First, I saw the film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I thought that it was well done in many ways. The book is too long and complex to fit into a 2.5 hour movie, but in this one they kept the majority of the key elements in. This of course led to a very fast pace, and several montage sequences. On the whole, though, it was true enough to the book. Really, it was a good "Highlights of Harry Potter", far better than the fourth film installment. Even those who have not read the books can follow this one. Still, it lacked the depth of the novel which really focused quite a bit on Harry's thoughts and frustrations, which a film can not really explore as well. I think it deserves almost four antelopes, so why not, I'll be kind.
I then read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This was a very good book. The pace was just right, changing from fast to slow at just the right times. The plot was appropriately complex, without overdoing it. What I mean is that Rowling avoided going on so many tangents that the story becomes impossible to follow. This final book in the series does answer all the major questions from the first six. It doesn't exist simply to wrap things up, however, as new plot elements are added throughout the first part of the book. The plot does twist back and forth near the end, so that the reader is really kept in doubt about the answers to two big questions right until the very end. The conclusion is very satisfying, and the epilogue, while sappy, is a nice finish to a somewhat dark novel. Rowling was on top form here. Five antelopes.
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