Deathly Hallows Or a Book Full of Hollows?

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Written on 12:47 PM by Unknown

On the night before July 21 dawned, I could not sleep properly. I thought of Nargles and Crumpled Horned Snorkbacks, of Puking pasties and Fanged frisbees, of Dobby and Kreacher, of Snape, Dumby, Ron, Hermione and finally Parry Otter - The Boy who Lived...and whether he would continue to live at the end of the 7th Harry Potter book.

I woke up at 7 am... hoping against hope that i would get the book by 8 o' clock. How sadly mistaken I was! Minutes glided into hours, and at 1 pm I emailed the customer care at IndiaPlaza.In - the online shop from where I had pre-ordered my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and asked when the hell were they planning to send the book! By 4 pm, I was getting pretty nasty and ill-tempered, I kept imagining the doorbell ringing in the back of my head. At 6pm, I sent another email to the customer care at Indiaplaza (they hadn't mentioned any phone no. on the site) and this time it was full of expletives and a threat to drag them to consumer court if I did not get the book by that day! And by 6:30 pm, when I had lost all hopes of reading Harry Potter 7 on July 21 - the doorbell actually rang! I rushed like a maniac, asked the 2 guys who had a grubby looking brown package in their hands...what kept them waiting?! I never bothered to listen to what they replied as I signed on the paper and grabbed that package! Opening it with all the wonder and excitement of an 11 year old, I couldn't stop staring at the cover for a full 2 minutes - I finally had it!

I read it continuously (except for a dinner break from 9 to 9:30 pm) and finished it at 11 am on 22nd July, 2007...phew! And now its time for the review, which was due for quite some days, but it took time for me to gather my thoughts...confused as I was about why I found the book below my expectations.

My Review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Beware of Spoilers if you haven't read it yet!

When I completed the book, I felt a sense of loss. Not exactly due to the half a dozen character deaths, but because I felt...cheated! Rowling seems to have rushed through writing this last book, and I wonder who put that sand timer on her head. The really good moments in the book were when we get to know about the real Severus Snape, the Gringotts heist and escape from the Malfoy Manor. Rowling does close a lot of loopholes in this book, but then she also disregards facts she has herself mentioned in interviews galore!

For example, I distinctly remember J.K Rowling saying in an interview that Ginny is a powerful witch and we will see her real power in the 7th Book. Oddly though, Ginny is completely sidelined in Deathly Hallows - her romance with Harry be damned! And I thought it was 'love' that the Dark Lord knew not, and which could help Harry vanquish him.

Ruhi writes on her blog that she's completely pissed with Rowling after reading Harry potter and the Deathly Hallows. Here's a small quote from her entertaining blog post:


"You tell us in the interview that Grindelwald is dead and then you bring him back alive? AND WHO THE FUCK IS THIS BARBAGE??!!! never heard of this teacher. I DIDN”T even feel sympathetic when she died. ACCIO HAGRID! ACCIO ROWLING!!! So that I can KILL HER!"

On Ruhi's later blog post the next day - Fond Memories with my Harry Potter (carpet) Book, I suggest you scroll down and read the comment posted by one Seraphella. It is amazing...quite similar to my own thoughts about Deathly Hallows, and which she expressed way better! Here's quoting from Seraphella's comment in case you feel to lazy to leave this page:

"Rowling has lost a fan in me. She believes this is her best work yet? It’s rushed trash. Sure it reads well, but it lacks the depth of the other novels. She’s made Harry go from mysteriously powerful young wizard to bumbling moron who only knows 5 spells. You’d think after 6 years in school, he’d have added a bit more to his repetoire. Even Crabbe pulls out a nice new spell while Harry runs around shouting the same old crap…”Stupefy! Accio! Expelliarmos! Protego!” The dialogue read like something I’d expect from a teenager or George Lucas. It was way too juvenile and cliche-ish. The blatant stupidity she showed in Malfoy’s cronies I guess a 4th grader might find amsing, I remember writing like that at that age, but I’d figure someone who’s had a bit of experience could have found a more literary and descriptive means of showing a character’s dimwittedness. Crabbe and Goyle were 17 during their dialogue…how many 17 year olds talk like toddlers?

