Visiting an old friend. . .

After seeing the most-recent HP movie (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) last weekend (was I the LAST person in America to see this?!), I re-caught the Hogwarts bug and decided to go on and read the next (and last!) book in the series, in early preparation for next summer's release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I. The first time I read this book, I was kind of confused by all the explanations of the purpose, locations, and ways to destroy the Horcruxes, and then when they got into the Deathly Hallows - the history, powers, and how they could overcome the horcruxes (right?), I gave up and just skimmed for the basic story line. I knew it was to be the last in the series, and wanted to know who would die, who would win the fight between The Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters, whether the stories coming out about Dumbledore were true or not (was he a good guy who loved and protected Harry or a selfish person just using him?), and whether Harry would survive another encounter with Voldemort -- er, I mean, with You-Know-Who. This time through, however, knowing where we're headed in the story, I was able to take my time and revel in the reappearances of characters I had met throughout the series, and to really enjoy the story. I still think the time when they're wandering around trying to figure out what to do next -- and basically doing not much dragged on too long (apparently, Ron agreed, right?) -- but the formula Rowling had set up for each book required that it take an entire school year. So Rowling was stuck. And maybe the lack of action was realistic, building up frustration and allowing the Death Eaters to really take over and establish their regime. I just had always liked the fast-paced action in some of the previous books. But then - knowing this was the last book, I wasn't in a hurry for it to end, either. Basically, I very much enjoyed the return visit to Harry's world. If you haven't taken a trip through that world lately, grab one of these books, sit down with a cup of hot chocolate, and pass a few pleasant and stress-free hours.
Rating: 3 out of 4 stars