disappointment. Harry recovered way too easily, if the story were consistent he’d be screaming on the floor until the Aurors arrived.
I’ve thought about this a bit. Emotionally, I agree with you. But all the counter-arguments make sense. I’ve finally narrowed it down to a single sentence, at the end of Chapter 54:
(And then it was already too late.)
This sentence is epic. It sent shivers down my spine when I first read it. It resounds with finality. The jig is up. The battle has been lost. Despair, all ye mighty. I couldn’t wait for the next installment to find Harry waking up in an holding cell with his plans crumbling about him, desperately thinking his way out of this jam without giving up his friend.
Now, I do actually enjoy the next two chapters. But the promise of finality was broken. Ch55 starts out with “And then it was already too late… PSYCH! It’s not too late at all!” It feels like the X-men comic books I’d read as a kid, which on the cover showed our heroes dead or mortally wounded, the villain of the month triumphant above them, but when you grab the comic and read it you find that nothing like that happens in the story.
If that line was removed (or at least changed to not be so Final) the transition between 54 and 55 wouldn’t be jarring.
Harry waking up in an holding cell with his plans crumbling about him, desperately thinking his way out of this jam without giving up his friend
Prisoner’s Dilemma, huh? :-) I had the same hopes for 55. Right now it looks like Harry will escape the mess without losing anything. Whyyy? Corwin of Amber had a spectacular failure that got him imprisoned and blinded, and the story was better for it.
I’ve thought about this a bit. Emotionally, I agree with you. But all the counter-arguments make sense. I’ve finally narrowed it down to a single sentence, at the end of Chapter 54:
This sentence is epic. It sent shivers down my spine when I first read it. It resounds with finality. The jig is up. The battle has been lost. Despair, all ye mighty. I couldn’t wait for the next installment to find Harry waking up in an holding cell with his plans crumbling about him, desperately thinking his way out of this jam without giving up his friend.
Now, I do actually enjoy the next two chapters. But the promise of finality was broken. Ch55 starts out with “And then it was already too late… PSYCH! It’s not too late at all!” It feels like the X-men comic books I’d read as a kid, which on the cover showed our heroes dead or mortally wounded, the villain of the month triumphant above them, but when you grab the comic and read it you find that nothing like that happens in the story.
If that line was removed (or at least changed to not be so Final) the transition between 54 and 55 wouldn’t be jarring.
Prisoner’s Dilemma, huh? :-) I had the same hopes for 55. Right now it looks like Harry will escape the mess without losing anything. Whyyy? Corwin of Amber had a spectacular failure that got him imprisoned and blinded, and the story was better for it.
I think you’re right. The power of that line even confused me into jumping to conclusion that Quirrell died, despite a much better explanation. The book will be better if this device is changed.