2023 EDIT: Part of my 2023 clear-up, of books I no longer like, or am no longer interested in, or remember well as standing out, or find as special anymore, or I otherwise will not miss.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
When I read so many glowing reviews of this - a new Neil Gaiman book - I knew that sooner or later I was going to read it.
I was anxious to, because I'd heard it was an adult book. Now, in the past I didn't much care for what Mr Gaiman has written for adults, such as 'American Gods' and 'Stardust', because I found them to be trying too hard to be "adult", by which I mean the inclusion of lots of explicit, gratuitous sex and strong language without reaching the full, magical potential of their story's concept. They were surprisingly anti-climactic for books so heavy on so-called "mature" content, in my opinion. I've been more of a fan of Mr Gaiman's works for children. 'The Graveyard Book' and 'Coraline' are two of my all-time favourite books, because they are each full of life and real stardust, and reach their full storytelling potential.
But with 'The Ocean at the End of the Lane', I needn't have worried. Here is - again, in my opinion - where Mr Gaiman has got the balance between childhood fancy and scary adult situations just right in his writing witchcraft. There is one sex scene in the book and it doesn't feel out of place or too arbitrary. I felt it had to be there, in fact, in the context of the story and for the purpose of its themes. What the sex scene is about I won't say, due to spoilers. But it is brief and meaningful.
'The Ocean at the End of the Lane' is a beautifully-crafted tale that weaves its structure and various plot points together like a quilt. Or like an old coat, in its mystifying context. The writing is near-outstanding and the atmosphere has the effect of making me feel like I'm there with the adult-to-child-again first-person narrator. His fears and sadness and innocence are conveyed to the reader wonderfully, and they ripple and swirl in the pages like a dark and murky pond (a metaphorical memory), without distracting from the already-strange story.
'The Ocean at the End of the Lane' is one of the strangest, scariest and most poignant fantasy - or magical realism - books I have ever read, which is ultimately about childhood and childhood anxieties. And unlike all other magical realism stories I have read, it is effective! It is bizarre without alienating the reader; I could read a passage from the unnamed narrator's stream-of-consciousness and say out-loud, "Wow yes, that is my childhood right there".
It might even raise up some old memories in the reader, and remind us of the importance of memories of times past, no matter how ugly they are. For all memories are precious. They shape us, and help us to understand how they have shaped us into the individuals we've become in the present.
One thing is for sure, Neil Gaiman understands children and what it's like to be an adult profoundly thinking back to the weirdness and confusion of naïve, innocent youth.
Indeed, 'The Ocean at the End of the Lane' does read like the author's personal experience. I could imagine Mr Gaiman as the narrator who's discovering and patching up long forgotten memories of being seven-years-old, when adulthood becomes too depressing (the book starts off with him leaving a funeral; we're never told whose it is).
This book reminded me of just how freaking strange and unnerving childhood is - when the events actually happened, and when we remember them later. Those faded memories can be magical and exciting, but mostly (from my experience personally) the memories are embarrassing, unpleasant, uncomprehending, and scary as all hell. No wonder many adults seem to have forgotten most of their experiences - big or little - as kids. And why many memories get repressed or moulded and merged into other, safer memories.
Throughout reading 'The Ocean at the End of the Lane', I was constantly left wandering what was real. What memory is accurate or exaggerated? Are the supernatural elements real or just how the narrator remembers them? After all, he tells the reader from the beginning that he was an imaginative child who loved books (of course he did) and had a fascination with the macabre; being both afraid of and tempted by dark and scary stories.
I found the book's fantasy elements to be too solid and well-integrated into the story to be considered magical realism. They are written in so vividly they could have actually happened. Maybe that's just the power of memory and of how real the imagination and psychological fears of children can be.
I am still unsure of whether the Hempstocks are witches or not (the name Hempstock appears in Neil Gaiman's other books, such as 'The Graveyard Book' and 'Stardust'). They are a lovely farming family in possession of a lovely kitchen I wish I could eat from (one of the joys of childhood Mr Gaiman reminds us of is how some food is heavenly on first taste). But Child Lettie, Mother Ginnie and Old Grandmother Hempstock seem to be skilled manipulators, and the symbols of warped memories, not just childhood ones... Either way, they are really interesting characters and I'll watch out for them in Mr Gaiman's future novels.
Aside from the theme of how powerful childhood memories are once conjured from a childhood place, there is also the theme of sacrifice and of how helpless little children are. Our narrator may have tried to be good as a child - and was in fact very impressive when defending himself and knowing which adult to trust - but his actions inevitably led to disastrous consequences regardless of the intent. His reactions to seeing horrible things are realistic; such as a dead body in a car, an adult made of thunder and lightning, and shadowy birds from another plane of existence. All of this is too much for any child to take in at once.
I sympathized with the narrator, admired his bravery in the face of the bizarre, and felt with him a great loss whenever things failed to go how he wanted them to. I even felt scared for him - when it is implied that he might have come from an abusive family.
Whenever the narrator as a child and Lettie Hempstock confront an alien being and Lettie shouts at it, her dialect alters and her dialogue reads more like a country girl's. This could be the narrator accurately remembering Lettie; anger and shouting make children learn better, because they remember being afraid more than anything else. It is also worth noting that Lettie is eleven to the narrator's seven, so she's an adult in his eyes, and because she is like an authority figure, naturally she would speak intelligently and in riddles, as the narrator recalls her character.
Things being significantly bigger in childhood and then much smaller in adulthood is another major theme in this book; as shown when Lettie calls the pond in her garden an ocean. A cosmic ocean with the secrets of the whole universe in it.
The narrator remembers how Lettie was once an important person in his life - a friend long forgotten, but one who may have saved his life and gotten him to be the person he is today, as a middle-aged man. This is another relatable aspect in 'The Ocean at the End of the Lane', and as a result it is quite beautifully melancholy.
Or maybe Lettie never existed to begin with, and the narrator is either mad or has been brainwashed. The book is weird like that.
And ironically, the people he doesn't know very well in his story are named, and yet he doesn't name his own sister. He doesn't even know the genders of his pets.
Throughout this review I've used the phrase "stream-of-consciousness", and words such as "mystifying", "precious", "cosmic", "murky" and "poignant"; and they all describe this novel very well. It is highly imaginative and confusing, and even at the very end the reader doesn't get a lot of answers in terms of what's real and what's imagined or dreamt. Not a lot is resolved.
But on the other hand, in life hardly anything is resolved, especially where memories of more innocent and naïve times are concerned. "Scary", "vague" and "confusing" pretty much sum up my own childhood, and in this book Neil Gaiman points out that not a lot of childhoods are happy or satisfactory anyway.
So much to understand in 'The Ocean at the End of the Lane'. So much to get lost in. Perhaps understanding childhood and remembering being a kid can lead to us understanding how the universe works and how we each play into it. It can be as big and unfathomable as the ocean, or as small and insignificant as a pond in a little English farm.
Ties, kittens, ponds, needles and threads, an evil canvas, and a sole(soul?)-digging worm - such is the majesty and childlike dreaminess that is 'The Ocean at the End of the Lane'.
I might write a better review than this soon, once I'm out of dreamland and not merely remembering this book from the sludge of memory. Even adult memories can be deceiving from time to time.
Final Score: 4/5
Thursday, 31 July 2014
Wednesday, 30 July 2014
Graphic Novel Review - 'Calamity Jack' by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, Nathan Hale (Artist)
'Calamity Jack' by the three Hales (Shannon, Dean and Nathan) is the sequel to 'Rapunzel's Revenge', my current favourite comic of all time. While I don't think it's as good as the aforementioned great, original, twisty-take on the 'Rapunzel' fairy tale, 'Calamity Jack' is a fun and colourful read in its own terms.
'Rapunzel's Revenge' was entirely Rapunzel's story - about her and her high-swinging, hair-lassoing, beast-riding, fighting-for-defence adventure: set in the Old West where she abolishes slavery, overcomes adversity, and learns more and more about her home land and who to love and trust in it.
