The Final Chapter

[le_bebna_kamni]

Yes, I did a pre-order of the final Harry Potter book. It's the only one in the series that I've actually purchased within a year of release, but I figured that $15 for a hardcover book is a great deal. On a side note, I was speculating with a friend about just how rich Ms. Rowling must be by now. Given that the last book has already sold 72.1 million copies in the first three days of its release (and if we assume that all her other books have sold as "poorly"), if she only made $.05 a copy sold she would still have over $25 million for all the books sold. In reality, the author has made over $1 billion dollars.

So without further ado...

Book #23: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling

Clocking in at a full 759 pages, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is quite a heavy read for a children's book. Come to think of it, I'm not really sure this ought to be a children's book, given how many people are killed or seriously injured, and sometimes in quite graphical ways. I mean, Fred (or was it George?) losing an ear at the beginning of the book was quite gruesome, Hermoine getting tortured by Bellatrix was disturbing, and Voldemort setting Neville on fire at the end was also not what I would call child-friendly material.

While I don't have a problem with profanity as such, I was also a bit shocked at how much was allowed in this book. J.K. Rowling may have begun the Harry Potter series for 10- and 11-year-olds, but this no longer seems the case. The material seems much more like something I've seen in a 16- or 17-year-old's book. As one friend pointed out to me, it seems like the books are growing up right along with the characters.

All in all, though, Rowling's book is just as much a page-turner as her other books have been. While I thought their continual escapes from being caught were a bit overdone, and it pushed cheesiness to keep saying that "love" is the magic that conquers all, the book was still excellent. I was especially pleased to have my initial predictions of Snape's innocence confirmed.

Definitely a good ending to a great series.

So is J.K. Rowling going to settle for the $1 billion and retire, or does she have something else up her sleeve?

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Hey, I was just thinking of emailing you and asking you the same question! Most Saturdays are good for me...heck, most days except Thursday and Friday are good for me since I'm off of classes until September. The only bad week that I know of is August 2-8.

Drop me a call or send me an e-mail (or if I don't hear from you by tomorrow I'll catch you first)!

By the way, I somehow doubt that Rowling would make cheesy Hollywood movies. I think she wants to continue to be a best-selling author, and cheesy movies can sometimes kill the sales for books...

[le-bebna-kamni.livejournal.com]

I don't know why my comment replied with anonymous, but that last one was from me. By the way, have you been receiving any of the e-mails I've sent you?

[(Anonymous)]

Hey there, yes, I'll be calling you later today to set up a time to hang out! I've finally gotten my schedule straightened and I was waiting till your volks had left.