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Day’?s Verse:
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13 (context)
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Ian and I successfully read aloud all of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows between about 2:30 on Saturday afternoon and 8:00 Sunday evening. We read for seven hours on Saturday, took a brief break to sleep, resumed reading at 7:00 on Sunday morning and read straight through to the end of the book, finishing at 8:00 that evening with a one-hour break for church in between. We took turns reading two chapters at a time to give our voices a rest occasionally, and as it turns out I really enjoyed the time we spent on the book.
I don’?t intend to discuss my thoughts on the book at all, aside from saying that although it dragged some in the middle, Ian and I both found it an entertaining story and a surprisingly strong conclusion to the Harry Potter series. J.K. Rowling did just fine in closing out and wrapping up. If you want to know any more of what I thought of it, email me and I will be happy to expound at length on any part of it you like. However, let me say that reading it aloud produced one of the most rewarding reading experiences I’?ve had in a long time. Not only did we get to experience the book simultaneously (which solved the difficult who-reads-it-first conundrum, as well as the don’?t-tell-me-I’m-not-there-yet? issue), but we got to spend two whole days interacting more intensively than we usually do. It turned out to be not only a practical way of sharing the book, but it ended up working out as a positive relationship-builder as well. I recommend it! –Both the 7th Harry Potter book and reading books aloud.
That is all I intend to say about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Every married couple should read Atlas Shrugged aloud. That also is a real relationship builder.
Not actually. Usually when I tell people I went on a car trip with Nora and we read it outloud to each other and they see how excited I am they don’t talk to me anymore.
But I do think reading outloud is amazing and I hope it forms part of my future. I remember when I was in high school my dad read the Lord of the Rings series out loud to my mom everynight before they went to bed for a month or so. Sometimes I would come and sit in their room and listen and I loved it.
Reading aloud is an amazing gift! Your kids will be so blessed when you share this love with them.
There are some books that simply beg to be read aloud, and in reading to oneself so much of the humor or joy or pathos is lost.
Thanks for not sharing any details of the plot. I am keeping myself sequestered until I can borrow the book and read it myself.