Harry Potter and the The Deathly Hallows

Full spoiler warning, for those of you who haven't finished the book yet. I'm not intending to give away too much, but I still wouldn't read this if you've yet to read the final pages of the last book in the Harry Potter series, and wish to do so 'blindly.'

It was with sadness that I even opened the cover of this book, Harry and his friends have given me a lot of company over the years. As excited as I was to finally know what happens to the characters, it was a bit painful to know that I will not have any more tales of the 'Boy Who Lived' to look forward to.

The book itself is a long read, at 700+ pages, but that was hardly enough for the die-hard Potter fans across the globe. The 'Deathly Hallows' read very much like 'The Order of the Phoenix,' and ended very similarly. The writing was very dark, lacking the vibrancy of the first few books, but the subject matter made that unavoidable. Things are not colorful and vibrant as you're staring death in the face; that reality is cold and harsh, and J.K.R. conveyed that point very well.

The first half was just kind of there, a slow burn building up to an all out war at the conclusion, where Harry would finally meet up with his eternal nemesis, Voldemort. You will see some familiar faces along the way, something that will be of comfort to those still mourning characters from previous books.

The ending was spectacular, if a bit expected. The epilogue left very much to be desired, something I harshly criticize J.K Rowling for; she left way too many questions unanswered, answers I feel her fans (the fans that have made her one of the richest women in history) deserved after many years of dedicated reading. Was her idea to leave things to the individual fan's imagination? Possibly. But I disagree with the choice. Don't build up questions in the first place if you know you're not going to give answers; that's carrot dangling at it's cruelest, considering these were children's books.

I do find it interesting though, in the previous light, that the door was left open for future books. Maybe not 'Harry Potter and the 'Whatever'' books, but books within the 'Potterverse.' There are many characters who could have stories written about them all on their own; I'm curious of the fate of Luna Lovegood especially. There is no doubt J.K.R. will continue to write, it's just a matter of what it will be.

For fans, tears will be shed while reading this fantastic novel. As a children's series, it has served an amazing purpose in getting kids to read again, which can do nothing but help them in the long run. The story on the whole, across all seven books was one of selflessness, sacrifice, and love. Those are qualities I think we could all stand to learn a bit more about.

'Ear, 'Ear Harry, it was nice knowing you.


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--Jeremy Hobbs




Harry Potter, books, children's books