HybridLogic

And So It Ends; Harry Potter 7

I put off reading the first few Harry Potter books for several years; I preferred science fiction, action, horror, not some childish notions of witchcraft and wizardry. I watched the first film and decided to give the books a go. Admittedly the first two were weak and childish but I found the third book very well written with a strong sense of character and plot emerging. Goblet of Fire started trailing towards the end and I all but gave up reading books five and six, feeling as if I were reading nothing but a prelude to the final chapter in the saga. I got book seven on the day of release but took my time reading it, not wanting to rush a good thing.

And the Deathly Hallows started off abysmally. Rowling could have cut the first five hundred pages and the sense of pace and urgency would have been all the more better off for it. Harry, Hermione, and at some points Ron, flit between hiding place to hiding place, doing nothing more exciting than talking and plotting, a few events spread out within the vast expanses of ultimately nothingness. Yes the writing is decent, yes the characters are believable, but this book is supposed to be about finishing a war, not sitting round in a comfy tent wondering where some objects are hidden.

It seems odd that while the first five hundred pages cover a period of several months, the final two hundred pages chronicle only a very short period of time, yet contain infinitely more involving action. Finally the battle we'd all been promised, finally the great confrontation between man and boy, even if it is one of the most anti-climatic fights I've ever read, could finally come to an end. Maybe it's because I'm coming down from action-only novels such as Temple by Matthew Reilly, maybe it's because it's been so long in the coming, but the book just feels to stop and start throughout, leaving the ending as nothing more than a neat summary of Harry's life.

The ending is predictable and J K has obviously left it wide open to continue writing, as if she needs any more excuses to milk the series for money. The fan community will undoubtedly love the ending, they have everything they need to carry on the tale, but for me the whole thing felt like Rowling grew bored and decided to just end it. Sure she wrote the last chapter ten years ago, it doesn't feel like it. I'm trying to tip-toe around the spoilers but anyone who's reading this will most probably have read the book by now anyway. It is good, but it could have been so much better. Plots are wrapped up almost too neatly, characters have changed, we're treated to memories taking in every aspect of Potter's life, but all of it feels unneeded.

The quests for various artefacts intermingle until eventually you don't care what the trio are looking for as long as they're actually out looking for it and not just sitting around and talking about things. The daring raids and narrow escapes are brilliant, but they're few and far between, feeling more like a Lord of the Rings film. The romances seem to have blossomed almost too quickly, deaths occur with no warning and no chance to reflect, by the end of the book you're left wondering whether any of the characters even remember what had happened to them such is their ignorance of the past.

Harry Potter has come to an end, now hopefully all those kids who think the world of literature consists of wizards and magic can reach out and find new avenues to explore. Potter will go down in history, parents will read it to their children for years to come, but as an example of brilliant writing and creative storytelling I think it pales in comparison to some of the better examples of classic literature.

And just think, we have another two films, countless games and spin off books to come yet.

My rating: 82%

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