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Audiobook Reviews from Audiobook Heaven

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
by J K Rowling
narrated by Jim Dale
Series: Harry Potter, book 7
Copyright: 2007, Listening Library
Duration: 21 hours 38 minutes
Genres: fantasy, adventure, mystery,
Filed in: Audiobook reviews
Review copy provided by Carrollton Public Library.

THE GIST: We come down to it at last. With Dumbledore gone, only Harry Potter remains to stand in Lord Voldemort’s way. Killing Voldemort, however, will prove to be a more daunting task than Harry ever imagined. Not only is Voldemort one of the most powerful wizards that ever lived, there are also the horcruxes to deal with.

Horcruxes; the darkest of dark magic. A horcrux is a powerfully magical object that contains a severed piece of the maker’s soul, and are created by committing terrible acts of evil; namely, murder. Lord Voldemort created not one, but six horcruxes, and until all six are located and destroyed, the Dark Lord cannot truly be vanquished.

So, instead of going to school for their seventh, and final, year at Hogwarts, Harry, along with his best friends Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger go horcrux hunting. Hogwarts would not have been safe for them anyway, now that it has been taken over by death-eaters. The three teenagers go on the run, camping out in the woods as they search for the horcruxes. And, of course, even if they destroy the horcruxes, Harry must still face Voldemort. And what do the Deathly Hallows have to do with all this? Can they help Harry achieve his ultimate goal, ora are they just a distraction?

MY THOUGHTS: What can I say about J K Rowling that I haven’t said already? “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” isn’t my favorite of the Harry Potter audio books, mainly because I missed Hogwarts Castle, but how great was the climactic finish? Rowling’s writing, over the course of these books, has matured into a thing of beauty. The crashing blows of the battle, the oppressive stillness of Harry’s long walk to the Forbidden Forest, the suspense of the final showdown, and that shining glimpse of the future in her beautifully written epilogue; it all adds up to masterpiece.

FAVORITE ROWLING CREATION: The deathly hallows. Are they myth, or fact? The unbeatable wand, Death’s own wand that none other can beat; the resurrection stone, with the power to bring back the dead; and the cloak of invisibility, so powerful that Death himself cannot find the wearer. Legend has it that anyone who possesses all three hallows, will be the master of Death. Hermione says they are amyth, but Harry is not so sure. The resurrection stone in particular seems to be exerting an unhealthy pull on Harry Potter’s imagination.

NARRATOR: Jim Dale topped himself again, for “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” he created an incredible 146 different voices, breaking his own Guinness record. He also did the narration for the Harry Potter video games. The British releases of the Harry Potter audio books were read by someone Else, however. How odd.

FAVORITE JIM DALE VOICE: Professor Snape’s voice sounds as greasy as his hair looks. Can’t you just picture Snape in a top hat, cape, and twirly mustache, rubbing his hands together as he stands over poor Nell who is tied to the train tracks? Yes, I’m thinking Snidely Whiplash here. Snape is full of attitude and insolence, and Jim Dale’s voice portrays that perfectly.

FAVORITE SCENE: Well duh! The whole climactic battle at Hogwarts Castle, of course! Where else could the final showdown between Harry and Voldemort take place? And how about Molly Weasley taking on Bellatrix LeStrange? Up to now, she’s never used her wand for anything but cooking. Remind me never to mess with any of her children! And how about the Centaurs? And the house-elves, bursting out of the kitchens with knives and stuff!? Wow! It took a long time to get here, but it was so worth it!

MOST SHOCKING REVELATION: Harry Potter must die! That rascal, Lord Voldemort, seems to have left a little bit of himself behind inside Harry’s mind, and Voldemort will never truly be vanquished until that last little piece is eradicated. Harry accepts his destiny like a champ, though. He has truly become a man.

FAVORITE CHARACTER: So hard to choose just one from this audio book. Harry Potter seems the obvious choice, finally seeing him become the man that we’ve only glimpsed heretofore, unflinchingly accepting his destiny. But you could say the same for Neville Longbottom, no more the clumsy forgetful shadow of his talented father. And how can we forget Dobby, who made the ultimate sacrifice for his hero, Harry Potter? All excellent choices, but I really have to tip my hat to Severus Snape. Now that the puzzle pieces are all in place, we finally see what a tragic and heroic figure he really was. Talk about ultimate sacrifices, and all in the name of love. Godspeed Professor Snape.

FAVORITE QUOTE: Lots of good ones to choose from in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” but I’m going with this: Harry; “Is this real, or has it been happening inside my head?” Dumbledore; “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"

FINAL WORD: Wow! All I can say is wow! I wish the Harry Potter audio books could go on forever, but man, what a finish! All the pieces of the mystery come together so neatly, it feels like Rowling had every little detail planned out right from the beginning. And the epilogue! It brings tears of joy and triumph to my eyes seeing how everything pans out nineteen years in the future. Am I the only one who wants another series of audio books centered on Teddy Lupin? Part of me wants that very badly, but another part says “leave it right there.” How could it ever measure up to these seven audio books? I must have listened to this series of audio books eight or nine times now and I just can’t get enough. Each time, I find new things to marvel at. See you again soon, Harry.



FILM ADAPTATION: To date, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” has not yet been completed. From what I’ve heard, this one is going to be released in two parts. Part one is supposed to be released in November, 2010, with part two following in July, 2011.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS::
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J K Rowling (Audiobook Review)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J K Rowling (Audiobook Review)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J K Rowling (Audiobook Review)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J K Rowling (Audiobook Review)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J K Rowling (Audiobook Review)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J K Rowling (Audiobook Review)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J K Rowling (Audiobook review)


If you liked this audiobook review, you can purchase the audiobook here:
Get “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” by J K Rowling (Unabridged Audiobook) from Amazon.com.

This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt
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TAGS audiobook review, harry potter and the deathly hallows, j k rowling, listening library, jim dale, fantasy, adventure, mystery, young adult, harry potter