The plot now…bah! Did she run out of material and decide to borrow some uncopyrighted ideas from fan-fictions? I can understand the Harry-Voldemort connection thing. I really can, but that was developed in book 4 and became way too obvious to use…or at least I’d have thought. Here everyone was thinking what a clever woman, spinning such a vivid and twining tale with complex themes and goals, but we were wrong. The plot, motives, the whole story ended up quite simple. "

Seriously, hers is more of an essay than a blog post comment! She writes further:

"Now to nit-pick…What’s with accomplishing major turning points in the tale without even bothering to show them, describe them and hardly mention them. In no particular order…Percy Weasley miraculously shows up and in 2 lines makes up with everyone and runs into battle. Umm…yeah. Let’s destroy the cup in the chamber of secrets but not tell us anything about what happened. Ron and Hermione just scamper off, come back and say “We destroyed it, your Turn Harry.” Mrs. Weasley somehow becomes a master duelist? Lupin and Tonks? Come on, if you’re going to remove some characters that had personality, at least tell us how it happened. The sword somehow made it back inside the hat? I figured that goblin would never have given it up. In the course of a year, Neville goes from bumbling idiot to heroic He-Man while the Hero Harry turns into a forgetful no talent puppet? Lily Potter had no friends even though she charmed everyone, and yet James had a million friends? I’m sure Lily must have had some friends who would have mentioned Snape’s friendship with her. I guess after his encounter with those brains in OTP, Ron has lost some brain power because he can’t tell the difference between a doe and a stag? Harry “defeats” Voldemorte and everyone has a party before burrying the dead? Two words…”Accio Hagrid?” Stan Shunpike a pimply nosed moron shows talent as a daeth eater? Hermione not only is a bookworm but can cast about 50 spells in rapid succession when she wants to, but can’t quite get a patronus to work when she needs to. Draco is no longer a pale skinned sly badass, he’s now a snivelling drippy noised sissy. Harry a parslemouth can’t tell when a snake is hiding in human clothes? I could keep going of course.

Now what are we missing from this book…
What did Harry’s parents do for a living…aside from hide inside a house and get themselves blownup? What happened to the Weasley’s car? What do Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, Ginny, Draco, and everyone else do now that Voldemort is dead? Who’s taking care of Teddy? What is the curtain in the department of mysteries? Does Umbridge ever die? What happens to Dung and Kreacher? Does Harry ever move in to #12 grimauld place? What happened to the Dursleys and the Grangers? Do Harry and Gang go back to school? How do we go from ignoring each other with Harry and Ginny to bam, 50 kids and married? Why is Ginny depicted as a baby factory? Wizard’s don’t know about birth control?"


Hats off Seraphella. Wish you also wrote your own blog, would have been an enjoyable read! Anyways, continuing back to our review, Deepti writes on her blog Swingingpuss.com something which bothered me most - the non-existent Harry-Ginny romance in this book. She writes and I quote again:

"Ginny was barely on Harry’s mind. Sure, he had Voldemort to deal with and all that shit with the Hallows and a two-timing Dumbledore but his love for Ginny barely crossed his mind. J.K. had conveniently sent Ginny abroad when the situation became volatile. Or how about the time Voldemort was finally defeated? wouldn’t any love-lorn boy want the girl of his dreams to be at his side when he received all the adulation and praise? Instead Harry was saluting the big ‘D’ for all that he had done.

As I read the book I found myself drawn towards the romance between Ron and Hermione whereas Harry’s love was rather limp and unexpressed.

Compare his love for Ginny to the love Snape had for Harry’s mother - Lily. It was the noblest kind of love where he tried to protect her son even at the cost of his own life. He remained true to the love he held dear in his heart since he was nine."


Folks, these 2 great ladies, nope 3 - how could I forget Seraphella! Ruhi and Deepti (the bloggers) and Saraphella (the commenter) really expressed what I actually thought of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I wish J.K Rowling could re-write this book...and take her own time writing it. No doubt it will set records again. 12 million copies for God's sake!

J.K Rowling Staggered by Spoilers

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Written on 1:17 PM by Unknown

JK Rowling has hit out at US newspapers that have published plot details from the final Harry Potter book.

The author said she was "staggered" that papers including The New York Times had printed reviews ahead of the novel's publication on 21 July. Rowling said the information was in "complete disregard of the wishes of literally millions of readers".

UK publishers Bloomsbury said spoilers remained "unauthenticated". Some books have been sent out early in the US. The book's US publisher Scholastic has sued online retailer DeepDiscount.com for breaking the strict embargo by dispatching a number of copies.

The seventh and final Harry Potter novel has also appeared on auction site eBay, while pictures of what appeared to be pages from the new book have appeared on the internet.

Rowling said the US newspaper reviews would particularly affect children "who wanted to reach Harry's final destination by themselves, in their own time".

"I am incredibly grateful to all those newspapers, booksellers and others who have chosen not to attempt to spoil Harry's last adventure for fans," she added.

Rowling's statement follows an earlier message on her website, in which she said: "Let's all, please, ignore the misinformation popping up on the web and in the press.

"I'd like to ask everyone who calls themselves a Harry Potter fan to help preserve the secrecy of the plot for all those who are looking forward to reading the book at the same time on publication day."