'Calamity Jack', the continuation, is her partner Jack's story. This adventure is about the overcoming of corruption and greed in Jack's home turf, which is a city with an almost steam-punk design to it. I think it takes its inspiration from the industrial revolution period in America in the 18th century.
A retelling of 'Jack and the Beanstalk' in a city rather than a farm, 'Calamity Jack' tells of our male lead's backstory. He was a young schemer, plotter, thief, and in general a "criminal mastermind"... with not much of the "mastermind" part. He soon wishes to prove to himself and to his poor widowed mother that he is worth something. Planning to get revenge on a literal business giant named Blunderboar for damaging his mother's bakery, Jack uses a magic bean to grow a huge stalk. He climbs and sneaks into the giant's forbidden flying fortress, guarded by a deadly flying Jabberwock (and later, screeching brownies). The only thing of worth he steals is a goose said to be able to lay golden eggs. The chopping and collapsing of the beanstalk in his escape ends up destroying his mother's home and bakery (not to mention causing the death of one of Blunderboar's henchmen). She is disappointed in her son, and they have no money left to repair damages and start over. Jack goes into hiding from the giants to the West, and waits for the useless goose to lay those damned golden eggs so that he can return home and pay for the rebuilding of his mother's bakery.
This all happens in the first chapter, and it sets out to explain why and how Jack ended up in the West in 'Rapunzel's Revenge'. At the end of that comic, the goose finally laid some golden eggs, so Jack can now return home, and make his mother proud of him. He brings his new *ahem* "friend" Rapunzel along as well.
But the city has changed for the worse since he had left. Mysterious "ant people" - there are a lot of large creepy crawlies in this comic - are endangering innocent civilians and are wreaking havoc on certain parts of the city - areas where newspapers and big corporations do their business. Blunderboar has become a big-shot tyrant, and has Jack's mother working for him...
Let's get right down to the good stuff I want to talk about.
Jack is a wonderful protagonist. I was afraid he wouldn't be interesting or dynamic enough to sustain a 144-page story where he is the main lead, not the side-character like last time. But his determination to do well and please his mother are well-written and garnered sympathy from me. In fact I liked him more than in 'Rapunzel's Revenge'. He reminded me of the titular character from Disney's 'Aladdin' - a street-schemer with a heart of gold who has good intentions for his thievery (incidentally, Aladdin was my childhood cartoon crush). Jack constantly tries to make things right with his plans, and when they fail they fail badly with harmful consequences. But when they succeed they are brilliant: Jack's cunning nature might even make Doctor Who proud.
I never really believed Jack to be a "bad guy", as he keeps saying he is throughout the comic. He's too sweet - for a thief, I mean. As a kid he may have been a prankster who made another kid's nose bleed (quite graphically, I might add), but he has grown tremendously since then and is now aware of what the consequences of his actions are doing to himself and to his family. Mostly Jack is worried about what Rapunzel might think of him if she were to find out about his criminal past - one worse than what she's already seen of him in the Old West. Normally I hate this type of cliché were someone is afraid that his/her lover might suddenly hate him/her should they find out a dark secret about them. It's as if he/she doesn't trust his/her lover enough to understand him/her, regardless of the past. But in the case of 'Calamity Jack' this anxiety is quite reasonable: Rapunzel cannot abide greedy law breakers who selfishly ruin the lives of innocent people.
Jack's still-growing relationship with his mother is also touching to read about, and it's the mirror opposite of how Rapunzel's relationship with her own mother is developed in 'Rapunzel's Revenge'. Rapunzel wants to free her mother Kate from imprisonment and slavery, and despite barely knowing her, Rapunzel still loves Kate and wants to know her better; it is an already positive family dynamic. Jack wants to free his mother Maude from imprisonment and slavery, he knows her very well, but their relationship is rocky and filled with disappointments; he feels Maude is ashamed of him and he will do anything to make everything up to her, saving her life along the way.
Since 'Calamity Jack' is told entirely from Jack's point of view, it is his development we see. It is his hero's journey we follow as he grows from an irresponsible and foolhardy boy into a respectable man with a clear head on his shoulders. Because of this, Rapunzel doesn't get as much panel-time or character development as in her own story in the previous comic. But she's had the spotlight on her already, I guess, and she still kicks arse as a secondary character. Plus, she and Jack are adorable together. How they play off of each other and understand how the other is thinking and feeling shows how far their relationship has come since 'Rapunzel's Revenge'. The ending is especially sweet and shows how much they truly mean to one another.
It's not just Jack and Rapunzel who are the stars, either. There are two new characters: Prudence the pixie (they exist in the city as sparkling showgirls), Jack's old partner-in-crime who is obsessed with hats (she is adorably awesome, and surprisingly complex as is later revealed in the story); and Frederick Sparksmith the Third, the handsome but bumbling newspaper industry owner who is also an inventor, and is smitten with Rapunzel (there is a sort-of love triangle, but thankfully it doesn't get in the way of the story, and we know that the oblivious Rapunzel will never fall for Freddie anyway).
Some of 'Calamity Jack''s low points, however, include: the villain, Blunderboar, isn't very interesting. He's just a huge, monstrously-ugly businessman, and not much else. In the third act there is a "Not So Different" talk between him and Jack which had the potential to be really deep and meaningful, but it didn't quite reach that level - too much happens too fast. Due to the fast pace, I think the story is not as fully-realised in potential as in Jack and Rapunzel's previous adventure. It is rather predictable, and some side characters do not get much development beyond their initial purpose to the plot. For example, who was the strange magician who gave Jack the magic beans in the first place? He only appears in one page and he is never mentioned again.
Of course there are still fun, hilarious and clever moments in 'Calamity Jack'. There's also the scary underlying threat of giants cooking humans in furnaces and eating them, which is never glossed-over. But I was hoping for something a bit more. Maybe I was merely overhyped because of my love for 'Rapunzel's Revenge', and was expecting to be equally amazed once again.
I'd still say give 'Calamity Jack' a go. Have some fun. Parental love, bugs, pixies, beating tyranny and fraudulence, character development, cunning plans, humour, and romance aplenty.
The artwork is also very good; as rich and cartoony as last time, only set in an industrious city instead of the Old West (points to Nathan Hale the illustrator).
Final Score: 4/5
'Rapunzel's Revenge' was entirely Rapunzel's story - about her and her high-swinging, hair-lassoing, beast-riding, fighting-for-defence adventure: set in the Old West where she abolishes slavery, overcomes adversity, and learns more and more about her home land and who to love and trust in it.
'Calamity Jack', the continuation, is her partner Jack's story. This adventure is about the overcoming of corruption and greed in Jack's home turf, which is a city with an almost steam-punk design to it. I think it takes its inspiration from the industrial revolution period in America in the 18th century.
A retelling of 'Jack and the Beanstalk' in a city rather than a farm, 'Calamity Jack' tells of our male lead's backstory. He was a young schemer, plotter, thief, and in general a "criminal mastermind"... with not much of the "mastermind" part. He soon wishes to prove to himself and to his poor widowed mother that he is worth something. Planning to get revenge on a literal business giant named Blunderboar for damaging his mother's bakery, Jack uses a magic bean to grow a huge stalk. He climbs and sneaks into the giant's forbidden flying fortress, guarded by a deadly flying Jabberwock (and later, screeching brownies). The only thing of worth he steals is a goose said to be able to lay golden eggs. The chopping and collapsing of the beanstalk in his escape ends up destroying his mother's home and bakery (not to mention causing the death of one of Blunderboar's henchmen). She is disappointed in her son, and they have no money left to repair damages and start over. Jack goes into hiding from the giants to the West, and waits for the useless goose to lay those damned golden eggs so that he can return home and pay for the rebuilding of his mother's bakery.
This all happens in the first chapter, and it sets out to explain why and how Jack ended up in the West in 'Rapunzel's Revenge'. At the end of that comic, the goose finally laid some golden eggs, so Jack can now return home, and make his mother proud of him. He brings his new *ahem* "friend" Rapunzel along as well.
