HP - do you feel cheated?
By rowantree
@rowantree (1186)
United States
July 25, 2007 2:17pm CST
WARNING:
Don't read this if you haven't read the book yet or if you don't want to know about the story.
I've finished the last Harry Potter book. I have to admit, there were parts that I skimmed while the thoughts "blah blah blah" went through my head. JK Rowling put in an awful lot of 'filler'. A little more than halfway through and it was annoying me. I didn't understand the reasoning for it.
Get to the end and I understood why. I don't believe this book was written as a book. This book was written in a way so that it would easily translate to the big screen, wasn't it?Which is to say, in my own opinion, that we've been cheated.
I also feel that the last bit written was written hastily. I don't believe much thought or effort was put into it.**SPOILER ALERT**I do, however, believe that the last bit was written - thrown in - so that the readers would have their happily ever after ending.
Which left me feeling extremely cheated. It has left me feeling that the real story has gone untold. The story in JK Rowling's mind, the real story, went unwritten (or maybe she wrote it and stashed it).
I dunno. Maybe this is the real story. I just can't shake the feeling though, that it isn't.
I understand why the series had to end. I'm sad though, that it did have to end because JK Rowling is an amazing woman. She has broken so many records. She has accomplished an incredible amount of things. I am hoping that her ending the series doesn't end her accomplishments. I am hoping that she still has a lot more magick up her sleeve.
If not, it was good while it lasted...
3 people like this
13 responses
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
26 Jul 07
I was quite happy with the book. I felt this book should have been written instead of books 5 & 6 which I did not enjoy at all. I did think it was odd she picked up 19 years later, but it was a nice end, the series end almost exactly as it began, coming full circle.
1 person likes this
@mkirby624 (1598)
• United States
26 Jul 07
I've rarely heard people disliking 5 and 6. 5 is my favorite book
1 person likes this
@natalie1981 (1995)
• Singapore
26 Jul 07
Ditto. I hated 5 and 6, specially 5. I guess its just because I'm a sucker for happy endings that's why I liked this book better. I liked the thought of adding 19 years later but I didn't like how it was written. It's sort of rushed and there wasn't really that much interaction between Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione. I wish she added more details or focused on the main characters a littler more than on the kids.
@rowantree (1186)
• United States
26 Jul 07
I like all of the books. I felt the "19 years later" bit was very poorly written. When I came to that I thought oh, how perfect, I can just imagine the fade in during the movie. blech.
1 person likes this
@cyberopjames (483)
• United States
26 Jul 07
I got cheated because 18 pages was missing in the book. I now know that I am not the only one that got a bad copy. It is all over the news in my area that alot of the book have 18 blank pages. That is not the fault of JK Rowling. It is the fault of the publisher's. They told me if I send them the book they would send me out a new copy. We will see and I will let you know what happens.
1 person likes this
@rowantree (1186)
• United States
26 Jul 07
Oh no! Where were the missing pages located at story wise? Why can't you just take it back to the store & immediately get a good copy? Let us know what happens!
1 person likes this
@cyberopjames (483)
• United States
26 Jul 07
I took the book to the store and I was told that they would not have any in for two weeks. They would not give me a refund due to the copyright laws. I asked about store credit and I was told that I can only exchange for like book. I will keep you guys updated.
@zeloguy (4911)
• United States
25 Jul 07
Since the fifth book, J.K. Rowling has had problems with the story of Harry Potter. The book was originally written as a kid's book (although now it is much more popular with adults) and when the issues of dating etc... came up it was difficult for her to write.
When the last book came around, you are absolutely right... the book had to be just as big as all the rest of the books and she was on a TIMELINE to get the book written.
I don't think it was necessary written for the big screen but it is for darn sure that Rowling doesn't have the passion for writing as she did with the first book.
1 person likes this
@mkirby624 (1598)
• United States
26 Jul 07
The reason dating is included in the books is because Harry is growing up. He's not an 11 year old anymore, and the kids who started reading Harry when the first book was released AREN'T kids anymore. She's allowing Harry to grow up and allowing the readers to grow up with Harry.
1 person likes this
@zeloguy (4911)
• United States
26 Jul 07
I understand that but read any interview with Rowling about the subject and you will see how she struggled with that.
The book is not in the Libraries in the Teens section it is in the Kids section. I think she did a good job skirting the issue (no pun intended). What happened to the Asian girl Harry was so fond of in book..... 4?
The only thing that is left is the I like her but I'll pretend I hate her and vice verca with Ron and Hermione and we all know what happens with that 'relationship'.
1 person likes this
@rowantree (1186)
• United States
26 Jul 07
Is it possible since Ms. Rowling wrote the book for her young daughter, that as her daughter grew, Ms. Rowling herself outgrew the story?
