When Potter and his friends first arrive at Hogwarts they are fascinated by driver less carriages that seem to have no horses tethered as well. Further down in the series we come to know that they are actually drawn by winged creatures resembling horses with leathery skin ! Testhrals! A unique quality they have is that they are only visible to those who have witnessed death !
I usually prefer writing about light hearted topics and this one is one of the darkest! Death !
In fact Rowlings novels in the series are like the shading palette in a Microsoft application. They start on the lightest side and become darker and then darkest!
The first time I experienced the death of a loved one is when my maternal grandfather died. I was in class 3 and it was quite difficult to understand why it took so long for my mother to handle her grief and come to terms with it. Why she would suddenly tear up often. Ten years ago when I lost my own dad ( coincidentally in April) I could relate moment by moment!
As years go bye , there are more stories that add on. A close friend in college! A very young relative! Accidents, terminal illnesses , cardiac arrests , strokes and what not ! We all have some belief or the other that helps us to come to terms with it and move on !
Slowly realization dawns that we are all in queue!
Ok no more morbid stuff ! In a Tamil movie, which I saw recently on Netflix the whole story is around the death of the father character and for some reason the son despises him ! At one point the corpse goes missing ! Later we come to know that it was actually a hoax ! It's called "Aelay" Do watch it for some good humor and a glimpse into life in rural India.
I have not read the book "The Book Thief" but I understand it involves conversations with Death !
Coming back to Harry Potter there are things called Deathly Hallows that provide great power to the possessor and are supposed to have been given to the magic world by Death himself.
Alright! As an end note , remember to express a word of gratitude for every second provided to you in life ! Especially in harrowing times like this when the silent enemy is giving us a really hard time . I read somewhere on A to Z yesterday about candles and world peace ! We have a long way to go I guess but this too shall pass !
Although we all grieve over loss in a different way and on a unique time table, with empathy we share with others the pain and suffering of such loss. Acceptance of our own demise is another story, however.
ReplyDeletehttps://gail-baugniet.blogspot.com
I like the your Microsoft palette analogy.
ReplyDeleteThe Book Thief is a fantastic book to read. It's brilliant.
Will check out the movie you recommend:) Cheers.
We are all in queue indeed, and the tricky thing is we don't know for how long. Either way, let's be grateful for the life we have and make the best of it.
ReplyDeleteHappy Friday!
https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-z-2021-travel-broadens-your-mind.html
I've always been fascinated with India which is why I've visited it five times, so Aelay sounds like a must-watch movie to me! Not only is The Book Thief a great read, it's also an amazing film which I've played over and over again.
ReplyDeleteAll we need is love!
Death is probably the biggest part of life. We know it's coming and usually anticipate it with a certain dread or a sort of denial that it will happen to us. As I have gotten older I've become more accepting about death and maybe a bit nonchalant about it.
ReplyDeleteIntriguing thoughts you have presented here.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
In these dark times we are living, death is even more closer... Yes, we are all in queue...
ReplyDeleteHi Jayashree! Yes, The Book Thief is seen from Death’s viewpoint, as he sees the story unfold. The girl, who can’t read at the time, steals a gravedigger’s manual and takes it with her when she is adopted by a kindly couple in Nazi Germany. She ends up snatching books from the pile the Hitler Youth are burning.
ReplyDeleteA lovely book, by an Aussie author, but if you like, by all means see the film, which is a fairly faithful adaptation.
Strictly speaking, Harry has already seen death, first his mother, then Quirrell, so should have been able to see the Thestrals earlier than book 5. Oh, well...
U Is For Underworld
https://suebursztynski.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-to-z-blogging-challenge-2021-u-is-for.html
I never thought it from that view point . You are right, he has seen his mother and father die !
DeleteHaving survived 3rd stage cancer, I know how every second of our lives is valued. In fact, it is like spending hard earned money after cancer, though before it was like I won a lottery. I love books, but not sure why never read Harry Potter series.. :(
ReplyDeleteI loved the thestrals in the HP books. I thought they were a very clever character(s). Helped show so much about the people.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the Harry Potter movies and the different twists that came with each one.
ReplyDelete