But the city has changed for the worse since he had left. Mysterious "ant people" - there are a lot of large creepy crawlies in this comic - are endangering innocent civilians and are wreaking havoc on certain parts of the city - areas where newspapers and big corporations do their business. Blunderboar has become a big-shot tyrant, and has Jack's mother working for him...
Let's get right down to the good stuff I want to talk about.
Jack is a wonderful protagonist. I was afraid he wouldn't be interesting or dynamic enough to sustain a 144-page story where he is the main lead, not the side-character like last time. But his determination to do well and please his mother are well-written and garnered sympathy from me. In fact I liked him more than in 'Rapunzel's Revenge'. He reminded me of the titular character from Disney's 'Aladdin' - a street-schemer with a heart of gold who has good intentions for his thievery (incidentally, Aladdin was my childhood cartoon crush). Jack constantly tries to make things right with his plans, and when they fail they fail badly with harmful consequences. But when they succeed they are brilliant: Jack's cunning nature might even make Doctor Who proud.
I never really believed Jack to be a "bad guy", as he keeps saying he is throughout the comic. He's too sweet - for a thief, I mean. As a kid he may have been a prankster who made another kid's nose bleed (quite graphically, I might add), but he has grown tremendously since then and is now aware of what the consequences of his actions are doing to himself and to his family. Mostly Jack is worried about what Rapunzel might think of him if she were to find out about his criminal past - one worse than what she's already seen of him in the Old West. Normally I hate this type of cliché were someone is afraid that his/her lover might suddenly hate him/her should they find out a dark secret about them. It's as if he/she doesn't trust his/her lover enough to understand him/her, regardless of the past. But in the case of 'Calamity Jack' this anxiety is quite reasonable: Rapunzel cannot abide greedy law breakers who selfishly ruin the lives of innocent people.
Jack's still-growing relationship with his mother is also touching to read about, and it's the mirror opposite of how Rapunzel's relationship with her own mother is developed in 'Rapunzel's Revenge'. Rapunzel wants to free her mother Kate from imprisonment and slavery, and despite barely knowing her, Rapunzel still loves Kate and wants to know her better; it is an already positive family dynamic. Jack wants to free his mother Maude from imprisonment and slavery, he knows her very well, but their relationship is rocky and filled with disappointments; he feels Maude is ashamed of him and he will do anything to make everything up to her, saving her life along the way.
Since 'Calamity Jack' is told entirely from Jack's point of view, it is his development we see. It is his hero's journey we follow as he grows from an irresponsible and foolhardy boy into a respectable man with a clear head on his shoulders. Because of this, Rapunzel doesn't get as much panel-time or character development as in her own story in the previous comic. But she's had the spotlight on her already, I guess, and she still kicks arse as a secondary character. Plus, she and Jack are adorable together. How they play off of each other and understand how the other is thinking and feeling shows how far their relationship has come since 'Rapunzel's Revenge'. The ending is especially sweet and shows how much they truly mean to one another.
It's not just Jack and Rapunzel who are the stars, either. There are two new characters: Prudence the pixie (they exist in the city as sparkling showgirls), Jack's old partner-in-crime who is obsessed with hats (she is adorably awesome, and surprisingly complex as is later revealed in the story); and Frederick Sparksmith the Third, the handsome but bumbling newspaper industry owner who is also an inventor, and is smitten with Rapunzel (there is a sort-of love triangle, but thankfully it doesn't get in the way of the story, and we know that the oblivious Rapunzel will never fall for Freddie anyway).
Some of 'Calamity Jack''s low points, however, include: the villain, Blunderboar, isn't very interesting. He's just a huge, monstrously-ugly businessman, and not much else. In the third act there is a "Not So Different" talk between him and Jack which had the potential to be really deep and meaningful, but it didn't quite reach that level - too much happens too fast. Due to the fast pace, I think the story is not as fully-realised in potential as in Jack and Rapunzel's previous adventure. It is rather predictable, and some side characters do not get much development beyond their initial purpose to the plot. For example, who was the strange magician who gave Jack the magic beans in the first place? He only appears in one page and he is never mentioned again.
Of course there are still fun, hilarious and clever moments in 'Calamity Jack'. There's also the scary underlying threat of giants cooking humans in furnaces and eating them, which is never glossed-over. But I was hoping for something a bit more. Maybe I was merely overhyped because of my love for 'Rapunzel's Revenge', and was expecting to be equally amazed once again.
I'd still say give 'Calamity Jack' a go. Have some fun. Parental love, bugs, pixies, beating tyranny and fraudulence, character development, cunning plans, humour, and romance aplenty.
The artwork is also very good; as rich and cartoony as last time, only set in an industrious city instead of the Old West (points to Nathan Hale the illustrator).
Final Score: 4/5
Tuesday, 29 July 2014
Book Review - 'The Casual Vacancy' by J.K. Rowling
2023 EDIT: Part of my 2023 clear-up, of books I no longer like, or am no longer interested in, or remember well as standing out, or find as special anymore, or I otherwise will not miss.
(Also I no longer support the author.)
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
'The Casual Vacancy' is J.K. Rowling's first novel written exclusively with adults in mind as the target audience. No magic, no escapist fantasy; it is almost scary in its cruel realism.
On the surface, it is in every way unlike a certain children's book series which made the author famous. So of course a lot of people hate it. And that's okay. Hate a book if you want to. Hate a book so long as it comes from reasons concerning the contents of the book itself. The writing, the narrative, the structure, the characters, the voice, and the amount of research shown; those things can and should be criticised in any book. Do not hate 'The Casual Vacancy' because it is not like 'Harry Potter'. That's not a reason to give something a low rating. Comparing a piece of work to another, more well-established work is unfair criticism. Hating something new and challenging just for existing is even more intolerable in my eyes. It shows narrow-mindedness, and a refusal to allow an author a chance to do what any good writer does: grow and try new and different genres and fields.
Do not read 'The Casual Vacancy' expecting 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard'. Do not read it expecting a fun trip to Hogsmeade or happy endings. Judge and criticise something as its own individual product, regardless of who the author is or what that author has done in the past that the general public more familiarly (and comfortably) associates her with. Regardless of whether the author had an impact on people's childhoods. Good writers strive to try different things, and given a chance they can succeed and be applauded for their versatility and for having a wider talent range than previously thought. Look at Roald Dahl, who didn't solely write books for children; a real, complex, vastly ambitious human being was at work there.
When I first heard about Ms Rowling writing a book which had nothing to do with 'Harry Potter', I was happy. I was glad that she was still writing at all, and had not let an incredible amount of fortune few writers can even dream of affect her lifestyle. Or made her give up on the job she loves or on the talent she possesses; what had made her famous in the first place.
Bottom line, if readers dislike 'The Casual Vacancy' for it's slow pace, its excessive amount of characters, its lack of likable or sympathetic characters, its vulgar content being too much, or that it might be too unsettling for some people's tastes, that is perfectly fine. These are criticisms of the book, not the author, and they are not comparisons to the qualities of other, totally unrelated books.
And 'The Casual Vacancy' is not for everyone. I can understand some of the negativity it receives, despite the fact that I ended up really liking the book.
Sorry for rambling on, I just get frustrated every time I see this book get a low-star rating and review because it is not like 'Harry Potter'. Nobody ever said it was going to be like 'Harry Potter'. Based on the author alone, most people probably assumed it was going to be a fun ride where good conquers evil and human beings are only really good or really bad, with nothing inbetween (yet 'Harry Potter' has remarkably complex characters and themes for a "children's" series of stories).
Rant over, on to the point of the review.
So what is 'The Casual Vacancy', J.K. Rowling's first adult novel, actually about?
