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Jul. 26th, 2007 11:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mangofandangoToo much sitting in front of my computer. Too much curriculum mapping. Ugh.
So, let's see. I liked the book, but I'm also in a snarky place right now - so there may be more snark ahead than praise.
Let's start with snark, shall we? That epilogue was just plain silly. All misty and kids-named-after-people and gag me with a spoon. Meanwhile, it didn't address things I actually cared about, like what happened to Luna and stuff like that. I figured there was a happy married-with-kids future in store, but I could have left that to the fanficcers, you know? I'm glad Hogwarts survived and everything, though. Who is headmaster now? Did it say?
I found the constant exposition through newspaper articles a little too...constant. I get that's convenient, Ms. Rowling, but must we do it every single chance we get? Come, now. I was also frustrated with how frequently I said to myself "Wow kids, that plan is going to BOMB", and then, shockingly, it did bomb - but whatever, they're kids, therein lies the dramarama, and they flew out of Gringott's on a freaking dragon!
I thought Hermione and Ron were cute, though I was annoyed at how UTTERLY PERPLEXED Harry was by the whole thing. WTF dude, you're not 10 anymore - get a clue. Meanwhile, I had nearly forgotten about Harry and Ginny from book 6, to be honest. We didn't get to see enough of Ginny lately for me to really get into that - but I felt his pangs, I suppose. Meanwhile, I loved that this was the trio's book - they came satisfyingly into their own, and even though the constant bickering was annoying, I still liked them in the end.
So, this book was really dark. Really dark for the third graders I know are devouring it right now. I'm kind of curious how kids will actually handle this book. I mean, there's lots of death, and heavy-handed political messages, and references to all kinds of things I can't imagine the wee ones really understanding. It will be interesting to see the reaction of the kids, I think.
It tickled me that (in addition to the darkity dark darkness) the kids all swore mildly, and that Harry drank FIREWHISKY, and that Mrs. Weasley called Bellatrix a BITCH. Oooh, we is grown ups now! I wonder how long it will take before this one is banned banned banned. Shall we place bets?
I was really sad about Dobby. I think his death bothered me the most. I was surprised about Fred, but he was a sensible choice, I guess - not-too-central, but not too random, either.
I am trying to decide if I would have rather had Harry have to actually die. As it is, I think it was satisfying that he came back - I just didn't fully understand the reasoning there, and maybe I need to read some other people's thoughts on that to really buy it. If I could buy it, then I would like it - I just read that whole expositionary scene in King's Cross and said "huh?" Also, the little suffering thing - was that Voldemort? Or something? I'm confused. Literary symbolism apparently escapes me. Help?
I liked the whole part where Hermione and Harry went back to the town where his parents died. More the part prior to what's-her-name-who-was-actually-possessed-by-snakeface, but yeah.
I loved freaking Professor McGonagal, she rocked my socks.
Throughout the entire book, I was thinking about the eventual movie. I think she's writing them that way, now - I don't know whether that is helping or hurting. The dragon part will be cool, huh? ;)
And um, enough of that. Back to curriculum mapping, I guess?
So, let's see. I liked the book, but I'm also in a snarky place right now - so there may be more snark ahead than praise.
Let's start with snark, shall we? That epilogue was just plain silly. All misty and kids-named-after-people and gag me with a spoon. Meanwhile, it didn't address things I actually cared about, like what happened to Luna and stuff like that. I figured there was a happy married-with-kids future in store, but I could have left that to the fanficcers, you know? I'm glad Hogwarts survived and everything, though. Who is headmaster now? Did it say?
I found the constant exposition through newspaper articles a little too...constant. I get that's convenient, Ms. Rowling, but must we do it every single chance we get? Come, now. I was also frustrated with how frequently I said to myself "Wow kids, that plan is going to BOMB", and then, shockingly, it did bomb - but whatever, they're kids, therein lies the dramarama, and they flew out of Gringott's on a freaking dragon!
I thought Hermione and Ron were cute, though I was annoyed at how UTTERLY PERPLEXED Harry was by the whole thing. WTF dude, you're not 10 anymore - get a clue. Meanwhile, I had nearly forgotten about Harry and Ginny from book 6, to be honest. We didn't get to see enough of Ginny lately for me to really get into that - but I felt his pangs, I suppose. Meanwhile, I loved that this was the trio's book - they came satisfyingly into their own, and even though the constant bickering was annoying, I still liked them in the end.
So, this book was really dark. Really dark for the third graders I know are devouring it right now. I'm kind of curious how kids will actually handle this book. I mean, there's lots of death, and heavy-handed political messages, and references to all kinds of things I can't imagine the wee ones really understanding. It will be interesting to see the reaction of the kids, I think.
It tickled me that (in addition to the darkity dark darkness) the kids all swore mildly, and that Harry drank FIREWHISKY, and that Mrs. Weasley called Bellatrix a BITCH. Oooh, we is grown ups now! I wonder how long it will take before this one is banned banned banned. Shall we place bets?
I was really sad about Dobby. I think his death bothered me the most. I was surprised about Fred, but he was a sensible choice, I guess - not-too-central, but not too random, either.
I am trying to decide if I would have rather had Harry have to actually die. As it is, I think it was satisfying that he came back - I just didn't fully understand the reasoning there, and maybe I need to read some other people's thoughts on that to really buy it. If I could buy it, then I would like it - I just read that whole expositionary scene in King's Cross and said "huh?" Also, the little suffering thing - was that Voldemort? Or something? I'm confused. Literary symbolism apparently escapes me. Help?
I liked the whole part where Hermione and Harry went back to the town where his parents died. More the part prior to what's-her-name-who-was-actually-possessed-by-snakeface, but yeah.
I loved freaking Professor McGonagal, she rocked my socks.
Throughout the entire book, I was thinking about the eventual movie. I think she's writing them that way, now - I don't know whether that is helping or hurting. The dragon part will be cool, huh? ;)
And um, enough of that. Back to curriculum mapping, I guess?
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Date: 2007-07-27 02:09 pm (UTC)I agree with much of what you said - I just wasn't feeling that thoughtful when I wrote this post. ;) You boggled my mind a bit when you said HP was older than us (I was born in '81), and then I realized that Deathly Hallows takes place in like..1997? So he is younger in the book, but older "right now". That's kind of funny!