As some of you know, I am somewhat behind the general trend in that I have not yet finished Harry Potter. Ryan got to read it first. I am currently at the beginning of Chapter 23: Malfoy Manner. (The camping trio was just compromised by Harry's thoughtless insistence on using the jinxed "Voldermort" to refer to You-Know-Who.)
Just before I started Ryan observed that Rowling needed an editor. I was a little skeptical, but I now whole heartedly agree. So far I think that this is the most disappointing book. By removing the three musketeers from Hogwarts, Rowling has lost the magic of the series. Harry is shown to be little more than a typical jock who is all that in high school and not much out of school. It seems like Harry has learned nothing about himself or about Voldermort in the last seven years, he puts no effort to occlumency and indeed fixates on trying to figure out what Voldermort is doing, which seems at this point to be manipulating Harry to find the wand and abandon the search for horcruxes. It seems like this plot line has been seen before—stupid Harry plays into
Voldermorts hands.
I am finding Ron and Hermoine to be equally unlikeable and uninteresting. While a bossy, know-it-all Hermoine is somewhat cute as an 11-year, as a 17-year old, she has become some one that I don't think I'd like to meet.
Once they had received their bequests from Dumbledor, I had hoped that the ancient stories would illuminate the horcrux search, but so far all Hermoine has got out of them is a fixation for the sign of the Dealthly Hallows, which it seems to me could all have been planted by Voldermort or his drones anyway. Clearly they are important as they are the title of the book, but I'm less than intrigued by their introduction.
The romance between Ron and Hermoine seems almost nonexisitant to me. Maybe because they're trying really hard not to exclude Harry and the story is from Harry's point of view, but I think that Rowling has failed to capture the awkwardness, intensity, and excitement that comes from a first love.
Ron has usually been a great side kick, bringing comic relief, unquestioning support, and homey stability to contrast Harry's orphaned unwilling hero status. But this book seems to have Ron cowing to Hermione. I don't buy into Ron's diminished status simply because of his insecurities in his relationship with Hermione.
Not only are the characters flat, so far the plot is almost nonexistent. Basically the characters are hiding, safely. There is no plotting or planning, little conflict, and very little progression.
This book has been such a disappointment that I'm not sure I'm going to finish it. It has just made me irritable all week—not only because I don't have the time to sit down to finish it, but also because when I do have the time it feels like a chore than an escape.
(I'm not sure who is yet to read the book, so I'll have Ryan preview any comments, so that you don't spoil it for me.)
13 years ago