Thursday, July 26, 2007

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Book 11/25

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

While I wasn't up to fighting hordes of small children to get my copy at midnight, I was one of those people who pre-ordered my copy months ahead of time and had Amazon deliver it straight to my door on the 21st. I then set my roommate strict instructions to wake me the second the doorbell was wrung, so I wouldn't have it sit on my doorstep any longer than necessary. Ordinarily, I would have barricaded myself in my room until I finished the book, but the wretched requirement of work caused me to take three days to finish the book - a sad, new record. *~*

With the exception of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Ms. Rowling has never disappointed me, and this final installment was no exception. Her writing ability has awed me from the beginning, and while there were no surprises in this book (let's face it, we all knew Voldemort was the bad guy), she still wove the story brilliantly. She managed to maintain a level of suspense throughout the book, so that it was very difficult to close it and set it aside. She also took away characters that left a strong impression on you, and, I admit, she had me in tears, at one point. I'd say that I was angry or shocked, but, considering that we all know where this book was going, I'm not. She did what a true author has to and made necessary sacrifices.

It wasn't perfect, as much as I did enjoy it and will read it again (as soon as I can prise it out of my boyfriend's fingers). I was a little tired of the exact same descriptions being used in all seven books. Yes, it set up continuity, but, honestly, couldn't she have found a new way to describe Snape's greasy hair besides the curtain angle? Also, I'm not really sure the Deathly Hallows element contributed anything to the story. It was an added confusion that I had trouble folding into the story I already knew concerning the Horcruxes. The Elder Wand made a kind of sense, but the Cloak and Resurrection Stone...they felt tacked on for the sake of preserving the fairy tale Rule of Three. It didn't seem like they really contributed anything, save some narrow escapes, and a reason for Xenophilus Lovegood (though, frankly, what we already know of Luna made Xenophilus' cracked mind understandable). I admit, it makes for a nice title, but it wasn't really needed, in my opinion; the book was strong enough on its own.

The ending was what I was expecting, right down to the Epilogue, which was completely unnecessary. I've heard some people muttering that they wanted to know what happened to several characters, but, really, if you've read the entire series, you know. You know where everyone is going to fall; you don't need a very confusing epilogue (she needed to invest in a baby names book, I think, just to flesh out her characters' list a bit more) to tell you. And that's the most that I'll say, as I don't want to throw out any spoilers for those who haven't finished reading the book.

It was everything I'd come to expect and more. As I said, Ms. Rowling rarely disappoints.
Posted by Andria :: 3:05 PM :: 0 comments

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---------------oOo--------------- Alphabet of Thorn

Book 10/25

Patricia A. McKillip's Alphabet of Thorn

This is another book I had passed to me by a co-worker, who knew I read fantasy. The summary was vaguely interesting, so I decided to give it a try. Too bad the best part of the book was the cover art.

Quoted as a "book about a book," it's populated with nothing save tired, cardboard archetypes. There is no depth to any of the characters, and no explanations for their feelings or actions. Nepenthe is the only one with some background, but even it isn't interesting, in the least. As soon as you find out that she was an orphan, abandoned on the side of a cliff, you know what her real identity is going to become. Every plot element, from the deciphering of the thorns to the abilities of the Queen Tessera (which come out of nowhere and have no logical explanation), to Bourne staying beside Nepenthe is predictable. There are no surprises anywhere, not even in the tales of Axis and Kane.

The back-and-forth shifting between Nepenthe and Kane is set up poorly; you are jolted each time the shift is made, because it fragments the action and throws the timeline into confusion. That may have been Ms. McKillip's intent, but it makes for very aggravated reading. Several times, I had to back up and figure out what had happened, or to check if I'd accidentally skipped pages. It was impossible to get lost in this book; there was a constant awareness that I was sitting, holding a book - populated with just as uninteresting paper characters. Bourne is useless, save as eye candy, Tessera makes no sense whatsoever (save that somebody had to save the day, and, of course, it should be a Queen), and Nepenthe, for all of her proclaimed intelligence, is an idiot. She doesn't figure out what's going on until it's already too late to stop it, and then she seems surprised. It's a scene at odds with the proclamations of her amazing translation abilities.

As for the ending...not one person had an ending that made any sense. Kane violated her character beyond belief, and Nepenthe just accepts her own ending. Bourne, typically, has to give a sparkle to the archetype of the poor orphan librarian (wishful thinking upon the part of the author?). And Tessera...Tessera just doesn't make any sense, and I'm not really certain why she exists in the story. One second, she's a sniveling baby who can't do anything, the next she's an actual Queen, with every resource she could possibly need - without a single believable moment of transition.

It was a drawn-out read for a short book, and nothing I care to repeat. I was more than happy to see the end roll around, simply so I could add it to my pile of books being donated to the library. Perhaps if you are a Nepenthe yourself, it would be appealing, but it isn't to anyone who reads fantasy regularly, and is tired of boring storylines and archetypes.

Posted by Andria :: 2:49 PM :: 0 comments

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