And then there were none more to come….

************ SPOILER WARNING *********************

Though I have tried not to reveal any of the dark secrets in the book, you might want to read this post after u’ve read the original Harry… or if it doesnt really matter to you… go ahead…!

So, the last and final (or so they say rite now) adventure of the “boy who lived” has finally been published —

Having read it cover to cover in abt 12 hrs (with some breaks and sleep ofcourse) my take on the book?? — ummm…. first impressions… gripping (didnt wanna keep the book down) … but looking back …. not as exciting as the end to wat has undoubtedly been a far more thrilling series should have been….

Though initial reviews of the book have been extremely flattering, I somehow felt that JKR missed a wee bit of magic behind all the hoolaah…. the overall feel of the book doesnt give the sense of it being the “finale” if u know wat i mean — Voldemort is portrayed as far more insecure than in the previous encounters with harry …. and that is to say the least…

a few months ago, a friend had forwarded a “harry potter and the deathly hallows”– a pdf version written very obviously by someone who wanted to be JKR desperately…. while reading the “real” seventh book, comparisons with the fake one came up unbidding in my mind…. and, inspite of the very convincing argument that the author of the fake book was an american and was obsessed with harry’s love story, i’ve gotto admit… some how the “fake” sounded more like a real — and my belief became stronger the more i read.

To begin with, keeping apart the uncharacteristically adult nature of the “fake”, the storyline and explanations offered were much more convincing than those penned by JKR. for example the location of the horcruxes and the way to destroy them… having a separate item that connected with each horcrux and was the only way to destroy it is a brilliant idea… quite unlike the “one item destroys all” idea proffered by JKR….

Also, the ending — especially the part dealing with harry’s being a horcrux is dealt is exceptionally well by the doppelganger JKR than the original….

So far, JKR’s way of dealing with situations she’s created herself and the explanations have never had even so much as a crack.. except in the book where it mattered the most….! Wats more suprising is how the twists in the final book also appear in the fake one… albeit in a different sense of perception..

which is wat makes me wonder….. if ther could be a chance that JKR had initially penned a different version of the finale than the one tat was finally published … which, im guessing leaked, causing her to scrap what wud hv been a fitting end……….. and in the scramble of making sense… she somehow missed the bus???

or maybe had i kept myself away from the book i took reading to “for fun” i might have found JKR’s version much much more convincing??

Pottering around town

“Pottermania” … thats the buzzword rite now… no, this ain’t another review of the movie, though the arrival of the movie was quite timely.. this one’s about the books… which are on the whole much much much better than the movies… on an individual as well as overall levels..

my affair with the wizarding world started quite late actually.. by the time i read the first book, JKR was already giving finishing touches to her depiction of harry’s fourth year in school.. i still remember my induction into potterland — my cousin, while highly recommending the book, inadvertently described it as “a dark cousin of Enid Blyton” — needless to say, that description put me off initially, but considering that the said set of cousins gave wonderful advice on books and suggested excellent ones on the whole, i somehow managed to bring myself to get acquainted with harry and “his folk” —– it took me all of one chapter (the first!!) to get utterly and completely hooked!!!

coming back to the intent of this post.. pottermania … the interest and enthusiasm of potter-lovers this time of the year is usually palpable … but this time around its even more so.. Apparently, amazon has already recorded 1.6 million pre-orders … compared to 1.5 million for the sixth adventure ….. my take ::: thats not good… only 0.1 million more???? i wud hv expected much more sales or pre-sales … i mean, i dont really think the Potter fan club is reducing.. and now with only one final showdown with you-know-who … everyone who’s anyone’s son .(and his relatives) are clamouring for a glimpse of what happens next…

all conversations nowadays seem to have something or the other to do to with harry and/or wizards and/or dumbledore and/or voldy …. apparently kids across town are revising previous books in the series to be “in touch” with wizardly happenings…

well carry on i say… this may be the last time potter fans get to go back to the wizarding streets of the United Kingdom….. as for me… well i’m going back to my revision notes too… have a long weekend ahead…