Reread 4/19/20

I really do still love this book, but the whole ending makes me cringe. It's not because of the bad things that happen at the climax, but because it would have been so easy for one of a million tiny decisions to stop it. Like there's so many little things that all have to happen for the bad things in the climax to occur, but any one single change and everything would have been fine. It was such an avoidable situation, but everyone made life difficult in every conceivable way. I don't dislike that in terms of enjoyment of the book, I just cringe.

Obligatory comment on the Jim Dale audiobook: he finally started saying Voldemort instead of Voldemor so yay, but he gave Bellatrix a French accent or something which seems kind of strange. Some weird choices, but I do thoroughly enjoy it overall.

***

I think after Prisoner of Azkaban, this is my favorite of the series (although we will see if rereading HBP and DH change that). I really enjoy Harry's raw anger throughout this book. I know some people find it annoying, but to me, it's a necessary step in Harry's growing up. He's never been allowed to be angry before. He grew up with nothing, built a life in the wizarding world, and now he's being stripped of everything in his new life as well. I just really love it.