1 person likes this
@twilight021 (2059)
• United States
25 Jul 07
***this response contains spoilers********
I must admit, I'm with you Rowan. I did feel a bit cheated, I thought the middle had a ton of filler....the moving fron tent to tent stuff...even Ron leaving (I would have thought he would have outgrown that since he was acting much more mature previously). While I wasn't that crazy about that stuff, I can forgive it. I have to say though that I found the epilogue a bit unforgivable. In my opinion I felt it read like 12 year old fan fic. I've even been entertaining the thught that she let a 12 year old write it since I felt it just seemed so out of character. I'm really not sure what went wrong there, but I find your theory that it was written to become a movie a very thought provoking one. I also felt that it left so many unanswered questions...what happened to Lune? How is George (and the rest of the family) coping with the loss of Fred. 19 years was a long time, and I just thoguht it was a very trite, and cliche ending...which is sad because in general I think this story was amazingly well written.
@dfollin (25351)
• United States
27 Jul 07
I did not feel cheated.It leaves it open for anopther book,even thou she says that she is not writting another book.We'll see,look at singers,like Garth Brooks,who said he is retiring and then he comes out with a new CD or goes on tour.Retire's again,same story back again.No,I did not feel the "Nineteen Years" chapter was complete enough,but I did see that it does leave it open for another book.
@zeloguy (4911)
• United States
26 Jul 07
This is a quote from J.K. Rowling herself in 2003 (Thank God I can paste now)
"I do look forward to a post-Harry era in my life, because some of the things that go along with this are not as much fun," she said. "But at the same time, I dread leaving Harry. ... I worked on it so hard for so long ... then it will be over and I think it's going to leave a massive gap."
1 person likes this
@rowantree (1186)
• United States
26 Jul 07
Hiya! I am glad to hear I'm not the only person who didn't forget poor Fred. 19 years later, the kids are named after everyone else *but* Fred. I thought that was strange. And where was Grandma and Grandpa Weasley at? It's just a shame she had to end it the way she did. Interesting about letting a 12 yr old write that last part...
1 person likes this
@easymoney75503 (1702)
• United States
26 Jul 07
personally i loved the book and thnk she has done a wonderful job. although there are things that were not addressed in the book etc. i mean i would of really wished there could of been a book between this and the last 19 years from what i understand she will write one but doesnt know when. that way she can explain everything in more detail. i would have loved to known what happened to kertcher, the teachers, etc. i mean who is running hogwarts now lol. that sort of thing. i think there should be a book explaining that all. i hope someone comes out with a book that continues from the kids lives etc. i mean the story can go on and on without harry being the main person. there are kids and other wizzards etc. from what i understand though she is going to write one last book to fill in gaps but that is all and it wont be like a harry potter book but yet a gap book. i also understand that she isnt going to do witches anymore but move on to other things which is a shame.
1 person likes this
@carlysle (271)
• Philippines
5 Aug 07
the way i see it the epilogue would have been tooooo long if she listed all that happened to all of the characters, right???
i think JKR was expecting this reaction from fans.. coz a day or so before the release of the book she did say that she knows a lot would be happy and there would also be those who wont... :)
@rowantree (1186)
• United States
27 Jul 07
I liked the book and I agree with you, I think she's done a wonderful job too. Ok well that's putting it mildly. Do we know of any other book, let alone a book series, that has caused such a ruckus? No! :)
Hmm...writing a gap book to fill in what she left out? Sounds to me like she did write the last too hastily and now is backtracking? That makes no sense to me. This is her last book and should stay the last. Don't muck it up with a "fill in the gap" book. As for her not "doing witches" anymore, well, she never really did them in the first place. It would be great if she could produce another book series that causes as much or more frenzy as HP. If not, at least we can be proud to say we were part of this one.
1 person likes this
@rhine09 (56)
• Philippines
26 Jul 07
Hmmmm...I don't I feel cheated, though I really expected Harry to die. But, I believe JK Rowling did everything to finish the book, and I saw that as I read the 36 chapters.
Even as Harry did not die, I was satisfied with the ending though. I think that having Ginny as a wife and 3 kids named after the people dearestto him is a good enough ending for the whole Harry Potter series. I like the "All is well" line that really serves as a good ending.
Of course, I admit I can't help but feel that there MIGHT be another story, but as for this seventh book, I feel satisified with it.
(There is still the fact that sometimes, JK Rowling cannot please everybody...;p)
@rowantree (1186)
• United States
26 Jul 07
I expected Harry to die as well. I have to admit though, I was glad he didn't. While I was glad to see that life went on and 19 years later, they're married with their own children (although no one bothered to name one of their kids FRED?!!!) I feel the ending was written weakly. Maybe I hold her too highly? I expected a much stronger ending.
1 person likes this
@spiritualghost (29)
• India
26 Jul 07
I dont think it was written just for the movies..but I did find it a bit disappointing. Maybe, this is somehow related to the fact that I read so much of fan fiction and stuff related to harry Potter on the net before its release, that when it finally came out I just had too many expectations. There was in fact a fan fiction called "the 7th horcrux" which was quite good, and i thought it was better in some parts than this one (but it had no mention of the deathly hallows though...and too musy too!)
1 person likes this
@rowantree (1186)
• United States
26 Jul 07
I don't read the offspring books but I don't think this had any effect here. That ending was just too poorly written.
