I don’t feel bad about writing this piece because we are such late comers to the series, and what are total bombs for us are mere afterthoughts for the real H.P. fans. Unfortunately, before I read ‘Half Blood Prince’, I was reading an article on Rowling in the past—something to do with Dumbledore being gay, and when I read the article months ago, it politely told me that Dumbledore had died.
So, in some way I was expecting it, but I didn’t think it would go down like this.
In this book, the game has completely changed, the lines have been drawn in the sand, good people die, and it sets us up for the final installment which my wife and I will begin reading soon.
The overall tone of the book seemed subdued to me, and perhaps that’s because we had just finished Order of the Phoenix, and that book is so action oriented, with the hiding, the order, the preparation for battle, and it made Half Blood Prince seem somewhat slower. But I mark that up to Rowling realizing that she needed to establish the relationship between Potter and Dumbledore more, as most of this book is dedicated to that--what happens between them during the last year of Dumbledore’s life.
This book also delves into the hilarity of teen-age love, loss, and jealousy, and does it in a way only Rowling can do with the characters we have grown to love.
Now about the death of Dumbledore--it wasn’t an honorable death, in the physical sense, but the scene was set up to show the substance, the goodness of Dumbledore. One can’t help but see the religious overtones when Snape pulls his wand, and Dumbledore, who has always protected Snape and never let anyone talk poorly about him, is killed by being violently tossed into the air. Dumbledore was already weak and dying, and Snape attacks him unarmed.
I asked my wife if she thought that somehow this was planned out by Dumbledore and Snape; if Dumbledore’s mercy will later come to fruition when Snape turns on Voldemort at the last second, and she had the same thoughts on it as I did. The only reason I don’t think this happens, is the way Dumbledore begged Snape not to kill him, not because Dumbledore was afraid to die, but because he was afraid of Snape turning to the dark side.
It was great stuff.
Even this morning, my wife was getting dressed and she stopped and looked at me, saying, “Dumbledore is dead.” Yes he is, I told her, and I can’t wait to see how his death is avenged.
As I’ve said before in previous Harry Potter posts, I realize how lucky we are to be reading these after each book has already been pulped. I couldn’t imagine having to wait the year plus between each installment.
Till next read—
JT.
So, in some way I was expecting it, but I didn’t think it would go down like this.
In this book, the game has completely changed, the lines have been drawn in the sand, good people die, and it sets us up for the final installment which my wife and I will begin reading soon.
The overall tone of the book seemed subdued to me, and perhaps that’s because we had just finished Order of the Phoenix, and that book is so action oriented, with the hiding, the order, the preparation for battle, and it made Half Blood Prince seem somewhat slower. But I mark that up to Rowling realizing that she needed to establish the relationship between Potter and Dumbledore more, as most of this book is dedicated to that--what happens between them during the last year of Dumbledore’s life.
This book also delves into the hilarity of teen-age love, loss, and jealousy, and does it in a way only Rowling can do with the characters we have grown to love.
Now about the death of Dumbledore--it wasn’t an honorable death, in the physical sense, but the scene was set up to show the substance, the goodness of Dumbledore. One can’t help but see the religious overtones when Snape pulls his wand, and Dumbledore, who has always protected Snape and never let anyone talk poorly about him, is killed by being violently tossed into the air. Dumbledore was already weak and dying, and Snape attacks him unarmed.
I asked my wife if she thought that somehow this was planned out by Dumbledore and Snape; if Dumbledore’s mercy will later come to fruition when Snape turns on Voldemort at the last second, and she had the same thoughts on it as I did. The only reason I don’t think this happens, is the way Dumbledore begged Snape not to kill him, not because Dumbledore was afraid to die, but because he was afraid of Snape turning to the dark side.
It was great stuff.
Even this morning, my wife was getting dressed and she stopped and looked at me, saying, “Dumbledore is dead.” Yes he is, I told her, and I can’t wait to see how his death is avenged.
As I’ve said before in previous Harry Potter posts, I realize how lucky we are to be reading these after each book has already been pulped. I couldn’t imagine having to wait the year plus between each installment.
Till next read—
JT.
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