Book of the Month: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
I realise that it's a little late for this month's book, tough luck i guess.
Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Author: J K Rowling
Has also written: Do i even need to mention the others
Who should read it: People who have read the first 6 books
A bit of background first. I still remember how i first started reading the books. It was after the first movie had come out, and my brother proceeded to go out and buy the 2nd book. He promptly read a few chapters before losing interest. I have to admit, at first i was dismissive of the entire Harry Potter franchise. The movie wasn't spectacular, and my impression of the books was just something that only kids would enjoy reading. As fate would have it, I had run out of reading material one day for my dinner( usual routine-reading while i eat ), and there on the table was the Chamber of Secrets. I picked it up, and finished it in the next day or two. I then went out to buy the other books. I had become a fan.
Ok on to the book review proper. Spoiler alerts....
The book is on the whole, very enjoybale. The amount of action packed in is probably more than any two of the previous books combined. My heart did not race, but i think i was breathless during these chapters. Unfortuantely, there were a few dragyy moments in the middle of the book, where complex backstories had to be told for the benefit of storyline advancement. However, this few boring moments were sandwiched between the exciting chapters, which perhaps enhanced the effect of the action scenes by contrast.
Plot-wise, the book was excellent, with many unexpected twists and shocking revelations about characters. I have to say though, I was abit let down by the revelation of who R.A.B was. I was expecting him to be one of the crucial characters throughout the book, given how Book 6 ended. The revelations about Dumbledore were particularly good, giving the book an extra punch. It also made Dumbledore a more human character, someone more believable. A warning though to people who are expecting a easy read. The plot is rather complex, even for adults. Certain parts i found myself having to re-read again just to make sense of it. It is certainly more complex than many books I've read in the past.The essence of the story however, is still present within the book. This is a fight between good and evil, between Harry and Voldemort. The twists and turns, Horcruxes and Hallows, the deaths, the lives of the others, it still boils down to Harry vs He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
A major talking point for readers has been about the epilogue. Many feel disappointed by it, that it was too cliched, and leaving many unanswered questions. I personally felt abit let down by it, fairly anti-climatic. Oh well what you gonna do about it.
To sum up, despite the negative points, this was an excellent book overall. A fitting final book for the Harry Potter universe. A good book is one that enables the reader to lose track of time, and I remember reading it at 10pm, then looking up at the clock and seeing that it was already 3am, and still not wanting to sleep. Not many books can do that. Cheers to Rowling.
Interesting observation: Mentioned within the novel is a book called 'Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches', which reminded me of 'The Game'.
As usual if you wanna read the book, or any of the 6 previous books, just let me know
