Deathly Hallows, chapter 21
Jul. 3rd, 2009 03:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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deathtocapslockThe Tale of The Three Brothers
* Finally, we come to the point of this book. Or rather, the not-point, since I don't think this book is coherent enough to have a point.
* Luna probably knows all about the Deathly Hallows. If Harry had been real friends with Luna, instead of this I-only-remember-her-when-it's-convenient-to-me friendship, he'd probably have found out about them some time during their friendship.
* I'm still a bit disappointed that Harry wasn't forced to work with Zacharias Smith, or anyone else he'd slighted, to destroy the Horcruxes. He didn't have to grow up at all to finish his quest, which surely is completely against the purpose of a quest.
* To be polite, Harry drinks from a cup provided for him by a stranger. I'm all for politeness, but hello, this is wartime. A little bit a common sense wouldn't go amiss.
* Dumbledore left The Tales of Beedle the Bard for Hermione, apparently as some sort of a clue. But of course Harry has been too busy to have taken a look at it.
* What is it with Harry and Ron that they have to interrupt Hermione when she's reading the tale? I would be very irritated if someone constantly interrupted me when I was reading aloud.
* Oh, so the name of the Elder Wand comes from the tree it was made. I always thought it had something to do with being older or something like that. Shows what I know.
* Well, that was a boring fairy tale. It had all the right elements for a fairy tale, but the execution was lacking.
* Hermione, of course, can't pass the opportunity to question Mr Lovegood's belief in the Deathly Hallows, as if it mattered what he believed. They've found out what the symbol means. Surely that's what's important.
* This is the first time we have heard about Invisibility Cloaks having a limited shelf-life. I rather think that we ought to have had a tiny little hint about the special quality of Harry's Invisibility Cloak.
* Of course Harry is so special himself that he can't have an ordinary Invisibility Cloak--which, we've been told, are extremely rare--but a one-of-a-kind cloak.
* This is also the first time we hear about the bloody trail of the Elder Wand. Once again, I think we ought to have had a hint about its existence before. Say, a chance word from Professor Binns in History of Magic.
* Ron doesn't realize that because Hermione and Harry were raised by Muggles, they learned different superstitions than Ron the wizarding-born. That just goes to show that notwithstanding Arthur's fascination with Muggles, they haven't really learned anything about them. I wonder if it's partly Molly's fault. Not that I think Arthur knows much anything about Muggles, but maybe Molly has prevented him from teaching his children the little that he does know. I wouldn't be at all surprised if that was the case. Molly strikes me as one who is very prejudiced against Muggles, even if she doesn't go as far as wanting to kill them.
* Ah, so Professor Binns has mentioned the Deathstick / the Wand of Destiny / etc. Would have been helpful is we had heard that as well.
* Harry, of course, was asleep during that lecture and thus has no idea such a wand is rumoured to exist. Typical. What happened to the boy who eagerly read his History of Magic textbook before he went to Hogwarts?
* "Wands are only as powerful as the wizards who use them. Some wizards just like to boast that theirs are bigger and better than other people's." Is it terrible that my mind immediately went to the gutter when I read that?
* Oh my god, the painting in Luna's ceiling. Does she have to be so pathetic? But of course, no one could resist the charming fellow that is Harry. Even Zacharias Smith probably had a crush on him.
* Harry feels a great rush of affection for Luna when he sees how Luna idolizes him.
* For all that I diss Hermione, she does think quick in an emergency. Her plan to conceal Ron, obliviate Mr Lovegood, and reveal herself and Harry to the Death Eaters was pure genius. And then she managed to turn and Apparate in mid-air. Truly, the girl is amazing. (All right, all right, so I couldn't resist a little dig, but really, I do admire her in moments like this when she comes across as genuinely quick-witted and not just the author's self-insertion.)
* I'll be leaving for my parents' today and don't know when I'll be back. On Monday at the earliest. I'll answer comments when I'm back.
* Finally, we come to the point of this book. Or rather, the not-point, since I don't think this book is coherent enough to have a point.
* Luna probably knows all about the Deathly Hallows. If Harry had been real friends with Luna, instead of this I-only-remember-her-when-it's-convenient-to-me friendship, he'd probably have found out about them some time during their friendship.
* I'm still a bit disappointed that Harry wasn't forced to work with Zacharias Smith, or anyone else he'd slighted, to destroy the Horcruxes. He didn't have to grow up at all to finish his quest, which surely is completely against the purpose of a quest.
* To be polite, Harry drinks from a cup provided for him by a stranger. I'm all for politeness, but hello, this is wartime. A little bit a common sense wouldn't go amiss.
* Dumbledore left The Tales of Beedle the Bard for Hermione, apparently as some sort of a clue. But of course Harry has been too busy to have taken a look at it.
* What is it with Harry and Ron that they have to interrupt Hermione when she's reading the tale? I would be very irritated if someone constantly interrupted me when I was reading aloud.
* Oh, so the name of the Elder Wand comes from the tree it was made. I always thought it had something to do with being older or something like that. Shows what I know.
* Well, that was a boring fairy tale. It had all the right elements for a fairy tale, but the execution was lacking.
* Hermione, of course, can't pass the opportunity to question Mr Lovegood's belief in the Deathly Hallows, as if it mattered what he believed. They've found out what the symbol means. Surely that's what's important.
* This is the first time we have heard about Invisibility Cloaks having a limited shelf-life. I rather think that we ought to have had a tiny little hint about the special quality of Harry's Invisibility Cloak.
* Of course Harry is so special himself that he can't have an ordinary Invisibility Cloak--which, we've been told, are extremely rare--but a one-of-a-kind cloak.
* This is also the first time we hear about the bloody trail of the Elder Wand. Once again, I think we ought to have had a hint about its existence before. Say, a chance word from Professor Binns in History of Magic.
* Ron doesn't realize that because Hermione and Harry were raised by Muggles, they learned different superstitions than Ron the wizarding-born. That just goes to show that notwithstanding Arthur's fascination with Muggles, they haven't really learned anything about them. I wonder if it's partly Molly's fault. Not that I think Arthur knows much anything about Muggles, but maybe Molly has prevented him from teaching his children the little that he does know. I wouldn't be at all surprised if that was the case. Molly strikes me as one who is very prejudiced against Muggles, even if she doesn't go as far as wanting to kill them.
* Ah, so Professor Binns has mentioned the Deathstick / the Wand of Destiny / etc. Would have been helpful is we had heard that as well.
* Harry, of course, was asleep during that lecture and thus has no idea such a wand is rumoured to exist. Typical. What happened to the boy who eagerly read his History of Magic textbook before he went to Hogwarts?
* "Wands are only as powerful as the wizards who use them. Some wizards just like to boast that theirs are bigger and better than other people's." Is it terrible that my mind immediately went to the gutter when I read that?
* Oh my god, the painting in Luna's ceiling. Does she have to be so pathetic? But of course, no one could resist the charming fellow that is Harry. Even Zacharias Smith probably had a crush on him.
* Harry feels a great rush of affection for Luna when he sees how Luna idolizes him.
* For all that I diss Hermione, she does think quick in an emergency. Her plan to conceal Ron, obliviate Mr Lovegood, and reveal herself and Harry to the Death Eaters was pure genius. And then she managed to turn and Apparate in mid-air. Truly, the girl is amazing. (All right, all right, so I couldn't resist a little dig, but really, I do admire her in moments like this when she comes across as genuinely quick-witted and not just the author's self-insertion.)
* I'll be leaving for my parents' today and don't know when I'll be back. On Monday at the earliest. I'll answer comments when I'm back.
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no subject
Date: 2009-07-03 01:39 pm (UTC)That would have been interesting, but I guess the author wasn't prepared to make Harry or Hermione admit to any fault of their own. What I don't get is her complete lack of "the houses working together" that had been hinted at at least from GoF onwards. What became of it? Another dropped ball?
He didn't have to grow up at all to finish his quest, which surely is completely against the purpose of a quest.<7i>
One can only conclude that by HBP she was so besotted by her own creation to not be aware of any imperfection that might call for improvement. For reference: the epilogue where they are STILL the same people they were at eleven.
What is it with Harry and Ron that they have to interrupt Hermione when she's reading the tale?
Well, she has to learn betimes to shut up whenever the menfolk talk!
Well, that was a boring fairy tale. It had all the right elements for a fairy tale, but the execution was lacking.
I don't think I'm misquoting yodel when stating that's typical for the whole series: all the right elements but put together they don't make much sense.
As to the whole mess about the Deathly Hallows - given Rowling's usual fondness of waving the metaphorical gun before firing it, I really wonder whether the Hallows were an afterthought or not. When working out a plot like this, surely the way your hero defeats the Dark Wizard is the main concern? But then why not the least bit of foreshadowing, which would have been childsplay to do?
Ron doesn't realize that because Hermione and Harry were raised by Muggles, they learned different superstitions than Ron the wizarding-born.
It also shows the complete lack of cultural interaction even within the trio. You'd think given Ron's upbringing he'd have been curious about the lifestyle of those weird Muggles his father always was on about. But no. And Hermione the read-it-all never bothered to ask about children's literature?
Molly strikes me as one who is very prejudiced against Muggles, even if she doesn't go as far as wanting to kill them.
I hear you. She's the kind of white mother telling her kids to be nice to the black kids because their skin colour is not their fault...
Is it terrible that my mind immediately went to the gutter when I read that?
No, I'd say that's what Rowling intended.
As to Hermione's quick thinking: I liked it, too, but at the same time it renders the whole concept of Harry-the-big-hero and Hermione-the-sidekick less and less convincing. It reminds me of (aversion of?) the Cid-saga, where the Christian Spanish won a battle against the Saracens by putting the much famed but unfortunately dead Cid onto a horse thus striking fear in the enemies' hearts....
no subject
Date: 2009-07-04 02:37 am (UTC)Actually, the same people they were at 14, One of the things that actually impressed me about GoF is the smoothness with which Rowling had aged the characters from 11 to 14. Because these were recognizably 14-year-olds. NOT 11-year-olds. And looking back you could see that this was not a sudden process, the aging of the characters had crept up on us in a manner which was entirely convincing.
It was the skill of the handling of this which kept me hoping that she would eventually pull herself together and give this story the ending it deserved. And at least some credibility that she was capable of doing it.
Instead, it flew out of the window when Warners weighed in and started wagging the dog.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-05 04:59 pm (UTC)***Yes. Sadly, yes.
But then why not the least bit of foreshadowing, which would have been childsplay to do?
***Bad planning and bad writing. Sorry JKR, you failed.
Molly strikes me as one who is very prejudiced against Muggles, even if she doesn't go as far as wanting to kill them.
I hear you. She's the kind of white mother telling her kids to be nice to the black kids because their skin colour is not their fault...
***ROTFL! So true!
no subject
Date: 2009-07-08 07:30 pm (UTC)That's what I've been wondering as well. They feel so pastede on. It feels like the Hallows are tacked there to divert our attention away from the emptiness of the plot.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-09 12:50 am (UTC)