|synaptic disunion|

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

the half-blood prince... (spoiler warning)

I was a bit surprised by the end of this book. The passing of Dumbledore isn't something I expected Rowling to do right before the end of the series, but there it was, in black and white print. The death of Dumbledore, at the hands of Snape, in whom he declared his trust, over and over again.

Why? Admittedly, it didn't affect me as much as the death of Gandalf, who, in my opinion, is a much greater wizard by far...likely owing to the fact that he wasn't really human anyway. Still, Dumbledore dead? No, this doesn't seem right. Something just isn't right here. Maybe Rowling will explain things better in the final book.

Now, about the movies. I recently watched the film version of "Goblet of Fire," and was underwhelmed. I've become so used to the detailed nature of the later books, that the lack of detail and alterations to the story line caused me unease. Also, I'm still not used to Michael Gambon in the part of Dumbledore. I actually much preferred Richard Harris in the role. However, things being as they are (meaning, Harris died in 2002), I suppose the change was unavoidable. Still, Gambon seems to play the role with too much energy for my taste. His presence isn't as calming as Harris' was, as Dumbledore. Other than those minor flaws, however, I think the movies are fun, albeit only representations, of an otherwise detailed story line that Rowling has created. If you really want to know what's going on in the story, read the books. If you're into just flashy and fun special effects and magic, just watch the movies. If you're into both, then by all means, read the books, then see the movies.

Labels: book reviews

: toadman : at Tuesday, March 06, 2007 |