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 | Posted On: 07/22/2007 At: 1:26:21 PM |
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While JKR might not be the best writer in the world in terms of prose and other things, she is an excellent storyteller and has created possibly the most interesting fantasy world since Tolkien came up with Middle Earth. If nothing else you'll have to agree that book 7 is probably the most anticipated book ever...at least until Marty McFly and Doc Brown come out with a (first-hand account) fact-checked annotated copy of The Bible.
I read it in less than 24 hours (finished late last night) including time taken off for sleeping and eating. I would've done it faster if I'd planned ahead better by sleeping all day until the late night release so I'd be wide awake and not needed a rest after 200 pages. I've seen people online brag how they read it in 6 hours, but I doubt they were able to actually enjoy it in their race to be the first person to finish it. I was worried about spoilers, hence my added reason to keep reading with as few breaks as possible.
HP7 is my favorite book in the series (ahead of OOTP, POA and HBP). I also enjoyed it more than LOTR, other fantasy books or other novels. Of course it helps that JKR had 6 previous books to make me care about many of the characters' outcomes. It wasn't all sunshine and lollipops, but with the way the plot has been leading noone expected zero deaths of likeable characters. Apparently this doesn't apply to everyone. as Ebert's recent illness seems to have addled his brain and he thinks the OOTP movie should've been all happy and magical like the first 2 films. In a series that begins with a dark wizard trying to murder an infant and killing his parents and then he returns to power and marks Harry for death, where did Ebert think it was headed?
I will not say what happens in the 7th book or who lives or dies or anything else since I'd pretty much decided anyone giving me spoilers would meet with the Cruciatus curse. In the past couple weeks I went back and reread the other 6 Potter books in preparation for the 7th and rewatched the 4 movies in preparation for the OOTP movie. I'm going to start my 2nd reading of Deathly Hallows today and then slowly work back through all 7 books again at my leisure.
In other fantasy book news...
In November we'll finally see how Goodkind wraps up Sword of Truth/Chainfire series (though he's talked like he wants to return to that world again -- maybe because he doesn't have any ideas and wants to milk the cash cow even longer than he already has). Unfortunately, that series has been going downhill for a looong time. He started with a good story and proceeded to recycle stuff and annoy his readers for numerous books, considering them too stupid to remember that "Richard's magic isn't controlled by him in the normal way, but works through need blah blah blah" a good dozen or more times in every freaking book. I also don't need to be retold every 5 minutes how breathtakingly beautiful Kahlan is. I'm starting to think Goodkind's writing works not through knowing how to write well, but through need: he needs a new car, a new add-on to his house, maybe a new HiDef tv, etc.
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| [ Edited by: JarethDavid on 07/22/2007 1:30:12 PM ] |
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Jareth David
AM's resident film fanatic/TCM addict
favorite directors: Hitchcock, Bava, Miyazaki & Takahata, Ozu, Kurosawa, Powell/Pressburger, Wong Kar-wai, Lubitsch, Wilder, Fassbinder, Nic Ray
favorite producer: Val Lewton |
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I believe she sat there through the whole writing of this last book with a note pad of who will die, I mean did you count how many died in that book? I stopped counting when the numbers breached 60.
Yes I will agree that most of it kept me on my toes wondering what was around the corner, definitely an entertaining book. It's a shame that Harry Potter was her only fictional story and might not do another.
I own the four movies and all the books but my friend told me that they cut out a lot of important stuff out of the fifth movie like they did in the third and fourth. I was beyond mad with the directors. They should have been doing what the director of the first movie had done. Kept it to the book.
Oh darn, I must end my typing to chase a dog that doesn't know when to stop eating my things!
Let's hope they do the next one since it's shorter then the fifth and that they do it to the book.
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Do not pester crazy people. Wait till they pester you first, like so!
*Pesters you like a crazy person* |
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To be honest, if you recall all the tales and stories of what happened during the previous members of the Order when Harry's parents where still alive, you should've expected a high death toll, I think the picture that Madeye gave Harry (Or the one that Sirius gave him for all you film fans) there was only like five people still alive XD.
It was a fantastic book that I only put down because I had a meeting to organise for Saturday so as soon as that was done I was right back in. I've always said JK is a great writer, and you're right, she isn't a great one in terms of prose and everything else, but to me a writer has to captivate you. You can still be a great storyteller via spoken word but have no clue to actually writing one. Whereas she can do it with the written word, it angers me that people say she isn't a good writer, she's one of the best. How many other authors do you know that actually have millions if not billions of people queing outside bookshops all over the world just to get their fix?
But as for the book itself. Loved it. Loved it because it hurt me and was tragic enough to make me cry, but brilliant enough to always leave hope and everything. Luna was fantastic as always, I effing adored Neville! How awesome was he?! The twins, a joy as ever! I just loved all the characters and probably will still do to my dying days. Although in my opinion, the thrid book will always be my favourite, but I think this one is definately resting in second place =P.
