Harry Potter Thoughts
Jun. 30th, 2003 01:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yendiOr, why the hell did I make that Doug Ramsey post last week?
Why the Ramsey post?
Background: In the comic book New Mutants, there was a major "event" called "Fall of the Mutants." And it was widely promoted that "A New Mutant Will Die." All of us wondered if it would be Mirage, the leader; Sam, the smarter-than-he-seems redneck; Roberto, the hotheaded Sunspot; Wolvesbane, the shapeshifter; or one of the other powerful fighters.
Instead, Doug Fucking Ramsey bit it.
Doug was a member of the New Mutants in the same way Snapper Carr is a member of the Justice League -- he always hangs around the headquarters. His power? He can translate languages. No one cared about him when he was alive, and most folks wouldn't have noticed if he vanished from the book.
So the least fucking significant New Mutant bit it, and everyone was underwhelmed.
Flash forward to Harry Potter Five.
Rowling tells us how there's a major death in this book, and how she cried and cried when she wrote this scene.
Much wailing and gnashing of teeth amongst HP fans occurs. Will Hermione bite it? Will Ron be toast? Will Dumbledore be no more? Is this the end of Hagrid? Even as I was reading it, I was trying to figure out if maybe one of the minor characters who was shining (Ginny and Neville both emerged as fully formed characters, and Cho and the twins also got some good screen time).
Instead, it's Sirius Fucking Black. A character who has really only played a major role in one book, and hasn't been in the slightest bit interesting, other than his relationship with Harry. I can see how his death would affect Harry, don't get me wrong. But if I had to pick a character to die from the Good Guys, he'd be my first or second choice. He's the Doug Ramsey of Harry Potterland, and, although I wouldn't have wanted any of the characters I listed above to die, the fact is, that's exactly what Rowling prepped me for.
As for the rest of the book:
I thought it was good. Damned good, actually.
Things I loved:
Harry actually acting like a teenager. He's pissy, and can't always control himself. Good. He actually reads like a real fifteen-year-old.
The above-mentioned emergence of Ginny and Neville. Both have become great characters, a sign of both their growth, and of JKR's as an author.
The twins. They just ruled this book.
The conspiracy. The bad guys are genuinely evil, which can be frustrating in some books (Pullman's complex villains are a lot more fascinating), but as we see more of them in action, and see more of the people (like Sirius, Snape, and even Harry) who could have gone over, they are slowly becoming more real in feel. And more threatening. To be blunt, the eleven-year-olds in the first book would have been toast against them, and that's the surest sign that they're growing up.
I loved Harry tutoring the students in DATDA. It was a perfectly logical and natural evolution.
Likewise, I love Ron and Ginnie joining the Quidditch team. As well as Harry's realization that his friends are accomplishing things without him, too.
Umbrage. No, I couldn't stand her, but she was a great representation of the fact that evil thrives more because of willful ignorance than anything else.
Things I didn't:
Cho. She devolved this book.
Worse, the relationship with Cho. They live in the same school, but only see each other once a month, when the plot calls for it? Um, okay. I know they're in different houses, but it's not like they can't socialize. It just rang false.
The Deux Ex newspaper interview. It just didn't work for me (although I realize that Rowling had written herself into a jam). I just don't accept that the people who weren't convinced by Dumbledore earlier would be convinced now.
Malfoy. This just continue to be too easy for him. Snape knows that his daddy's a traitor, and shouldn't be showing him that much favor within the house (I'm okay with showing favoritism over Harry, as Snape's still an asshole).
Come to think of it, I'm still bothered by how Slytherin acts. I mean, yeah' they're the elitist snobs in theory, but I'd like to see one of them who actually shows a serious amount of knowledge or skill, or even turns out not to be an asshole. They're painted too broadly.
Theories:
1. Sirius isn't dead. No body. Seems pretty bloody obvious to me.
2. Dumbledore will die. He's the Obi Wan figure of this book. Obi Wan has to die. It's just the way it is. Plus, Harry needs to emerge as the real hero, and can't be in the shadow of Dumbledore.
3. Neville will continue to gain importance, if only for his potential as a Red Herring (like Communism). The prophecy all but ensured this, as it otherwise becomes a completely self-fulfilling one for Voldemort.
4. The Twins will become the magical versions of Q for Harry, coming up with practical jokes that end up aiding his fight.
That's all for now.
Why the Ramsey post?
