No spoilers, just commentary.

[velvetpage]

That book was not as powerful as I expected it to be. Of course, I already knew the most important spoiler. That probably has a lot to do with it. Also, it's hard to concentrate on a book with your whole head when a toddler is asking you to read to her, play blocks with her, go to Grandma's house with her. . . you get the picture.

Still.

I'm left feeling like this book won't be finished until the seventh book is out. Each of the others left me with a sense of completion. This one didn't. There will be very little down-time, storywise, between the sixth book and the second, and I want to go on reading it RIGHT THIS SECOND. Of course I can't - it hasn't been written yet, probably - but I'm consumed with the desire to do so.

Back in OAC Writer's Craft, I did an assignment on Raymond Chandler. He wrote a book about writing, which of course I read. He said in that book that the one quality that all literature shares is the quality of redemption. There is always a redemptive element in literature. When I develop plots and write books and stories, I'm always thinking about this, checking to make sure that all my characters have some redemption, preferably the internal kind.

I'm left contemplating the redemption planned for the characters in this book - and practically all of them need some of it. Heroes need redemption from their flaws, too. I think I know what Harry's redemption will be - he will have to kill Voldemort, but he will have to do it with no hatred in his heart. Similar things may be required of Ron and Hermione. It's easy to come up with redemptions for the good guys; some, like Lupin, have already had it, and probably won't need any more.

I'm wondering about some of the less-obvious characters, though. Draco comes to mind. He's been a secondary villian for six books now. He can't continue in that role if her characters are really to grow up. And that is, after all, the point of the books - these kids grow up.

I think I'll post this twice - once to the HP filter, and once unlocked. If you're going to comment with spoilers, make sure you do it in the HP filtered post.

Comments

[pyat.livejournal.com]

I think I know what Harry's redemption will be - he will have to kill Voldemort, but he will have to do it with no hatred in his heart.

Harry is a Jedi?

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

Not quite. Jedis, as I understand it, empty themselves of all emotion. That's not the goal, with Harry. He'll have to win with love.

[kesmun.livejournal.com]

There's actually a book with that theme. Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind, has the hero kill out of love. The way Mr. Goodkind has his hero do it is pretty neat, actually. The whole series is good, though can be a bit of a heavy-handed social commentary... He's a bit of a devotee of Ayn Rand, if that gives you any clue.

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

I read that, a long time ago. It was good, but I got weighed down later in the series. I think I got to book four before giving up.

I don't know if HP will kill out of love. That might be a bit deep for what is still ostensibly a kid's novel. But he cannot kill purely out of hatred - it has to be done cleanly, a job that must be accomplished, not a revenge thing so much as shoot-the-rabid-dog.

[kesmun.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the Sword of Truth series is pretty heavy. He's wrapping it up with a final trilogy, though. The most recent one was anticipated by his readers with the same slavering avaraciousness as HBP was, especially by those who'd read the first chapter in the paperback of the previous one. The man is evil in the predicaments he puts Richard and Kahlan through.

Back to HP. I think you're right. Harry probably won't kill out of love, but I do think he will have to find a way to kill without hate in his heart.