Unfortunately I think we need to wait another month before discussing favourite scenes and such as to not spoil it for anyone else XD.
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| Posted On: 11/25/2007 At: 10:28:18 PM | | | Reply Link |
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Im so sorry to have to be the one to say this.. But you all know there will be critics... and I'm one of them. Now don't get me wrong I did love the book series, and the final installment. But... I felt that she really didn't do He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, justice. I mean the final battle was cool and all, but I was hoping for more of a dramtic closing. And the epilouge could have been alittle more indepth. But besides that I did enjoy the book. Though I couldn't help but have a empty filling inside after I finished it, I felt though I had died alittle inside.(lol i can't belive its over!)
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| Sometimes one must walk in the darkness inorder to save the light... |
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| Posted On: 12/01/2007 At: 04:30:04 AM | | | Reply Link |
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Sure the epilogue for HP7 was WEAK and maybe you saw the climactic battle between Voldemort andHarry differently before reqading it, but I can name a recent end to a long fantasy series that was far worse than anything you could say about Harry Potter...
Confessor, the 11th book in Terry Goodkind's 'Sword of Truth' series (not counting mini-prequel 'Debt of Bones' and part 3 of the 'Chainfire Trilogy') was...well, crap. It was so frustrating that it took me over a week to chisel through it and was filled with lots of 'really Terry, THAT's your solution?' type moments. He's been going downhill ever since book 6 and it got even worse in the last book. Confessor had some good moments, but it was outweighed by all the 'Terry thinks his readers are too dumb to remember any characteristic or relationship of any of his main characters and therefore regurgitates material from his previous 10 books in the series ad infinitum'. We're also sledgehammered over the head by how evilly evil The Order is (I can almost see an image in my mind's eye of the caricature that is Jagang tweaking on a fake waxed mustache while tying Kahlan to railroad tracks) and forced to submit to pages and pages and pages of 'overly simplistic Ayn Rand for Dummies'. The ending was TRULY DISAPPOINTING and anti-climactic after all the years of reading his series. A series of deus ex machina and ridiculous coinky-dinks is not a way to end/resolve plotlines in a series that people have spent 11 books reading. Remember that Richard's magic works through need...the need for Terry to pull a lame solution out of his --- whenever he writes himself into a corner and isn't creative enough to write his way out. Don't forget that Richard, Kahlan and Nicci are the most amazingly beautiful people the world has ever known...oh wait, you don't have to worry because Terry reminds us what seems like every chapter...
Even with the problems I had with 'The Amber Spyglass' (3rd book of Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' trilogy), it was still at least 10x better than anything in Goodkind's 'Confessor' -- my vote for most disappointing ending to a fantasy series ever.
The other great book I read this year was Max Brooks' brilliant zombie novel 'World War Z'. I just hope they don't botch the movie (like my worries on 'I Am Legend' after seeing the trailers).
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Jareth David
AM's resident film fanatic/TCM addict
favorite directors: Hitchcock, Bava, Miyazaki & Takahata, Ozu, Kurosawa, Powell/Pressburger, Wong Kar-wai, Lubitsch, Wilder, Fassbinder, Nic Ray
favorite producer: Val Lewton |
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At the end of the day, I cant really take these books seriously, they're clearly aimed at children or at least a younger audience. I think it's amusing how some adults buy the alternate covers, which apparently look more "mature". We all know you're reading harry potter, why bother adding to miss rowlings already ridiculous monetary wealth buy purchasing an alternate version of an already over-anticipated book?
And Harry so should have died. But thats just my personal taste =]
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My favorite character died in such a pointless way. I like that all the deaths weren't stupidly epic, but at the same time, my favorite character just getting hit from behind was kind of a downer.
I enjoyed this book. It was a very interesting read, and I was definitely someone who read the book in less than 24 hours. However, I did not think the fight between Harry Potter and Voldemort was... really a fight at all. I was hoping it would be more involved than it was.
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Anyone get to read the "Prequel Postcards"?
I DID! xD Anyone else?
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My friend mentioned something interesting about the book the other day. . .
She's a die hard HP fan, but is more of a Ron Fangirl. She was irritated with him for a while in HP7 because he whined about everything. I tried to defend him by saying that he was under a lot of stress and he carried that Horcrux a lot. . . but, when we got to thinking about it. . . it wasn't only complaining when the horcrux was on. He complained about Hermione's cooking. I mean, c'mon! You're outlaws living in a tent!
Sorry. . . saw the thread and it reminded me of that conversation. Just wondering if anyone else noticed it. I didn't upon reading it.
Personally, I like the 4th book the best. Then again, I'm all about the tournament. Didn't care for the way the movie was shot though.
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Reaching Backward, I look Forward, Knowing you'll grab hold and fly away with me.
www.destinationyume.com
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