The End of an Age
The first Harry Potter book came out in 1997, when I was 9 years old. I don't believe a copy came into my life until I was 11 - the same age as young wizards begin their time at Hogwarts. My grade school required all books to be read and approved by parents before being put on the shelves, and my mother had heard that this book was supposed to be some kind of phenomenon, so she brought it home. Her intention was to read it out loud to us every night as family time, at which idea my sister and I groaned. We were not interested, we didn't want to be read to, but we were grudgingly dragged into it.
It grew on us quickly. Every evening, mom would sit down on the couch, dad in his chair, and Elisabeth and I would get ourselves comfy. My mother is a wonderful reader, and her voice brought the story to life from the pages. We were enchanted, to say the least. Every night we'd want to hear more and more, not wanting to be done and go to bed. By the time the book ended, we'd forgotten we were ever disdainful of the idea and could hardly wait to get our hands on the next book.
This continued as the series grew, until I think book five, when Elisabeth was mad to read it first and so sequestered herself with it for a couple days, then it was my turn. The same with book six. For book seven, I was in Germany - my only english books were Harry Potter, and I read them rabidly, over and over, eager for the familiar stories to keep the homesickness at bay. I even read them in German. I remember being devastated at the end of book 7 that Fred was dead, and sad that the books were over.
When the first movie came out, I was thrilled. The stories that were such a huge part of my childhood (still in process) were coming to life! It was fairly magical. As time went on, the movies lost a lot of their charm, and some I didn't even see in theatres, and still don't really remember having seen in their entirety, though I know I did. I have only the vaguest memories at all of Deathly Hallows part 1. They just don't have the same thrill as the books, they don't make me warm and fuzzy inside, or burst into laughter at the turn of a phrase. The various directors don't have J.K. Rowling's touch.
Not wanting to brave the midnight fanatics, I went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (what a mouthful!) early this morning. I went in knowing that this was part of the end of my childhood, part of officially being an adult at last - Harry Potter was going to be over. All the books written, all the movies finished. I wasn't really expecting much, not having cared for the last movie enough to watch it more than once.
How wrong I was.
The last half of Book 7 is, in my opinion, some of the best writing Rowling has done. Once everyone starts converging on the castle, my heart rises in my chest and I am riveted to the pages, unwilling to put it down for anything. It's a character reunion, everyone coming to stand up in a brave final battle for all that is good against all that is evil. I laugh, I cry, I get tense, I read frantically, trying to see what happens next, and yet trying to slow myself down so that it won't end...again. I just want that last half to last forever.
The movie was exceptionally well done, true to the book in every important aspect. It's always fun to go with crowds of fans (though since this was morning there weren't many in costume), mostly because of the mass reactions to anything on screen - laughter, applause, cheering. There were so many moments! I could happily go through scene by scene, detailing how well things were done, but I shall limit myself.
I loved the dragon - she was possibly the best dragon I have seen in a movie, ever. If anyone were ever to fulfill my nerdy heart's desire and make a (high class, quality) movie of Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern, I would want this person to do the dragons, so that they might be done justice.
Just like in the book, I love the preparation for the battle, the intensity building as the end approaches. Mostly, though, I love Professor Minerva McGonagall. That woman! Ah!
I was so impressed with how well this movie was handled. The use of silence was exceptional. While not filled with excessive pathos at the death scenes, I did indeed shed tears as beloved characters passed, or reappeared (though not as much as I did at reading the book). The very ending didn't touch me quite as much as the written version, but that could be because I was laughing at how much the characters did not look 19 years older than the moment before.
My first reaction - after the clapping had subsided - was, well, now my childhood is over. There has always been another part to look forward to, for the last 12 years - and now it's come to an end. I grew up on Harry Potter. They used to be tiny and cute, like this
and we watched them grow, laughing as their voices changed and some (like Neville) went through fantastic growth spurts, until they became this:
and now...it is done. Voldy's gone moldy, as Peeves says.
"After all this time."
It grew on us quickly. Every evening, mom would sit down on the couch, dad in his chair, and Elisabeth and I would get ourselves comfy. My mother is a wonderful reader, and her voice brought the story to life from the pages. We were enchanted, to say the least. Every night we'd want to hear more and more, not wanting to be done and go to bed. By the time the book ended, we'd forgotten we were ever disdainful of the idea and could hardly wait to get our hands on the next book.
This continued as the series grew, until I think book five, when Elisabeth was mad to read it first and so sequestered herself with it for a couple days, then it was my turn. The same with book six. For book seven, I was in Germany - my only english books were Harry Potter, and I read them rabidly, over and over, eager for the familiar stories to keep the homesickness at bay. I even read them in German. I remember being devastated at the end of book 7 that Fred was dead, and sad that the books were over.
When the first movie came out, I was thrilled. The stories that were such a huge part of my childhood (still in process) were coming to life! It was fairly magical. As time went on, the movies lost a lot of their charm, and some I didn't even see in theatres, and still don't really remember having seen in their entirety, though I know I did. I have only the vaguest memories at all of Deathly Hallows part 1. They just don't have the same thrill as the books, they don't make me warm and fuzzy inside, or burst into laughter at the turn of a phrase. The various directors don't have J.K. Rowling's touch.
Not wanting to brave the midnight fanatics, I went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (what a mouthful!) early this morning. I went in knowing that this was part of the end of my childhood, part of officially being an adult at last - Harry Potter was going to be over. All the books written, all the movies finished. I wasn't really expecting much, not having cared for the last movie enough to watch it more than once.
How wrong I was.
The last half of Book 7 is, in my opinion, some of the best writing Rowling has done. Once everyone starts converging on the castle, my heart rises in my chest and I am riveted to the pages, unwilling to put it down for anything. It's a character reunion, everyone coming to stand up in a brave final battle for all that is good against all that is evil. I laugh, I cry, I get tense, I read frantically, trying to see what happens next, and yet trying to slow myself down so that it won't end...again. I just want that last half to last forever.
The movie was exceptionally well done, true to the book in every important aspect. It's always fun to go with crowds of fans (though since this was morning there weren't many in costume), mostly because of the mass reactions to anything on screen - laughter, applause, cheering. There were so many moments! I could happily go through scene by scene, detailing how well things were done, but I shall limit myself.
I loved the dragon - she was possibly the best dragon I have seen in a movie, ever. If anyone were ever to fulfill my nerdy heart's desire and make a (high class, quality) movie of Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern, I would want this person to do the dragons, so that they might be done justice.
Just like in the book, I love the preparation for the battle, the intensity building as the end approaches. Mostly, though, I love Professor Minerva McGonagall. That woman! Ah!
I was so impressed with how well this movie was handled. The use of silence was exceptional. While not filled with excessive pathos at the death scenes, I did indeed shed tears as beloved characters passed, or reappeared (though not as much as I did at reading the book). The very ending didn't touch me quite as much as the written version, but that could be because I was laughing at how much the characters did not look 19 years older than the moment before.
My first reaction - after the clapping had subsided - was, well, now my childhood is over. There has always been another part to look forward to, for the last 12 years - and now it's come to an end. I grew up on Harry Potter. They used to be tiny and cute, like this
and we watched them grow, laughing as their voices changed and some (like Neville) went through fantastic growth spurts, until they became this:
and now...it is done. Voldy's gone moldy, as Peeves says."After all this time."
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