Barry Fairbrother, a well-liked councillor of a small English town, Pagford, dies suddenly and unexpectedly. This leaves the seemingly-quaint town's inhabitants metaphorically going to war with each other over who will take Barry's place in a seat on the Parish Council. The death of a likable man (indeed maybe the most decent person in this book) in the first five pages exposes the darkest depths of the human soul, and reveals the greediness, bitterness, jealousies, prejudices, pettiness, selfishness, and/or the most futile fantasies of Pagford's residents. Nothing is what it seems. Nearly everyone has ulterior motives for doing what they do; they are all grey and complex.
Secrets and a collective fury and confusion are born and bred, and a chaotic puzzle plays out - who is as bad or much worse than all the others? Following a death, are they all the same in their living want of satisfaction and contentment? And of harming others along the way?
In my humble opinion, 'The Casual Vacancy' is a moving, mesmerizing and effective tragedy with a glimmer of hope on the horizon. It's not a mystery novel - Barry was not murdered - but a drama. Ms Rowling weaves all her story threads around in almost beautiful twists and turns. Each thread - a collection of subplots, with the councillor's death being the central plot which sets things in motion - connects, and each character gets to interact with the others in meaningful, character-driven moments.
'The Casual Vacancy' can be viewed as more of an examination of people than a story, and that is a positive criticism.
On first reading 'The Casual Vacancy', I immediately recognised Ms Rowling's superb and flowing writing style. She shows the same respect to her reader's intelligence as in the 'Harry Potter' novels. The language is engaging, and the atmosphere is slightly enchanting even when the most shocking and atrocious events happen. Jo's solid characterisations, and how she delivers individual dialogue exchanges, make every fictional person in the book memorable and lifelike.
I believed in everyone; my favourite character being Krystal Weedon, the aggressive poverty-stricken teenager with a heart of gold, whom Barry Fairbrother saw potential in (his death marks yet another caring and understanding person cut out of Krystal's miserable life); Terri, her drug-addict mother; Stu "Fats" Wall, the unrepentant school bully obsessed with living by different philosophies to avoid dealing with his own feelings and problems; Sukhvinder Jawanda, the bullied plain schoolgirl under tremendous parental pressure at home as well as at school; Samantha Mollison, the bored councillor-candidate's wife and mother wanting to recapture the carefree wiles of youth; Andrew Price, Fats's best friend with an abusive councillor-candidate father and a crush on the pretty new girl, Gaia Bawden; Kay, Gaia's social worker mother; and Colin "Cubby" Wall, the school head and Fats's long-suffering adoptive father who has a fear of being found out for possible pedophilic thoughts and acts.
They all felt sadly authentic to me - in their self-pity and refusal to move on in their lives and make themselves (and others) productive members of society. They are not all bad people, but they are deeply unhappy.
The adults are as bad as the teenagers, showing how not much has changed from previous generations; the residents of Pagford are making the same mistakes over and over again, and any vestige of hope is carelessly snuffed out. In reading 'The Casual Vacancy', I was witnessing these people's paths to self-destruction. Most of the characters are not "likable" in the basic sense of the word, but they are interesting and have their own distinguishable quirks and fatal flaws; similar to the characters in Mervyn Peake's 'Gormenghast' series. They are aware of the dangers of their actions and how their decisions affect others. But they keep allowing themselves to be tempted by the forbidden fruit of the cardinal sins of laziness and selfishness.
The further tragedy is that each person in Pagford, in spite of his/her position and efforts, is overall worthless. They live in one of the many tiny villages in Britain, so why does it really matter who will be elected at the Parish Council? A wanting to be more than the sum of his/her parts can in fact turn into a fall from grace, not a rise to fame and fortune. How far people - stubborn, ignorant, desperate people - will go to get what they want out of life is the major theme of 'The Casual Vacancy'.
No human being is the same. We each have different experiences, and feel and react to things differently. Ms Rowling understands this and writes wonderfully diverse people with their own pasts and struggles to deal with. This novel is not entirely unlike 'Harry Potter' in a way, and I'm not just referring to the writing style. Issues of social prejudices, family feuds and cultural animosities feature in 'The Casual Vacancy' as in 'Harry Potter': unsurprising, since these subjects are important discussion topics for adults as well as for children. The names of Barry Fairbrother, Pagford (Padfoot?) and Gaia also bring to mind Harry's wizarding world, in books aimed at all age groups.
'The Casual Vacancy', however, is definitely not for all age groups. It contains issues such as self-harm, drug use and going turkey, pedophilia, racist bullying, child abuse, child neglect, unsafe sex, and the flawed state of public houses and schools. There is a lot of swearing and casual usage of the F-word and C-word - impressive for a former children's author who is also a Christian. I didn't see it as Ms Rowling trying too hard to be adult (for the most part, anyway, but this didn't bother me so much either). I saw it as a chance for her to really show a great understanding of the state of modern humanity and the psychological depths of people who grow up expecting to be seen as pure and chaste; in this case people living in a small English village with a complex history. Those who live in a corrupt, barely-surviving little town keep on pretending that everything is fine; that no problems and struggles exist.
In writing 'The Casual Vacancy', Jo Rowling, as I interpret it, takes an opportunity to expose what is normally accepted in class-dominated societies as bullshit: and the lesson is that no matter where people come from, anyone can still be a bastard or a prick. A rather brave feat, and one any writer of experience can execute well.
Everybody has a choice to change themselves, and a chance to help others to change, for the better. For future generations. To make the world - not perfect, for that is impractical thinking - at least more bearable.
In conclusion, I do see a few justifications in the criticisms of 'The Casual Vacancy' - it is rather slow-going and it did take until around half of the novel for me to decide if I really like it. I find it to be worth the time; for the enjoyment and understanding of the themes to fully sink in.
It is not for the faint of heart, and the serious subjects and issues are written with no mincing of words: this is real life, and it is not always pleasant. It is not always pleasant to admit to. But ignoring them can be much worse and lead towards devastating consequences.
There is a quaint, shimmering beauty to this novel about the worst that people can be.
Final Score: 4/5
(Also I no longer support the author.)
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
'The Casual Vacancy' is J.K. Rowling's first novel written exclusively with adults in mind as the target audience. No magic, no escapist fantasy; it is almost scary in its cruel realism.
On the surface, it is in every way unlike a certain children's book series which made the author famous. So of course a lot of people hate it. And that's okay. Hate a book if you want to. Hate a book so long as it comes from reasons concerning the contents of the book itself. The writing, the narrative, the structure, the characters, the voice, and the amount of research shown; those things can and should be criticised in any book. Do not hate 'The Casual Vacancy' because it is not like 'Harry Potter'. That's not a reason to give something a low rating. Comparing a piece of work to another, more well-established work is unfair criticism. Hating something new and challenging just for existing is even more intolerable in my eyes. It shows narrow-mindedness, and a refusal to allow an author a chance to do what any good writer does: grow and try new and different genres and fields.
Do not read 'The Casual Vacancy' expecting 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard'. Do not read it expecting a fun trip to Hogsmeade or happy endings. Judge and criticise something as its own individual product, regardless of who the author is or what that author has done in the past that the general public more familiarly (and comfortably) associates her with. Regardless of whether the author had an impact on people's childhoods. Good writers strive to try different things, and given a chance they can succeed and be applauded for their versatility and for having a wider talent range than previously thought. Look at Roald Dahl, who didn't solely write books for children; a real, complex, vastly ambitious human being was at work there.
When I first heard about Ms Rowling writing a book which had nothing to do with 'Harry Potter', I was happy. I was glad that she was still writing at all, and had not let an incredible amount of fortune few writers can even dream of affect her lifestyle. Or made her give up on the job she loves or on the talent she possesses; what had made her famous in the first place.
Bottom line, if readers dislike 'The Casual Vacancy' for it's slow pace, its excessive amount of characters, its lack of likable or sympathetic characters, its vulgar content being too much, or that it might be too unsettling for some people's tastes, that is perfectly fine. These are criticisms of the book, not the author, and they are not comparisons to the qualities of other, totally unrelated books.
And 'The Casual Vacancy' is not for everyone. I can understand some of the negativity it receives, despite the fact that I ended up really liking the book.
Sorry for rambling on, I just get frustrated every time I see this book get a low-star rating and review because it is not like 'Harry Potter'. Nobody ever said it was going to be like 'Harry Potter'. Based on the author alone, most people probably assumed it was going to be a fun ride where good conquers evil and human beings are only really good or really bad, with nothing inbetween (yet 'Harry Potter' has remarkably complex characters and themes for a "children's" series of stories).
Rant over, on to the point of the review.
So what is 'The Casual Vacancy', J.K. Rowling's first adult novel, actually about?
Barry Fairbrother, a well-liked councillor of a small English town, Pagford, dies suddenly and unexpectedly. This leaves the seemingly-quaint town's inhabitants metaphorically going to war with each other over who will take Barry's place in a seat on the Parish Council. The death of a likable man (indeed maybe the most decent person in this book) in the first five pages exposes the darkest depths of the human soul, and reveals the greediness, bitterness, jealousies, prejudices, pettiness, selfishness, and/or the most futile fantasies of Pagford's residents. Nothing is what it seems. Nearly everyone has ulterior motives for doing what they do; they are all grey and complex.
Secrets and a collective fury and confusion are born and bred, and a chaotic puzzle plays out - who is as bad or much worse than all the others? Following a death, are they all the same in their living want of satisfaction and contentment? And of harming others along the way?
In my humble opinion, 'The Casual Vacancy' is a moving, mesmerizing and effective tragedy with a glimmer of hope on the horizon. It's not a mystery novel - Barry was not murdered - but a drama. Ms Rowling weaves all her story threads around in almost beautiful twists and turns. Each thread - a collection of subplots, with the councillor's death being the central plot which sets things in motion - connects, and each character gets to interact with the others in meaningful, character-driven moments.
'The Casual Vacancy' can be viewed as more of an examination of people than a story, and that is a positive criticism.
On first reading 'The Casual Vacancy', I immediately recognised Ms Rowling's superb and flowing writing style. She shows the same respect to her reader's intelligence as in the 'Harry Potter' novels. The language is engaging, and the atmosphere is slightly enchanting even when the most shocking and atrocious events happen. Jo's solid characterisations, and how she delivers individual dialogue exchanges, make every fictional person in the book memorable and lifelike.
I believed in everyone; my favourite character being Krystal Weedon, the aggressive poverty-stricken teenager with a heart of gold, whom Barry Fairbrother saw potential in (his death marks yet another caring and understanding person cut out of Krystal's miserable life); Terri, her drug-addict mother; Stu "Fats" Wall, the unrepentant school bully obsessed with living by different philosophies to avoid dealing with his own feelings and problems; Sukhvinder Jawanda, the bullied plain schoolgirl under tremendous parental pressure at home as well as at school; Samantha Mollison, the bored councillor-candidate's wife and mother wanting to recapture the carefree wiles of youth; Andrew Price, Fats's best friend with an abusive councillor-candidate father and a crush on the pretty new girl, Gaia Bawden; Kay, Gaia's social worker mother; and Colin "Cubby" Wall, the school head and Fats's long-suffering adoptive father who has a fear of being found out for possible pedophilic thoughts and acts.
They all felt sadly authentic to me - in their self-pity and refusal to move on in their lives and make themselves (and others) productive members of society. They are not all bad people, but they are deeply unhappy.
The adults are as bad as the teenagers, showing how not much has changed from previous generations; the residents of Pagford are making the same mistakes over and over again, and any vestige of hope is carelessly snuffed out. In reading 'The Casual Vacancy', I was witnessing these people's paths to self-destruction. Most of the characters are not "likable" in the basic sense of the word, but they are interesting and have their own distinguishable quirks and fatal flaws; similar to the characters in Mervyn Peake's 'Gormenghast' series. They are aware of the dangers of their actions and how their decisions affect others. But they keep allowing themselves to be tempted by the forbidden fruit of the cardinal sins of laziness and selfishness.
The further tragedy is that each person in Pagford, in spite of his/her position and efforts, is overall worthless. They live in one of the many tiny villages in Britain, so why does it really matter who will be elected at the Parish Council? A wanting to be more than the sum of his/her parts can in fact turn into a fall from grace, not a rise to fame and fortune. How far people - stubborn, ignorant, desperate people - will go to get what they want out of life is the major theme of 'The Casual Vacancy'.
No human being is the same. We each have different experiences, and feel and react to things differently. Ms Rowling understands this and writes wonderfully diverse people with their own pasts and struggles to deal with. This novel is not entirely unlike 'Harry Potter' in a way, and I'm not just referring to the writing style. Issues of social prejudices, family feuds and cultural animosities feature in 'The Casual Vacancy' as in 'Harry Potter': unsurprising, since these subjects are important discussion topics for adults as well as for children. The names of Barry Fairbrother, Pagford (Padfoot?) and Gaia also bring to mind Harry's wizarding world, in books aimed at all age groups.
'The Casual Vacancy', however, is definitely not for all age groups. It contains issues such as self-harm, drug use and going turkey, pedophilia, racist bullying, child abuse, child neglect, unsafe sex, and the flawed state of public houses and schools. There is a lot of swearing and casual usage of the F-word and C-word - impressive for a former children's author who is also a Christian. I didn't see it as Ms Rowling trying too hard to be adult (for the most part, anyway, but this didn't bother me so much either). I saw it as a chance for her to really show a great understanding of the state of modern humanity and the psychological depths of people who grow up expecting to be seen as pure and chaste; in this case people living in a small English village with a complex history. Those who live in a corrupt, barely-surviving little town keep on pretending that everything is fine; that no problems and struggles exist.
In writing 'The Casual Vacancy', Jo Rowling, as I interpret it, takes an opportunity to expose what is normally accepted in class-dominated societies as bullshit: and the lesson is that no matter where people come from, anyone can still be a bastard or a prick. A rather brave feat, and one any writer of experience can execute well.
Everybody has a choice to change themselves, and a chance to help others to change, for the better. For future generations. To make the world - not perfect, for that is impractical thinking - at least more bearable.
In conclusion, I do see a few justifications in the criticisms of 'The Casual Vacancy' - it is rather slow-going and it did take until around half of the novel for me to decide if I really like it. I find it to be worth the time; for the enjoyment and understanding of the themes to fully sink in.
It is not for the faint of heart, and the serious subjects and issues are written with no mincing of words: this is real life, and it is not always pleasant. It is not always pleasant to admit to. But ignoring them can be much worse and lead towards devastating consequences.
There is a quaint, shimmering beauty to this novel about the worst that people can be.
Final Score: 4/5
Sunday, 27 July 2014
Book Review - 'The Gift of the Magi' by O. Henry
This is the shortest novella I've ever read (it really is like a pamphlet). Yet within its pages and large font, O. Henry's 'The Gift of the Magi' - so simple and intricate - tells a very effective story about love and devotion, and how money does not and should not come into it. Because love is priceless.
20 pages and I saw the poor young married couple, Della and Jim Dillingham, as real people with real lives. 20 pages and I believed in their conviction in giving up a huge part of themselves in order to give something back to the other. 20 pages and hook, line and sinker I was sold on 'The Gift of the Magi' holding such a strong message so as to be a perfect Christmas tale. Christmas is a time for family and thinking of others. However, when giving gifts it is the thought which counts, not how many pennies are spent. Think of how well you know your beloved. Sometimes one does not need to be given expensive material possessions to know that the giver loves them.
Delightful, humourous (O. Henry was clearly big on satire), sweet, lovely, and a little sad, I now understand why 'The Gift of the Magi' is considered a classic. The novella contains the timeless themes of love and money never mixing, and how just being there for your loved ones is enough. The suspenseful building towards the twist ending is also very well done.
There are a few elements that don't quite add up to the overall story (Why put the chops on alone, Della? Is domestication and sexism at play? Of course, Della is the overly-emotional one), and some characteristics in Della and Jim are somewhat dated in 1905 (Although superficial prettiness and cooking are still expected of women in today's patriarchal society, so a bit of truth to heterosexual relationships is presented here, especially amongst young people). But 'The Gift of the Magi' has succeeded in putting me under its magical spell.
