Harry Potter Musings

Hmm, it's been a while since I inaugurated this page, at least judging by the general frequency of diary entries. To tell the truth, the website has become low on my list of priorities for the past several days. In that time, I have been obsessed with finishing the Harry Potter books. The fourth one, the middle of the series but the last one currently available, is definitely the best one so far, by far. I could hardly bear to put it down, it was so entertaining and engrossing, and because of that, I have finished it today, a book over 700 pages long in less than a week, leaving myself with NO Harry Potter books to read until NEXT YEAR!!! I understand why all the little kids went crazy in the weeks leading up to the publication of the fourth one now ... the boy wizard is just too addictive!

And I must say, the ending of the fourth novel, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, was particularly cruel considering that the author has stated she has no intention of publishing the next in the series this year, even though it has been over a year since the fourth one came out and even though she has put out all the previous ones with only a one year gap between them. I know that sounds kind of indignant, and I realize that J. K. Rowling has really earned herself a break by now, what with all the work that must have gone into the fourth book (more on that later). And, of course, there is the first Harry Potter movie coming out around Thanksgiving. If the fifth book did come out this year, it would probably steal quite a bit of the movie's thunder. Yeah, that's right -- the book would be a lot more exciting than the picture. While the prospect of actually seeing all the imaginative people and places come to life on the big screen is enticing--and I've seen the trailer, and I think the job they've done recreating the look of the books is incredible -- it's still going to be a retread of the story we've already read -- in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. (Or Philosopher's Stone, if you're British -- I think the original title is far more appropriate, since "philosopher's stone" has a historical/literary basis, like most of the magical things in the books -- medieval alchemists sought to create the mythical "philosopher's stone" that would turn lead into gold or something, I'm not entirely sure of myself at the moment, since it's about 12:30 a.m., but I did do a research paper on this novel's basis in fairy tales, myths, and legends!)

But I'm getting way off track. I wanted to say this: In the previous three books, everything was tied up into a neat little package in the end, and every character could return home from Hogwarts with light hearts and easy minds. The fourth book has no nice little ending! It's a cliffhanger, a horrible, awful cliffhanger! Now, I see the purpose of cliffhangers, and I don't blame the author for using one -- it'll definitely keep people excited for the next installment -- but I hate, hate, hate cliffhangers!!!!! I screamed with frustration when they killed off Buffy in the season finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer last season. WHAT kind of ending was that?? How could they kill off the main character? I scoured the web for days after that show, looking for any hint of resolution to this story. I am still not quite over it -- I had a fresh pang of frustration when they announced the season premiere wouldn't be until October.

Of course, the wait for Buffy to come back to life seems like nothing compared to the wait for Harry to head back to Hogwarts. I must tell you, I never seriously expected (watch out, plot spoilers ahead!) the author to resurrect Lord Voldemort in the middle of the series -- and to allow him to STAY resurrected, no less! I can't help but wonder how He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named will figure into the remaining books -- can she really keep him as a plausible villain for three more books now that she has brought him back to life? Even if Harry and company does not defeat him in the next installment, how will she keep the story going while incorporating the terror and destruction that, according to all the books, followed in the Dark Lord's wake during his rise to power? There hasn't been much death or destruction in the books so far -- sure, people have been beat up a lot (especially Harry), but up until and including the fourth novel, I can only think of five people who have actually died -- four of those in the last novel, admittedly. Still, how many important characters can be killed before there's no one left that we care about? On the other hand, how few could she kill off and still not leave us feeling like some characters are being artificially saved -- that logically, more should have perished for the sake of being realistic?

(Okay, it's safe to read again.)

Maybe I'm just quibbling too much. Ultimately, all I want is to read the next book in the series ... and the one after that ... and the one after that. I already wonder if I could possibly be satisfied with that!

If J. K. Rowling is out there somewhere, reading this, I have a suggestion for a magical item to be incorporated into Harry's world: the book that never ends. Call it whatever you like, but here's the concept -- the story just goes on forever, keeps on writing itself as you progress, so that there's no end until you become so sick of it that you voluntarily stop reading -- if that's even possible.

Oh, and if she's still reading -- I loved the Ron and Hermione thing -- so cute! Definitely perfect.

This entry's getting far too long, I ought to stop ... I was also supposed to get around to expanding my autobiography section, but considering the time and the fact that if I don't haul myself out of bed well before noon tomorrow to drive down to my old high school and pick up my yearbook I'll have wasted fifty dollars ... well, it doesn't look like that update's going to happen. Probably for the best, I have the suspicion that my writing is becoming somewhat incoherent.

I'm going to make myself some notes, though, so I remember what I want to write about in my next entry: my obsession with U2 (listening to Achtung Baby right now -- just finished All That You Can't Leave Behind), that this little diary section seems to be the replacement for someone to talk to in my pathetic life right now -- and how I hear the responses to everything I write to it, and, finally, how I'm not sure if I want people I actually know to read this.