Spoilery Harry Potter thoughts
Jun. 21st, 2003 07:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakBless Borders. Okay, here was my problem: I had ordered "Order of the Phoenix" months ago, not knowing that I'd be in London at the time of its release. Which means it will wait for me in Munich when I return.
But. Waiting till Thurday to read it when it's everywhere in my immediate vicinity? Torture. However, the above mentioned chain bookstore kindly offers chairs to its visitors. So this morning, I marched in, grabbed the next best Potter copy, and read it.
Scattered thoughts:
A some weeks ago Joss Whedon praised the HP saga (to no one's surprise, considering all the shout-outs since Dawn's arrival in BTVS) but wished Harry would be more rebellious and anti-authority, even if the authority is Dumbledore. Well, he got his wish. Harry is one angry teenager ™ in this volume, and it makes complete psychological sense.
A.J. Hall will love what JKR does with Neville. And I can't think of anyone who won't. He rules in the last third of the book. The big revelation re: him and Harry is just the cream on the cake.
Hermione was fabulous throughout, but what I particularily adored was her scene with Rita Skeeter. Our Hermione has an inner Lilah I highly approve off.
Ginny got character development, and it's most enjoyable; no pining for Harry, instead she's got as many dates as first season Cordelia, and she gets to show more common sense than Ron ever did, combined with bravery than. Loved her cool "how good for you" reply when Harry said he'd forgotten she had been possessed by Voldemort.
During the first half of the book, I felt a bit disgruntled that there was little to no Snape, with his one or two appearances of a perfunctuary nature (i.e. enters, sneers at Harry, makes vicious sarcastic remark, leaves stage). However, then we come to a situation right out of fanfic, with Snape giving Harry secret extra lessons in anti-Voldemort fighting technique. As opposed to fanfic, this doesn't result in a wonderful friendship. But what it does result in pleased me very much, to whit:
Some emotional background for Snape, and Harry's and our first distinct unflattering look at James & Co. Given the Dursleys, it's not surprising Harry idealized his parents and specifically his father, and everyone except Snape so far told him only wonderful-sounding things about him. And you've got to admire the set-up Rowlings does for Harry's disillusionment: it's in character for Harry to snoop in the memories Snape specifically did not want him to see, and because he knows Snape hid them away they're more credible than any rants would have been. Incidentally, this must also be the first time we see a group of Gryffindors presented as bullying a Slytherin.
Snape as the outsider bullied by the popular kids makes sense (which is why lots of fanfics presented him that way already), and explains though by no means excuses the way he treats Harry & Co. Lily defending Snape and him snarling at her because of it should make![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lizbee happy…
In the interests of shades of grey, I also loved Dumbledore pointing out to Harry Kreacher's motives and the unthinking discrimination Sirius exercised by never thinking of Kreacher as a sentient being like himself.
Speaking of Sirius: I predict much wailing. It did surprise me - I thought Hagrid was going to be the one to bite it. But it shows JKR is really prepared to take some risks, Jenny-and-Tara-stye, Sirius being one of the most beloved characters of the series. Additional kudos for the Harry and Nearly Headless Nick scene making clear Sirius won't come back as a ghost, either. Letting Harry use the Crucio on Mrs. Lestrange to revenge Sirius was gutsy, too. It emphasizes once again we, and Harry, shouldn't take Harry's good nature for granted. He could become Voldemort. It's his choice, not his destiny, not to.
Speaking of the bad guys: while I'm delighted with the good guys getting all sorts of grey shades, the villains are pretty much the usual. Which means rather dull for the Malfoys, père et fils, and over the top for Voldemort and Mrs. Lestrange, though it's interesting she's Sirius' cousin. (And hey - Draco is Sirius' nephew once removed!) Oh, and as opposed to many a fanfic, Voldemort did NOT tell his Death Eaters he's a half blood himself. Makes sense. As does Dumbledore addressing him as Tom all the time.
