1 of 2 members found this review helpful.
“After much anticipation the Harry Potter series is over. With her neatly wrapped up epilogue there is little doubt that all those who survived the final battle with You Know Who and his minions indeed lived happily ever after. As this is a chilren's story that is as it should be. As in all good tales for children there are hidden morals in these books. Some parents find these books violent but if you read fairytales in their original form they are all a bit gruesome at times. We are so use to the Disney version of these tales which waters down any violence that we forget or are completely unaware that cautionary tales must be a bit shocking sometimes to get a child's attention and drive home the seriousness of certain admonishments such as don't talk to strangers which is clearly the message of Red Riding Hood. I think Rowling did a good job of showing that love can conquer evil which is an attitude that is needed in this world where kids are so steeped in the everyday violence of life (just watch the news) that they may begin to think there is little they can do to improve the world in which we live. Rowlings characters are not soley black or white. They are gray as real people are. Dumbledors is not the all knowing person Harry believed him to be, but he grew from his mistakes and became a man who did many great things. Snape is not the evil person some thought he was. He is perhaps the true hero of the story in many ways although certainly a dark horse. Through his similarities to Voldemort Harry learns that terrible things in a persons past can set them on a path to hate and destruction. The difference between them being the choices they make every day to see beyond themselves to the needs of others and to accept their imperfections and try to move past them. I really enjoyed reading this series. I think it will undoubtably join the ranks of children's classics in years to come.”