Background: In the comic book New Mutants, there was a major "event" called "Fall of the Mutants." And it was widely promoted that "A New Mutant Will Die." All of us wondered if it would be Mirage, the leader; Sam, the smarter-than-he-seems redneck; Roberto, the hotheaded Sunspot; Wolvesbane, the shapeshifter; or one of the other powerful fighters.
Instead, Doug Fucking Ramsey bit it.
Doug was a member of the New Mutants in the same way Snapper Carr is a member of the Justice League -- he always hangs around the headquarters. His power? He can translate languages. No one cared about him when he was alive, and most folks wouldn't have noticed if he vanished from the book.
So the least fucking significant New Mutant bit it, and everyone was underwhelmed.
Flash forward to Harry Potter Five.
Rowling tells us how there's a major death in this book, and how she cried and cried when she wrote this scene.
Much wailing and gnashing of teeth amongst HP fans occurs. Will Hermione bite it? Will Ron be toast? Will Dumbledore be no more? Is this the end of Hagrid? Even as I was reading it, I was trying to figure out if maybe one of the minor characters who was shining (Ginny and Neville both emerged as fully formed characters, and Cho and the twins also got some good screen time).
Instead, it's Sirius Fucking Black. A character who has really only played a major role in one book, and hasn't been in the slightest bit interesting, other than his relationship with Harry. I can see how his death would affect Harry, don't get me wrong. But if I had to pick a character to die from the Good Guys, he'd be my first or second choice. He's the Doug Ramsey of Harry Potterland, and, although I wouldn't have wanted any of the characters I listed above to die, the fact is, that's exactly what Rowling prepped me for.
As for the rest of the book:
I thought it was good. Damned good, actually.
Things I loved:
Harry actually acting like a teenager. He's pissy, and can't always control himself. Good. He actually reads like a real fifteen-year-old.
The above-mentioned emergence of Ginny and Neville. Both have become great characters, a sign of both their growth, and of JKR's as an author.
The twins. They just ruled this book.
The conspiracy. The bad guys are genuinely evil, which can be frustrating in some books (Pullman's complex villains are a lot more fascinating), but as we see more of them in action, and see more of the people (like Sirius, Snape, and even Harry) who could have gone over, they are slowly becoming more real in feel. And more threatening. To be blunt, the eleven-year-olds in the first book would have been toast against them, and that's the surest sign that they're growing up.
I loved Harry tutoring the students in DATDA. It was a perfectly logical and natural evolution.
Likewise, I love Ron and Ginnie joining the Quidditch team. As well as Harry's realization that his friends are accomplishing things without him, too.
Umbrage. No, I couldn't stand her, but she was a great representation of the fact that evil thrives more because of willful ignorance than anything else.
Things I didn't:
Cho. She devolved this book.
Worse, the relationship with Cho. They live in the same school, but only see each other once a month, when the plot calls for it? Um, okay. I know they're in different houses, but it's not like they can't socialize. It just rang false.
The Deux Ex newspaper interview. It just didn't work for me (although I realize that Rowling had written herself into a jam). I just don't accept that the people who weren't convinced by Dumbledore earlier would be convinced now.
Malfoy. This just continue to be too easy for him. Snape knows that his daddy's a traitor, and shouldn't be showing him that much favor within the house (I'm okay with showing favoritism over Harry, as Snape's still an asshole).
Come to think of it, I'm still bothered by how Slytherin acts. I mean, yeah' they're the elitist snobs in theory, but I'd like to see one of them who actually shows a serious amount of knowledge or skill, or even turns out not to be an asshole. They're painted too broadly.
Theories:
1. Sirius isn't dead. No body. Seems pretty bloody obvious to me.
2. Dumbledore will die. He's the Obi Wan figure of this book. Obi Wan has to die. It's just the way it is. Plus, Harry needs to emerge as the real hero, and can't be in the shadow of Dumbledore.
3. Neville will continue to gain importance, if only for his potential as a Red Herring (like Communism). The prophecy all but ensured this, as it otherwise becomes a completely self-fulfilling one for Voldemort.
4. The Twins will become the magical versions of Q for Harry, coming up with practical jokes that end up aiding his fight.
That's all for now.
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(no subject)
Date: 2003-06-30 11:16 am (UTC)In fact, if she were to pick a character whose death would upset Harry a lot, but which wouldn't excessively upset the average reader, she couldn't have done better than Sirius. It makes one wonder. =:P
(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-01 06:45 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-06-30 11:22 am (UTC)I hate Umbridge. She got hers in the end. But I agree that I see the need.
