Monday, September 2, 2013

“Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills."

Harry Potter and the Series Review Part 1: Chapters 1-2

So I have not been keeping up with this review like I said I would because:

A) I got a summer job at a bookstore - in which I work ten-hour days with a 90-minute round trip commute, which doesn't leave me very much time for reading although

B) when I have had time for reading I've been opting instead to read other books,  like the works of certain British comedic fantasy and sci-fi writers, or whichever book I've seen or bought at work that day.

So I've put this review off in the hope of reading more Harry Potter before I write it, but I figure it's been long enough that I might as well just jump in.

To start with, here is my demons/occult count so far.

Demons summoned: 0
Occult mentioned/alluded to/glorified: 0 times
Blatant portrayal of Satanic worship: I got nothing.

So we're good on that front so far, but I am only two chapters into the book.

One thing I've noticed so far while reading it is how funny it is. Mr. Dursley is the director of a firm called Grunnings, which makes drills. The name, the occupation.... It's simple and mundane, but also edge-of-the-mind-twisting funny.

I also had to giggle at Mr. Dursley thinking cloaks were the latest fashion.

Some of the dialogue is as awkward as I remember it, but then some of it is good, so it feels like a toss-up on that end.

The set-up is classic, and reminiscent of the King Arthur myth. A child, born in a world too dangerous for him, his past and future steeped in destiny, his parents dead, sent by a Merlin-esque figure to live with adoptive parents and an adoptive brother who dislikes him/takes advantage of him. There are a lot more references to Arthur mythology in the continued stories but this is the first.


That's all for now. Two chapters down, the rest of the series to go. Next up we have Dudley's birthday and a strange encounter at the zoo, so we'll see how that goes. Already looking forward to it....
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