Tuesday, September 11, 2007

The World's Latest Review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

So much to say, I don’t know where to begin. It’s been an eventful week. As tempted as I am to barrage about Britney Spears pathetic display of lip sync and butt cheek, I feel as though her performance speaks for itself. And beyond that...YouTube will continue to speak for her. Glorious YouTube.


I was going to go into the chaos that was my life last week. My Mongra's funeral (which I will write about at some point in the near future), seeing Eugene Mirman on Saturday night. Seeing Wolf Parade for free in the front of the VIP section late Sunday night (thanks James!!!). God they're an awesome band. Do you remember when I told you that once before? Well...a year later, my opinion still stands.


I was going to jump into some world events...give a little social commentary...a little editorial piece for the masses. But I didn't have enough energy yesterday (Going out on a Sunday night has become difficult. Damn adulthood). And I don't actually have time to do it today. Stupid job.

So I'm not going to talk about any of those things. I am, however, going to inform you all that I have finally finished the very last ever Harry Potter book. I know some of you are thinking "Gee whiz, Kara...that was, like so 2 months ago". And some of you are thinking "Shucks, Kara...I've already reviewed it on my more traffic-receiving website.". Well I know that everyone and their grandmother has reviewed it. But none of them matter. Well, they may matter, but their reviews don't. Because I'm here to do mine. Unless I have to stop writing this and go back to work (may happen any second...the honeymoon with this position is definitely over)…see, just there, I had to let this post sit for, like an hour. Blurgh.

Back to Potter. It took me so long to start it because a. I don’t get a lot of time to read nowadays. And b. I wanted to re-read book 6 because I’d just seen 5 in the theater and I wanted it to all be in a row. Because I’m LINEAR like that. Suck it. Anyway, I finished book 7 about midnight last night…which sucked because I was soooo droopy from the night before, but I soldiered on. AND at the second to last chapter, I got teary eyed. TEARY eyed! Don't worry, though. I’m choosing to believe that was because of the late hour and my body was just sad that I wasn’t sleeping yet.

I guess calling this a review is somewhat totally misleading, because I’m not going to go into the story. I was ok with how it ended, I was mildly ok with who was killed off and who wasn’t. And I had a HUGE suspicion confirmed to my satisfaction, so all in all…it was a fitting end in many ways. But that’s not the issue here. The issue here is that it’s THE END.

There will never be another Harry Potter book. Yes, she may go on and write other fabulous books, and I’m sure she’ll create new and wonderful worlds and characters. But fuck that. I want to continue to have an excuse to insert the word “muggle” into general conversation. I want to continue to see kids lined up in cloaks and stupid looking hats in front of Powell’s on the eve of the next book release. I want to continue to be able to completely immerse myself in a world that, though it’s meant for the young’uns…allows me to take a jaunt down that fanciful lane once again without having to feel like I’m dumbing myself down for doing so. And I’m not convinced that there will ever be anything else comparable to these stories when it comes to inspiring children to read. Not only to want to…but to really be driven to.

These books were the Arrested Development of children’s literature.

Yes, you can use that. I give you all permission.

Oh well.

What’s wacky is...this was the first time I ever saw Harry’s birthdate in any of the books that I can remember. He’s my age. I don’t know how I feel about that. Except…kind of good.

I’ll miss you Harry. I'll miss the world you live in. I'll miss the way you helped me forget what a mundane world I live in...if just for a while. Well...a little over a decade, but who's counting.

14 keep(s) me blogging:

The Future said...

Isn't it bizarre to think the actor's life is really only just beginning. My guess is it has felt like it was on hold until he got through the 7 films. I wonder if he'll be another Fred Savage or Elliot from E.T. who will never really catch on outside of the genre in which his fame was born?
Speaking of finding out an actor is your age, both Jay North (played Dennis on the Dennis the Menace series when I was young) and Kurt Russell are my age. Again, one continued his successful movie roles into adulthood while the other fell off the face of the earth. It's possible Jon Provost of Lassie fame was my age too but again, I've lost track of him. Obviously none of them had the huge impact on the literary and movie world that Harry did. I bow to your more impressively famous twin.

kara said...

no mummy, the actor isn't my age. the character is. from the year she says Harry was born in the book to now would make him my age. you goose.

The Future said...

I'm quite sure that was an honest mistake.

kara said...

the honestest. but you're still a goose.

Macoosh said...

i feel your sadness as well. i want her to write about harry's kids now. so technically, it's not another harry potter....ahem.

what was your suspicion? i wanna know!

Rachel said...

This post almost made me cry as much as I did when I read that chapter at the end...

I always liked Snape...


(I have PMS)

Sarah said...

I haven't read a single one of the books, but I'm all caught up on the movies. I will read them some day.
I hate finishing a good book. It always makes me sad. I will stare at the book, touching it and holding it for a few minutes before I can bring myself to put it down. I can imagine that an entire series like that would do so much more.
I will mourn for you Kara. :(

Gorilla Bananas said...

Are you sure you prefer Harry's world to your one? I don't know much about Potterland, but I get the impression that humans without magical powers were second class citizens. And there wasn't much sex either. The grass looks greener on the other side...

Angelissima said...

Don't fret. I'm sure those nuts with the cloaks and wands will be lining up forever, just like the Star Wars dorks.

kara said...

macoosh - yeah, it wouldn't be the same. as for my guess...i don't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't read it...but just that i had a surprising amount of faith in one character. and it paid off. though surprisingly.

rachel - girl, i know how you're feeling. both occasions inspire(d) outbursts in me as well.

sarah - you will read them. you'll read them to your kids, i imagine...maybe a chapter a night when they get a little older. it will be magical for them...literally and figuratively.

goranas - are you calling me magicless? i'll have you know that i can do all manner of strange and unexplainable things.

angelissima - yes...and they will remain less judged by me than the star wars freaks. 'cause that's how i roll.

Me said...

How is that you speand half a post writing about what you're not going to write about? You're damaged, severly. Truth.

Jansky T said...

Rosebud was the sled.

AxAtlas said...

Bye Potter. Bye Simpsons.

thethinker said...

Britney's performance made my day. Well actually, it made my week. I have this friend who does a very good Britney-at-the-VMA's impression (dancing, lip synching, clueless facial expressions, and all) and she has done it for me every day this week.

I get to relive the magic without You Tube.

As for Harry Potter, I'm so far behind. I still need to read book six.