Friday, September 16, 2005
Reads.
I just finished reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It took me some time to get my hands on the book as opposed to usual practice, I did not pre-order the book and neither did any of my cousins. I borrowed it from Eshwinder Singh who borrowed it from another girl.
Half-Blood Prince is good, good enough to make me drop the other books that I am halfway through in order to finish reading it. I usually prefer to read a couple of books at once. Each book is different, and at certain times I'd be more drawn towards fast and furious action, and at times I'd fancy something lighter and there are moments whereby I feel the need to immerse myself in the cold, hard and seedy world of Scudder. Therefore, a couple of books at once.
The good thing about Potter is that its readers are in abundance, and thus it's easy to find someone to discuss it with. This is so unlike other fantastic books that I've read, like the stuff from Gemmell. He simply is the best, hands down. Not many people that I know of read Gemmell, so in order to share Gemmell's magic with others, I've to forcibly persuade some of my best buddies and of course, her, to read his books.
I'm going to share Gemmell with you guys too. David Gemmell writes Heroic Fantasies, and he's the heaviest heavyweight in the genre and he is a legend among legends in the vast realm of English Literature! His works are all modishly crafted masterpieces, the very moment you read the first sentence you'll be sucked whole into the astounding world that he has so sprucely sculpted. And I can assure you that after finishing it, you'd be ravenous for more. It's like an addiction, that's how talented a writer he is. He impressed me so much that I sent him a fanmail, all the way to London where he resides. He didn't reply, and I still can't get over it.
I read all that he has published, and I enjoyed every single one of them. But my favourites are,
- The Rigante Series.
- Legend
- The Bloodstone Series.
- The Waylander Series.
- The Damned Series. (The White Wolf, The Swords of Night and Day.)
These books are to die for. Trust me on these, I've read loads of stuff but nothing comes close to Gemmell. Even Rowling and Tolkien pales in comparison.
Okay, back to The Half-Blood Prince. As said it was good, I enjoyed it, especially the funeral. Dumbledore's death is so abrupt and lamentable. But I still can't stand the fact that he just died like that, it seemed too undeserving, too casual and flippant. It was just Snape going "Avada Kedavra"! For fuck!
I've always harboured the notion that Dumbledore's death would be a result of some mega-scaled battle of the wizarding greats with Voldemort. Oooooh, Snape is such a bastard. However, he might not be so. Maybe it's Dumbledore's plan all along to have himself killed, seeing how he has always had some ingenious plan up his sleeves. I don't believe that Dumbledore would plead like he did, and even if he knew he was facing an imminent death, I still doubt that he would lose his bearings. Instead he would face death with his head held high, the typical Dumbledore style. Therefore I feel that it must be all an act to fool the fucking Death-Eaters that were present, or for that matter, Voldemort.
In my opinion, Dumbledore would still play a part in the future books, just like how Kenobi stuck around to guide Luke Skywalker. I'm pretty sure he's dead, seeing that how he would never use Horcruxes to preserve himself. He advocates love and the power of the pure and complete soul/spirit. And that leads me to think that he will still remain, in some weird, astral form or another. Don't forget that he has all that ancient magic shit, he'll not just vanish completely like Sirius did.
Dumbledore's death acts as a stimulant for Harry, a platform from which Harry can morph from a somewhat innocant teenager to a steely young man bent upon exacting revenge on Voldemort. I think that Harry will most probably meet some powerful wizard or some shit who will help him develop his skills and prowess. Just like how Naruto similarly received special training.
It'd be gnarly for him to turn into this cold and fiercely driven auror who can do the most awesome and special shit with his magic. I also hope that will give himself another name, something more inspiring and less gayish, something like Skilgannon the Damned. I've always liked Voldemort, the dark, evil ones always seem more appealing, don't they? Like how I love Vader and Akuma. Ha, ha.
And yes, I liked the funeral. It was touching, with all the tributes, tears and all. It reminds me of a scene from Gemmell's 'Ravenheart', where the great Jaim Grymauch dies. Man, that was good beyond good.
I can't wait for the next book, which I'm sure will be even better than the Half-Blood Prince. You'd notice that the Half-Blood Prince is hardly an epic, action-packed number in itself. It's more like a transitional book that fills you in on Voldemort and the various characters, leading you on to the next book. It's something like a trailer for the next one, where Rowling will deliver another fucking crazy tale.
How I love all the twists and shit, it's precisely the fact that I can't completely discern the plot that I enjoy the series. I actually thought that the Half-Blood Prince was Voldemort himself.
Gemmell has a couple of new books and I'm just waiting for them to reach Singapore. I am so excited.
Yeah and anyway everything here is from me and there're are just purely my thoughts on the book. If it so happens that you don't agree with it, feel free to comment.
