting right next to me on my night stand. Now I'm debating if I have the strength of will to start reading and put it down at midnight to get some sleep, or if I should wait to start it in the morning after a good night's rest...

Post by **Dragonlily** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 7:35 am

I finished reading it minutes after midnight. Serious but satisfying, I say. IMO it got a bit sprawly once we acquired a cast of thousands.

Spoiler

I agree about Dobby -- made me cry, too. The worst death for me was my dear Lupin, and yes, I agree it would have been better to show it instead of just presenting us with the bodies.

Spoiler

I loved Neville dashing into the breach at the end. The Malfoy family had an interesting character arc. I liked all the revelations about Dumbledore -- it seemed to me to make him a fully-rounded person.

Spoiler

Snape ... well, I think he "swung both ways," in spite of his believable motivation. It was a very good ending for him. Also a very good ending for Dumbledore, his final conversation with Harry. I like the idea of him meeting Harry for explanations in an "afterlife room," and the idea of Harry providing the same protection for the school as his mother did for him.

Post by **I'm Murrin** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 10:18 am

Very positive review from author Elizabeth Hand, which I think sums up a good part of why this book works:
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/a ... id=topnews

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

Deathly Hallows Discussion: Spoilers!!!

Deathly Hallows Discussion: Spoilers!!!