Friday, July 20, 2007

Thoughts on Potter, the end is near



Over the past several years, I've come to the conclusion that I don't like endings. No, seriously.

Grant's been dying for the new and final Harry Potter book to come out since, well...since about the day after the last one came out! (The half Blood Prince).
Not me.
I am really excited, but actually, to some extent, I've been dreading it a bit.
I really love these books, and enjoy emerging myself in the whole experience. Every detailed description, every theory....I continue to replay in my mind over and over again from time to time. Basically, I am pretty content reflecting on the current book for a couple of years, and the past books as well for all that matters. I do look forward to the next book, but I'm in no hurry. Especially now.
Because this is it. The end. The grand finale.....basically, of something that I don't want to be over. Didn't we just get The Half Blood Prince? I'm not even over the whole Dumbledore thing yet. Perhaps, I'm still traumatized. I know, the answer is no, it's been out for a couple of years. It's time for the next installment, which of course I wouldn't mind except for the fact that it's the last one...the ending.

You see, the older I get (not that I'm anywhere near old yet), the more I've come to not like endings. Now, if it's one movie, one book, etc....sure! I want the ending! But when it comes to a series, I've found that I unconsciously avoid it.
For example....if a television show that I really like is ending, when it starts getting close to the end, I somehow stop watching it. I'm still sad that that it won't be on anymore, but even though I have the episodes on the myth TV, for some reason it takes me forever to watch them. It's like, I don't want closure. Weird, huh?

I still haven't seen the last episode of Dr. Who from the first season that the series was brought back, because I knew that they were going to be changing doctors. (and I really loved that doctor, Christopher Eccleston,( Christopher Eccleston) although Grant swears to me that I'll love the new doctor as well.) I haven't seen the last episode of Dawson's Creek, and I'm sure that there's a lot more. I did watch the last episode of Mad About You, and of Ally McBeal, and they both left me feeling flat. I didn't particularly care for the episode, but yet, after having seen it, I knew how it ended....and in those cases, not how I would have liked, but yet it is still there. It feels done, and I don't really reflect on them anymore.

Still haven't seen the last Matrix movie.I'm sure that there are tons more that I can't think of right now, but you get the idea. On a recent note, I somehow ended up not watching the entire last season of Stargate SG1, I guess because I knew that they were canceling the series. I really don't actively mean to do it. I guess that I just start feeling more emotional about it, and decide to avoid dealing with that. I don't know. This must drive Grant nuts.

We have a myth TV (the home made Tivo that Grant made for us) full of an entire season of Dr. Who, the SG1 last season, and the remaining 2-3 episodes of Battlestar Gallactica that I haven't watched from last season, (probably because it's my favorite show, and I didn't want the season to be over with). Heck! They're finishing the series after next season, so god only knows what I'll end up doing. Perhaps it's that I just want to continue to have something to look forward to...
However, I didn't do this with Revenge of the Syth. (the final Star Wars movie) I really looked forward to it, couldn't wait to see how it would end, but perhaps this was because it was the final prequel, and I actually already knew how things ended in the actual end (3 movies later), and pretty much have it as part of the make up of my culture since I can remember.

When I met Grant, he told me that he reads the endings of books right at the beginning, which I thought was just horrid! Any twists, tricks, emotional rollercoasters are all in vain because you know how it will all turn out. My biggest argument against that is that the author wrote it in a certain way using various literary devices to unfold the story in a specific artful matter, and that by reading the end, it screws with his or her art. So, he sweetly, doesn't do that with books that I give him to read which I've already read, and that I am clearly giving to him because I enjoyed the experience so much. He's the best. However, at times, I do see his point. Perhaps just knowing from the get-go would resolve any anxiety that I would have about actually reaching the end. ...Nah! Definitely not worth it.

But anyway, back to Potter.....

I do admit that I tend to get a bit too emotionally involved....particularly in these books .... and of course, we're going to go pick up one of our copies at midnight tonight....and of course I will start reading it right away, since if I don't, someone will surely tell me the ending anyway....which would suck beyond belief.

I tend to read slowly.
I picture every last detail, and think everything through most thoroughly as I go along.
So, on top of it being the ending, I'm pissed because I'll have to try and read it as fast as I can to try and avoid hearing any spoilers. Grrrr....
But....at least it will make sure that I will actually read it....not speculate when I'm 40 about how I really need to finish that last Harry Potter book. : )

Oh, and btw....I'm so rooting for Neville!



1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'm on about chapter eight, and it's taking freaking FOREVER. LOL I'm still trying to recover from the end of Buffy the Tv series so I know exactly what you mean. :D