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Sunday, July 22, 2007

All Good Things

Okay, so here's where I have to make kind of an embarrassing admission: the last post I wrote about the final Harry Potter book was, I'm sorry to tell you, a work of fiction. I do not, in reality, have a cousin named Bjorn. This non-existent cousin did not, then, steal me a copy of Deathly Hallows. In truth, none of the things I said happened in the book actually happened in the book. It was all one big lie. I'm ashamed.

I will say, though, that Voldemort is certainly Dick Cheney's brother in spirit, if not in fact.

That confession out of the way, I can now say that I totally ignored my wife yesterday (hi, honey! kisses and hugs!) and plowed through the book like a college freshman with his bottle of cut-rate tequila. Unlike your average freshman, though, I didn't end up puking all over my shoes in my friend's backseat outside of a dance club.

So, the book? Loved it. Most of what I figured would happen did, in fact, happen. But Rowling planted enough red herrings that I made a few incorrect guesses and was, happily, surprised a number of times.

I laughed. I cried. I cheered. Fortunately, I did this alone on my couch and not in public, where I'd have to worry what people thought of a 36-year-old man reading a children's book with snot pouring out of his nose.

Seriously, though, the book had more than its share of both "Oh, shit!" moments and "Oh, no!" moments. It also had one or two sections that maybe meandered a bit more than I would have liked, but I actually kind of appreciated them, as it was somewhat akin to that conversation you have in the doorway after your good friends have put their coats on but before they actually walk to their car and drive away. Wow. What a horrendously tortured analogy.

Anyway, I won't give anything away, except to say that, for me, this book cured me of the feeling that house elves were basically the Ewoks of the series, ruining my enjoyment with their cutesy/nauseating bullshit. And that's saying something.

Whew. I can now get on with my life. My sad and pathetic, non-magical life. Shit.

posted by Joe # 11:39 AM

Comments:

Saturday, during the top of Act II, I decided to bring the book with me while I waited for my cue.

And I'm reading along, all is well. Then I hit page 260 (or the chapter beginning around there) and the world disappeared. Next thing I know:

"Psst! Psst!"

I had missed my entrance. Classy.

# posted by

the beige one : 2:08 PM

Nice work, Beigey.

Joe, sounds like you are feeling the letdown I am. The books are done, and the world seems less magical. Crap.

I loved most of the book, too, though I had some issues, and felt like the last chapter was, well, cheesy, albeit necessary.

# posted by

JJisafool : 6:18 PM

Beigey, that's so weird, 'cause usually when you miss a cue, it's because you're drunk.

JJ, yeah there were a few things I wasn't nuts about. We had the usual bits of clunky exposition for people who hadn't just re-read the entire series. I didn't really think the Deathly Hallows bit was all that fucking necessary; the book would have worked just as well focusing on Harry destroying the Horcruxes (Horcruxi?) And I thought two deaths in particular (dropped simultaneously in our laps out of nowhere; I think you know which ones I mean) seemed like Rowling had put a bunch of her characters on her dartboard and said, "Okay, the next two to kick it are..."

And, like you, I thought the epilogue kind of sucked ass. I would've been much more satisfied with an Animal House-style (or Garp-esque, if you need a more literary reference) Where Are They Now kind of thing would have worked a whole lot better than the shmear of marmalade that closed out such a great series.

# posted by

Joe : 7:14 PM

re: missed cues - I think you have me confused with our esteemed colleague, Skot.

RE: Hallows - I think the epilogue is going to be the anchovie of the book/series...I was okay with it; and felt it kind of necessary to stanch the greedy "let's write another" impulse

# posted by

the beige one : 7:22 PM

Oh, Joe, you're not pathetic! You should have seen me with this book...I stopped a few times to bargain with the gods for Harry's life. :) My whole family adores the series, it's the only thing we all like, and now it's over. We're all a bit depressed.