"In a very short time you will know everything!"

About a month earlier, as if having foreshadowed these very events, Rowling had warned against spoilers. Wow, she does have a knack for making accurate prophecies!

iPhone Nano in the Offing?

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Written on 1:04 PM by Unknown

It sounds crazy, so soon after launch, but the iPhone nano could be coming out before Xmas. Kasper at Apple Insider claims:

• "The second iteration of the handset is presumed to marry iPod functionality with rudimentary cellular capabilities."
•"More resource-heavy internet browsing and email capabilities are not expected of the device."
•"Pricing of the new handset is expected to fall significantly below the $500+ asking cost of today's iPhone models, these sources say, but not so much so as to pinch sales of an upcoming revision to the iPod nano."

Reuters reports Apple filed a patent application on July 5 that seemed to suggest that the company was intending to introduce a Nano-style iPhone with a "circular touch pad control" much like the Nano.

Conjecture among professional speculators who are fueling the iPhone Nano rumors say look for this device to be under $300 and available in time for the holiday shopping season.

Not to miss an opportunity to blab, another analyst contributed to the iPhone rumor mill telling Reuters Apple will likely bring out iPods that resemble the iPhone's touch-sensitive screen later this year. The analyst, Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray, explains to Reuters: "Such products would help stop iPhone eating into iPod sales."

Apple is not saying a word.

Sources: Gizmodo and PC World

Deathly Hallows Scans Leaked Online?

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Written on 12:29 PM by Unknown

Finally, finally, it seems, there is a real leak facing Bloomsbury and Scholastic - publishers of the UK and US editions of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows respectively. Less than a week before the book is out, amidst reports of secret and high security warehouses for storing the coveted book, the internet is abuzz with pictures of pages from the supposedly American edition of the 7th Harry Potter.

Have a look:

harry potter and the deathly hallows

deathly hallows scans

harry potter leaked scans


Looking at the above scans, it is difficult to say that its a fake or a hoax. What do you think?

Anyways, I really wonder why someone would take so much trouble as to take pictures of each and very page of the book and then upload it on the net! Although as far as the news is concerned, the whole book has not been leaked but rather 2/3rds of it. But still, thats a major security breach which ought to be investigated! I personally have not gone through any more than the contents section and the first page of the first chapter...and those of you who hate spoilers better not!

For those who just cant resist, you can find more pictures of the above mentioned leak here:

http://forum.ebaumsworld.com/showthread.php?t=212406

My earlier posts about deathly hallows leak and deathly hallows chapter 1 leak were of course cases of fan fiction being glamourised, but they were definitely very well written fan fictions. Rowling would be proud!

5 Cool Harry Potter Articles

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Written on 9:32 AM by Unknown

The movie is out - and its a mixed verdict. But what most other Harry Potter fans are eagerly awaiting is the final book - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which is due just 5 days from today! The media has been abuzz with speculation about the storyline and ending of the 7th Harry Potter book, mostly speculating about whether Harry survives or not. I have compiled a list of articles on Harry Potter which have come out in the recent days and which you might find interesting...


1. Could Harry Potter die? It would make mythological sense
Brace yourselves, Harry Potter fans. No matter how desperate you are for Harry to live, some experts in classic literature and mythology say that finishing off the young wizard would make sense - in a literary kind of way.

J.K. Rowling has never shied from darkness in her phenomenally successful series - it started with the murder of Harry’s parents, continued through his discovery that an evil wizard was trying to destroy him, and has included pain and torture and the deaths of major characters.

She’s already promised two deaths in the seventh and final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," coming out July 21, and has refused to commit to Harry surviving. But she couldn’t kill Harry off, could she? She wouldn’t do that, would she? Continue reading...


2. Harry Potter's God complex
Harry's death would show that his character's path is modeled on the Gospel accounts of Jesus', and, that the link between him and wizardry-school headmaster Albus Dumbledore is patterned on the most essential relationship in the Christian Bible — that between Jesus the Son and God the Father.

Critics have long enjoyed noting similarities to Jesus in fictional characters. By the second Potter book, I began to think that was the case here: that the relationship of Harry and Dumbledore was underpinning the narrative in a supernatural, and distinctly Christian, way.

That author J.K. Rowling's series is based on a battle between good and evil is obvious. Continue reading...


3. HARRY POTTER: Questions Remain
J.K. Rowling has kept us waiting for a LONG time. But finally, with "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" _ the last in her popular series _ there should be some answers to many questions. Here, in no particular order, are some threads that readers (OK, this reader) would LOVE to see tied up:

Just who is R.A.B.? Fans already have put forth the theory that R.A.B. is Sirius Black's brother Regulus, who is thought to be dead. Is he? Or could he have been in hiding all this time?

