(Updated below.)
I finished book six a while ago; just haven't gotten around to posting until now. Good Lord it ends on a depressing note. We can only hope book seven will bring relief.
My favorite books are still one and four, I guess. I can't remember laughing since book four. Maybe there were some funny bits; they just didn't stick in my mind. Book four was a turning point; there hasn't been a happy ending since book three. The end of book five could have been happy--Harry had been proven to be telling the truth, Umbridge was ousted, Dumbledore was back in charge, and yet, because of the death of Sirius, there was no celebratory feel to it.
What a great idea Rowling came up with when she wrote the first book. A kid living in miserable circumstances is plucked out of his life and dropped into a world of magic. Any child could picture themselves at Hogwart's: it wasn't long, long ago or far, far away: it was here and now. The world of magic was so close you might pass an entrance to it every day and not know it. Why, you could get there from King's Cross Station...just there...there between platforms 9 and 10. Hogwart's was a safe place, a refuge, a sanctuary for every unhappy child.
Not anymore; not since book four. I confess I don't like what Rowling has done with the story. Nobody could read books five or six and not be depressed by the endings. But I'll withhold final judgment until I read book seven; maybe she'll make it fun to read again, in the end.
P.S. I meant to add that Snape's having murdered Dumbledore doesn't yet mean he's beyond redemption. It's possible that Snape realized Dumbledore was dying from whatever he drank in the cave, and that he, Snape, couldn't save him. Thus he may have hastened what would otherwise have been a slow and painful death, while fulfilling his Unbreakable Vow and getting Malfoy out of a jam at the same time. I still have hope for Snape, I can't help it.
I asked Joe what he thought about book 6 and he agreed that the ending was really depressing; he said he wasn't the same for a few days lol.
I'm more bitter that he didn't end up with the Asian girl though, I thought I had a connection with him.
LOL-- I knew you'd feel a kinship with Harry when his first girlfriend was Asian. They're going to kiss in the next movie, so you won't want to miss it ;-D
Like you, I'm desperately hoping Snape will somehow redeem himself. I wonder if it's only because I adore Alan Rickman from the films?
It's rather good, in one way, that Richard Harris died, IIRC, before the publication of Dumbledore's death. It would have been rather spooky if it had happened close to that, or the filming of it. Altho' I retain a soft spot for his portrayal, Michael Gambon seems to be doing quite well. He unfortunately had to cancel his planned appearances in January at the Sydney Festival. It would have been fun to compare him with Ian McKellen, another experienced & respected Pommy actor who's recently been involved with high-profile popular movies, and was thesping about here not long ago.
Hi Mez, it's nice to hear from another Snape fan. I, too, love Alan Rickman's portrayal. So true about Richard Harris--it hadn't occurred to me, but that would indeed have been spooky.
Ah Mez I've just visited your website! We like many of the same things--opera, science fiction, Snape... I'm beaming positive thoughts your way in the hope that the medical problems are a thing of the past. Welcome and thanks for the comment. :)