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grrgoylFirst off, I'd like to thank all of you who took the time to participate in my poll (especially to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
aeryn42 and citizenjess who had the cojones to pick #3). It more or less confirmed my own feelings on the subject. And that's all I'm going to say about it.
Secondly, I at last have finished Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Yes, I'm a slower reader than I used to be, but I defy anyone to do it faster while working 2 jobs and getting the book a week later than everyone else. Pfffffft.
No, you know what? Don't bother clicking because what I have to say doesn't really include any spoilers. I did that to make a point. My point being that, whereas all of my friends who had something to say about the book were considerate enough to cut, there are people out there with very big mouths who couldn't wait to get any attention they could, even negative, by blabbing spoilers. I'm hardly a rabid fan but it still would have been nice to have some kind of surprise waiting at the end of the book. I don't hang out in any HP communities, but was instead spoiled by a self-satisfied, insensitive jackass who is forever dead to me for using a spoily icon while commenting in the journal of a friend who I don't hold responsible in the slightest, except for maybe having a poor choice in other friends (especially considering how much she dislikes meanness in people). And their elitist, I'm-sick-of-everyone-wanting-to-friend-me-so-make-sure-you-fit-my-stringent-guidelines friends-only banner doesn't do much to endear me to them either. (Warning: Don't click to their journal if you still haven't read Book Six, as they are just that big of an asshat that it is in fact their default icon). Tell me this isn't the very definition of assholery: Going to the trouble of creating an icon with the spoiler in huge neon flashing block letters that can't be missed, clearly designed specifically to piss people off, then acting defensive, surprised and put-upon when people get pissed off.
Am I overreacting? I don't think so. See previous posts for my vitriolic hatred of people who spoil.
So anyway, Book Six. My enjoyment of it was hindered not only by starting out with knowledge of the spoiler, but by my abysmally inadequate memory. I don't know what's happening to me. In my youth when I could voraciously devour books by the shelf-full I had an almost photographic memory. By the end of Chapter One of the HBP, I found myself wishing the books came with Buffy-like recaps, "Previously, on Harry Potter..." Who are these people again? Snape was the only one I remembered clearly. Draco too, but what was his relationship to these women? So it went through the book. The only characters I could recall easily were the ones that appeared in the films. I forgot what "D.A." stood for, it was driving me crazy trying to remember if Parvati Patil was a girl or a boy, and don't even get me started on why Percy Weasley was so scorned these days. I remembered Sirius dying though none of the specifics on how, Harry and Dumbledore remained the only two who knew the "complete prophecy," including me, the reader, and wasn't Tonks a cat at one point? What the hell does "squib" mean again? My memory is even bad enough that I had trouble remembering from one chapter to the next what I had just read. Early senility? One might wonder why I even bother reading the books. Argh.
A friend at work (who does still voraciously devour books) thought maybe I should have reviewed at least the last chapter of Book Five, and at this point I think she was right. With a twinkle in her eye she warned me that there were references all the way back to Book Two in HBP. Do they put out Cliffs notes for Harry Potter?
So this is why I need not bother cutting for spoilers. I have no grand sweeping essay on how the events of this book fit in with my long-standing theory on so-and-so, because I have no ability to look back on the entire storyline of all 6 books. I admire people who can, I really do. Good for you that you can point to Book Three, page 156 and say, "Ah-HA! I KNEW it!" Or people who can refer to some obscure name that was mentioned once back in Book Four and speculate as to their role in light of these new developments. Me, I'm resigned to agreeing with whoever poses the most convincing argument about...whatever. Like this person here: found inms_hecubus's journal. Which I don't mind telling you I find more than a little irritating, as someone who graduated with a B.A. in English who could previously churn out a respectable paper on just about anything that was asked of me.
I felt the scene at the end with the Inferi borrowed more than a little from a certain other popular fantasy series (with the difference that these came out of the water, although were disappointingly easy to defeat). Much like the dementors as portrayed in film 3 bore a suspicious resemblance to a certain group of wraithlike horse riders.
Through the whole book I was sure the Half-Blood Prince was Voldemort. Whereas I was disappointed to be wrong (and disappointed as well in the rather lame explanation as to why it was Snape), I gave myself half a point for at least figuring out that he wasn't an entirely good and trustworthy person.
Since I only remember Ginny as the annoying prepubescent little sister with a schoolgirl crush, I had a little trouble accepting that Harry was now head-over-heels in love with her. From my brief forays into the journals of more hardcore fans, I see I'm not the only one having a problem with this. But it was still pretty adorable, nevertheless.
Thanks to my atrocious memory, I can't even begin to speculate on the final mystery of "R.A.B." and will have to wait to be spoon-fed the answer by Ms. Rowling, which I also find more than a little irritating.
