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J.K. Rowling has written a satisfying and fitting conclusion to her seven
book series. The audio version on 17 discs is approximately 21 hours in length,
so it is a commitment on the listener's part to hang in there.
Deathly Hallows picks up where the
Half Blood
Prince left off. The action starts almost immediately with Harry’s
seventeenth birthday only days away. Why is that important? Like many details of
previous books, Rowling begins to tie up some of those details mentioned as far
back as book 1 into important plot points.
In fact those very first chapters of The Sorcerer’s Stone now become important.
Don’t worry if you haven’t read or listened to them, the important points will
be explained, but there is a nice jolt of recognition when characters or events
that passed by long ago now move to center stage.
And that is part of the problem with Deathly Hallows. There is a lot of ground
to cover and some favorite characters don’t make an appearance until late in the
book, and then only in the background. Rowling was true to the story and the
focus shifts to Harry and Voldemort, but I found myself waiting for some
characters to get into the game.
But most of your questions will be answered! Why is Harry’s wand so important?
What about Snape, is he the traitor that he seems to be? Is the prophecy true?
Jim Dale reads or rather performs as brilliantly as before, voicing over 100
different characters so distinctly that you have no problem keeping track.
Does the book live up to its hype? Yes it does. With universal themes about
sacrifice, death, responsibilities to others the book transcends this
“children’s” story into a major literary achievement. Then why not four ears?
Well as I read in another review, Deathly Hallows might have been better served
with a good edit. There are long passages where nothing much happens as Harry
tries to avoid capture by the Deatheaters. Interest can drift when listening,
but all-in-all this is an extraordinary achievement and one you will not want to
miss if you are a Harry Potter fan.
About Robert W. Karp - Robert Karp is the owner of AudioMysteries.com. He is an avid
reader of mystery and detective fiction and collects signed first editions of
Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe and other great mystery authors.
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