My overall reaction to book six was that if this was a trilogy it would be the 'middle' book. The one in which not all that much happens besides all the extra explanation the reader will need for the final book to make sense.
Agree for the most part about Dumbledore and Snape. Dumbledore was the one who had to die for Harry to move on as the hero. Unexpected, though, was that it was Snape who did it, and equally so that Voldemort had charged a 16 year old with doing it. I was amused that (once again) Harry's suspicions of Draco that were 'pooh-poohed' by Ron and Hermione proved to be validated. Reminded me of the many times Buffy's assessment of a situation was initially brushed aside.
Personally, I think Snape will play a significant, and dangerous, role in the final book. Ultimately I believe he'll come down on the anti-Voldemort side after having played an intricate game of deception. (Notice I don't necessarily think he comes down on Harry's side except that they are both against Voldemort, heh).
And given the possibilities of Snape, the death of Dumbledore, Death-Eaters in Hogwarts and the declarations of Harry, Ron and Hermione that they aren't going back to Hogwarts, the fact that the biggest kerfuffles and outright flame wars have been about who Harry and Hermione 'end up' with amuses the heck out of me. The most vocal are those who ship Harry/Hermione who believe that JKR deliberately misdirected them by all the clues leading to a H/Hr romance for the sole purpose of disappointing a huge sector of her audience. (By the way, one of those obvious clues is that Harry and Hermione rode together on Buckbeak. Yuh huh). For myself, I pretty much figure Harry likes Hermione and Ginny, and Hermione likes Ron and Harry (and Victor--that guy she went to visit in Romania, yes?) and that they're 15 and 16 year olds. Harry having his little epiphany about OMG Ginny! felt much like "I'm seventeen. Linoleum makes me wanna have sex." But then I thought Harry and Ginny was less out of the blue than Ron and Lavender. Right, Lavender. Heh. Then again, I think most of us (not all) are very thankful that our first romances as teenagers did not define our One True Lives for all eternity.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2005-08-10 12:34 am (UTC)Agree for the most part about Dumbledore and Snape. Dumbledore was the one who had to die for Harry to move on as the hero. Unexpected, though, was that it was Snape who did it, and equally so that Voldemort had charged a 16 year old with doing it. I was amused that (once again) Harry's suspicions of Draco that were 'pooh-poohed' by Ron and Hermione proved to be validated. Reminded me of the many times Buffy's assessment of a situation was initially brushed aside.
Personally, I think Snape will play a significant, and dangerous, role in the final book. Ultimately I believe he'll come down on the anti-Voldemort side after having played an intricate game of deception. (Notice I don't necessarily think he comes down on Harry's side except that they are both against Voldemort, heh).
And given the possibilities of Snape, the death of Dumbledore, Death-Eaters in Hogwarts and the declarations of Harry, Ron and Hermione that they aren't going back to Hogwarts, the fact that the biggest kerfuffles and outright flame wars have been about who Harry and Hermione 'end up' with amuses the heck out of me. The most vocal are those who ship Harry/Hermione who believe that JKR deliberately misdirected them by all the clues leading to a H/Hr romance for the sole purpose of disappointing a huge sector of her audience. (By the way, one of those obvious clues is that Harry and Hermione rode together on Buckbeak. Yuh huh). For myself, I pretty much figure Harry likes Hermione and Ginny, and Hermione likes Ron and Harry (and Victor--that guy she went to visit in Romania, yes?) and that they're 15 and 16 year olds. Harry having his little epiphany about OMG Ginny! felt much like "I'm seventeen. Linoleum makes me wanna have sex." But then I thought Harry and Ginny was less out of the blue than Ron and Lavender. Right, Lavender. Heh. Then again, I think most of us (not all) are very thankful that our first romances as teenagers did not define our One True Lives for all eternity.
Other reviews that I can think of:
Masq (http://www.livejournal.com/users/masqthephlsphr/252381.html)
oyceter (http://www.livejournal.com/users/oyceter/315912.html)