release of the final Harry Potter novel

[Lloyd Danforth]

I've never read HP either.  I read the Hobbit and the Trilogy about 1973 and that was enough Fantasy for me.  In any case I prefer an author who is willing to pump out good books 'till their dead.
As a teen I read all of the James Bond books.  They were pretty good, nothing at all like the films and learned a lot about the world reading them.  Ian Fleming died and I tried not to get dependent on another author.
I am now hooked on the Tony Hillerman, Leaphorn-Chee  mysteries and the dude is like 82!  He writes a new one about every 2 & 1/2 years that if I stretch it out to a little each day read in a week.

[Rochelle]

Geez, thanks a lot for the SPOILERS, Rochelle!

Yea, it wasn't that spoilery...everyone knew that some people were at least going to die. To quote from Gone With the Wind, "It's war, woman, not a tea party!"

[KBCraig]

Without spoiling anything, Mary summarized the book as "satisfying", and said the ending makes it okay that there won't be any more books.

[error]

Now who wants to let me borrow their copy?

[mappchik]

I started the book this morning, finished it this afternoon. I'm not happy about some of the specifics for a few of my most loved or hated characters, but the overall wrap up was quite fitting.
Began reading to the children tonight.
Am trying to avoid their questions and make them wait for when we get to the answers throughout the book.

[lildog]

Damn, some of you are done already?  I'm a slow reader but I'm already on around 250 and I though I was reading fast.

My over all feel so far without getting into ANY details is it started off fast but it's starting to slow down.  Several small peaks in the action but nothing nearly as intense as how it started off.

[toowm]

I finished on Saturday - when can we start discussing specifics?!? Maybe a new thread with "**SPOILERS**" in the title?

[lildog]

I finished on Sunday.  I would suspect anyone who doesn't want spoilers would stay away from this thread but how about just posting a warning, from this post on there may be spoilers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[toowm]

One of times I said "wow":

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/014251.html

[d_goddard]

Though the book was delivered to our door on The Day (thanks to an Amazon pre-order back in February), due to major crunch-time at work, I couldn't read the book until this past Friday. Finished it Saturday.

Good ending to a great series. There are other childrens' stories I like better (Madeline L'Engle's series, and Kenneth Grahme, among others) HP is definitely up near the top.

Now, time to check on those predictions!

*** spoiler alert ***
Like lildog said, if you have not read HP7 yet.... stop reading this thread now!

What is Snape's deep dark secret (and will he squeal like a pig when HE dies?)

Snape was in love with Lily.  That's why he has always hated Harry; he blames Harry for her death (because he's not big enough to admit to himself that he himself is far more responsible).  And yes... he will squeal.

Will Hermione and Ron hook up?

Yes.  They'll get married.

Spooky. Eerily prescient, Friday.
I almost think the Underground's favorite cyborg must have been time-traveling!

Harry will die [...] He's also going to die willingly in a manor to take Voldomort with him.

I think Snape in proving he is a good guy after all will end up dying.

Damn... not bad! Better guesses than mine, at least.

My first all nighter, and I pulled it to read Harry Potter...how sad is that?

Well, it got you +1 karma from me

[lildog]

I thought the book started off rocking but got a little dull in the middle.  From the point the three of them were on the run to when things started heating up with them finding the sword it just dragged.  Ok I get the point they are camping out on the run and lonely with no idea which direction they are going.  Did she really need to devote that much time to it?

I also thought Dumbledore was alive.  That shocked me.  I just kept expecting that he was going to appear, or at least appear as a ghost.

That's something I couldn't figure out either... why do some characters like nearly headless Nick live on as ghosts but yet other characters like Harry's parents and nearly everyone who dies in the series not?

I also found fault with the fact nearly every adult dies but very few kids did.

Over all though I loved the series.  Can't wait to see what JK does next, I guess she's planning some sort of Potter companion with facts she couldn't fit into the store, side stores, etc

[toowm]

The one thing that bugged me almost through the whole book was how stupid Voldemort became. I did enjoy it, and especially appreciate that it finished, unlike the long series from George R. R. Martin and Robert Jordan (maybe won't be finished due to his health).

[Rochelle]

Spoiler, naturally:
but I never had any issues with Dumbledore dying, totally accepted that. I called Sirius' death before it happened and was absolutely fine with that.

But...but...Tonks and Remus? That just really pissed me off Remus' life sucked, he deserved a happy ending. Tonks was really young so that was unfair...and then the fact that they had both had a kid! That made me so mad. JK Rowling has some 'splainin to do...but lately I've figured that the whole purpose of both of them dying was to show how senseless it all was, etc...but I would still like her to try and justify it

The one thing that bugged me almost through the whole book was how stupid Voldemort became. I did enjoy it, and especially appreciate that it finished, unlike the long series from George R. R. Martin and Robert Jordan (maybe won't be finished due to his health).

Song of Ice and Fire? I'm sure he'll finish it...it's just morphing and morphing...and morphing. I can't wait til the next one that series

[KBCraig]

I didn't read Harry Potter.

But I'm itching for the third book in the Eragon trilogy!

[Friday]

Finished yesterday.  Went through half a box of Kleenex at various points in the epic tale, and I agree with L'il Dog that it did drag in bits, but overall, an excellent wrapup to the series.  I don't like to think of the movie they will make of it, though; so much of the drama is internal in this one.

Next post will have spoilers.