I'm half way through Half Blood Prince and it seems less different from the movie so far than Order of the Phoenix. It's less dark, too, but I understand from thee movie that I haven't hit the darkest parts yet.
As I said, I just watched the movies again last week. I think I felt like the book was different than the movie because the first time I saw the movie I hated it and thought it was really awkward all the way through and I liked the book a lot. But going back and watching it again I guess it's not that much different, just in the book everything is more fleshed out (same with the rest of the books) so it seems less angst-y.
I finished The Deathly Hallows yesterday. The whole series was great - The Deathly Hallows was the best book.
The whole thing with Snape and Lily talking about Dementors and going back to when Petunia was talking to Dumbledore about "that boy" talking about Dementors...that was really good. I knew going into The Prince's Tale that I was probably going to be impressed based on what people said about Snape in The Deathly Hallows, but it exceeded expectations. Also, as far as the debate over Snape being good or evil...so well done. I saw the movies first so I knew what was going to happen, but if I had read this when it first came out I would have not thought he could possibly be good. I don't think so, anyway. All of the stuff with him talking to Dumbledore in the Pensieve was excellent. I can only imagine how shocked I would have been had I read that chapter when the book came out, having not know anything about it beforehand.
I wish I had read these books before I watched the movies. I felt like it was pretty clear in the movies that Snape was actually good, but its not clear at all in the books.
I didn't think Harry & Ginny's relationship was done very well. It seemed very forced; like all of the sudden Harry liked her but they never developed a relationship, then all of the sudden, 19 years later, they are married with kids. I kind of thought the same with Hermoine and Ron but at least that seemed to develop a little, over the last half of The Deathly Hallows.
One of the things I liked so much about the books is how much these character relationships are subtly developed throughout the entire story. This is probably less true with Harry & Ginny, but I thought the development of the relationship between Ron and Hermione was really well done, all the way back from the first couple of books when they couldn't stand each other right through Dealthy Hallows. It just worked for me.
But I understand what you mean. It's pretty unrealistic that these 17-18 year old characters start relationships and then 19 years later they're married with kids.
Kreacher was also a great character. I wish we had got more of him after his turnaround.
Neville was also great in the last book. I loved how important he became, especially given his role in the prophesy.
Yes and Yes. Concerning Kreature (sort of): I really thought one of the most compelling parts of the later stories was Harry realizing that his dad, Sirius, and Dumbledore weren't the perfect people he had thought them to be. His dad was a bully, Sirius caused a lot of trouble because he didn't treat Kreature well, and Dumbledore was friends with Grindelwald and had ideals not that much different from Voldemort when he was younger. And Sirius' brother, who was initially painted as the evil deatheater is redeemed, not only because he turns against Voldemort, but also because you start to see him through Kreature's eyes. I like how this character growth in Harry really plays into his point of view changing on Draco and Snape.
I'm so glad I read these.
I'm with you there. I really want more, but its pretty clear that the story has been told and there's no point in writing more.
