[blueerica]

Sleepy, yet unable to sleep - so I'll chime in with (without bothering to read the posts above):

I'm not entirely sure I needed the epilogue. I like to read and leave my own imagination to come up with an "ending." A bit too much cheese, in my opinion - though I do see new story lines of it. I don't have an inclination to know further, even without the epilogue. I'm sated. Sad, for the many losses (I rung out tears from my eyes until there were no more - the beauty of it being 'that time' while reading this book), but satisfied.

While halfway through the book late this morning, I went to a coffee shop to do a little reading outdoors. Mentioned the part of the book I was at to the quick-reading barista and she complained that the first part was so boring and dreadful.

To which I didn't say, though I felt it then, and believe it still - it was Rowling's intent to leave the reader in a state of emotional drought. To drag the reader through the day-to-day, the loneliness. I think it's brilliant. The first drops of water with Ron's return... it was the real turn of the book. Then cascades of action and character movement, on and on and on.... Wow. And I love Snape, simply, absolutely, love him.

And yeah - epilogue - meh.