Rating:  -
Book reviews aren't what I'm used to doing, but really, Harry Potter is great. Being the seventh and the last book in the Harry Potter series, and being the second in the whole series that I have ever read, the first being the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was fantastic. The whole thing just filled you up with strong emotions. One of the first things you would react to, within the first chapter, was the revolving body hanging in Malfoy Manor. Looking up at a body, it's face toward you, not knowing if it's dead or alive, would just send shivers down your spine. In other parts of the story, you would find a lot of mixed feelings throughout. During Bill and Fleur's wedding, you would get a happy feeling for love to appear, even in the dangerous adventure Harry, Ron and Hermione are about to go through. When it came that the three were captured by Fenrir Greyback (a werewolf and servant of Voldemort, although technically not a Death Eater) and were taken to Malfoy Manor, you would have a sense of horror, when they were thrown in the basement. But they realize they are not alone. Olivander, the preferred wandmaker for new, 1st year students entering Hogwarts, Sean and Luna, two of there classmates back at Hogwarts, are also trapped in the basement. With the help of Dobby, a friend of Harry's and a freed house elf, they help Olivander, Sean and Luna escape by Disapperation and allow Harry, Ron and Hermione to escape the basement and battle their captors above ground. Nearing the end of the story, you don't really know what's going to happen. When Harry, Ron and Hermione came back to Hogwarts to search for the last of Voldemort's Horocruxes, Voldemort's Death Eaters, who have infiltrated the school through the Ministry of Magic, find Harry and alert Voldemort to Harry's arrival at Hogwarts. When the school staff learns that Voldemort is coming to Hogwarts, they evacuate all the students and those that are of age can stay and fight. Battle after battle, spell after spell, people begin to fall to the spells. Then it all leads to Harry and Voldemort, wand to wand. And then, their final battle begins.
Rating:  -
Rather than review the book, which I find to be generally outstanding and a satisfying end to the series, I'd instead like to review Jim Dale's reading of it.
This is my second "reading" of The Deathly Hallows, but my first foray into audiobooks. I thought it would be good filler during a road trip and beach vacation when I would be unable to actually pick up a book. Now home from that trip, I can't stop listening to it.
Dale's pacing slows me down and allows me to appreciate details I probably skim past while reading at my usual steady clip. His inflection draws you in, brings Rowling's rich world out of the words, gives a wink and a nod during the fleeting happy moments, and sets you on edge as tension rises. He provides a distinctive and appropriate voice for each character, bringing life to their personalities.
The one rather major exception I take is with Hermione's voice; the younger women's voices in general sound a bit strained, but not distractingly so. Hermione's parts, however, are spoken with a whiney inflection that elongates the last syllable of words and gets high and squeaky at the end ("Haa-rryyYYY"). Rather than making her sound reproachful or thoughtful, as I'm sure is intended, it makes her sound a bit dim-witted, almost like a thoughtless stereotype of someone with a disability. Emma Watson (Hermione in film), in contrast, manages to enunciate each syllable while simultaneously spitting out the words like the intellectual bullets they usually are.
To sum it up: while drifting off into his otherwise excellent reading, it's jarring and distracting to suddenly have such strange portrayal of a character who speaks with such frequency.
Rating: -
Like many I wouldn't have wanted the series to end, but all good things apparently do
Rating: -
My husband and I have listened to all J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books on tape, and have loved them all. We finally got a chance to hear Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on a road trip this summer. While we enjoyed it, we thought that it was good--but not great.
The late Albus Dumbledore had charged wizard Harry Potter to seek out and destroy horcruxes. Harry is allowed to bring his closest friends, Ron and Hermione, with him on this dangerous mission. Dumbledore bequeathed each of them a gift, but without any instructions on how they are to be used. Harry receives a snitch, Ron an illuminator, and Hermione the children's book The Tales of Beedle the Bard. The trio decide to forego their final year at Hogwarts in their quest to accomplish Dumbledore's assignment. Their achieving success is especially important as Lord Voldemort now controls both the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts.
I found the plot was too long, too involved, and too spotty. At 21 hours, it was often difficult to keep things straight. There was just way too much going on, and much of it wasn't necessary to the story. The Deathly Hallows was definitely darker than the previous books and I missed the emphasis on Hogwarts. On the plus side, we learn much more about the history between Lily and James Potter (Harry's Parents), Professor Snape, Lupin and Sirius Black. Also, reader Jim Dale is a master and perhaps the best narrator alive. His dozens and dozens of voices are just amazing.
While I felt there were some problems with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, as a whole, the series is definitely a classic for children and adults alike. It has already been announced that Rowling will publish a book called The Tales of Beedle the Bard in December. Maybe it will give Harry Potter fans who are going through withdrawal a little bit of a fix.
Rating: -
This was a great ending to a great series. I loved all 7 books in the series and this was an exciting ending to an epic story.
There were tears but also great triumphs that make it worth reading over and over again.
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