Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows [平装]

Starred Review. Potter fans, relax—this review packs no spoilers. Instead, we're taking advantage of our public platform to praise Rowling for the excellence of her plotting. We can't think of anyone else who has sustained such an intricate, endlessly inventive plot over seven thick volumes and so constantly surprised us with twists, well-laid traps and Purloined Letter-style tricks. Hallows continues the tradition, both with sly feats of legerdemain and with several altogether new, unexpected elements. Perhaps some of the surprises in Hallows don't have quite the punch as those of earlier books, but that may be because of the thoroughness and consistency with which Rowling has created her magical universe, and because we've so raptly absorbed its rules.

We're also seizing the occasion to wish out loud that her editors had done their jobs more actively. It's hard to escape the notion that the first three volumes were more carefully edited than the last four. Hallows doesn't contain the extraneous scenes found in, say, Goblet of Fire, but the momentum is uneven. Rowling is much better at comedy than at fight scenes, and no reader of the sixth book will be startled to hear that Hallows has little humor or that its characters engage in more than a few fights. Surely her editors could have helped her find other methods of building suspense besides the use of ellipses and dashes? And craft fight dialogue that sounds a bit less like it belongs in a comic book? Okay, we're quibbling. We know these minor nuisances won't dent readers' enjoyment, at least not this generation of readers; we couldn't put Hallows down ourselves. But we believe Rowling, and future readers, deserved even better. Ages 9-12. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Grade 6 Up—In this concluding volume, Rowling brings together the themes and characters familiar to her readers, providing thrills both expected and unexpected. Harry, Ron, and Hermione set out on the mission left to Harry by Albus Dumbledore, to search for the remaining Horcruxes, the hidden pieces of Voldemort's soul that must be destroyed to ensure his final defeat. Harry and his friends find themselves fugitives, but help comes from unexpected quarters and old friends. Harry is also searching for the truth about Dumbledore's life, as he tries to reconcile rumors about the man's past with the heroic headmaster he thought he knew. The legend of the Deathly Hallows, three magical objects that have the power to overcome death, proves to be related to Dumbledore's past as well as the present conflict. While the plot wanders somewhat on its way there, the final battle with Voldemort, involving a full range of friends and foes, is Rowling at her finest. The headstrong plot involves clues and characters from all of the volumes, building on details and tying up loose ends. An underlying message about the power of truth and redemption is reflected in a range of characters, combining with mythic allusions to give depth to the series as a whole. Hallows continues the darker tone of Half-Blood Prince, and there's no Quidditch to be found here, though there are comic moments. Fans of the series will devour this lengthy tome and will be left hoping for more tales from this fully fleshed out fantastic world.—Beth L. Meister, Pleasant View Elementary School, Franklin, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

*Starred Review* The cloak of inevitability hangs on the final installment of the Harry Potter series. One must die, one will live. Friends will be distinguished from foes. All will be revealed. To Rowling's great credit, she manages this finale with the flair and respect for her audience that have permeated the previous six novels, though the mood here is quite different. The story has a certain flatness that extends through much of the book. Rowling can no longer rely on diversions like Quidditch matches and trips to Hogsmead for relief; Harry has made the decision not to return to Hogwarts. Aided by Hermione and Ron, he will instead search for the remaining Horcruxes that hide pieces of Voldemorte's soul. Danger and death are in the air, but Rowling skillfully deals both out in tightly controlled bursts that are juxtaposed against periods of indecision, false leads, and even boredom as the trio try to divine their next moves. Most startling are the new elements, including the not-altogether-successful introduction of the Deathly Hallows. These magical artifacts unnecessarily up the total of things that Harry is looking for by three, and the ownership of one of the Hallows, a wand, may lead to confusion for readers at a climactic moment. More successful additions, adding depth and weight, are the multilayered revelation of Dumbledore's family history and the brilliantly handled answer to the question of Severus Snape's allegiance. Throughout, Rowling returns to and embellishes the hallmark themes of the series: the importance of parental influences, the redemptive power of sacrifice, and the strength found in love. These truths are the underpinnings of a finale that is worthy of fans' hopes and expectations. Cooper, Ilene --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Theres only one word that can describe Jim Dales work on HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS--magical. Few audiobook narrators can stretch the medium like Dale as he interprets more than 200 characters, giving each a distinctive voice. Giants, wizards, elves, witches, centaurs, and muggles have singular voices that are instantly recognizable. Its hard to imagine anyone else doing justice to J.K. Rowlings brilliant finale to the story of the boy wizard as he conquers fear and turns into a man. Dale has raised the bar on audiobook interpretation so high its hard to imagine any narrator vaulting over it. If anyone were going to make a case that listening to an audiobook is superior to reading it, this book would be the best evidence. Bravo. M.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, AudioFile Best Audiobook of 2007, 2008 Grammy Nominee © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews
1. Different but no less magical!, 24 Jul 2007
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　By K. Rooke "Kat" (London, UK)

If your favorite part of the Harry Potter books is Hogwarts, be warned now that Harry has left school, as he said in 'the Half Blood Prince', and is searching for the Horcruxes. Because of this, 'The Deathly Hollows' is very different to the rest of the books.

This is very dark, and there os a lot of death in its pages. When Rowling said there would be deaths, I never imagined her killing off some of the people she has done. A couple of deaths sent me reeling, (yes, I know it's just a book, but one gets so attatched to characters!) and I think she was very clever to kill off the people she did. Although I'm a bit put out that all my favorites have been killed off either in this one or the previous two!

A lot of questions are answered...then again a few questions are not answered, which is as it should be.

I enjoyed the introduction of some characters we have heard of but never met, and also some characters we had never even heard of who were in the background all along.
We also welcome back some characters who have been gone for a few books.

Rowling is a very creative woman - the things she comes up with are amazing!!! Technically her writing style is nothing extraordinary ... never has been... but when one is propelled into this magical world, who really cares?!

2. Seven books, ten years... this is the end, 24 Jul 2007
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　By Ben (Ashbourne)

So writing a review for what is now officially the fastest selling book ever in the UK is probably about as productive as a herion addiction - this is Harry freakin' Potter for crying out loud, there are tiny flecks of rock on the moon who've at least seen one of the movies. If you're any sort of fan, you've already got a copy and are at least half way through and are only on here because, like me, you want to know what others thought of the long awaited conclusion to one of the greatest and most sucessful series of books in history.

Well, I think the five star rating must say something for starters. Revelations and conclusions aside, this is another very entertaining book from Rowling with all the hallmarks of the previous books. There's the odd clunky phrase here and there and her sudden location changing can result in the reader having to go back and find out where they are. The connection between Harry and Voldemort is a great device that allows us to see what the old rascal is up to without moving away from the view point of our central hero (something Rowling only ever seems to do in the first chapter) however her language is not quite fluid enough to make the transgressions completely confusion free. Having said that however, there were moments of wonderful lyricism that really surprised me - for example (LOOK AWAY NOW if you've NOT READ up to Chapter 24 yet) the death of our favourite house elf, summed up thus, "...and his eyes were nothing more than great, glassy orbs sprinkled with light from the stars they could not see" was beautifuly simple and really touching.

The thing is this though, Harry Potter has first and foremost been a children's book and as a kid you're not interested in detailed descriptions and sophistocated launguage, you want a damn good story and that is what Rowling has delivered consistantly over the course of her seven incredible books. She is a master story teller and knows exactly how to steer the reader though the journey. 'The Deathly Hallows' is much paceier than most of the other books as JK keeps us entertained with action and information on every page. The tension dips a little only in the middle as the trio's search unearths deadend after deadend, but then I suppose it would. There are far too many amazing moments to name and I wouldn't wish to spoil it for anyone, but I will say that the conclusion to the scene depicted on the (original 'kid's') cover is going to look astonishing on film!

A review below seemed to cast aspersions on the reality of some of the relationships in the book and how they are depicted at the end. True, it does seem a little idealistic that these would all work out however old JK has not been without her plot development. Tell me, who, in times of crisis does Harry's thoughts find their way to? And just think about Ron's attitude to house elves in book four with SPEW, and his comment during the Battle of Hogwarts. My how he's grown!

I think to really enjoy the book it should be read without any preconceptions and certainly not just waiting for the next big death. Sometimes I felt whilst making my way through it that I was only reading so I could get to the next bit; I wasn't taking in and enjoying the section I was on. Secrets are uncovered and Harry's story is finally revealed, but make sure to enjoy the ride, this is a wonderful book and much more than just it's final chapters.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was J.K. Rowling's first novel, followed by Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, as well as two books written specifically for Comic Relief and based on the Harry Potter novels: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages. The Harry Potter novels have now sold 350 million copies worldwide and been translated into 64 languages. J.K. Rowling has generated huge popular appeal for her books across the generations in an unprecedented fashion: she was the first children's author to be voted the BA Author of the Year, and also to win the British Book Awards Author of the Year.

Complete Cover of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Adults' Edition)