I leave the review off with this passage from the final page, summing up the whole pamphlet-tale:
'And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest.' - Page 21.
Highly recommended. 20 pages, and nothing to lose except 10 minutes of time.
Final Score: 4/5
20 pages and I saw the poor young married couple, Della and Jim Dillingham, as real people with real lives. 20 pages and I believed in their conviction in giving up a huge part of themselves in order to give something back to the other. 20 pages and hook, line and sinker I was sold on 'The Gift of the Magi' holding such a strong message so as to be a perfect Christmas tale. Christmas is a time for family and thinking of others. However, when giving gifts it is the thought which counts, not how many pennies are spent. Think of how well you know your beloved. Sometimes one does not need to be given expensive material possessions to know that the giver loves them.
Delightful, humourous (O. Henry was clearly big on satire), sweet, lovely, and a little sad, I now understand why 'The Gift of the Magi' is considered a classic. The novella contains the timeless themes of love and money never mixing, and how just being there for your loved ones is enough. The suspenseful building towards the twist ending is also very well done.
There are a few elements that don't quite add up to the overall story (Why put the chops on alone, Della? Is domestication and sexism at play? Of course, Della is the overly-emotional one), and some characteristics in Della and Jim are somewhat dated in 1905 (Although superficial prettiness and cooking are still expected of women in today's patriarchal society, so a bit of truth to heterosexual relationships is presented here, especially amongst young people). But 'The Gift of the Magi' has succeeded in putting me under its magical spell.
I leave the review off with this passage from the final page, summing up the whole pamphlet-tale:
'And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest.' - Page 21.
Highly recommended. 20 pages, and nothing to lose except 10 minutes of time.
Final Score: 4/5
Friday, 25 July 2014
Non-Fiction Book Review - 'Words on Kindness' by Helen Exley (Editor)
Blurb: 'Words on Kindness is a little book of quiet wisdom from many of the world's greatest people. It has thoughts and insights into the value of kindness in our lives and makes an ideal gift to say "Thank you" to a special person.'
Another nice pocket-sized book with quotes chosen by Helen Exley, given to me by my mum on my birthday. This Giftbook is about the importance of kindness, with each quote taken throughout the ages reminding us of how being kind may be the best thing you can be in your life and in the lives of others.
Kindness can lead to compassion, wisdom, enlightenment and human appreciation. Read 'Words on Kindness' to learn why.
Final Score: 4/5
Another nice pocket-sized book with quotes chosen by Helen Exley, given to me by my mum on my birthday. This Giftbook is about the importance of kindness, with each quote taken throughout the ages reminding us of how being kind may be the best thing you can be in your life and in the lives of others.
Kindness can lead to compassion, wisdom, enlightenment and human appreciation. Read 'Words on Kindness' to learn why.
Final Score: 4/5
Thursday, 24 July 2014
Harry Potter Book Reviews - 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' by J.K. Rowling
2023 EDIT: Part of my 2023 clear-up, of books I no longer like, or am no longer interested in, or remember well as standing out, or find as special anymore, or I otherwise will not miss.
[I think I have finally outgrown this series and fandom, and I can no longer in good conscience support it, thanks to She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. My once-love of the franchise has turned sour; I am disenchanted, disinterested, and I can't look at it fondly anymore. I will always have the memories, but not the books.]
Final Score: 4/5
Original Review:
Harry Potter Reviews
My 'Harry Potter' month isn't quite over yet!
'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' is the book collection of wizard fairy tales mentioned in 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows', and which becomes a plot point. Now 'Harry Potter' fans can read for themselves these wonderful and bizarre tales which are the wizard's equivalent to our own fairy tales by the Grimm Brothers and Hans Christian Anderson.
I got this for £1 at a charity shop, and it is a 100-page delight.
J.K. Rowling did write 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' for a children's charity, in fact. And once more her imagination, wit and observations of human nature show no bounds. The little book includes an introduction by Ms Rowling herself - treating the commentator Albus Dumbledore like a real person, as well as the stories: 'The Wizard and the Hopping Pot', 'The Fountain of Fair Fortune', 'The Warlock's Hairy Heart', 'Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump', and 'The Tale of the Three Brothers'. At the end of each story is a section of "notes" and analyses by the famous Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
Each tale has magic being used for good and for finding good solutions to problems, as opposed to our own traditional fairy tales where magic is always cast by a wicked sorcerer or sorceress, and only exists to enable harm. (Although lessons are taught about how magic can cause as much trouble and pain as pleasure and convenience, and that it should be performed with the greatest responsibility). They also feature active heroines with individual personalities, brilliant humour, darkness, and the moral of "not everything is as it seems". They each contain subtle messages of love and tolerance to all living creatures, which Dumbledore explains in detail in his notes.
'The Wizard and the Hopping Pot' is perhaps the least enjoyable and most morally-questionable of the tales, although I love Dumbledore's notes afterwards, and this line, 'Mrs Bloxam's tale has met the same response from generations of wizarding children: uncontrollable retching, followed by an immediate demand to have the book taken from them and mashed into pulp' - Page 18.
I think 'The Fountain of Fair Fortune' is my favourite of the tales: great characters, great adventure, and with a great message about finding self-confidence in any situation, as long as you keep believing and trying in order to achieve your dreams. No wonder Dumbledore says it is a favourite among wizards and performed in pantomimes constantly; it is the best written of the lot.
'The Warlock's Hairy Heart' is undoubtedly the darkest of Beedle's tales, with a tragic ending, and a message about the price for seeking invulnerability and everything desirable yet unattainable. Coldness, intolerance and heartlessness only lead to loneliness and despair.
'Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump' is a fun little story, with a clear anti-monarchy (in the Muggle world, that is) agenda, and which most incorporates the magic spells used in the 'Harry Potter' series.
The final tale by Beedle the Bard is 'The Tale of the Three Brothers' and is the most relevant because it's where the story of the Deathly Hallows comes from: so it plays a vital role in the final 'Harry Potter' book. It is where the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone and the Invisibility Cloak all came from; all three things will turn out to be real in 'Harry Potter' and are important plot devices in Harry's adventures. The second darkest tale, 'The Three Brothers' is about the price and folly of mastering Death itself. For no matter how greatly both wizards and we, Muggles, fear death, it is inevitable, and no magic or trickery can sidestep or overcome it. This will become Lord Voldemort's downfall and one of the reasons for why he is, ultimately, his own worst enemy; because of his refusal to except that nothing and no one is immortal. I wonder if J.K. Rowling got the idea of using brothers in the story from the Grimm Brothers...
'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' is a continuously funny, charming, clever and dark little read, and a must for 'Harry Potter' fans. Internet Witch in-training Artemis Crescent fully recommends these fairy tales and their written commentaries.
Final Score: 5/5
[I think I have finally outgrown this series and fandom, and I can no longer in good conscience support it, thanks to She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. My once-love of the franchise has turned sour; I am disenchanted, disinterested, and I can't look at it fondly anymore. I will always have the memories, but not the books.]
Final Score: 4/5
Original Review:
Harry Potter Reviews
My 'Harry Potter' month isn't quite over yet!
'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' is the book collection of wizard fairy tales mentioned in 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows', and which becomes a plot point. Now 'Harry Potter' fans can read for themselves these wonderful and bizarre tales which are the wizard's equivalent to our own fairy tales by the Grimm Brothers and Hans Christian Anderson.
I got this for £1 at a charity shop, and it is a 100-page delight.
