After 6 epic novels, the tale of Harry Potter finally comes to a close in The Deathly Hallows. As a fervent Potter fan, this can be nothing but bit... (show more)
After 6 epic novels, the tale of Harry Potter finally comes to a close in The Deathly Hallows. As a fervent Potter fan, this can be nothing but bittersweet. There are few living authors that can keep you engaged in the way J.K. Rowling can. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a tremendous novel, a fitting conclusion to the end of one of the greatest stories of post-modern fiction.
J.K. Rowling is a unique author in that that, above all things, she is a storyteller. She doesn’t delve into the deepest reaches of the human condition, questioning the metaphysical, or shed light on uncomfortable truths. She tells stories. Harry Potter, like the fairy tales that influenced her is a story of good and evil, the power of love and compassion persevering despite unthinkable obstacles and tragic loss. The formula has been done a million of times before, but she presents it in such a way that seems fresh and new. She goes through a conscious effort to tie emotional responses to the character’s actions. There are times this comes across as overly melodramatic, but there is no denying it’s effect. You care about Harry Potter and his comrades unlike few characters in post-modern fiction. The formula for a good story starts with an emotional attachment to the character’s actions and reactions, and at this there is no denying her success.
The novel, like all her previous works, is written plainly. Sentences are short and succinct, dialog quick and snappy. This deliberately simplistic style causes the novel to flow effortlessly from one harrowing event to the next. The beauty is not in the language itself, but rather, in the fantastic plot it creates. There are some that credit this “simple” writing as catering to children, but this conclusion does Mrs. Rowling a grave disservice. True, this clearly isn’t Joyce, but plain, simple, writing has its own charm and allure, she never lets the words get in the way of the story, and as a storyteller, this is paramount.
Compared to the previous Harry Potter novels, this is the most well-conceived since The Goblet of Fire. The action never lulls, like it does at times in The Half-Blood Prince, and throughout The Order of the Phoenix. The ending was conceived before she began book one, and this is apparent from the very beginning. Action starts from chapter one and remains consistent till the very end. The grim ending of The Half-Blood Prince is the perfect segway into The Deathly Hallows, as tragedy and struggle follow the characters every step of the way. To me, it seems that Mrs. Rowling struggled to get through books five and six because she had all of this amazing content bottled up for the epic final novel. She had to flesh out the events leading up to the end, but refrain from revealing her biggest plot twists and turns for the last full measure.
The novel does have it’s faults, however. I believe she got overzealous in executing her characters. She wanted to portray that this is a war, and in war there are casualties, but she goes overboard. At times characters die for no apparent reason other than to raise the body count. She clearly does this emphisize the burden on Potter’s shoulders, but she got a little carried away.
The novel, thankfully, explains all the previous mysteries that has plagued Harry for all of these years, and does so very elegantly. I hope this is the last we hear about Harry Potter and his comrades. Not because I don’t want to hear about their future trials and tribulations, but like any good story, it must end. The story finally reaches its denouement, and anything else would serve to only tarnish it’s greatness. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows is a testament to the power of good storytelling. While other author’s try to mimic Hemingway and Faulkner, J.K. Rowling has a singular pursuit, to tell a great story, the fantastic tale of the Boy Who Lived, and at this, she has few equals. (show less)
