6 posts tagged “harry potter”

I've re-read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and I have frankly changed my original opinion of it. I'm happy that Harry's story ended happily, with his marriage and his family and all, but somehow J.K. Rowling's treatment of the end of it all seems a bit off. It seems hurried for one, and the writing isn't too clean. From a writer's point of view, I'd hate to think that J.K. sacrificed the quality of her writing under pressure to finish the book. :(

Then again, I'm just glad it's over.

Still, for those who want more of Harry, and those who feel that J.K. has left so many things unsaid, this one's for you.

J.K. Rowling goes Beyond the Epilogue

[info from various sources including MSNBC and USA Today]

J.K. Rowling has announced in new interviews with the Today show on NBC TV today (July 26) that the epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was vague on purpose.

She said it was her desire for it to be "nebulous," something "poetic," and that she wanted the readers to feel as if they were looking at Platform 9 3/4 through the mist, unable to make out exactly who was there and who was not.

She admitted her original epilogue was "a lot more detailed," including the name of every child born to the Weasley clan in the past 19 years. For example, Victoire, who was snogging Teddy, Lupin and Tonks' son, is Bill and Fleur's eldest child.

"But it didn't work very well as a piece of writing," J.K. said. "It felt very much that I had crowbarred in every bit of information I could ... In a novel you have to resist the urge to tell everything."

But now that Book 7 is in our hands, J.K. no longer has to hold back any information about Harry Potter. With 14 fans crowded around her in Edinburgh Castle in Scotland earlier this week, J.K. has now told us the following exciting information:

Read more here

So there's going to be more. I would definitely like to learn more about what happened to everyone at the end.

Did you see the Harry Potter movie this weekend?  Are you going to read the new book?

Yes I saw it. Yes I will read the new book (provided I can get my hands on one hehehe). Too tired to expound on that. :D

Met up with Den and Erin yesterday to watch Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. We decided to get reservations to avoid the rush of lining up and grabbing seats. Erin's cousin Amon got the tickets for us, and we watched it with his parents.

The movie was ok. It wasn't as spectacular as the other movies, despite their deviation from the books. This is difficult for me to admit but I didn't enjoy this movie as much as I did the book. Sure I had my complaints on the book, as much as I had my gripes with the other movies, but at least with the first four, there was something in them that still held my attention and had me going, oh wow. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie was more like a "guide" of sorts to the book, even though almost throughout it I was "That wasn't how it went in the book." Still, it's to be expected, as the book was pretty long and I know how hard it is to adapt books into movies (memories of writing script during BC class, hay). And people will watch this movie because, hey, it's Harry Potter. It's a given that up until the last movie, it will be a hit.

If you haven't seen it and don't like spoilers, don't click this.

Yeah, well, I'll be seeing the next two movies too. And book 7 will be out on Saturday!

Other kwento
On the LRT2: Somewhere around the Anonas Station, a dog walked by me as the train door was just closing. It took me by surprise until I realized that it was one of those K9 forces dogs. His human walked by after and they stood in the disabled area in front of me.

Passing by MRT Shaw: There was a black cat sitting quite calmly at the end of the platform. Nobody was paying mind to it. Maybe because the didn't know it was there.

At Serendra, after watching HP:OotP: A man walked by with his pet dog (small, furry and funny looking thing). He was gesturing to someone behind him. A few seconds later, a woman dressed in her gimmick finest (short, flowy, cleavage baring dress with high strappy heels) walked by. She was holding in one hand her bag, and on the other a tissue paper with dog poop. Then she called out (I don't know if it was to the man or the dog), "Nakakawalang poise ka naman!" Ching and I held back our laughs until we crossed the street.

Also saw a guy wearing a black t-shirt with the drawing of those tree creatures in Miyazaki's "Princess Mononoke". I want!!!

Heaven
Ching took me to Fully Booked along Bonifacio High Street. The moment I spied it from afar I was already giddy. Then I stepped in, took a deep whiff of the book perfumed atmosphere and decided I was in heaven. I probably looked like an idiot exclaiming over the stuff I saw (Moleskine! Notebooks! Sherrilyn Kenyon! Tons of manga and Neil Gaiman graphic novels! Philip Pullman! World music cds! I could go on). Richard Gutierrez and Georgina Wilson passed by but I barely looked at them and moved on to the young adult section.

I was half happy, half irritated when I told Ching that I didn't bring any money. The happy half was because I wasn't going on a spending spree. The irritated half was of the same reason. :p There was this kid who was telling his mom, "Can I buy seven books mom? Just seven, please?" I could've cheerfully bopped him. Just seven? Wait until you start working boy. You'll find that those "just seven" books will be hard for you to get. *sulk*

This fits me! Hehehe.

Yeah yeah. I'll be back, my books. Just you wait.

Oh, and my dad arrived from Zambales. Both he and his namesake got locked in the bathroom. I was the one who had to help the both of them get out. :D I hope it doesn't spell bad karma.

A very good friend just passed me an e-book copy of what is supposed to be the legit copy of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." I say "supposedly" because of course, it's hard to tell. Perhaps I may be able to tell the difference if I read it, but then, J.K. Rowling's writing style hasn't been that consistent as of the last three books. And with the abundance of good fan fiction writers and die hard Harry Potter fans, I won't be surprised if this copy I have is the infamous fanfic that has been making its rounds over the Internet.

Hoax Harry ending tricks thousands online
Potter's 'Deathly' secret

I've never been one to shy away from fan fictions. Being an anime fan, I've read my fair share and found that there are some that are quite well written. If indeed this so called Book Seven is a fan fiction, well, I've got to hand it to that person who has the time and the patience to write it.

But I think it'll suck big time if the fan fiction work would have a better story than the original :p

Final 'Harry Potter' title announced

By HILLEL ITALIE, AP National Writer
42 minutes ago

NEW YORK - We now have a title for Harry Potter VII. But if you want to find out for yourself, visit J.K. Rowling's Web site and play a little game of hangman.

Rowling's U.S. publisher, Scholastic Inc., released a brief statement Thursday announcing the name of the world's most anticipated children's book, the finale to her phenomenally popular fantasy series.

No publication date or other details were offered. Rowling is still working on the book, she explained on her Web site in an entry posted early Thursday.

"I'm now writing scenes that have been planned, in some cases, for a dozen years or even more," she wrote. "I don't think anyone who has not been in a similar situation can possibly know how this feels: I am alternately elated and overwrought. I both want, and don't want, to finish this book (don't worry, I will.)"

Meanwhile, she set up a test for her Potter fans.

If you go to jkrowling.com, click on the eraser and you will be taken to a room — you'll see a window, a door and a mirror.

In the mirror, you'll see a hallway. Click on the farthest doorknob and look for the Christmas tree. They click on the center of the door next to the mirror and a wreath appears. Then click on the top of the mirror and you'll see a garland.

Look for a cobweb next to the door. Click on it, and it will disappear. Now, look at the chimes in the window. Click on the second chime to the right, and hold it down. The chime will turn into the key, which opens the door. Click on the wrapped gift behind the door, then click on it again and figure out the title yourself by playing a game of hangman.

Or you can just take Scholastic's word for it: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

Found this on PEx. Now all I have to do is wait for it to come out. Yay! 2007 is really going to be a good year!

Heading over to J.K. Rowling's official website to try and solve the puzzle for myself... even if I already know.