Just finished the last page of Book I, and I've got to say I'm quite pleased. All the urgent ends got tied up and a few ideas were left hanging to keep me coming back for more.
My only problem, though it may be a nitpicky one: The enchantments guarding the Sorcerer's Stone seemed a bit...less than difficult. Though I know getting to Quirrell would have been difficult without our heroes getting through the curses and trials, it does seem like these were dulled down to the level that an eleven year-old could accomplish. You'd think that a cadre of wizarding faculty would protect something as valuable as the Sorcerer's Stone with curses that would stump dangerous, experienced wizards.
Despite my complaints, I'm ready to jump right in to Book II.
Yeah, you're not the only one who's noticed that little puzzler. And as the books progress, you see some much more complicated protection spells and enchantments - throwing the question of the Sorcerer's Stone into even greater confusion. My only guess is that Rowling sort of wised up as she got older and the story progressed. She knew what the books would contain from the very beginning, but I imagine that their complexity and depth didn't really mature until she'd been writing and fleshing them out for a longer period of time. Shrug.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there is a positive effect to all of this. Because Rowling's writing style, and the depth of the story and characters, seem to develop as the books continue, it gives the reader a sense of almost growing up with Harry and the gang. The series start off lighter, simpler, and more innocent, and grows darker and heavier as the characters grow older, AND as the author continues to grow and develop her skills in a stylistic and literary sense. All in all, I think it works out.