What happened to that Horcrux? Continue Reading...


4. Will Harry Potter survive ‘Deathly Hallows’?
There’s one mystery so anticipated and hotly debated that it eclipses all others. It’s not about the whether good will conquer evil in the end. That’s safe enough to assume. The big question is, at what cost? The release of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” could mark more than just the end of the story. It might just mean the end of the much-loved bespectacled protagonist himself.

But would the author of the top selling magical franchise really kill off Harry Potter? Reader opinion be damned, Rowling’s never shied away from an unpopular fatality. Continue Reading...


5. You really have to work to avoid Potter spoilers
Each time a Harry Potter book comes out, some inconsiderate Muggle — or ordinary human — spoils the ending for Brian Paladies. For three of the books, he inadvertently learned the endings from friends. An Internet headline revealed another novel’s conclusion.

When the sixth installment was released in 2005, he purchased the book at 12:01 a.m. and planned to read it one sitting. Nothing, he thought, could come between him and a surprise ending.

As the DuPage County man excitedly walked back to his car, a voice cried out across the parking lot: “Dumbledore dies!” Continue Reading...

Be an Editor at Qwickly

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Written on 1:06 PM by Unknown

Its been more almost a month since I became a "World News Editor" at Qwickly.com - a community powered website which allows you to become editor and posts stories about your chosen field or niche. I chose to be a news editor because I have always had a great interest in current affairs; so much so that the phrase "eating up the newspaper everyday" could be perfect to be applied on me! Click here to view my profile on Qwickly.

About Qwickly.com

Qwickly.com was created by a group of freelance writers with the idea that a well run community is of greater value than any one individual. Our team oriented organization places each member of the community on equal footing, providing the ultimate in checks and balances.

Our editors are an eclectic group of dedicated writers who each offer specialized knowledge on a particular subject matter. From pregnancy to cell phones and music to recipes, we are confident that each editor is capable of offering valuable expertise.

We believe that we’ve created the preeminent live reference tool available on the internet today. Everyone who visits Qwickly.com contributes to the community, even if by merely browsing the site.

See one of my news entries at Qwickly here.

If you are interested in becoming an editor, you can apply here. Qwickly also shares advertsiement revenue with you - you get 80% and they pocket 20% o the revenue that your news entries generate. Revenue genrated is directly credited to your Adsense account. Dont have and adsense account? You can easily make one by clicking the adsense banner at the bottom of this blog.

Cooking as a Career

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Written on 11:22 AM by Unknown

Yesterday morning I was searching for a few recipes on the net - for my mother. While I was busy searching I thought - what if I was a cook! I am not really fascinated by the idea of cooking as a career, but a couple of my friends are doing courses in hotel management - and one of them actually wants to be a chef! While thinking about this I realised that there are lots of good colleges and courses for hotel and restaurant management - but there are few schools that are totally devoted to the art of cooking. I did find out a few good cooking schools giving specialized culinary education, click here to read about one of them.

Culinary education prepares students for various jobs within the food service industry, from restaurant management to pastry chef. It certainly attracts a large number of young people, but it also appeals to older people who wish to change careers, many of whom dream for years of following a full professional course before finally getting around to signing up. When thinking ahead about your culinary education, don't forget that there are several other numbers that should be included in your budgeting equation that just tuition alone.

While a great culinary education can be expensive, remember you're investing in the career of a lifetime.

Apple iPhone Creating Buzz

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Written on 9:41 AM by Unknown

Everyone knew that the iPhone was going to be big from the moment it was announced in early January. Apple CEO Steve Jobs hailed the device as the ultimate in mobile communications given that it could function as a phone, a mobile Internet device and as an iPod.

As the months progressed, the hype mushroomed even though the iPhone lacked a user-replaceable battery, physical keyboard, expansion slot, voice dialing, A2DP, MMS, iChat, flash support, copy and paste ability and video recording -- not to mention that the iPhone was tied solely to AT&T.

It appears that all of the minuses stacked against the iPhone weren't enough to phase buyers who lined up days in advance to purchase the latest "it device" from Cupertino. Not even the $499 (4GB) and $599 (8GB) price tags were enough to keep Apple from selling around 525,000 iPhones from 6:00 PM Friday evening through close of business on Sunday.

Nearly all of AT&T's stores were depleted of iPhone stock by Saturday whereas Apple's retail stores are currently faring much better (you can check iPhone availability here).

Apple's iPhone launch didn't go off glitch free, however. Many users complained of activation problems with iPhone. The iPhone can be activated through iTunes and the steady rush of users scrambling to activate their phones overloaded AT&T's servers.

"We are working on any issues on an individual basis with customers who were impacted," said Michael Coe, a representative for AT&T.

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