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Review of Book 7
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
***SPOILER ALERT***


 

 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book cover
Book cover, Harry Potter
and The Deathly Hallows

JK Rowling made it clear that the 7th book in the series would be the final adventure for Harry and the Hogwarts crew, and that the book would bring more deaths. She also said that we will learn more about Harry's parent's, James and Lily.

The final chapter in the adventures of the boy wizard was written in the beginning as JKR told interviewers at the end of June, 2006, "I wrote the final chapter in something like 1990, so I've known exactly how the series is going to end."

As readers waited for the final episode - with Harry, Hermione and Ron in their last year of Hogwarts - and the defeat of the Dark Lords and his army - lots of curious questions arise.

What about Snape - good or bad? Was the young Draco Malfoy lost to evil or did he see the light before the end? What were the "Deathly Hallows"?

Read on if you want our full review.

If you want to jump right to the spoilers... the answers revealed ...


--- Spoiler Alert ---


The long wait for the final chapter in the Harry Potter epic does not disappoint in any way.

The journey begins as Harry turns seventeen. At 17, The Boy Who Lived reaches manhood in the eyes of the wizarding world. All of the books leading to this finale have shown the boy growing and learning, leaning on adults to guide and protect him. As he starts this final adventure, he knows that he has outgrown the protective power of his mother's charm and Dumbledore's fatherly advice. This epic brings him full circle to the understanding that the power of friendship and love shared in adult relationships is as strong as the bonds between an infant and parents... different in many ways, but never outgrown.

Harry faces danger, fear and even death. Throughout most of the story he travels with friends to advise and support him, but he learns that he alone can make the decisions that will shape his destiny. As the author has said, the seventh and final book in the series is more adult and "a bloodbath" where many familiar characters die. The pain and guilt that twine in Harry's grief are beautifully integrated into the saga by the author. Each death brings Harry closer to the ultimate end. This closing episode brings the mature Harry face to face with Voldemort for the epic and final battle of good against evil.

JK Rowling is the consummate teller of tales. The skill with which she embeds themes from folk lore, mythology and more current political events into her Harry Potter epics has been perfected in the final book. Topics such as sibling rivalries, struggles for political power and domination, prejudice, and death are explored with unexpected candor and insight.

In this final episode, the flashbacks that are smoothly introduced explain many of the complex characters' motivations. Snape's background, touched on in the fifth book, is fleshed out to perfection. The reader is taken through the turmoil that shaped and warped this brilliant man as Harry learns the truth underlying Snape's betrayals. Dumbledore's past also reveals weakness and strength commingled in ways that Harry must come to terms with.

Along with the struggle of good against evil, the quest for truth is a dominant theme. Ultimately, Harry understands that heroes are not perfect human beings and villains are not perfectly evil. Truth is an everchanging mist that can never be captured. There is always one more fact to add or one more fallacy to correct.

The true genius of the Harry Potter books is the story of the evolution of Harry Potter. The books begin with an exceptionally gifted eleven year old, unhappy and confused. Each book takes readers along as the boy matures into a young adult. The universal questions that each human must face in the process of becoming a mature adult are packaged in a brilliant adventure.

Is this a story for children? The books that focus on Harry as a child are wonderful for children because they feature the dilemmas and delights that belong to that age group. As Harry moves through his later teens years and becomes a young adult, the youngest readers may be unnerved by the challenges facing their hero. Much of the depth of the later books will not fit comfortably in the world view of an 11 year old. This is a saga for children to grow into as the first generation of Potter fans has.

The Boy Who Lived will not live forever, but the story of his life will be a classic that children treasure as they grow for many generations. The Harry Potter series is a classic morality tale set in an imaginary world that many readers have adopted as home. As long as friendship, bravery and honesty are valued virtues, these books will find many fans who will thank JK Rowling for sharing her gifts as a writer and her values as a human being with the whole Muggle world.

Ok, if you really want to know who dies and if Snape was a good guy and what the Deathly Hallows abd Horcruxes were... we still advise you to read the book first, you'll want to read it after you know what happened anyway...

If you really want the spoilers... the answers to who dies in Harry Potter revealed...


About the Author...
Chiff.com Editorial Staff

 
 

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