November 7, 2009

Finishing Harry Potter

So I lugged the not-travel-size friendly last two Harry Potter books with me to India. I had started the books in New Orleans, continued them this summer at my house, and I only ended up with two more to go and I didn't want to forget what had happened in the plot so I brought them with me. (Plus, people wanted me to record myself reading them on the airplane or in public places since I would make noises at things that surprised or upset me, but I'm sorry to say that I did a pretty good job of reading them in silence... I think... really I forgot to record myself and would have been too lazy to anyway.)

I read the last book in about 3 or 4 days. I stayed up late reading it and carried it around with me so I could read it whenever I got the chance. Finally, I got to come home from work early one day and spent house reading it. It was about 8 pm and I only had 100 pages left of this 7-part, several thousand page story. Harry had finally made his way to Voldemort. It was only the most climactic and dramatic part of the series up to this point. So I'm voraciously reading, feeling pretty good about finally getting closure about the whole thing and finally knowing what happens. Is Snape good or evil? Does Harry die? What's going to happen????


When suddenly my host sister knocks on my door and says, "Marisa, we're going out to eat. Do you want hot water for your bath?" Thereby ripping me from my concentration and bringing me back to the real world, which is quite a leap, as anyone who has read Harry Potter knows, and it is not something to be taken lightly.

I said yes, thinking, "Are you kidding me? Don't you realize there's an epic battle between good and evil going on?"


Thus, we went to a lovely restaurant called Tandoori and I got Palak Paneer. Minoo called me while I was there and it made me feel less bitter about being dragged away from my book. It was great to hear her voice.


Then we went cruising around Jodhpur in their van for another 45 minutes and saw a wedding parade twice, where they bring the groom to meet the bride while people in the parade carry these giant chandelier things on their heads. The second time they were looking around with blank expressions on their faces and we could tell they were lost.


Finally, I was able to come home and finish the book. I didn't like the ending. And by the ending, I mean the last two sentences - really the whole last chapter. It just didn't fit and was a total cop out on JK Rowling's part. She could have done better. That's all I'm saying.