J.K. Rowling did write 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' for a children's charity, in fact. And once more her imagination, wit and observations of human nature show no bounds. The little book includes an introduction by Ms Rowling herself - treating the commentator Albus Dumbledore like a real person, as well as the stories: 'The Wizard and the Hopping Pot', 'The Fountain of Fair Fortune', 'The Warlock's Hairy Heart', 'Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump', and 'The Tale of the Three Brothers'. At the end of each story is a section of "notes" and analyses by the famous Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
Each tale has magic being used for good and for finding good solutions to problems, as opposed to our own traditional fairy tales where magic is always cast by a wicked sorcerer or sorceress, and only exists to enable harm. (Although lessons are taught about how magic can cause as much trouble and pain as pleasure and convenience, and that it should be performed with the greatest responsibility). They also feature active heroines with individual personalities, brilliant humour, darkness, and the moral of "not everything is as it seems". They each contain subtle messages of love and tolerance to all living creatures, which Dumbledore explains in detail in his notes.
'The Wizard and the Hopping Pot' is perhaps the least enjoyable and most morally-questionable of the tales, although I love Dumbledore's notes afterwards, and this line, 'Mrs Bloxam's tale has met the same response from generations of wizarding children: uncontrollable retching, followed by an immediate demand to have the book taken from them and mashed into pulp' - Page 18.
I think 'The Fountain of Fair Fortune' is my favourite of the tales: great characters, great adventure, and with a great message about finding self-confidence in any situation, as long as you keep believing and trying in order to achieve your dreams. No wonder Dumbledore says it is a favourite among wizards and performed in pantomimes constantly; it is the best written of the lot.
'The Warlock's Hairy Heart' is undoubtedly the darkest of Beedle's tales, with a tragic ending, and a message about the price for seeking invulnerability and everything desirable yet unattainable. Coldness, intolerance and heartlessness only lead to loneliness and despair.
'Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump' is a fun little story, with a clear anti-monarchy (in the Muggle world, that is) agenda, and which most incorporates the magic spells used in the 'Harry Potter' series.
The final tale by Beedle the Bard is 'The Tale of the Three Brothers' and is the most relevant because it's where the story of the Deathly Hallows comes from: so it plays a vital role in the final 'Harry Potter' book. It is where the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone and the Invisibility Cloak all came from; all three things will turn out to be real in 'Harry Potter' and are important plot devices in Harry's adventures. The second darkest tale, 'The Three Brothers' is about the price and folly of mastering Death itself. For no matter how greatly both wizards and we, Muggles, fear death, it is inevitable, and no magic or trickery can sidestep or overcome it. This will become Lord Voldemort's downfall and one of the reasons for why he is, ultimately, his own worst enemy; because of his refusal to except that nothing and no one is immortal. I wonder if J.K. Rowling got the idea of using brothers in the story from the Grimm Brothers...
'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' is a continuously funny, charming, clever and dark little read, and a must for 'Harry Potter' fans. Internet Witch in-training Artemis Crescent fully recommends these fairy tales and their written commentaries.
Final Score: 5/5
Wednesday, 23 July 2014
Harry Potter Book Reviews - 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' by J.K. Rowling
2023 EDIT: Part of my 2023 clear-up, of books I no longer like, or am no longer interested in, or remember well as standing out, or find as special anymore, or I otherwise will not miss.
[I think I have finally outgrown this series and fandom, and I can no longer in good conscience support it, thanks to She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. My once-love of the franchise has turned sour; I am disenchanted, disinterested, and I can't look at it fondly anymore. I will always have the memories, but not the books.]
Final Score: 4/5
2020 EDIT: Link here to my further and final thoughts.
Original Review:
Harry Potter Reviews
Book 7: 'The Deathly Hallows'
I'm not gonna lie. I haven't been this nervous to write anything since my final year at university. Where do I even begin with a review of the final book of one of the best fantasy series of all time? What can I say what millions before me haven't already discussed? How can I possibly convey the ingenious execution, planning, not to mention the epic scale, of such a book? How can I sum up the book's multi-layered themes and developments, and those of the series spanning seven years?
Like so many, I grew up with 'Harry Potter'. I remember clearly reading each novel with excitement. In those days my older brother would read them first and then it would be my turn. With 'The Deathly Hallows' this was no exception. In the summer of 2007 I read the first six 'Harry Potter' books and by the time I was done, my brother had finished the last one.
'The Deathly Hallows' is not perfect. Now there's an understatement.
Welcome to life, my friends. If everything went our way all the time, life would not be worth fighting for. How dare an author of an acclaimed book series make us feel things! How dare she make people die in wars!
To keep things simple and make my review perhaps a little different from others out there, I'll only talk about the things that matter most to me in 'The Deathly Hallows'. The things I wish to discuss.
But first, what exactly happens in 'The Deathly Hallows'?
Spoilers ahead:
Albus Dumbledore is dead, killed by the traitor Severus Snape (or is he?), who is now headmaster of Hogwarts. Lord Voldemort, his Death Eaters and his followers are taking over the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts. To call the dark wizard "You-Know-Who" or "He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named" holds real safety this time - not paranoia - because to say his name means Death Eaters coming for you and torturing you. Maybe killing you or your loved ones. In war, the threat is real. Harry Potter is destined to kill this wizard - or he will die by the monster's wand, for only one of them can live.
Along with his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger - who have stuck by him through everything for the last six years - Harry is snuck out of his home in 4 Privet Drive by the Order of the Phoenix, towards the destination of The Burrow. They must be prepared for a quest to find and destroy all seven of Voldemort's Horcruxes - objects in which the Dark Lord had put a piece of his soul in order to prolong his existence. When Harry turns seventeen, the charm his deceased mother Lily had cast on him and on the Dursley house to protect him from Voldemort will break, leaving the once-Boy Who Lived more vulnerable than ever before.
Friends and family die, innocent people suffer, Muggles and Muggle-born wizards and any non-human magical creature are tortured and oppressed under Voldemort's reign. Horrors of the darkest magic, and a corrupt society, unleash.
Harry is reaching the final stages of growing up and becoming a real wizard. 'The Deathly Hallows' is the final stop of Harry Potter's epic coming-of-age journey.
'The Deathly Hallows' - the finale - gives the readers a last taste of most things from the previous books, including the sense of danger and desperation from all of the characters. Oh, so many characters.
It also gives the readers: the return of Hagrid riding Sirius's flying motorbike, the death of Hedwig the owl (one of the many sad deaths in the book), Dumbledore's last gifts to the young wizard trio, Harry's visions of Voldemort's current actions, Rita Skeeter's scandalous new book, 'The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore', the mystery surrounding the seclusion and death of Albus's sister Ariana, a Weasley Wedding, the return of Dolores Umbridge and her despicable wickedness, the demise of Dobby (oh how I cried!), Remus Lupin's impending fatherhood, a mirror with an eye in it, a sword, a silver doe Patronus, the Elder Wand from Dumbledore's tomb - stolen by Voldemort, Harry's parents' graves, a snake in a moving corpse, great use of the Invisibility Cloak, Hermione's ingenious plans and fast-forward-thinking, Malfoy Manor, Xenophilius Lovegood and his story of the legendary Deathly Hallows - three objects to make the owner the Master of Death, Ron's courage and trust in his friends being put to the ultimate test, Griphook the goblin, breaking into Gringotts bank, a dragon, Dumbledore's brother Aberforth, Dumbledore's Army's fierce dedication to rebel, Percy Weasley's redemption (about time, too), the final battle in Hogwarts - where it all began, Dumbledore's backstory, Snape's backstory, Ron and Hermione's kiss, Neville Longbottom's crowning moment of awesome, Mrs Weasley's crowning moment of awesome, and wizard fairy tales.
Best moments:
* Dudley Dursley telling Harry, after a lifetime of bullying and abuse, "I don't think you're a waste of space." Harry saved Dudley from Dementors in the fifth book.
* Dedalus Diggle tells Harry as it is: "The hopes of the wizarding world rest upon your shoulders." There is a lot of pressure put on our hero.
* Poor Hedwig. The cute, feathery symbol of the innocence of Harry's wizard childhood is gone now. Only darkness and danger build up from there.
* Ron leaving Harry and Hermione and then coming back after many weeks - showing the challenges of friendship and why such a love is worth fighting for.