1 person likes this
@mkirby624 (1598)
• United States
26 Jul 07
I did feel like there was a lot of filler, but I enjoyed the book over all. I think she ended the book the way she did, though, so no one would say "is there an eighth book!?!" she was probably sick of telling peope over and over that there was no eighth book, so she just ended it solidly with the happily ever after to convince people that the story was OVER.
1 person likes this
@rowantree (1186)
• United States
26 Jul 07
I don't believe this was the ending that she wrote years ago. I also feel the "19 years later" bit was poorly written and way too weak. I love the story and I love what she has done for the world. I feel a great story needs a strong ending. A story like this one needs to have an ending that will stand up against the test of time. This one is too weak.
1 person likes this
@chaime (1152)
• Philippines
27 Jul 07
I finished the book in record 1 1/2 days.. I almost didn't sleep. I don't feel cheated, I liked the way the book was written, yes, there were some holes, if I may say so, in the story. Many questions left unanswered. Although, I really hoped for a better duel for Harry and Voldemort, their actual duel was ahm, short for lack of better terms, I mean, just one spell and it was all over, although there was a lot of talk and all that but still I would have expected a little bit more after all, they evaded each other for years and years. And I was a little disappointed with the epilogue, they named a child after Snape, but not Sirius? It's just a wonder, oh yeah I know that in the end somehow, Snape redeemed himself, still, he's still mad as hell with Harry and his Dad, and things like that. Well I guess JK Rowling was just trying to make up to Snape.. Harharhar...
But over all I really liked the book, I think from the start JK Rowling knew just where Harry will be going. I don't think she ever planned for Harry to die, although she killed off most of the other characters, I think that she planned for Harry,Ron and Hermione to survive. It was a good ending, it could have been better, but it was good enough for me.
@rowantree (1186)
• United States
27 Jul 07
Wow 1 1/2 days! Thanks for pointing out that Harry didn't name a child after Sirius...I thought he had or is that just assuming?
1 person likes this
@carlysle (271)
• Philippines
5 Aug 07
i read one of her interviews and she mentioned that when she started writing the book she already knew how it would end... i can understand why a lot of people would be a bit disappointed with the epilogue but somehow i felt that JKR wanted us to remember them and to wonder about them for as long as we can remember...
@rowantree (1186)
• United States
9 Aug 07
hard to imagine a day when the world would forget the one and only Harry Potter, isn't it?
@Galena (9110)
•
26 Jul 07
I really enjoyed it, but in Storytelling tradition, I genuinely think that Harry needed to die.
that was the way the story should go, as I see it. and then something (in a very annoying weirdy afterlife chapter) was cobbled together to allow him not to.
it just didn't sit right with the story.
@mkirby624 (1598)
• United States
26 Jul 07
I was thinking Harry might die as well, but seeing as how kids grew up with this, I think they would see it as a horrible ending. All this hard work Harry put into saving the wizarding world, and he ends up dying. I think the kid-fan base would see it as unfair, and then start turning their back on the morals they learned from the book (like standing up for what you believe in) because they would think everytime you did that, you'd get killed anyway, so what's the point? I think that the good guy needed to prevail in the end.
@rowantree (1186)
• United States
26 Jul 07
I agree with you. I didn't want Harry to die, but as you wrote, in storytelling tradition, Harry needed to die. I know kids wouldn't have liked that particular ending, but better to have a great story with a strong ending than a great story with a weak ending.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
26 Jul 07
Well no...I haven't finished the book yet, but there been so many spoilers about that I've read, yet it doesn't make a difference to me as I still plan to read it anyway--as for the ending...I remember some years ago, there was an interview with JK Rowling that I had watched...in it, and this might explain the less than satisfactory ending, was that years and years ago, when she had first started to write the HP books, she already had the final chapter completely written out--now I don't know if she had revised the ending as she did write this final book, maybe not...maybe that's just plain how she envisioned it and wanted it to end.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
27 Jul 07
You mention here that the "style" of the final chapter was well more immature in a way...that could explain it...If you remember the first book, while good, it was more on a childlike level...so if she wrote the final chapter the same time as her first book it could explain a lot---her writing style did improve with the later books--a lot different and not necessarily geared to just children as she knew by then children weren't the only ones reading the books
@rowantree (1186)
• United States
26 Jul 07
Now that you mention it, Pyewacket, I remember reading about her saying that. My gut feeling though is that she didn't publish that final chapter and gave us what we got (nice way of putting it, isn't it?) instead. :)
@windtalker (7)
• India
5 Aug 07
nope. i don't feel like being cheated. teh last one is teh best part of the book. each and every chapter have a shock. awesome part the last one is. maximum action. and a completely logical ending. it'd have been the largest in volume. the density of facts is much much more in the last part. so the question of largest volume is overlooked.
i'm definitely sad abt the end of a series. but much more jubilant cos of the ending. awesome and magnificent. it can't have been any better.
@rowantree (1186)
• United States
9 Aug 07
The whole Harry Potter phenomenon has been such a ride, hasn't it? I'm sad to see it end, too.
