STORYTIME: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

J. K. Rowling's world-renowned Harry Potter series is arguably the most influential children's book collection of our generation. In honor of the July 15 release of the final film it seems only appropriate to review the final book in the sequence, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

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STORYTIME: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

POSTED: Tuesday, July 12, 2011, 3:00 PM

Each week, Dylan Rhys Williams reviews a new childrens' book that'll twinkle the imaginations of kids and kids at heart.

J. K. Rowling’s world-renowned Harry Potter series is arguably the most influential children’s book collection of our generation. In honor of the July 15 release of the final film it seems only appropriate to review the final book in the sequence, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Scholastic, 2007). Set primarily in the early 1990s in a phantasmagorical world six books in the making, the grand finale to this unforgettable series offers a breathtaking and seamless conclusion while providing character development — particularly development of supporting characters — lacking in many of the other books. The book, following the series’ main characters (who, while on the run from a corrupt government, attempt to find and destroy various objects sustaining the eternal life of the Dark Lord Voldemort), is replete with action and long-awaited resolution.

Although there are some flaws and it doesn't tie up every loose end, all the important mysteries are resolved without detracting from the intensity of the action and gripping narration. One significant plus is the increased complexity and gravity of the plot. For instance, the work uses warlike imagery to allude silently and heavily to World War II and Nazi-era racial supremacy, allusions which are expertly melded into the story (although ultimately not fully developed during the novel). Kids will love the chaos of the story (complete with bank-robbing, dragon-riding, and literal war-waging) as well as the unveiling of all the hazy details of the series. Adults should appreciate the sophisticated development of characters like Snape and Dumbledore, as well as the grace with which Rowling ends her magnum opus. Truly a tale to be reckoned with.

(dylan.williams@citypaper.net)

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