* Hermione's reaction to Ron returning for their quest: "You - complete - arse - Ronald - Weasley!"
* Ron and Hermione's first passionate kiss during the Battle of Hogwarts, and Harry's reaction to it: "Oi! There's a war going on here!"
* Away from Ron and Hermione now. There's also Luna Lovegood's home, and the lonely girl's large pictures of her friends framed in her room. So sad in its own way.
* Harry calling out Lupin for choosing to abandon his wife Tonks and their unborn child for any reason. Werewolf or not, he is a father now and must be there for his new family in the midst of war and death. Harry will be the baby's godfather - a nice mirroring of James and his friends around the time when Harry himself was born.
* Harry and Hermione's return to the house where James and Lily Potter were killed sixteen years ago. And the remaining horrors there (of the snake-in-the-waddling-corpse variety).
* Dobby's tragic death by Bellatrix Lestrange's desperate throwing of a knife to his heart. His burial as well. A very sad end to a small but important friend to Harry in his life in the wizarding world.
* Another character spoiler death - Fred Weasley, one of the continuously hilarious twins. Mrs Weasley's worst fears are realised in one of the most beautifully-written passages ever.
* Neville practically leading Dumbledore's Army and the Battle of Hogwarts, and standing up to Voldemort and killing Nagini the snake with the Gryffindor sword. He WAS meant for the Gryffindor House all along. The cowardly boy who could barely cast any spells right is now a man of great courage who will use his talents to save everybody. Nearly every good guy gets his or her own crowning moment of awesome in the Battle of Hogwarts, even Peeves the poltergeist and Professor Trelawney.
* Voldemort's defeat and death by his own Killing Curse backfiring on him. Again. Harry does not stoop to murder like his enemy; he only uses a disarming spell (Expelliarmus) against Voldemort. His mother's love saves him once again, and he is the true master of the Elder Wand.
* Finally, saving the best moment to last, the chapter 'The Forest Again'. Harry's terror of his seemingly-inevitable death by Voldemort - on top of feeling betrayed by Dumbledore - is wonderfully written. Dark and hopeless ('It was over, he knew it, and all that was left was the thing itself: dying.') but with a childlike beauty to it ('Would it hurt to die?'). Perfect. A triumph.
Now for what I wish to discuss about the end of the 'Harry Potter' series:
The chapter, 'The Prince's Tale'. So, Severus Snape loved Lily Evans. He was a lonely half-blood wizard (similar to Harry, in fact), and was the one who told the Muggle-born witch what she was in the first place from childhood. They were close friends at Hogwarts. However, Severus always had a fondness for Dark Magic and pure-blooded wizard supremacy, and Lily rightly did not like this. He was jealous of James Potter for his popularity and hated him ever more for the bullying and humiliation. It is revealed that the real reason why, in 'The Order of the Phoenix', the memory contained in Snape's Pensieve was his worst: Severus had called Lily a Mudblood. In his fury at James, he had let his own bigotry and bitterness consume him, and he called his best friend - the girl he loved - an offensive term used for Muggle-born magic users. Lily never forgave Severus for that, and she stopped defending him for his Dark Arts ambitions. When James and Lily got together a few years later, Severus was livid to say the least. He would have been forever dedicated to Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters if not for his undying love for Lily, the only friend he ever had. And after she died, he promised Dumbledore to protect her son who still lives.
Snape's entire motivation is loving Lily, and he begrudgingly looked out for Harry just for her. Everything was done according to Dumbledore's plans.
That's the gist of Snape's tale revealed in this book. Dumbledore's plans aside, I cannot bring myself to sympathise with Snape. Simply because he is not a sympathetic character. At all. A poor childhood and getting bullied at school are no excuses for bullying children yourself as an adult when you're a teacher. And what a terrible teacher Snape is. It makes him no different from James. But James eventually grew up, while Snape did not. He still has an obsession with Dark Magic, and he still holds prejudices and beliefs befitting a Death Eater (brought on by his abusive Muggle father, presumably).
Snape doesn't change. He would have become a Death Eater even if he hadn't known Lily or James. He had called Lily a Mudblood when she was trying to defend and protect him from James, for ***** sake! I didn't see his bigotry being challenged when he fell in love with a Muggle-born witch. Wanting to kill innocent people (including babies!) and become a part of a world where people like Lily would be tortured and murdered isn't going to endear me to Snape's character. Even her death by his master's wand doesn't change his ways that much. He bullies students who were not even born when he suffered the worst of his life. He never cared for Harry; he admits as much. He hates him simply because he's James's son. The only good things Snape does in Harry's story are being Dumbledore's spy in Voldemort's rise to power, not killing Harry, and keeping Remus safe during the full moon. Nobody's perfect - and they shouldn't be - but overall I find Snape's motivations to be confused and a bit pathetic.
Unrequited love is a weak motivation for bad people in fictional stories, and in this case it's no different, in my opinion. Maybe it's Snape's capacity to love that makes him different from Voldemort, but it's not much of a redeeming feature in the grand scale of his actions and viewpoints.
But I do find Severus Snape to be a complex character; we wonder why Dumbledore trusts him so much. But a sympathetic character? No. I cannot feel for bullies who refuse to grow up.
"Probably the bravest man I ever knew" (Page 607). No.
Here are other things I wish to mention:
* Feisty and bubbly Tonks barely has a presence since becoming a wife and a mother. I really hate the sexist cliche where a previously well-written and capable female character is turned ineffectual and boring should marriage and motherhood come into her life. But at least Tonks gets to fight in the Battle of Hogwarts, despite what happens to her there...
* I do agree with popular opinion that the epilogue is rather cheesy. What really baffles me is the idea that someone like Harry would be cruel enough to name his child Albus Severus. Severus. Ugh!
* Why are nearly all the half-bloods and half-breeds in the 'Harry Potter' series only magical or different from their mother's side of the family? Harry has a Muggle-born mother, Hogwarts student Seamus Finnigan has a Muggle father, Hagrid has a giant mother, Voldemort/Tom Riddle Jnr had a Muggle father, as did Snape...It shows how most mothers in general are wonderful and magical...?
* Speaking of mothers, I do like how Narcissa Malfoy will do anything to protect her son Draco, even if it means defying her master, Voldemort. This reflects Lily's love and protection of her Harry.
* The Dursleys being Harry's only living relatives is in my opinion the biggest plot contrivance in the series.
Oh, what the hallows. I think 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' is a truly epic end to a great series that inspired a whole generation and made its mark on popular culture. Not all of its gazillion subplots and character resolutions reach a perfect conclusion, but on the whole it's exciting, urgent, scary and dangerous - like an ending should be.
Themes such as social prejudice, corruption, love, hate, war and finding one's identity and destiny reach terrifying zenith levels in the finale. Quite believable for a fantasy book with lots of magic: dark and mature but clear enough for younger readers to grasp.
There is still a magical, fairy tale charm to be found here - and not just from the talking of the Deathly Hallows and other wizard fairy tales, different from the Muggle ones we know ("Cinderella? What's that, an illness?" Ron once says - one of the funniest moments in this dark fantasy).
It's a beautiful treasure, and a pleasure to behold.
This review ended up being colossally longer than I had planned (or not planned, for that matter). So I'll very briefly reflect on my thoughts on the two-part movie version: Both parts are the most exciting and action-packed of the film series. Even the epilogue is beautifully done. Add in the writers keeping Mrs Weasley's "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" line, and I was a very happy and contented book purist. I found it to be necessary to split the book into two films, so as not to miss out on any important details. Sadly it seems now that every film based on the last book in a YA series is split into two parts, for no reason other than to milk a cash cow for just a little longer before the successful franchise dies out.
Well, I feel quite triumphant; finishing reviewing all the 'Harry Potter' books in less than a month. Opinions are often hard to put into words perfectly.
I shall now conclude this review; of the end of 'Harry Potter' - and of the magic of his world and journey.
Harry Potter Book 7:
Final Score: 4/5
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