Reading Something New
I think our next suggestion was The Magic of Ordinary Days, by Ann Howard Creel. It just came in on hold at the library for me. Since it is also a movie, maybe we could have a movie night at the end of August or early September? I'm taking the book on vacation with me next week, so I should have something to say about it afterwards.
Now, as for Harry Potter :)
Yes, this contains SPOILERS. If you haven't read it by now, it's your own fault if you go reading about it on the internet, isn't it?
Harry Potter part of this post.
So much to say ... how do I even begin.
I liked it. Why did I like it? I think that most of all I like good to triumph over evil, and I didn't want Harry to have to die. But I was enjoying the book even before the ending - I could empathize with Harry better in this book, now that he was less of a volatile brat; I felt that the characters showed a lot of growing up; I liked the little mysteries within the book (Aberforth, for example); I liked how the plot didn't try to follow every group of characters but instead stayed with Harry and yet still kept you aware enough of what else was going on that you could interpolate the rest; there was a really cool fight scene; and I really really liked that Snape was on Harry's side...
I think I better stop there. It was well written. It hung together. It pulled together the people and plots of the previous books to make a cohesive and interesting ending. And that was remarkable.
A few things still stuck out as a little odd - like Kreacher's easy conversion to loving Harry, for example. And while I'm glad that Harry could see Dumbledore again, I'm also glad that Rowling didn't try to explain more about where they were. And why was there a mewling ugly baby-ish thing there with them? Was that the part of Voldemort that had been in Harry? If so, once it was out of him, why didn't it go on and die? Why was Dumbledore there anyway? And why was it important for Dumbledore to have a "past"? It didn't really add anything for me to know that - but it could have been way more forced and stilted of an "explanation section".
Did I mention (yes, I know I did) that I'm glad Snape was on the right side? It just wouldn't have been right otherwise.
And the epilogue - that was cool. Especially the Malfoys being there and still being distant - it just made it seem more real. Well, as real as a book.
Although this may have been slightly rambling, it's really only a small portion of the thoughts rambling through my head. Anyone else have a favorite part? Things they didn't like?
Now, as for Harry Potter :)
Yes, this contains SPOILERS. If you haven't read it by now, it's your own fault if you go reading about it on the internet, isn't it?
Harry Potter part of this post.
So much to say ... how do I even begin.
I liked it. Why did I like it? I think that most of all I like good to triumph over evil, and I didn't want Harry to have to die. But I was enjoying the book even before the ending - I could empathize with Harry better in this book, now that he was less of a volatile brat; I felt that the characters showed a lot of growing up; I liked the little mysteries within the book (Aberforth, for example); I liked how the plot didn't try to follow every group of characters but instead stayed with Harry and yet still kept you aware enough of what else was going on that you could interpolate the rest; there was a really cool fight scene; and I really really liked that Snape was on Harry's side...
I think I better stop there. It was well written. It hung together. It pulled together the people and plots of the previous books to make a cohesive and interesting ending. And that was remarkable.
A few things still stuck out as a little odd - like Kreacher's easy conversion to loving Harry, for example. And while I'm glad that Harry could see Dumbledore again, I'm also glad that Rowling didn't try to explain more about where they were. And why was there a mewling ugly baby-ish thing there with them? Was that the part of Voldemort that had been in Harry? If so, once it was out of him, why didn't it go on and die? Why was Dumbledore there anyway? And why was it important for Dumbledore to have a "past"? It didn't really add anything for me to know that - but it could have been way more forced and stilted of an "explanation section".
Did I mention (yes, I know I did) that I'm glad Snape was on the right side? It just wouldn't have been right otherwise.
And the epilogue - that was cool. Especially the Malfoys being there and still being distant - it just made it seem more real. Well, as real as a book.
Although this may have been slightly rambling, it's really only a small portion of the thoughts rambling through my head. Anyone else have a favorite part? Things they didn't like?
posted by Julie C | 11:05 AM
9 Comments:
SPOILERS!
i really like it, too!
i think i just felt so vindicated that snape was on the right sight all along. i liked the ending battle and harry's decision to go face voldemort alone, and neville getting to chop nagini (and that harry really only did in one horcrux personally - the diary, that he did in Book 2!!!!!)
although i liked certain parts of the epilogue (like that harry named a son after severus), i felt it was a little too stilted for me, and that the ending line was just trite.
ooh - I forgot about some of those - there was so much to like! I think my favorite thing about the epilogue was really that it makes it much harder for all those who are going to want to write knock-offs or to continue the story - I'm really okay with it ending now, while it's good.
funny. today i was just thinking about the magic of ordinary days. my mom owns the movie. should i bring it back with me?
i thought the history of dumbledore could have be left out. i agree about that. i liked the book because i love harry potter books, but i was sad it ended and felt like it was an abrupt ending. i'm still kind of torn about the whole thing. sorry this was not a very informative or thoughtful comment...typing on a tiny laptop is slightly difficult.
haha - I agree about laptops! If your mom wants to lend the movie, that would be great! I found it at the library, but sometimes those are too used to play well.
i loved it. but it pretty much ended how everyone wanted it too. there was no major twist that surprized me. kind of disappointing- but we would all be disappointed if it ended any other way, right?
i am home and brought back the dvd. i hope that's ok. i'm ready to read magic of ordinary days. i just need to get it from the library. i will TRY to tear myself away from re reading all the hps.
i am currently reading the book, then watching the movie. so i have read #1 and watched #1, now i am in the middle of book #2.
I'm still haven't seen the HP5 movie. My significant other didn't want to see it - so I guess I'm waiting until DVD. Sigh.
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