Seven Years, Seven Books and Done: The Book List

I closed my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on July 21, 2007 at 9:30pm, turned to my older brother and younger sister and said “Hurry up, guys.” My sister gave a yelp of anguish and frustration; my older brother gave an exasperated “GAH!”; they both turned back to their copies. I got up, walked around, had a piece of Muenster cheese, and waited for them to finish, relieved of the tension and, frankly, agony of reading the seventh book.

Agony? Yes, that’s a term I’d use to describe the first reading of the book, but not because it was awful; on the contrary, I thought it was one of the best books of the series (Half-Blood Prince and Goblet of Fire are still fighting for the honor of best). It was agony, though, to read through the quest to find the Horcruxes and, for some time, the Deathly Hallows (three magical objects which are said to make the possessor immune to death should he or she have all three—a stone to bring back the dead, a cloak of invisibility that cannot lose its power, and a wand said to be the most powerful wand ever made). It was agony to see if the scraps the trio of Harry, Hermione and Ron got themselves into would lead to one of their deaths; it was agony to read about explosions and curses rocking Hogwarts and holding your breath until you found out if anyone had died in the chaos. As secrets were revealed and most become apparent to the reader and to Harry, you waited with trepidation to see where the new revelations would lead the good guys. To have invested so much in these characters, to immerse ourselves completely in a book for the better part of a day, was something perceived as a little crazy by some people; and yet, isn’t it nice to know that words can grab you in such a fierce manner?

As far as time invested in Harry Potter and how I came to like the series, it began in the summer of 2000. I saw my younger sister attend the Goblet of Fire midnight party, smirking all the while as I read what I then perceived to be loftier and more intelligent fare by the likes of Julia Alvarez and the Wakefield Master. I sniffed in disdain as my sister read Goblet during our trip to Mexico that summer, zipping through my own books and writing in my journal. However, 10 days in Mexico proved to be boring, and I finished my books and filled my journal with days left in our trip. I picked up Goblet as an escape, never expecting to be fully sucked in at all. At the end of the book, though, I was ravenous for the beginnings of the story, and already anticipating what would prove to be the 2003 release of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I was hooked, and walked away with the theory that Albus Dumbledore was evil (which I quickly discarded, but, you know—that gleam of triumph scared me a bit).

So here I write, seven years later, delighted to have Deathly Hallowsin my possession, a bit sad to see the series end. Like all of the series, the book was gripping, full of winks and nods to ancient, medieval and Renaissance history (which I love); the humor apparent throughout the first six books is less obvious here, but still there—Fred disappointed in George’s lack of ear jokes after the latter loses one of his is brave laughter in the face of Mad-Eye Moody’s death; tyranny appears not only as Voldemort but as Dolores Umbridge, making a reappearance, seemingly in her element as an employee for the Ministry under Voldemort’s power—her strength lies in following the rules and having order, not in sympathy and protest for the persecuted. Of course, no Potter book would be complete without a Harry-Dumbledore discussion, excellently handled since Dumbledore is, alas, dead. I walked away from the book relieved that I had finished, mourning the characters who had died, and thinking about the possible day in which my own kids might read the end, holding their breaths as Voldemort finally dies, defeated by a much wiser and compassionate Harry.

A few highlights:

• Molly Weasley, demonstrating that she is much more than a housewife by defeating Bellatrix Lestrange. True, you would expect that this is Neville’s battle to win, but he played a nice part, killing Nagini the Horcrux and proving to be just as threatening to Voldemort even though he chose Harry over Neville as his equal when they were babies.
• Unlike some other readers, I was pleased to see the Snape-Lily angle; Snape fell for Harry’s mother well before they set foot in Hogwarts, with Snape letting Lily know what she was and giving her knowledge of what world she was about to enter; however, her sympathy at his miserable home life was a good throwaway line, demonstrating her care of him and his life. Rowling hit the perfect note of two kids talking about the futures that awaited them at school, their worries, and their developing friendship.
• The deaths were hard to read, but they were done well; Harry digging Dobby’s grave by refusing to use magic was heart wrenching, and Fred dying right after he had reconciled with his brother Percy was a blow. (As a side note, I loved Fred Weasley—he’s the Weasley I would totally date, were he real and not dead and I lived in England.) The abruptness of the deaths of Tonks and Lupin was a bit disconcerting—we received no information on how they died, we just saw them lying on a table in the Great Hall next to Fred.
• Harry’s death, as far as it was a death: I knew that, with three chapters left, Harry would somehow come back even as Voldemort Avada Kedavra’d him. I knew that, but the build up to his death was a good exploration of his feeling as he walked willingly into death, feeling more alive that he ever had, accompanied by the shades of those who went before him. Even as he walked into the most fearsome situation he hadn’t even imagined, he did it willingly, he did it loved, and he did it with love.
• The epilogue, while I agree a bit cheesy, seemed like a pretty good end to the series; Harry, who has spent his young life being famous and burdened by the huge responsibility of saving the world (because us Muggles would’ve been screwed had Voldemort come to true power), finally has a chance at a normal life. He marries Ginny, has three kids, and gives one of them the unfortunate name of Albus Severus (I know why he did it, it’s very touching, but it’s still an awful name—sorry, Ms. Rowling). I do wish I knew what the principle members of the D.A. besides Neville—Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Luna—did for a living. I do wish we knew how George handled the death of his twin, Fred; I do wish we knew if Kingsley Shacklebolt went on to become elected Minister of Magic after being temporarily named to the position after the war.

However, you can’t know everything, and perhaps Ms. Rowling will be gracious enough to write the encyclopedia she’s hinted at throughout the years. Additionally, wouldn’t A History of Magicby Bathilda Bagshot (poor woman, by the way) be fun to read (a la Quidditch through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)? It’s hard to believe that it’s time to let Harry Potter go, at least until I have children or my siblings have children; then I can watch them experience the magic all over again, much like Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron do as they send of their kids to Hogwarts at the end of book seven.

Thanks for a great read, Ms. Rowling, that I think will last through the ages and delight many, many kids and their parents to come.

Onto the book list.

Finished:

1) Love Is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield
2) Galileo’s Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith and Love by Dava Sobel
3) Helen of Troy by Margaret George
4) Writing Ann Arbor: A Literary Anthology Edited by Laurence Goldstein
5) You Suck: A Love Story by Christopher Moore
6) Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story by Christopher Moore
7) The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror, Version 2.0 by Christopher Moore
8) Radio On: A Listener’s Diary by Sarah Vowell
9) Evolving God: A Provocative View on the Origins of Religion by Barbara J. King
10) The Secret History by Donna Tartt
11) Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
12) One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding by Rebecca Mead
13) College Girls: Bluestockings, Sex Kittens, and Co-Eds, Then and Now by Lynn Peril
14) Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich
15) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Re-read:

1) Vertical Run by Joseph R. Garber

Currently Reading:

1) Lost for Words: Hidden History of Oxford English Dictionary by Lynda Mugglestone
2) House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende (Translated by Magda Bogin

Waiting To Be Read (Already Purchased, Got as Gifts, Borrowed from My Boyfriend, or Otherwise Accessible without the Use of Funds, But Not an Assurance That I Will Read These Before I Buy More Books):

1) Great Society Subway: A History of the Washington Metro by Zachary M. Schrag