# posted by

Anonymous : 4:45 AM

Sunday, July 22, 2007

All Good Things

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		Sunday, July 22, 2007 All Good Things Okay, so here's where I have to make kind of an embarrassing admission: the last post I wrote about the final Harry Potter book was, I'm sorry to tell you, a work of fiction. I do not, in reality, have a cousin named Bjorn. This non-existent cousin did not, then, steal me a copy of Deathly Hallows. In truth, none of the things I said happened in the book actually happened in the book. It was all one big lie. I'm ashamed. I will say, though, that Voldemort is certainly Dick Cheney's brother in spirit, if not in fact. That confession out of the way, I can now say that I totally ignored my wife yesterday (hi, honey! kisses and hugs!) and plowed through the book like a college freshman with his bottle of cut-rate tequila. Unlike your average freshman, though, I didn't end up puking all over my shoes in my friend's backseat outside of a dance club. So, the book? Loved it. Most of what I figured would happen did, in fact, happen. But Rowling planted enough red herrings that I made a few incorrect guesses and was, happily, surprised a number of times. I laughed. I cried. I cheered. Fortunately, I did this alone on my couch and not in public, where I'd have to worry what people thought of a 36-year-old man reading a children's book with snot pouring out of his nose. Seriously, though, the book had more than its share of both "Oh, shit!" moments and "Oh, no!" moments. It also had one or two sections that maybe meandered a bit more than I would have liked, but I actually kind of appreciated them, as it was somewhat akin to that conversation you have in the doorway after your good friends have put their coats on but before they actually walk to their car and drive away. Wow. What a horrendously tortured analogy. Anyway, I won't give anything away, except to say that, for me, this book cured me of the feeling that house elves were basically the Ewoks of the series, ruining my enjoyment with their cutesy/nauseating bullshit. And that's saying something. Whew. I can now get on with my life. My sad and pathetic, non-magical life. Shit. posted by Joe # 11:39 AM Comments: Saturday, during the top of Act II, I decided to bring the book with me while I waited for my cue. And I'm reading along, all is well. Then I hit page 260 (or the chapter beginning around there) and the world disappeared. Next thing I know: "Psst! Psst!" I had missed my entrance. Classy. # posted by the beige one : 2:08 PM Nice work, Beigey. Joe, sounds like you are feeling the letdown I am. The books are done, and the world seems less magical. Crap. I loved most of the book, too, though I had some issues, and felt like the last chapter was, well, cheesy, albeit necessary. # posted by JJisafool : 6:18 PM Beigey, that's so weird, 'cause usually when you miss a cue, it's because you're drunk. JJ, yeah there were a few things I wasn't nuts about. We had the usual bits of clunky exposition for people who hadn't just re-read the entire series. I didn't really think the Deathly Hallows bit was all that fucking necessary; the book would have worked just as well focusing on Harry destroying the Horcruxes (Horcruxi?) And I thought two deaths in particular (dropped simultaneously in our laps out of nowhere; I think you know which ones I mean) seemed like Rowling had put a bunch of her characters on her dartboard and said, "Okay, the next two to kick it are..." And, like you, I thought the epilogue kind of sucked ass. I would've been much more satisfied with an Animal House-style (or Garp-esque, if you need a more literary reference) Where Are They Now kind of thing would have worked a whole lot better than the shmear of marmalade that closed out such a great series. # posted by Joe : 7:14 PM re: missed cues - I think you have me confused with our esteemed colleague, Skot. RE: Hallows - I think the epilogue is going to be the anchovie of the book/series...I was okay with it; and felt it kind of necessary to stanch the greedy "let's write another" impulse # posted by the beige one : 7:22 PM Oh, Joe, you're not pathetic! You should have seen me with this book...I stopped a few times to bargain with the gods for Harry's life. :) My whole family adores the series, it's the only thing we all like, and now it's over. We're all a bit depressed. # posted by Anonymous : 4:45 AM Post a Comment << Home		Links The Conversation Special Productions Izzle Pfaff Freida Bee Sometimes I Just Talk Alisa and the Stuff Alisa Does Tuna Girl Defective Yeti The Incurable Insomniac The Savvy, The Extreme and The Idealist Caballito del Diablo The Ambivalence of Open Spaces Bug-Eyed Blog Whiskeymarie Version 53 Things I've Noticed (S)wine: ShortLeanCuts Out of Tune Missives from the Beige Sister of Hairshirt Apostrophe Abuse Jonestown Tobacco Brunette The Public Intellectual That's Why Archives July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 March 2011 April 2011