One last thought: the step-by-step takeover of Hogwarts by the Inquisition and its youth squad reminded me of Night Watch in B5's second season. Also of the fate of schools in 1933, of course - and the McCarthy period.
But. Waiting till Thurday to read it when it's everywhere in my immediate vicinity? Torture. However, the above mentioned chain bookstore kindly offers chairs to its visitors. So this morning, I marched in, grabbed the next best Potter copy, and read it.
Scattered thoughts:
A some weeks ago Joss Whedon praised the HP saga (to no one's surprise, considering all the shout-outs since Dawn's arrival in BTVS) but wished Harry would be more rebellious and anti-authority, even if the authority is Dumbledore. Well, he got his wish. Harry is one angry teenager ™ in this volume, and it makes complete psychological sense.
A.J. Hall will love what JKR does with Neville. And I can't think of anyone who won't. He rules in the last third of the book. The big revelation re: him and Harry is just the cream on the cake.
Hermione was fabulous throughout, but what I particularily adored was her scene with Rita Skeeter. Our Hermione has an inner Lilah I highly approve off.
Ginny got character development, and it's most enjoyable; no pining for Harry, instead she's got as many dates as first season Cordelia, and she gets to show more common sense than Ron ever did, combined with bravery than. Loved her cool "how good for you" reply when Harry said he'd forgotten she had been possessed by Voldemort.
During the first half of the book, I felt a bit disgruntled that there was little to no Snape, with his one or two appearances of a perfunctuary nature (i.e. enters, sneers at Harry, makes vicious sarcastic remark, leaves stage). However, then we come to a situation right out of fanfic, with Snape giving Harry secret extra lessons in anti-Voldemort fighting technique. As opposed to fanfic, this doesn't result in a wonderful friendship. But what it does result in pleased me very much, to whit:
Some emotional background for Snape, and Harry's and our first distinct unflattering look at James & Co. Given the Dursleys, it's not surprising Harry idealized his parents and specifically his father, and everyone except Snape so far told him only wonderful-sounding things about him. And you've got to admire the set-up Rowlings does for Harry's disillusionment: it's in character for Harry to snoop in the memories Snape specifically did not want him to see, and because he knows Snape hid them away they're more credible than any rants would have been. Incidentally, this must also be the first time we see a group of Gryffindors presented as bullying a Slytherin.
Snape as the outsider bullied by the popular kids makes sense (which is why lots of fanfics presented him that way already), and explains though by no means excuses the way he treats Harry & Co. Lily defending Snape and him snarling at her because of it should make
lizbee happy…In the interests of shades of grey, I also loved Dumbledore pointing out to Harry Kreacher's motives and the unthinking discrimination Sirius exercised by never thinking of Kreacher as a sentient being like himself.
Speaking of Sirius: I predict much wailing. It did surprise me - I thought Hagrid was going to be the one to bite it. But it shows JKR is really prepared to take some risks, Jenny-and-Tara-stye, Sirius being one of the most beloved characters of the series. Additional kudos for the Harry and Nearly Headless Nick scene making clear Sirius won't come back as a ghost, either. Letting Harry use the Crucio on Mrs. Lestrange to revenge Sirius was gutsy, too. It emphasizes once again we, and Harry, shouldn't take Harry's good nature for granted. He could become Voldemort. It's his choice, not his destiny, not to.
Speaking of the bad guys: while I'm delighted with the good guys getting all sorts of grey shades, the villains are pretty much the usual. Which means rather dull for the Malfoys, père et fils, and over the top for Voldemort and Mrs. Lestrange, though it's interesting she's Sirius' cousin. (And hey - Draco is Sirius' nephew once removed!) Oh, and as opposed to many a fanfic, Voldemort did NOT tell his Death Eaters he's a half blood himself. Makes sense. As does Dumbledore addressing him as Tom all the time.
One last thought: the step-by-step takeover of Hogwarts by the Inquisition and its youth squad reminded me of Night Watch in B5's second season. Also of the fate of schools in 1933, of course - and the McCarthy period.
