Blog Post #3

I had previously read the first four novels of the series. I stopped reading them because I was about twenty by then, and they did not catch my interest. I always hoped to finish the rest of the series just to say I had read them, but my time was spent writing papers and reading required materials for my classes. I took this class with the goal of finishing the series. Now that I've finished the series, I may just be a little obsessed (This is an understatement). I am so happy to have finally read the fifth, sixth and seventh books because they really do dramatically differ from the first half of the series. I really enjoyed the twist of the tone in The Order of the Phoenix. The tone of the books mature with Harry as he comes closer and closer to his final meeting with Voldemort.

I also really enjoyed how the characters developed in the span of seven books. In the first half, Dumbledore seemed eccentric but powerful and loving. Later my warm feelings for him changed, just as Harry's changed, when I found out about his past from characters such as Aberforth. Dumbledore really became a round character during the seventh book after his death--we learned about his flaws and his priorities.

Although I like Dumbledore's development, Snape actually became my favorite character because of his complexity. In the first part of my final, I wrote about sacrificial love and how Snape became intertwined with the major theme of the series. For me, the ambiguity of his loyalty is what kept me reading. He really was the "spinner" of the web.

Rowling is absolutely ingenious for the ending of the series. I was nervous that I wouldn't be impressed, but the complexity of the finale has kept me thinking about it for about a week now. The intricacy of the Elder Wand and its master confused me, but after reading the final chapters over and over, I was very much impressed.

I look forward to watching the movies now that I've completed the series. I might even enroll at Hogwarts in the fall.