Finished

Well, I finally finished! I read about 300 pages of the book Cristin so kindly loaned me in the three days before I took my trip, and then I listened to another five hours on the flight over to England. Still, I hadn’t finished by the time I landed. I intended to finish on the trip back home, but sat next to an engaging conversationalist. I only got about 1-2 hours read on the 6+ hour flight. I was able to listen to more during my several hour layover in JFK, but still didn’t finish the whole thing until a day after I got home.

So, what did I think? I guess I’m not really sure how I feel about it. There were several things that I found quite confusing, and it took some internet reading to understand what they meant. So when I closed the book, I didn’t quite have closure. Now I understand, but I’m still not sure I liked it as much as Cristin. More details below.

If you have already read the book, or have no plans to, I cannot highly enough recommend this synopsis. Really, really funny. Worth the read, and shorter than the book if you’re feeling intimidated by its length.

Also, I liked Ryan’s account of the book. Thanks for the comment!

*****************SPOILER ALERT*****************

I thought that the book did give some nice wrap-up to several of the story threads, and answered most of the mysteries. Thank goodness for that.

I did think, like Cristin did, that Snape would prove to be good in the end. But I’m still not sure I believe that Snape carried a torch for Lily all those years and that was the reason he betrayed Voldiekins. It just didn’t seem to match with his character. Power-hungry, greedy, mudblood-hating and entrhalled by the Dark Arts, he gives it all away and swears allegiance to Dumbledore, who could be difficult to stomach even if you liked him, just because he had a crush on Lily when he was nine? Not buying it and sort of wished there was a better reason for Snape to be good. One of my confusions was the doe as patronus, not realizing it was Lily’s patronus and why.

My other confusion was the conversation in Harry’s head as he attempted to sort out why he was still alive. From Potterdamerung:

Dumbledore: See, Voldemort’s curse killed the part of his soul attached to your body, but because of the linkages between you and him, you are still anchored to the Earth. It’s all very complicated — you and he are linked in so many ways I can’t keep track. But that’s why your wand acted funny at the start of the book. And why his wand, even once he’s given up his original, is giving him trouble against you — all the wands a person owns take on the same properties. I think. The metaphysics of the whole thing is fuzzy even to me. But I think I’ve told you enough for you to survive the climax, so you can return to life.

His synopsis makes me feel better about being confused.

I thought naming his kids Lily, James and Albus Severus was kind of dorky and calling Severus Snape “the bravest man I ever knew” is also kind of stupid.

I can’t wait for all the extra screen time Alan Rickman is going to get in the next two movies!