Harry Potter 5 **SPOILERS INSIDE**

D

Daenarys

Townie
Joined
Jun 25, 2003
Messages
6
Location
Under the bed
Well this was a thread that was suggested in the other HP thread... the next bit will contain a lot of spoilers... and my opinion of the whole thing... I admit that my opinion is kind of looking at them in a grown up way... but then JK is writing them as a grown up...

My first thought was that Bellatrix Lestrange rocked... pure and simple... Bella is pure evil man... and I know... because that's exactly how I would be if I was evil!

As for the death of Sirius... eh... well... what can I say... I would have felt better if it was Hagrid but Black wore out his exceptional uselessness at the end of Prisoner of Azkhaban. JK so didn't spend enough time on the grief of Harry though... she was in writers mode 'crud I missed the deadline a year ago, rush the end plot through... go go go" Although she did have me going several times... first with Hagrid and the giant beating him up and second with Hermione, making me believe she was dead was... wrong... just wrong... it was well wrong...

But she redeemed herself in her Snape portrayal... underused him once again (when will you learn JK?) but... she gave him a reason for the utter hatred... because if anyone did to me what James Potter had done to him I'd probably do worse than want to kill him... but she tried to at least make him sympathetic... and for the most part succeeded... at least made sure Harry knew his dad was really a prick.

What else? The Weasley family tension I wasn't expecting... and I'd like to see Percy get his come uppance in the next book... actually see the apology instead of being told of it via Ron next book. Speaking of Ron, was there anyone, ever, in the whole history of fandom, who did not see the quidditch team with him on it and winning? 'Hey I'm trying out for the quidditch team'... oh are you *really* how absoloutly splendid for you! Of course he had to come through at the end... otherwise he couldn't be the affable side kick could he?

But I did like that Harry didn't get to play that much quidditch. Score! Oh and the ?thestrals? Obvious plot failure coming up! Harry saw his mother die... that's one of the most sacred bits of canon in the Potterverse... why was it only after Cedric's death that he could see them? Do you have to be able to understand death? Is that the issue?

Oh... and the prophecy... that was a nice bit of fluff at the end wasn't it? Somehow I expected praying mantis lady to be involved somewhere... after the bruhaha over her expulsion from Hogwarts. The ministry of magic was great... the whole lot of them with their hands over their ears singing 'la la la we're not listening'...

She's very slowly breaking the framework of the HP books and that's a good thing, it's why they're so popular... you can actually see them growing though now, I can feel the maturity (though perhaps not Harry's) in the characters now.

One last thing? The quill that etches what you write into your skin... how frikkin' sadistic was that???
 
this is the one for the people who have read the book and don't want to spoil those who haven't. So, if you have nothing better to say than "delete me" blah blah blah, go away. You don't have to comment on everything!

Now, back to the topic of the actual thread.

This book was really good. There were parts of it that I really didn't like, but most of it, I found great. The way JK was writing it, I got myself worked into the book where I just wanted to kick the Ministry for being so stupid and arogant. And Umbridge! What a b****!!!!!!!!! I didn't like the character, but it was definately needed. It was good to show the school without Albus Dumbledore. The Fred/George exit was quite great! I always loved those two, and now they're successful joke-shop owners.

I really can't wait to see them make this one into a movie. I especially want to see how they make the Ministry of Magic. I hope that they make it just as I pictured it. JK described it so well that I could see it in my mind.

Going into this book, the only thing I knew was that a character was going to die. I had assumed that it would be a character that would have been with Harry from the beginning. I assumed Hagrid or Dumbledore. Someone had mentioned Sirius to me at one point, but I just shook my head and said that it was unlikely. I don't know why I thought he wouldn't die, but I did. Through the entire thing, I was waiting. I thought Hagrid was dead at first, since no one had heard from him, and then the extreme panic that it would be Hermione (I totally agree, NOT a good trick to play on us), and then I thought possibly Neville. He was fighting so hard and I just KNEW it would be him. Then Sirius and Bellatrix started dueling, and I figured it out finally. I kept thinking "JK ROWLING!! HOW COULD YOU TAKE AWAY THE ONLY FAMILY THAT BOY HAS!???!!!??!" but then it hit me, Sirius may have been his godfather, but Harry had other family as well. He had the Weasley's, and Lupin, Dumbledore (who I see as a bit of a father figure for Harry), Hermione, Mad-Eye, and even Neville (by the way, I LOVED the amount of Neville in this book, it was really needed for him to finally get a chance to show himself that he can do things right, and fight).

In my opinion, the ending wasn't rushed at all. I think that Harry grieved, but JK didn't want to bore us with his constant replaying thoughts of "It's my fault he died", "I've lost Sirius, no one knows how I feel." I must say that I really didn't like whiney "I'm misunderstood" Harry, but he's a teenager, and if I had been left in the dark from all information and left alone with the Dursleys, I think I'd be the same way. Harry had his time to grieve, and I think he still will over the summer while he has time to dwell on it. But I think he'll realize soon, that though Sirius was his godfather, he's not alone. He has friends to help him through it.

