I feel obligated...
17 July 2005 11:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fencer_x...and hell, I kinda wanna do it too. ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
frolicking4eva, this is for you. Though we kinda discussed this for the most part already. Anyone else, feel free to comment or just scroll down the flist.
Finished. The book. THE book. You know, THAT book. The one they've been mooning over for months now:
My Burgeoning Sexuality: A Coming-Out Guide for the New-Century Gay ManHarry Potter 6
I'll admit I was slow at it, and whenfrolicking4eva called me last night and chastised me for taking my sweet time I hauled ass and finished it today so she and I could squeal and rant and rave.
Oh was there ranting and raving to be had.
First, the good. Yes--that means the bad and the ugly (or is there really a difference?) will follow afterwards. So, what I liked about HBP:
[x] Characterization characterization characterization. I've already said it, but I love it when JK narrows fandom. By chapter two, I knew it would be a good book. Before, there were two scenarios you usually found in any fic involving Draco: #1 - His parents are both cold-blooded bastards who want him to follow like a good little pure-blood in his daddy's death eater footsteps without any regard to his safety whatsoever, or #2 - His dad's still the above, but his mother cares deeply for him, her baby, her Drakie-poo, and would do anything to keep him alive and out of harm's way if she can help it. I am very pleased JK actually showed us that Narcissa--oh *cough* 'scuse me, 'Cissy (wtf...) has a heart and cares for Draco like a good mother, enough to risk her own life to see that he's kept safe.
[x] Harry doffed his caps-locky nature that surfaced in book 5 and was...*gasp* mature and calm through most of the book! Ok, well...perhaps that's because he was fricking OBSESSED with Draco the entire time, and that narrow-mindedness gave him little room to mope over Sirius (which I feared he'd do through most of the book, but that turned out to be WTF Tonks in what seemed OOC to me for her), but still. He was mostly cool, did what he was told (and things WERE going a bit better for him this year, all things considered), and generally didn't botch things up royally.
[x] I loved the first chapter. Just did. Don't really know why. I just really liked how she opened in 'The Real World.' You never see the wizarding world or what's going on in it from a Muggle's POV save the Dursley's, and who gives a care about them? It really was like a diplomatic meeting between foreign countries, stiff, stately, but still so human.
[x] I realize this is pretty specific, but I have to put out my three most favorite scenes in the whole book. I'll quote the first two and summarize my thoughts on the second:
1) Sectumsempra Pg 522
"No one can help me," said Malfoy. His whole body was shaking. "I can't do it...I can't...It won't work....and unless I do it soon...he says he'll kill me..."
And Harry realized, with a shock so huge it seemed to root him to the spot, that Malfoy was crying - actually crying - tears streaming down his pale face into the grimy basin. Malfoy gasped and gulped and then, with a great shudder, looked up into the cracked mirror and saw Harry staring at him over his shoulder.
That part there? I can't wait to see in movie form. I don't care who acts it out, as long as they do it justice. To see a character as proud as Draco brought so low, to tears, would just be beautiful, and then to see Harry's reaction reflected behind in the mirror...
The scene immediately following that cut me almost as deeply, and I think it will be even more when/if I see it acted out:
2) Sectumsempra Pg 522 - 523
"No - " gasped Harry.
Slipping and staggering, Harry got to his feet and plunged toward Malfoy, whose face was now shining scarlet, his white hands scrabbling at his blood-soaked chest.
"No - I didn't - "
Harry did not know what he was saying; he fell to his knees beside Malfoy, who was shaking uncontrollably in a pool of his own blood.
The absolute helplessness you can feel from Harry, the awkwardness even, is great. One of JK's finest moments IMHO.
3) Dumbledore. Harry. The Horcrux on the lake. Harry having to make Dumbledore drink the potion.
...Nuff said.
[x] Redeemed!Draco is ♥ I don't care WHAT you say. And he's very pitiable too, because really--what kind of shit IS he going to have to face now? Failed in his job and at the Dark Lord's mercy...
Now, onto the bad/ugly. Really, there's no difference to me...
[x] Harry/Ginny and their WTFWHERETHEHELLDIDTHATCOMEFROM romance. Now, don't get me wrong, just cause I don't ship 'em doesn't mean I object to the pairing. JK's an author, it's her series, she can ship who she wants, have at. But FOR THE LOVE OF CANON, WOMAN. YES--Harry IS now a 16-year-old-ball-of-raging-hormones. WHY THE HELL HASN'T HE BEEN THAT BEFORE? Remember Cho? That fiasco? What the hell is it with this off-the-wall sudden infatuation with Ginny? She's not one of his confidantes, most definitely not as close a friend as Hermione (whom I could see him getting with more easily than Ginny, though I don't ship H/Hr either and she seemed to be pushed towards Ron this go 'round), and hasn't shown a lot of interest in him since her first year. I don't deny she might have nursed the crush still, but what the hell does that have to do with Harry LIKING her back?
*sniff* Well at least Harry go over it by the end. I just don't see him getting with ANYONE until after this war is over. A romance and a war demand his EVERYTHING, and he can't give that to both at once. War first, love later.
[x] WHAT THE HELL SIDE IS SNAPE ON? ME SO CONFOOZED.
I mean, really. Thanks for that, JK, really. Like we NEEDED more doubts as to whether or not Snape was on the light or dark side. I'd always taken it as given--Snape's a bastard, but he's loyal as snot to Dumbledore and will never willingly go back to Voldemort, then THIS HAPPENS. Granted, he COULD still be on the side of good, and have just axed Mr. Twinkly Eyes because the Unbreakable Vow forced him to--but Dumbledore knew about the vow, and still looked completely betrayed when he saw Snape raise his wand. It's all fishy to me.
[x] Remus/Tonks and their WTFWHERETHEHELLDIDTHATCOMEFROM romance. It's cute, really. But what the buh? Tonks does nothing--NOTHING--but mope around the entire book, and then suddenly it's like JK forgot to edit in all the little nuances. "Oh, HAH! Yeah, sorry 'bout that guys. Yeah, Reums and Tonks. Yup. So, what's for dinner?"
[x] Uuuh....where was the Golden Trio whut? Ron was sucking face with Lavender Brown, Hermione was being jealous of both Harry AND Ron, and Harry was trying to keep them all together and obsessing over Draco and the HBP.
Now, this Draco bit. It's usually been one of the few things that they've always been UNITED on throughout the years. Suspect Draco or Snape of some nastiness, investigate it, uncover the truth, save the day. Harry gets the ball rolling, but he loses Ron and Hermione somewhere in the pavement cracks. They nearly flat-out refused to help him the entire time! He continually and vehemently tries to convince them both and gather their help, but they just blow him off, like some teachers! Where is the Ron who stood steadfast behind Harry in his contempt for Snape and Draco (ESPECIALLY with such nasty circumstances as possible DeathEater!Malfoy)? Where is the Hermione who'd spend months cooped up in the library running through old facts and school records to investigate the Half-Blood Prince (granted, she did a bit near the end)?
The entire group seemed very scattered until the end of the book when they had to be united at Dumbledore's funeral, and this just Is Not Right. I have hopes for Book 7, though, and Harry will need his closest friends more than ever what with all his parental figure (but Lupin?) being out of the picture now.
[x] Can we say 'Deus Ex Machina'? JK seems to like those. Veritaserum, Time Turners, and now the lovely Felix Felicis potion. And oh how convenient that just when Draco needed a huge-ass supply of polyjuice potion to femmify Crabbe and Goyle THERE IT WAS. Why couldn't Dumbledore have done the exact same thing Harry did? Or couldn't he have been a bit more forceful, drugged him with some more Veritaserum, and gotten the info then?
...what
[x] The name of the book was "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince". So, uh...how big a role did said HBP play in it actually? Harry got better in potions and learned a nasty new spell that he felt absolutely horrible for using even on his worst rival. Good show. I'm tempted to postulate that HBP referred not only to the book-encased entity but to Snape himself, highlighting the fact that this was a big book for him, with the turn-coat thing and all (though for all that, Snape was NOT an important character beyond his execution of Dumbledore....you hardly saw him at all, it felt)
...what
So, well, it looks like I whined more about what I DIDN'T like than what I did, but overall I DID enjoy the book--got a nice dose of mah OTP without it being blatantly obvious (not that it ever COULD become that, mind you, so long as JK doesn't want even MORE Christian Fundamentalists breathing down her neck), the plot was definitely passable, and it leaves me with big hopes and fears for the next and last book.
With no Hogwarts, she's granted herself free rein, and I hopehopehope this means we'll get to see more of the Wizarding world. So far we see it through the windows of Hogwarts, through the streets of Diagon Alley, and through the halls of the Ministry and the odd Wizarding home. I want to see Godric's Hollow, I want to see Harry get out and be independant--he can Apparate (well, not legally yet), he's his man. Go for it!
This is the fanon Harry I like to read about best, because it's the one you know least about--the future Harry. Will he become an Auror? Or will he refuse, now, to ever be a tool of the Ministry? Will he bum around the country, become and expatriate perhaps? Will he immerse himself back into society when the war is over? Perhaps get married, have a big family, head back to Hogwarts and become the first DADA teacher in so long to actually keep the job for more than a year?
WHO KNOWS.
JK's screwed over a lot of her characters, though. Poor students with no school to go back to, poor Ginny and the 5th years with no OWLs, poor Katie and the 7th years with no NEWTs. Good God, what'll Hermione do? Become a cutter, most likely. There are enough fics out there with that premise already, anyway. May as well make it canon.
And what of Draco? He failed his mission, and was a hair's breadth away from taking up Dumbledore's offer of protection--will he seek out the good side again? Or just go into hiding and wait it all out? What about Narcissa? Is she even safe any longer? And Lucius? IT'S A MYSTERY.
The book made you think, made you question who's relaly good and who's really bad. For all it's cliche moments and contrived ships, it was a winner to me, and definitely worthy to be read. JK's only human, after all, and we can't lynch her yet.
frolicking4eva, this is for you. Though we kinda discussed this for the most part already. Anyone else, feel free to comment or just scroll down the flist.Finished. The book. THE book. You know, THAT book. The one they've been mooning over for months now:
I'll admit I was slow at it, and when
frolicking4eva called me last night and chastised me for taking my sweet time I hauled ass and finished it today so she and I could squeal and rant and rave.Oh was there ranting and raving to be had.
First, the good. Yes--that means the bad and the ugly (or is there really a difference?) will follow afterwards. So, what I liked about HBP:
[x] Characterization characterization characterization. I've already said it, but I love it when JK narrows fandom. By chapter two, I knew it would be a good book. Before, there were two scenarios you usually found in any fic involving Draco: #1 - His parents are both cold-blooded bastards who want him to follow like a good little pure-blood in his daddy's death eater footsteps without any regard to his safety whatsoever, or #2 - His dad's still the above, but his mother cares deeply for him, her baby, her Drakie-poo, and would do anything to keep him alive and out of harm's way if she can help it. I am very pleased JK actually showed us that Narcissa--oh *cough* 'scuse me, 'Cissy (wtf...) has a heart and cares for Draco like a good mother, enough to risk her own life to see that he's kept safe.
[x] Harry doffed his caps-locky nature that surfaced in book 5 and was...*gasp* mature and calm through most of the book! Ok, well...perhaps that's because he was fricking OBSESSED with Draco the entire time, and that narrow-mindedness gave him little room to mope over Sirius (which I feared he'd do through most of the book, but that turned out to be WTF Tonks in what seemed OOC to me for her), but still. He was mostly cool, did what he was told (and things WERE going a bit better for him this year, all things considered), and generally didn't botch things up royally.
[x] I loved the first chapter. Just did. Don't really know why. I just really liked how she opened in 'The Real World.' You never see the wizarding world or what's going on in it from a Muggle's POV save the Dursley's, and who gives a care about them? It really was like a diplomatic meeting between foreign countries, stiff, stately, but still so human.
[x] I realize this is pretty specific, but I have to put out my three most favorite scenes in the whole book. I'll quote the first two and summarize my thoughts on the second:
1) Sectumsempra Pg 522
"No one can help me," said Malfoy. His whole body was shaking. "I can't do it...I can't...It won't work....and unless I do it soon...he says he'll kill me..."
And Harry realized, with a shock so huge it seemed to root him to the spot, that Malfoy was crying - actually crying - tears streaming down his pale face into the grimy basin. Malfoy gasped and gulped and then, with a great shudder, looked up into the cracked mirror and saw Harry staring at him over his shoulder.
That part there? I can't wait to see in movie form. I don't care who acts it out, as long as they do it justice. To see a character as proud as Draco brought so low, to tears, would just be beautiful, and then to see Harry's reaction reflected behind in the mirror...
The scene immediately following that cut me almost as deeply, and I think it will be even more when/if I see it acted out:
2) Sectumsempra Pg 522 - 523
"No - " gasped Harry.
Slipping and staggering, Harry got to his feet and plunged toward Malfoy, whose face was now shining scarlet, his white hands scrabbling at his blood-soaked chest.
"No - I didn't - "
Harry did not know what he was saying; he fell to his knees beside Malfoy, who was shaking uncontrollably in a pool of his own blood.
The absolute helplessness you can feel from Harry, the awkwardness even, is great. One of JK's finest moments IMHO.
3) Dumbledore. Harry. The Horcrux on the lake. Harry having to make Dumbledore drink the potion.
...Nuff said.
[x] Redeemed!Draco is ♥ I don't care WHAT you say. And he's very pitiable too, because really--what kind of shit IS he going to have to face now? Failed in his job and at the Dark Lord's mercy...
Now, onto the bad/ugly. Really, there's no difference to me...
[x] Harry/Ginny and their WTFWHERETHEHELLDIDTHATCOMEFROM romance. Now, don't get me wrong, just cause I don't ship 'em doesn't mean I object to the pairing. JK's an author, it's her series, she can ship who she wants, have at. But FOR THE LOVE OF CANON, WOMAN. YES--Harry IS now a 16-year-old-ball-of-raging-hormones. WHY THE HELL HASN'T HE BEEN THAT BEFORE? Remember Cho? That fiasco? What the hell is it with this off-the-wall sudden infatuation with Ginny? She's not one of his confidantes, most definitely not as close a friend as Hermione (whom I could see him getting with more easily than Ginny, though I don't ship H/Hr either and she seemed to be pushed towards Ron this go 'round), and hasn't shown a lot of interest in him since her first year. I don't deny she might have nursed the crush still, but what the hell does that have to do with Harry LIKING her back?
*sniff* Well at least Harry go over it by the end. I just don't see him getting with ANYONE until after this war is over. A romance and a war demand his EVERYTHING, and he can't give that to both at once. War first, love later.
[x] WHAT THE HELL SIDE IS SNAPE ON? ME SO CONFOOZED.
I mean, really. Thanks for that, JK, really. Like we NEEDED more doubts as to whether or not Snape was on the light or dark side. I'd always taken it as given--Snape's a bastard, but he's loyal as snot to Dumbledore and will never willingly go back to Voldemort, then THIS HAPPENS. Granted, he COULD still be on the side of good, and have just axed Mr. Twinkly Eyes because the Unbreakable Vow forced him to--but Dumbledore knew about the vow, and still looked completely betrayed when he saw Snape raise his wand. It's all fishy to me.
[x] Remus/Tonks and their WTFWHERETHEHELLDIDTHATCOMEFROM romance. It's cute, really. But what the buh? Tonks does nothing--NOTHING--but mope around the entire book, and then suddenly it's like JK forgot to edit in all the little nuances. "Oh, HAH! Yeah, sorry 'bout that guys. Yeah, Reums and Tonks. Yup. So, what's for dinner?"
[x] Uuuh....where was the Golden Trio whut? Ron was sucking face with Lavender Brown, Hermione was being jealous of both Harry AND Ron, and Harry was trying to keep them all together and obsessing over Draco and the HBP.
Now, this Draco bit. It's usually been one of the few things that they've always been UNITED on throughout the years. Suspect Draco or Snape of some nastiness, investigate it, uncover the truth, save the day. Harry gets the ball rolling, but he loses Ron and Hermione somewhere in the pavement cracks. They nearly flat-out refused to help him the entire time! He continually and vehemently tries to convince them both and gather their help, but they just blow him off, like some teachers! Where is the Ron who stood steadfast behind Harry in his contempt for Snape and Draco (ESPECIALLY with such nasty circumstances as possible DeathEater!Malfoy)? Where is the Hermione who'd spend months cooped up in the library running through old facts and school records to investigate the Half-Blood Prince (granted, she did a bit near the end)?
The entire group seemed very scattered until the end of the book when they had to be united at Dumbledore's funeral, and this just Is Not Right. I have hopes for Book 7, though, and Harry will need his closest friends more than ever what with all his parental figure (but Lupin?) being out of the picture now.
[x] Can we say 'Deus Ex Machina'? JK seems to like those. Veritaserum, Time Turners, and now the lovely Felix Felicis potion. And oh how convenient that just when Draco needed a huge-ass supply of polyjuice potion to femmify Crabbe and Goyle THERE IT WAS. Why couldn't Dumbledore have done the exact same thing Harry did? Or couldn't he have been a bit more forceful, drugged him with some more Veritaserum, and gotten the info then?
...what
[x] The name of the book was "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince". So, uh...how big a role did said HBP play in it actually? Harry got better in potions and learned a nasty new spell that he felt absolutely horrible for using even on his worst rival. Good show. I'm tempted to postulate that HBP referred not only to the book-encased entity but to Snape himself, highlighting the fact that this was a big book for him, with the turn-coat thing and all (though for all that, Snape was NOT an important character beyond his execution of Dumbledore....you hardly saw him at all, it felt)
...what
So, well, it looks like I whined more about what I DIDN'T like than what I did, but overall I DID enjoy the book--got a nice dose of mah OTP without it being blatantly obvious (not that it ever COULD become that, mind you, so long as JK doesn't want even MORE Christian Fundamentalists breathing down her neck), the plot was definitely passable, and it leaves me with big hopes and fears for the next and last book.
With no Hogwarts, she's granted herself free rein, and I hopehopehope this means we'll get to see more of the Wizarding world. So far we see it through the windows of Hogwarts, through the streets of Diagon Alley, and through the halls of the Ministry and the odd Wizarding home. I want to see Godric's Hollow, I want to see Harry get out and be independant--he can Apparate (well, not legally yet), he's his man. Go for it!
This is the fanon Harry I like to read about best, because it's the one you know least about--the future Harry. Will he become an Auror? Or will he refuse, now, to ever be a tool of the Ministry? Will he bum around the country, become and expatriate perhaps? Will he immerse himself back into society when the war is over? Perhaps get married, have a big family, head back to Hogwarts and become the first DADA teacher in so long to actually keep the job for more than a year?
WHO KNOWS.
JK's screwed over a lot of her characters, though. Poor students with no school to go back to, poor Ginny and the 5th years with no OWLs, poor Katie and the 7th years with no NEWTs. Good God, what'll Hermione do? Become a cutter, most likely. There are enough fics out there with that premise already, anyway. May as well make it canon.
And what of Draco? He failed his mission, and was a hair's breadth away from taking up Dumbledore's offer of protection--will he seek out the good side again? Or just go into hiding and wait it all out? What about Narcissa? Is she even safe any longer? And Lucius? IT'S A MYSTERY.
The book made you think, made you question who's relaly good and who's really bad. For all it's cliche moments and contrived ships, it was a winner to me, and definitely worthy to be read. JK's only human, after all, and we can't lynch her yet.
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Date: 2005-07-18 08:41 pm (UTC)Seriously o.o
Date: 2005-07-20 04:41 pm (UTC)Snape is starting to piss me off. Here I was thinking he was finally on the right side, ya know, and then he goes and kills Dumbledore >.<. I keep thinking "What would have happened if the Death Eaters hadn't came up" when Draco was in that state of OMFG-what-do-I-do-ness. I was like "YES! Don't kill Dumbledore and STAY with the good guys!! DO IT!!" But of course my hopes were shattered when the DE's and Snape came up. I never thought that Snape, out of all the people I had in mind, would be the HBP. I was thinking it'd be a new character or something like that but Snape?? It was just kind of one of those WTF moments when he was like, "You dare use my own spells against me, Potter? It was I who invented them -- I, the Half-Blood Prince!" That made me stop and think a bit (which obviously brought along the jaw-dropping and gasping that is shock >.>).
Dumbledore's death is going to greatly effect the next book. With no Hogwarts it's going to be weird since Harry's time at Hogwarts has ALWAYS been the main focus of the HP series. The DADA-teacher curse seems to live on even though it was Snape who got the job.
Ok, one last note to finish up my long and boring comment; I still believe this story was amazing and yes, a must-read. Lots of questions are still in the air and I can't wait till the next book (let's just hope and pray JK doesn't get hit by a bus -knocks on wood-).
HBP's Role
Date: 2005-07-24 05:43 am (UTC)Re: HBP's Role
Date: 2005-07-24 02:17 pm (UTC)You must treat them as separate entities, even though they ARE the same person, because up until the end of the book, Harry DID think of them as separate entities. All the Half-Blood Prince did was give Harry a bit of potions help.
As I mentioned before, if you go ahead and just treat them as the SAME entity, as JKR probably intended, then I can see the justice behind naming the book 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.' But it didn't feel the same as in previous books. Before, the object or character in the title has played a huge role throughout the book as well as in the climax, whereas here, JKR did such a good job of separating Snape from his HBP identity that it felt as if they were two people. That made it seem odd to name the book after the HBP, to me, when that side of Snape played no role in the climax.