Question: Did you find yourself liking Snape more in this book? I really found myself starting to like the character, which surprised me. I didn't expect it.
And I love the Q point. I love the twins in general...
(no subject)
Date: 2003-06-30 11:25 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-01 06:46 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-01 07:03 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-06-30 12:03 pm (UTC)English boarding schools are like that. People in one house may not know even the names of their counterparts in other houses, unless they make a special effort to find out, despite eating in the same place and attending the same classes.
That said, a little bit of effort on Cho's part would have let her see him a lot more often.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-01 06:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-01 08:37 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-06-30 12:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-01 06:52 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-01 08:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-06-30 02:02 pm (UTC)To be honest, could be a simple case of their personality meshing...just because Lucius is an evil son of a bitch doesn't automatically make Draco on. Snape and Draco may just get along because they do.
Of course Draco seems to be turning into a mini-version of his father. Ah well.
Cho pissed me off. For a Ravenclaw she sure is pretty stupid.
Ginny and Neville's development was wonderful. I was so glad to see Neville coming into his own. It's about time.
I believe Sirius IS dead. He won't be coming back. And yes, Dumbledore has to die. I agree with you there.
I like your theory on Twins=Q. I have a friend who has a theory about how Voldemort will be defeated by Harry using a trick wand the twins developed and him being turned into a chicken.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-01 06:54 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-06-30 02:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-01 07:11 am (UTC)hmmm
Date: 2003-06-30 05:29 pm (UTC)Here goes my opinion: Sirius was one of my absolute favorite characters. When he died I had to put the book down for 30 minutes because I was crying so hard. I still cry if I think about it. He was the last person I expected to die. I mean, Harry FINALLY had a father-figure in his life. Sirius and Harry loved each other so much, even though they only knew each other for a short amount of time.
I thought it was strange that you had no attachment to him WHATSOEVER, but I guess we each intertpret the stories our own way. I, personally, have never had a strong parental figure in my life. When Harry found Sirius, I was thrilled for him. And I felt Harry's heartbreak at the end of OoP. I would have gladly traded sirius's life hagrid's or dumbledore's...
Re: hmmm
Date: 2003-06-30 07:37 pm (UTC)Part of me figured Sirius would die at some point in the series...don't know why. He just seemed the martyr type, I guess. Just wasn't expecting it now. I was totally expecting Hermione or Neville.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-06-30 07:35 pm (UTC)I still have about 40 pages to go...
Yeah, my friends cried over Sirius Black, but I didn't really. I cried worse when Cedric died. I know Sirius meant a lot to Harry, but I never found him as interesting as, say, Lupin. Or Hermione. I was worried *she* would be the one to die because she was the only pure Muggle of the group, and I freaked when she got hit with that spell by the Death Eater.
I love how Neville's turning out. I also think he'll play a larger part in the next few books.
Cho was sort of blah, and Luna was purely a plot device.
The Weasley twins were my favorite thing about the book. I was laughing with glee when they set off those pyrotechnics in the hall, and when they made their grand exit from Hogwarts.
Good book...Rowling was struggling to tie plot threads together at points, and it showed, but it was a great thrill ride.
not interesting?
Date: 2003-07-01 12:19 am (UTC)*Sarah
PS. I think that Sirius is definitely dead, but that harry will be able to contact him. It seems that the veil is a passageway to the world of the dead. Maybe they can speak through the veil. Also, Harry DID throw the mirror into his trunk, so we know that it will come into play at some point.
Re: not interesting?
Date: 2003-07-01 07:27 am (UTC)See, what you wrote about Sirius here is what I know Harry feels about him, but he never seemed to really become a three-dimensional character to me.
LIke you, I had a lack of parental figures in my life, and losses of father figures in particular almost always trigger the hell out of me (I mean, the end of Finding Nemo was almost painful). So I really was surprised when Sirius's death didn't bother me. But that's because although Rowling kept telling us how great a father figure he was, he never came across as one. Dumbledore was always the father figure for me.
That said, I think that what makes Sirius's death tragic is the potential he had as a character. What made him choose the path of light? What did he go through fighting his family? How did his friendship with Harry's dad evolve? Not knowing his entire backstory (but knowing there is a backstory in the first place) makes his loss interesting, even if it didn't personally resonate for me.
Good point about the mirror (and his finding it after the death was a nice ironic touch)
(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-01 07:33 am (UTC)