The prophecy. Now that was something I'd waited for since chapter one of the first book. I figured it would have something to do with one of them having to kill the other, but I had no idea that it was almost Neville who was the prophecy child. What a twist would that have been if Harry hadn't been the one to stop Voldemort, but Neville was! That would have been an interesting turn of events. And it may still happen, who knows?? Although, Dumbledore did say that it had to be Harry because "Voldemort marked him as his equal." I guess we'll just have to wait now for the next book to see what happens with the prophecy.

Loved the character development for Ginny. I must say, she's my favorite character, and she has always been a bit misused in the books (and don't even get me started on the 2nd movie). She's dating now, and she says "Damn." And a seeker!! I see a match made in heaven between her and harry, and it seemed to me that Ron was almost hoping for it. And it also seems that she might be getting a crush again! I'm so excited!!! I've been a Ginny/Harry activist since the 2nd book when she started liking him! I hope something happens.

Well, that's it for now on my opinions and interpretations! Overall, a good book which I plan to read many more times.

Cate
 
I've not finished yet, but I know about Sirius's Death.... I think its extremely unfiar of you to say he outstayed his welcome, I love Sirius and would kill to have him as my godfather, hes so cool!(Mind you, If I killed I might be sent to Azkaban)

I thought for a while Hagrid wasn't gonna come back and was getting pissed off with every chapter over the fact there was no Hagrid.

I actually think that if this one does become a film (some people are saying book 4 wont cuz Daniel Radcliff might drop it) its gonna get a 12A here in the UK because its gone so dark, especially with the quill that cuts into harrys hand, thats horrible!

Its nice to see Firenze back though, I always liked him. its good that Dumbledore found someone so perfect to be the divination teacher.

Off to read the next chapter
TTFN
Vicky
 
Hmm... when I'm talking about Sirius I'm not sure I mean that he outstayed his welcome... but JK had us all prepped for a massive character death... I was expecting one of the huge characters to snuff it. Sirius was important to Harry... but not so much to us... he was present in the books only on and off. I felt bad about Sirius when looking at it in a kind of 'my friends dad died... I feel bad for them... but I didn't know you well enough to care.'

But then came the prophecy... in that you Harry are fated to to throw the ring into a volcano/ defeat the matrix/ find the golden child... it seemed a bit of a cop out to me... she could have shown how the group convinced the wizarding world that Voldemort was alive... instead she had him show up for no reason at the ministry of magic and announce his presence... I kind of had to squint at that bit and go 'huh?'...

For Neville though... I want him to be the DADA professor when he finishes Hogwarts... because he has to just win! Out of all the characters JK has written, poor Neville just has to come out on top.

Umbridge... I didn't like her... but you have to admit that as a character she was perfect... absoloutly perfect... except for being infected with incompetant villan syndrome... she was snide and obstructive and loved power for it's own sake... she was certain she knew everything... you couldn't like her... but you could see what a good character she is.
 
yeah, I agree about Umbridge, I just hated her. she was such a good villain that I hated her beyond anything. She was terrible, but it was perfect.

Cate
 
My heart skipped a beat when earlier in the book mrs weasley goes to get rid of the bogart thingy and hary walks in and rons lying there, id forgotten hed just left him down stairs. I was not upset one bit about black mainly because i was worried theyd kill off ron or hermione.
Shame Draco wasnt really a big part like usual didnt cause as much mayhem. George and fred were great i was well pleased when they scooted off on there brooms. On the whole the book was the best, i read it in about 8 hours i couldnt put the bugger down especially the last 100 or so pages. I was a little perplexed how the kids outwitted 6 off the darkest and powerful wizards ever, spose harys a good teacher
Also wast overly impressed with hagrids lack of involvment
Can anyone see how they can make films out of the last 2 books, cos the first 2 films were 2 hours long each and the books were 220 odd pages, so how they gonna do 700!.
 
Ahhh... GOD THAT BOOK WAS AMAZINGGG!!! I loved everything! How Harry got in to Snapes memories and saw his fifteen-year old father... mother... I hate Umbridge... I loved how F&G left school... But...

OMG! :: breaks down and cries :: I just can't belive it! I hate her!!! I hate J.K. Rowling!!! HOW COULD SHE DO THAT TO ME?????????? :'( ahhh... why why why... I readed it when Sirius died and my hands started to shake and I cried so much! I cried till the end of the book! Damn.... :'( WHY???? Why couldn't she kill someone else? Why Sirius? :: cries a lot :: I still can't belive it!
He's my fave character and now he's dead!! If she will dare and kill Lupin I will kill her!!!! :'( :'(
 
I think JK killed off Sirius to really get to us about Harry losing his father figure, but to also make us and Harry realize that Sirius wasn't the only family he had. I think that was shown at King's Cross when they left Hogwart's. It also added a larger desire for Harry to get rid of Voldemort so that his loved ones won't die.

Cate
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom