For a decade now, much has been made of whether or not the Harry Potter series has resurrected the art of reading. And while data suggests that kids are turning right back to their technology after reading Harry Potter, the fact that a seven-book fantasy series could so captivate the world is a testament to how tremendously entertaining the books are. The series comes to an end with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, a book that simultaneously justifies the anticipation and points out the greatest weaknesses of the series and author J.K. Rowling. Caution, all ye who have not read the book: There be mild spoilers ahead.
The most important development in the book is the willingness of Harry – The Boy Who Lived, the young wizard who has worn a target on his forehead since his parents were killed by Lord Voldemort – to accept his role in defeating the dark wizard. Too often in his first six years at Hogwarts, Harry has allowed his professors and other high-ranking wizards protect him, and at the end of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, he decided to drop out of school and prepare himself to face Voldemort in a final showdown.
Deathly Hallows, then, starts differently than any book in the series: instead of quietly suffering a summer with the Dursleys while waiting to return to school, Harry says a somber goodbye to his family and sets off with the Order of the Phoenix to a safe house. Rowling wastes no time in ratcheting up the tension, as the Order is attacked by Death Eaters and Harry comes face to face with Voldemort, whose magic is no match for Harry’s determination. While Harry spends the majority of the book seeking out and destroying Horcruxes – small segments of Voldemort’s soul – the dark lord searches for a powerful wand that can defeat Harry. Our hero, joined in his journey by friends Ron and Hermione, must travel in secrecy to avoid magical officials, because Voldemort’s underlings have taken over the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts.
Evil forces are everywhere, and no matter how discreetly Harry travels, he faces immediate danger no fewer than a half dozen times, each time escaping by the skin of his teeth. Herein lies the weakness in Rowling’s storytelling. Her action scenes are brilliantly executed, particularly in the instances where Harry’s mental connection with Voldemort causes the narrative to stay focused on Harry but to describe Voldemort’s actions, but too often, an amazing coincidence falls into Harry’s lap to get him out of trouble. Too often, the plot is gently pulled along through minor problem solving, but the major plot advancements are left to coincidence. In a book where the majority of the middle section is essentially a travelogue (the three heroes set up camp, figure something out, move along, repeat), this makes for very uneven storytelling. At times, Rowling is able to create tension that has you greedily turning the pages; these moments are to be savored, for they make the series great. At others, her style has you reading back over to make sure you didn’t miss something important.
All that is very quickly put aside in the book’s final 150 pages, when Harry returns to Hogwarts to find the final Horcrux and Voldermort corners him, starting a massive battle between Hogwartsians and Death Eaters. The action is so frantic, the stakes so large, that two significant characters die offstage, only discovered when Harry passes through the battle. The body count is high, and emotions can get the better of a reader even before the Battle of Hogwarts begins, and the overwhelming excitement of the final quarter of the book make the meandering middle forgivable.
The book ends not with a shocking revelation or a quiet ride into the sunset, but with a epilogue that takes place 19 years after the final battle, taking a look at those who survived and what happened to them. The tag reads like fan fiction, pulling obvious allusions and simple platitudes together to make for an overly-sweet dessert on a meal that ended rather nicely.
This, and the other problems inherent in Rowling’s craft, does not make Deathly Hallows a failure; indeed, the conclusion of the series is a wonderfully satisfying read, filled with tense, incredible moments, and any opportunity to visit Rowling’s remarkable world is one that should be appreciated. But the shortcomings of the book give it a limited aftertaste, and you may find yourself questioning the same book that you put down with a smile and a tear not a day or two earlier.
Rating: * * * 1/2 of 5
Harsh.
accurate….although i couldn’t put aside the weaknesses for the last 150 pgs. in fact, i found them quite evident towards the end.
Accurate synopsis. I for one, did not care for the epilogue. It seemed like rather obvious conclusions to me. I would have preferred one last surprise. And the one and only burning question I had, Who is the headmaster of Hogwarts, was not revealed. But then I remembered, after all, that these books are meant for the school age to young adult genre. Whatever. I loved the whole series and I will miss the anticipation of the next book.