I wish I could say that I'm enjoying this HP book. I don't hate it, but I'm slogging through it like I do through a text I'm supposed to read and report on. It's kind of like---well, everyone else is reading it, so I should, because they'll expect me to say something about it, preferably something profound. Believe me, profound is not what I'm coming up with.
I'm irritated with Harry for being seventeen and full of guilt over stuff he can't help. Ron has been a jerk and has taken off, leaving Harry and Hermione to fend for themselves, but it's just as well because he was obnoxious as all get out, which was totally unnecessary even though he did get injured and was worried about his family.
I'm tired of all the spells and the weird things that each spell is supposed to do. I can't keep the spells straight anyhow and now Harry's wand is broken, and sheeesh, I can't keep up with it. So I've set it aside for now and will go back to it tomorrow.
I keep looking for the glimpses of theology that others are finding and though I see a few, they're not particularly earthshaking. Yes, evil is abroad in the land and feeble humans are trying to foil it. Yes, Harry's doubts about Dumbledore are interesting in their parallels to human doubts about the Divine. Yes, Hermione is a staunchly brave and faithful companion who is stuck cooking mushrooms but can fit everything in the world into her beaded bag. Yes, the idea that death will be defeated in the end is curiously akin to the appellation "Death Eater".
But it is taking too long to get there! My backside gets so tired of sitting in a chair and reading! I can read for about an hour and then I HAVE to get up and move around, go check my email, UUpdates, anything to get the feeling back into my legs after the cats have weighed me down for an hour.
It's sunset here on Whidbey Island, the first clear dry day in a week, and it is lovely. When I walked down to the paper box this morning, the bunnies scattered left and right. They had hardly braved the rain for a few days. Driving up to Coupeville to do my volunteer chaplain schtick at the hospital, I gloried in the blue sky and the green trees, the view to the west a glint on the water of the Strait. When I got my oil changed at the local OilMart, the guy who rang me up slipped me a free coupon book instead of charging me the $5. It's been a nice day.
More Harry tomorrow, I guess. I've got to get through it eventually.
8 comments:
You're really close to the part where it starts to improve...
It did start to improve last night. Ron's back now and it's getting better. Thanks for the encouragement, CC.
Although I really enjoyed it, I must admit that JK desparately needs an editor. The problem is that she's too big to edit- a common syndrome, suffers include Steven King, Issac Asimov, many others. Authors hate editors for cutting their words, and when they become best sellers they can demand that their work be printed as written- but even the best authors are often better for being edited. Without an objective opinion, it's very hard to know whether you're providing needed background or just running off at the pen.
The theology comes in at the end...
It's an entertaining book, and I liked the fact that it was a departure from Hogwarts. But man, how on earth would they make this into a movie that doesn't kinda suck a little? Call me a spoil sport, but I never liked the Ron/Hermione thing. I just don't see Hermione going for a guy like Ron, nice as he is. He's so inept! But I guess being in peril repeatedly does create a bonding experience. And the Weasley twins get on my nerves!
One of the things that stood out for me in the book was the dementors. They suck the joy and pleasure out of the soul. Are there dementors among us? (certain news media comes to mind) The interesting thing is the way to combat them is through a Patronus conjured up by concentrating on a wonderful memory. One's patronus can not only protect the conjurer but those around them. I can think of times in my own life when dementors were about to suck the life out of me and someone else conjured up a patronus that helped me fight them off. There are also memories and relationships that give me hope and courage in the face of "optimism sucking events" and in the presence of "joy sucking people".
What a neat comment, CeeJay! Thanks for your thoughts.
Glad you liked it. Also glad to hear you finished the book and found it more interesting as it went along. It certainly took a bit of reading. It made my eyes a little blurry by the time I finished it.
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