The Book, The Sock, And The Cardi
I’m done.
The Book was finished last Sunday, the Sitcom Chic cardi on Thursday, and the second Sockapalooza sock this Sunday. I have a few mods to share on the Cardi but first things first . . . i.e., The Book. If you haven’t finished it yet, there are spoilers in this post so don’t scroll past the photos of the yarns I picked up at Isabel’s while I was in Sun Valley.
Silk yarn and adorable buttons for another pair of these booties.
Two skeins of Koigu. I had my pick of tens of colors since Isabel’s had just received a new shipment the day I visited. Lucky.
Now my ramblings on The Book. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. In fact, the epilogue came close to ruining the preceding 750 pages for me. It was just a bit too tidy and unbelievable. I was crushed when Fred died but I felt JKR glossed over it and the passage was less than sentimental. And Neville pulling the sword out of the Sorting Hat was way too “been there, done that.”
I wracked my brain trying to figure out who was the non-magical character who performed magic late in life under dire circumstances but came up with nothing. The friend of a friend solved the mystery. It was Ted Tonks (a Muggle), who healed Harry’s ribs and arm on page 64. ETA: I think I’m wrong on this. See Gena’s comment in the comment section. ETA #2: I just read JKR’s post-book interview with the Leaky Caudron. She was asked, “You promised that someone will do magic late in life in book 7. I’ve now read it three times but cant work out who it might have been!” She answered, “I’m sorry about this, but I changed my mind! My very earliest plan for the story involved somebody managing to get to Hogwarts when they had never done magic before, but I had changed my mind by the time I’d written the third book.”
I like that Snape turned out to be non-evil but not really good either. Kinda just pathetic. The best scene . . . no doubts . . . Molly killing Bellatrix. You go grrl. And Harry was a Horcrux. I came pretty damn close to guessing that with these, wouldn’t you say? Frankly, I think it would have made more sense if the scar was the Horcrux instead of Harry. Then he could have been freed from the “brand” of the scar, allowing him to have what he always wanted, which was just a normal life.
And how crazy is this. If you Google “Horcrux,” look what turns up as the sixth entry on the first page.
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Susan | knitting, socks, sweaters, books, random
Love the silk and buttons… isn’t that the best bootie pattern! Koigu, great color!
I loved the bootie pattern, but my gauge was really off and my first one came out soo teeny! You are truly the best HP guesser out there.
Hi–not exactly a comment on this post (I haven’t joined in the HP craze yet!)…but I just wanted to say I finished the Forest Canopy Shawl that you designed and I loved it…absolutely love the pattern and the process! It was my first shawl and technically my first major lace project and all your instructions were just what I needed. So GREAT PATTERN! Thanks!
Those are super cute buttons. I have a neice/nephew on the way…we find out tomorrow! So I am trying to figure out what s/he gets from me. And I was knitting those socks along with reading the book. Although the book was finished first
Both of those yarns are gorgeous! Can’t wait to see them knit up.
I agree with some of your assessments of the book. I thought - at least for me - the emotional heart of the book was when Ron rejoined Harry and Hermione. Everything after that was less emotionally charged. I was happy with the wrap up but I would have liked maybe less action and more emotional exchange between the characters.
I didn’t read your spoilers, but that is some beautiful Koigu. Also, I finished the Spring Things Shawl this evening. Can’t wait to get it blocked! Thanks for a great pattern.
Totally agree with you on the epilogue - it felt very jarring after the mood of the rest of the book, like it was just pasted on.
I didn’t hate the epilogue, unlike most people. I did feel that JKR put it in there partly to forestall any rumors of a continuation of the series. I have to admit I looked at the last page to see if the last word was “scar,” and so I knew there was an epilogue. . .but I don’t feel strongly about it one way or the other.
I guess I liked this book as much as the others. I loved the Snape chapter, because I didn’t want Dumbledore to be wrong, and I loved that Neville had a part to play at the end. I’ve adored him since the first book.
I was also crushed about Fred. It still troubles me. How is George supposed to run a joke shop without Fred? She should have let Percy bite it instead of Fred.
#6! Impressive.
I thought the book was fabulous. In fact, it may be my new favorite of them all. Did you read about JKR’s interview on Today? She talked about all the stuff she left OUT of the epilogue and I found that interesting. But I liked the epilogue (I like everything all tied up in a neat package) and wanted to know more.
Thanks for your book assessment & solving the non-magical/magical mystery; I stll hadn’t figured out it was Ted Tonks. I did like (not love) this book, but I think it was just because it wrapped up most things. I enjoyed the Horcrux/Hallows path(s). I’m very angry about Hedwig & Fred; I really can’t see any reason for either one of them dying. I wish Neville had had some part in killing Bellatrix. I agree about the epilogue; it almost read like some sort of joke. And I really, REALLY thought the scar should have been the horcrux. I’m working on my second sock, and they’ll always be Horcrux socks, not scar socks!
JKR was on Dateline last night talking about the book. It was interesting. Everyone has so many questions about the story but he folks…it’s a kids book, right? /running
I told Beth that I felt the exact same way about the epilogue! It would have been much better left to my imagination. I understand why she did it, but would have been happier without it there.
Dobby’s death, and Harry’s reaction to it was the part that grabbed me. I felt like there were a lot of deaths that were just there, they weren’t really emotional to me because they were barely covered. I should have been so distraught at Fred’s death, but I wasn’t. Same with Lupin and Tonks. It just happened, and it could have been real tear-jerkers!
Enough. I could go on and on. But I won’t!
I just wish the series wasn’t over. It was too much to wind up in one book.
Those are wonderful bootie buttons.
Yep, just toss that epilogue. The characters were still older teenagers, not evolved enough for 19 years to have passed. The rest of the book, though - loved it! Even when the heartbreaking happened. Hedwig, Dobby and Fred all got to me. So did Tonks and Lupin. And I liked hating Snape as a murderous bit of scum, so the wrap up on him grates on me a bit.
The knitting I did as I read all the books over this past couple of months: Horcrux socks, of course. Love that pattern.
Yes, I thought of you when I found out that Harry was a Horcrux! I hadn’t even thought about what the horcruxes might be until you did the sock pattern. Maybe Ted Tonks healing Harry was not magic under duress, but a mistake. If you go to the fan websites, there are lists of mistakes . . .
I actually loved the book. But I do agree about the epilogue, it didn’t quite do it for me. As for Ted Tonks, he is a wizard, but muggle born. Tonks tells us so in OotP when they arrive to pick up Harry. JKR only said it was possible for a squib or muggle to do magic later in life, never that one would actually do so in this book. I think that’s been quite a point of confusion.
How cool is it that your socks come up so soon on a Horcrux search? That’s awesome!
I cried and cried for poor Dobby, but was surprised at how so many other deaths in the book were treated so off-handedly. Especially Fred!
And when I reread, I’m just going to skip the epilogue. Ugh. It was sappier than some fanfiction I’ve read. And less informative!
But there’s a transcript of an online chat with JKR over at the Leaky Cauldron, and she answers quite a few questions in it. I was thrilled to see that Ginny became a professional Quidditch player for a while.
molly kills bellatrix? yay! i watched a long interview with JK las tnight ; i’m in no big hurry to read it now but i will be knitting those impractical cute as heck booties again soon.
Thank you for the link to the Leaky Cauldron interview. I had sooo many unanswered questions after I read the final book and I feel sooo much better now! Thank you! Thank you!
I rather liked the epilogue…it showed that Harry went on to live a normal, peaceful life after all the upheaval in his first 18 years. And I’m glad he did - no one deserves peace and normalcy more than Harry Potter!
Those buttons are angelic! How cute those booties are going to be. Lovely Koigu, too.
I finished the book late last week. I really liked it alough I was left wanting more information about the characters in the epilogue. I don’t mind neat endings but I felt like it was a bit on the simplistic side and I wanted something a little deeper.
The booties are going to be too cute! Love those buttons! I didn’t read any of the HP books, my kids just never caught on to the craze (?) Not everyone seems all that thrilled right now. How nice it must be to be in the yarn shop while a shipment of Koigu comes in!
Whew! I’m leaving town tomorrow and knew I wasn’t going to carry the book with me, so last night was a late night. I had wanted to savor the book and I do feel that was the best way to read it instead of rushing through.
I liked the book because it brought it to a close. I agree with comments about Dobby’s death and Ron leaving and coming back. Yes, I did feel that things were tied up just a bit too neatly at the end, but…. how do you do it otherwise without feeling like there will be another book?
I will now listen to the book being read by Jim Dale… I always do that… he brings a totally different perspective to it.
Now, those of you who haven’t read the Pullman series… take a look because the movie will be out this year!
I finished the book yesterday. On the one hand, I was thrilled that my theory on Snape played out in the end, and perhaps even better than I’d imagined.
On the other hand, there were quite a few things about the ending that I really didn’t like. I never liked Harry with Ginny. I’d rather have seen he and Hermione together, I never could see what she saw in Ron (I like him fine, just can’t see him as a love interest for her)… but I’d rather have seen Harry with a new character instead of Ginny. That one bugged me from the moment she introduced it.
There were also a few spots where I couldn’t make sense of something and it wasn’t explained… the weird flayed human baby thing after Voldemort tried to kill Harry, and a small part of the dialog in the Snape chapter.
The first half of the book (once they were in hiding with the tent) dragged badly.
And you’re right about the deaths being glossed over. I hadn’t thought that through much ,although I wondered how George would go on w/o Fred. I agree with you or one of the comments above it would’ve been better for Percy (or even Charlie, because we barely knew him) to be the one lost). And it seemed wrong for both Lupin and Tonks to die, leaving Teddy orphaned… especially since it seemed added as an afterthought.
The one thing that I noted… in order for the power of the Elder Wand to die with him, he wouldn’t be able to be beaten in battle, so no more adventures for Harry Potter. However, how does anyone guarantee that something else won’t come up where you would have to step up, or that no one else would figure out that if they could get the Elder Wand from him, they could be really powerful (after all, he basically told EVERYONE that was there when he finally vanquished Voldemort about it)?
I also hated the epilogue. There was so much that it didn’t cover… what did Harry do for a job? I would’ve thought he’d make a great headmaster for Hogwarts or Minister of Magic, but it’s not even mentioned. Hermione should’ve been shown as ending up as more than a wife tolerant of her husband’s eccentricities, too. What about George, how did he fare after Fred’s death?
All in all, I spent the remainder of yesterday feeling all grumpy.
Hi! I came over to your blog from knitty - epilogue = yucko as fas as i see. i figured that Harry would be a horcrux after book 6. I also knew Snape wasn’t evil, but I really like the character development - he never did it for anyone else but Lily. I cried when he, Dobby, Hedwig and Fred and Lupin died. WAY too much death. But thanks for telling me where Neville got the sword from - I guess I missed that part (read my bf’s copy) and it was driving me crazy where the sword suddenly appeared from. p.s. there are horcrux socks?!?
I actually came across your horcrux socks in my search for the perfect first sock pattern. And while they will not be my first sock pattern, I look forward to becoming comfortable enough with socks so I can finally knit them
I appreciated the small happy epilogue, but I was surprised that Rowling would have made super smart, ambitious Hermione into a compliant wife, even if she did have an important job.