EW.com by way of HPANA.com

Jo Rowling set out a sumptuous seven-course meal, carefully prepared, beautifully cooked, and lovingly served out. The kids and adults who fell in love with the series (I among them) savored every mouthful, from the appetizer (Sorcerer’s Stone) to the dessert (the gorgeous epilogue of Deathly Hallows). Most reviewers, on the other hand, bolted everything down, then obligingly puked it back up half-digested on the book pages of their respective newspapers.

And because of that, very few mainstream writers, from Salon to The New York Times, have really stopped to consider what Ms. Rowling has wrought, where it came from, or what it may mean for the future. The blogs, by and large, haven’t been much better. They seem to care about who lives, who dies, and who’s tattling. Beyond that, it’s all pretty much duh.

Time to listen to the audiobook!

I’m actually comparing Jim Dale vs. Stephen Fry on this by listening to the first chapter of both versions.
I prefer the UK version of the books because they have the UK phrases/words that are dumbed down for the US releases, so I tend to listen to the Stephen Fry (UK) version. Jo also says her children like Stephen Fry’s version.

However, I have listened to a couple of the books in Jim Dale versions, and they are also very well done; He’s actually won awards for them. The only issue besides it being the US text is that some say Dale over-acts the characters, taking out some room for imagination, and getting a little hokey. So, if you’re trying to decide which version to listen to, it comes down which of the following are more important:

1. Do you prefer the UK (Fry), or US (Dale) version of the text?
2. Do you want the whole book acted out in a grandiose way (Dale), or would you rather the book read to you with a more mature yet equally dynamically ranged tone (Fry)? [Keep in mind they both use unique voices for each character so that shouldn't affect your decision.]

They both have their merits, and I’ll admit I’ve listened to PS and CoS in both Fry and Dale versions, and as I said, both were very good, but I have grown acustomed to Stephen Fry’s style and as such prefer to listen to the UK audiobook.

Going Out on a Limb

I’ve decided that before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows comes out and my pre-order copy arrives (2 days, 12 hrs and counting!), I should go on the record about a couple of theories I have. A lot has been hashed out on the hp-lexicon.org and various other forums and sites, so I’ll just state a couple of things that havn’t been beaten to death (besides the whole Snape good/evil debate).

The Theories

1. R.A.B. is more important than most everyone thinks.
2. Petunia knows much more than she lets on, and is more than just an oppressive, mean muggle.
3. The prophecy talks about 3 people.

The Reasoning

PRE-book-7 Spoilers follow!!!

#1: I am fairly sure that the ‘R.A.B.’ that took the horcrux Harry and Dumbledore were trying to obtain (on the night Dumbledore died) was Regulus Black, Sirius’ brother. This isn’t a big leap, but I feel it will somehow play an important role in Deathly Hallows. Perhaps his taking the horcrux was merely a last minute act of goodness before Voldemort killed him for betrayal, but I think there is more to it than that. Either way, Jo is (or was in 2005) quite excited abou the roll R.A.B. plays in the last book.

#2: My point about Petunia is based mostly on certain reactions (things that she says/does) she has throughout the books and the fact that Jo has outright Petunia knows more than she lets on.

#3: The final point is subtle but I feel will be extremely important in the final novel. Most people believe the prophecy given by Sibyll Trelawney means Harry must kill Voldemort, or Voldemort must kill Harry, but I believe there is much more to it. Here is the full prophecy:

The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches … Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies … And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not … And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives … The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…

Now I’m sure your thinking “Tom, this clearly references only two people, The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord, and the Dark Lord himself.” However, after reading this over and over, as Jo has stated that she worded the prophecy very specifically, I realized that if we make “the other” a person, ie: The Other, then we have:

And either must die at the hand of The Other for neither can live while The Other survives.

This gives the prophecy a whole new piece of information. It now seems to say there is a third person who will be pivotal in the Harry-Voldemort destiny. This may still be Neville, or Snape, or RVB (who may or may not be Regulus), or this may be total codswallop formed from an over-active imagination! Whatever the actual truth, we will know in just a couple of days, and I humbly submit my theories to you on the very very slim chance that they are correct or at the least entertaining.

Snape theories

Update:
You know what? I have no idea whether or not Snape is evil. I think Dumbledore was very very intelligent, but he also let his emotions lead him, so I’m totally on the fence on this one. We’ll see…

Other points of interest in Deathly Hallows

• We will likely find out (in a round-about way) what Dumbledore’s ultimate desire and fear were, and also a LOT more about Dumbledore in general, as Jo could not tell us in this interview. His family is also of importance
• We’ve not seen the last of Dolores Umbridge as per the same interview.
• There is some important fact about Grindelwald that Jo can’t discuss.
• The fact that Voldemort used Harry’s blood to regain his human form will end up costing him dearly in the end
• It is likely that someone else was present in Godric’s Hollow on the night Harry’s Parents died.
• And lastly, You’ll probably never forgive yourself if you skip to the end of the book before reading it all the way through. so DON’T DO IT!

What do you all have for theories?

And behind the scenes: