Potty.

So of course I grabbed the new, and last, Harry Potter book, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows. I called past a bookshop at half-past midnight Friday night (in my defence, it was because I was on my way home from a wedding), and it was queued out the street and away. However, the local supermarket wasn’t. The march of the giants does have the occasional benefit.

I finished the book last night, and will (when I get the chance) construct a full and considered post on the topic. In the meantime, being busy, here’s a few of my initial simple thoughts.

• I really enjoyed it. Really enjoyed it, much more than I expected to. I was prepared for a bit of a disappointment and anticlimax after all the anticipation. I remembered how poor I found Order Of The Phoenix to be (the book, I'll get to the film some time this week, I hope), and that Rowling certainly isn't the most talented wielder of language out there. But I loved every page of this one.
• As the end of the series, I think it works well. There were things I was pretty sure would happen, and they did, but there was plenty of unexpected action, too. Loose ends are suitably wrapped up; there's a bit more closure than a more literary author might have offered, but a younger audience probably needs that. Who am I kidding? I liked it too - made a nice change.
• It's dark. Lot's of death and dying, lots of violence, lots of good guys doing things that we might not altogether like. Harry Potter really has grown up.
• It's also got lots of moralising. I can live with that. Relevant stuff, too. The main point being one of selflessness and giving for the sake of others, side-morals highlight the dangers of racism and prejudice.
• Alongside that, I'll say more in a later post under a spoiler warning.
• One major supporting character's story arc gets recast in a whole new light, and it's amazing. I read that chapter through a couple of times before going on.
• It's not perfect. It gets really complicated and tricky to follow at points, but that's mainly down to the insane pace that doesn't let down all the way through. The quality of the writing isn't consistently wonderful.
• But the characters do grow a fair bit.

As I say, much more to come when I get the time.