Sunday, July 22, 2007

The Alpha & The Omega

Approximately 12:08 a.m. on Saturday

A little over 24 hours later.

13 cat calls:

Susan said...

12:03 at Harris Teeter. And my stack of tissues looked a lot like yours. Right before Kings Cross, I relaly thought she had done the unthinkable. Those kids at Mugglnet really knew what they were talking about most of the time! We'll talk later.

Megs said...

Tearstained and exhausted, I, too, am finished. Cannot wait to discuss.

Anonymous said...

I am definitely feeling the sadness of it all being over. I can't seem to figure out what to do with myself today, except to go back and re-read some more. It was brilliant, though.

Ruby said...

Hmmm... I think I'm in the minority here. Only one tissue and the absence of the OMG feeling I have come to expect.

I'll post my review soon.

Jessica said...

it was so good! must discuss with others soon.....finished this morning at four-thirty and couldn't sleep afterwards, thinking about plot and unanswered questions. woke up with one question still in my mind (neville...sword....how?) but i think I've resolved that via the internet. Maybe I was reading too fast.
Thanks for all the book reviews leading up to this, ashley! take care......

daisy said...

Someone at worked just asked me how I was doing and I almost burst into tears. I am not exaggerating. SPOILER ALERT: Neville/sword question has been bothering me too, but I plan on going back tonight and re-reading certain chapters etc. for more clarity. I wish I could shake this sadness.

Megs said...

totally unfazed by the Neville/Sword thing...figured it was the proof that he was a true Gryffindor as Harry was in CoS.

penelope said...

Just finished! Only cried in a few spots, not the ones I expected. Particularly w/ P.W.'s return, and K's elf rebellion, somehow. Instead of sad it's over, I just somehow feel thoroughly satisfied. Sad at certain events, but satisfied. JKR is brilliant.

Re: Neville and sword, any Gryffindor who asks for the help shall receive it, no? Didn't matter whether Griphook thought he owned it. As soon as that hat was summoned, I thought, man, was that a stupid move!

Can't wait to discuss further.

ashley said...

JKR is the most masterful plotter of all time. I must say, it was the most wrenching and painful and brilliant of the books. After the dust has settled, I do believe I love it.

Cue said...

You guys have all said it already, but I'll chime in: love it, love it, love it!! Totally worth three days of irritability at everyone and everything that took my attention away from The Book. I'm sure friends will be relieved now that I'm not starting all conversations with, "If you know how the new Harry Potter ends, DO NOT TELL ME!!!!"

...Seriously? I love it so much that I'm re-reading it right now. Because, I just don't know what else to do with myself in the aftermath.

Andria said...

I finally finished tonight. I had to avoid all blogs today and pray no one would spoil anything for me!

I, too, loved the book. I was a little disappointed mid-way through when I felt it was so different from the others and not much had actually taken place - weeks and weeks of just Harry & Hermoine in a tent?! I couldn't fathom how she was going to squeeze in all of the explainations we still needed!

I, am also not as sad as I expected to be. . I delayed reading the end, because I was terrified to know how it ended and the finality of it all. But I, too, am satisfied, like Pen. It was so gut-wrenching for me just before the end and so I felt immensely relieved and happy - even with the cheesy 19 years later.

The sword issue didn't strike me as odd, either, because of the similarity of Harry's situation/need fulfillment in SOC. Although, I wonder how the hat protected him from the flames!

My lingering question, that I think I need to revisit/re-read is: at King's Cross didn't Dumbledore explain that Harry was still living only because Voldermort was (because he had Harry's blood in him)? So, how was he still alive once he really finally killed the last remaining Voldemort?

Andria said...

PS I am disappointed we didn't get more accounting of Luna in the end - either right after the final fray or in the 19 years later section. .she simply wasn't addressed anymore - basically since she suggested to Harry to slip under the cloak during the celebration, right? She was such a great character and Harry really seemed to like her, so you'd think she'd still be a part of his life, later on, like Neville.

penelope said...

hey andi, this should probably go on the other blog, but i don't know where to put it--

i had to think long and hard about why harry was still alive after killing voldemort for good, and i THINK it is because when v directed the first killing curse at harry, that severed the horcrux from harry--hence the nasty little scaly baby in the corner at king's cross. dumbledore said that harry's soul was now completely his own. so he was then free to kill v? when he returned to life, he left the baby (v's soul) at the station, literally and figuratively... right?

their blood was still connected at that point because v used h's blood to recreate himself in goblet of fire... but the connection foiled only voldemort, because it meant that he couldn't kill harry; they both must live. except THEN, on top of that, harry was the true master of the elder wand, the most powerful, undefeated wand, so he won the battle in the end--and didn't have to die.

omg, is that right? that took a lot of brain power, and i'm not sure it should have...and i'm still not sure i'm right! anyone?

also, i too was disappointed at the lack of luna wrap-up, but part of me imagines that luna ended up with dean, because of their experiences at malfoy manor/shell cottage, and then the way he grabbed her hand on the way to the battle. i thought jkr was implying that, but maybe i'm reading too much into it. or thinking wishfully, or just making it so in my mind so i can feel concluded about luna.