Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - review

'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.' The first time I read the title all I could say was 'God, how corny is that?!' It was the first sign that my expectations had attained mammoth heights, as pertaining to the Harry Potter series. One cannot help it, actually. Here is an authoress who has managed to the hit the Bull's Eye six times and that too with such artistry that one could only gape with awe. But what about the seventh? With '7' being the most magical number of them all, will J. K. Rowling manage to bind the spell successfully? I remember now how a literary compadre had reacted to the book. She had stayed up all night, standing in line, ignoring the fact that Sabbath meant 'Day of Rest.' After avariciously devouring the book, she exclaimed, "What have you done? Joanne Kathleen Rowling, what HAVE you done?" Candidly speaking, I'm sure a lot of you will probably react on the same lines. I cannot tell you why, though. 'Fetch' isn't a spoiler site...unless we count Sean. However, personally, the only complaint I have against Rowling is that the book ends too quickly. In this case, a protraction would only serve to delight and not depress. But, I do feel that whatever 'decisions' she took, regarding the book, were sensible, expedient ones for they help convey the magnitude of the 'problem' that Harry and the rest of his entourage have to deal with. Moving on,(oh trust me, we have to move on before I reveal more about the story) one is pleased to see the way Harry's character matures, the same can also be said about Ron and Hermione but in slightly different contexts. While Harry reveals a more intrepid albeit angst-ridden side of him, many of the complexities in Ron's character surface. Hermione, on the other hand, is firebrand this time round. I'm sure many will love the dare-devil streak that Hermione imbibes (perhaps from Harry?). Another character that comes as a surprise is Neville...who loses the pusillanimous affectations and metamorphoses into a valourous persona, much befitting his parentage. Luna, as usual, is a delight. Romance takes a back-seat this time as intrigue, deception and high-octane action dominate. Rowling's descriptiveness is flawless; it can even incite imagination in one who is clinically dead! In truth, the final volume is a saga of epic proportions...even the chapter names reinforce this view. For your consideration: 'The Battle of Hogwarts.' Note the effect this produces, it's like perusing a historical record. Rowling chooses a behemothic canvas to paint the final scenes of her delightfully etched tapestry. One gets a sense of innocence lost when she harks back to events in the first book and juxtaposes them with the state of affairs in the final one. Maybe the Letts' people could come up with a Harry Potter revision guide that readers can go through before embarking on the final volume because there is a lot of anaphoric reference to events in the previous books. Overall, the final volume is a pleasing one. The pleasure comes with bittersweet overtones as one laughs, cries and raises his glass to a hero whose greatness will be remembered and cherished till the end of time.

posted by ( m )