Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

readability: 9
plot: 8
characterization: 7
writing: 6
swing: 9

rating: 7.8

The latest, and apparently final installment of the saga of Harry Potter, that charming, angsty young wizard with a penchant for dangerous situations and heavy-handed irony, apparated with a resounding crack in bookstores this past weekend. Forgive me; that quip has probably been used by thousands of reviewers around the world.

The series finale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, successfully ties up all the important loose ends Potter’s creator, J.K. Rowling has let dangle throughout its predecessors. Although her method of closing the book on the characters’ lives is a bit abrupt and has the air of nonnegotiable finality, die-hard fans won’t be disappointed with the last few pages, however those of us with a more literary bent must be satisfied with the fact that Rowling is playing to an audience that has grown up with the Hogwart’s kids and want to know how their lives turn out more than anything. Personally, I like a bit of vagueness and “what-iffery” at the end of a story, provided there is sufficient catharsis.

On the whole, the book stands up to it forbears. Readers can expect loads of action and fancy magic, a good helping of teen angst and a reasonably twisty plot.

The major quibble I have with Rowling’s writing is her lack of exposition and description. The HP series has been all action and gags. It’s no wonder they translate into great fantasy movies for kids. Perhaps they should have begun as such. The price of non-stop fun is that we are forced to accept that certain things happen with little or no explanation. This mostly affects the moods and actions of the main characters, whose emotions seem to burst forth from almost nothing. On the other hand, this could be a side-effect of Rowling writing everything from Harry’s point of view. We are extremely limited in our view of, say, the mind of Ron Weasley.

One disappointment I have in the series as a whole is the way Draco Malfoy seems to simply fizzle out of the picture. The first few books set him up as a major threat, second in literary importance only to Voldemort. I expected a showdown worthy of such a character in the final book. I hoped that poor, unfavoured Malfoy would rise into his own, grow some blond hair on his chest and be a real challenge for Harry. Alas, I will never get my wish.

All in all, Deathly Hallows is a good, if light, read. I will, as always, look forward to the film.