Harry Potter and the Deathly Gallows – JK Rowling

I totally forgot that I was supposed to write about this book. It has been almost 2 months since I read the last installment of the Harry Potter collection. I have enjoyed all the other volumes thoroughly so I was hoping for quite a bit of action considering this is the last I would ever see of Harry Potter. I must say that I was quite disappointed with the size of this book and expected something with a lot more pulp, but alas I could only anticipate that Rowling made up for it with some quality writing. And in all fairness, I cannot say that I was disappointed.

I am sure there have been some seriously critical reviews about The Deathly Gallows online. The whole Harry Potter craze kind of went overboard, and that is a severe understatement. All the hype and media coverage surrounding the book is bound to put new readers off rather than draw them in, plus the whole movie franchise got so many of my friends saying, ‘Ill wait till the film comes out’. I remember when the first book became such a hit, the media was all about how kids and grownups alike all have their noses stuck between the pages of books again rather than spending every spare moment they have transfixed to the eerie blue glow of their television sets. But with this last episode it seems they are more concerned with weather a spoiler has been leaked, how much money the author has pulled in, and what life has in store for us after Harry has left the building.

I am going to try and put my finger on what exactly it is about the Harry Potter collection that I have enjoyed. Primarily, I would have to say it is the authors simple art of storytelling. From the first sentence of the first chapter in the first novel, Rowling sucked me in. She did not waste any time to introduce a multitude of peculiar characters (of the human kind) and even more interesting species of the magical variety. Her imagination seemed endless as she introduced beverages like Butter Beer that cannot possibly exist but still made my mouth water, a whole spectrum of places that I would love to visit, and structures I was visiting over and over again in my imagination. On top of all that she gave her characters such unique traits and exceptional personalities that readers could so easily relate to them and therefore so quickly form personal connections with Dumbledore, Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, and Harry. Some writers struggle their entire lives to create such impressionable characters, writing complex epic novels, and Rowling has made her achievement seem effortless.

Criticism sprouted soon after the release of the first Harry Potter book as people wondered what fate awaited Harry and weather Rowling could keep up with the momentum that was building. The pressure must have been immense for this first time author and many noble people have been known to crack and buckle faced with the promise of fame and fortune as she was. But throughout the process I think it is safe to say that Rowling has kept a really cool head and maintained her integrity. She did give into a movie deal but in today’s day and age, that is a given. And as long as she can insure the quality of HP outcrops, I think she should milk the franchise for all its worth. Plus being a reader even I was eager to see how her creations would translate to film. The pressure never seemed to let up till she finally released the final installment of the Harry Potter chain, and even now the press is all over her case to find out what she will write next. And although numerous critics have poked holes through the plots of her volumes and bitched and whined about how she has treated her characters, I must say I have no complaints at all. NONE WHATSOEVER…

Ultimately the story has been the writers to tell and in my opinion she gave me the greatest gift, the inspiration to read. Every time a Harry Potter book has come out I have been in a reading slump where I got nothing good to read. Once I pick up the latest Harry Potter, for some reason I cannot put it down. And apart from the reasons listed above, I cant say why they are so addictive. I savor each page and literally cant even put the book down while I eat. My TV goes though serious neglect for that week as well. But the best part is that when I am done reading that book, I get the bug, and I have to keep on reading more, and more, and more. Reading Harry Potter reminds me of how much fun it can be to read a good book and for months after I need to keep looking for the next fix, another great escape, and I love it. That being said, To Ms. Rowling Thanks for the ride mate!


**I heard that there is a sort of Harry Potter world in development. How fucking cool would that be? You can just imagine the number of rides they could come up with using the material from the books, not to mention how they can design the whole look and theme of the park from the areas, streets, and building, to all the food and drinks sold in the stores. This place could be awesome! How much fun would that be to work on that project? Just found some info on it here.