Thanks to the pervie writings ofjadehp I will also forever have a hard time buying Harry hating Snape rather than wanting to seduce him. Damn you Jade. Damn you to hell.
Finally, just like another friend, it was impossible to read this book without imagining how it will be brought to the silver screen. Of course by the time they get to this one, the actors will be well into their 20's, however, I agree with my work friend that I'd rather see the 20-somethings trying to pull off 16 than a complete change of cast. I also wondered if Daniel Radcliffe, Alan Rickman, et.al. read the books with at least part of an eye towards what will be expected of them in future scripts. That has to be a surreal experience.
aeryn42 and citizenjess who had the cojones to pick #3). It more or less confirmed my own feelings on the subject. And that's all I'm going to say about it. Secondly, I at last have finished Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Yes, I'm a slower reader than I used to be, but I defy anyone to do it faster while working 2 jobs and getting the book a week later than everyone else. Pfffffft.
No, you know what? Don't bother clicking because what I have to say doesn't really include any spoilers. I did that to make a point. My point being that, whereas all of my friends who had something to say about the book were considerate enough to cut, there are people out there with very big mouths who couldn't wait to get any attention they could, even negative, by blabbing spoilers. I'm hardly a rabid fan but it still would have been nice to have some kind of surprise waiting at the end of the book. I don't hang out in any HP communities, but was instead spoiled by a self-satisfied, insensitive jackass who is forever dead to me for using a spoily icon while commenting in the journal of a friend who I don't hold responsible in the slightest, except for maybe having a poor choice in other friends (especially considering how much she dislikes meanness in people). And their elitist, I'm-sick-of-everyone-wanting-to-friend-me-so-make-sure-you-fit-my-stringent-guidelines friends-only banner doesn't do much to endear me to them either. (Warning: Don't click to their journal if you still haven't read Book Six, as they are just that big of an asshat that it is in fact their default icon). Tell me this isn't the very definition of assholery: Going to the trouble of creating an icon with the spoiler in huge neon flashing block letters that can't be missed, clearly designed specifically to piss people off, then acting defensive, surprised and put-upon when people get pissed off.
Am I overreacting? I don't think so. See previous posts for my vitriolic hatred of people who spoil.
So anyway, Book Six. My enjoyment of it was hindered not only by starting out with knowledge of the spoiler, but by my abysmally inadequate memory. I don't know what's happening to me. In my youth when I could voraciously devour books by the shelf-full I had an almost photographic memory. By the end of Chapter One of the HBP, I found myself wishing the books came with Buffy-like recaps, "Previously, on Harry Potter..." Who are these people again? Snape was the only one I remembered clearly. Draco too, but what was his relationship to these women? So it went through the book. The only characters I could recall easily were the ones that appeared in the films. I forgot what "D.A." stood for, it was driving me crazy trying to remember if Parvati Patil was a girl or a boy, and don't even get me started on why Percy Weasley was so scorned these days. I remembered Sirius dying though none of the specifics on how, Harry and Dumbledore remained the only two who knew the "complete prophecy," including me, the reader, and wasn't Tonks a cat at one point? What the hell does "squib" mean again? My memory is even bad enough that I had trouble remembering from one chapter to the next what I had just read. Early senility? One might wonder why I even bother reading the books. Argh.
A friend at work (who does still voraciously devour books) thought maybe I should have reviewed at least the last chapter of Book Five, and at this point I think she was right. With a twinkle in her eye she warned me that there were references all the way back to Book Two in HBP. Do they put out Cliffs notes for Harry Potter?
So this is why I need not bother cutting for spoilers. I have no grand sweeping essay on how the events of this book fit in with my long-standing theory on so-and-so, because I have no ability to look back on the entire storyline of all 6 books. I admire people who can, I really do. Good for you that you can point to Book Three, page 156 and say, "Ah-HA! I KNEW it!" Or people who can refer to some obscure name that was mentioned once back in Book Four and speculate as to their role in light of these new developments. Me, I'm resigned to agreeing with whoever poses the most convincing argument about...whatever. Like this person here: found in
ms_hecubus's journal. Which I don't mind telling you I find more than a little irritating, as someone who graduated with a B.A. in English who could previously churn out a respectable paper on just about anything that was asked of me. I felt the scene at the end with the Inferi borrowed more than a little from a certain other popular fantasy series (with the difference that these came out of the water, although were disappointingly easy to defeat). Much like the dementors as portrayed in film 3 bore a suspicious resemblance to a certain group of wraithlike horse riders.
Through the whole book I was sure the Half-Blood Prince was Voldemort. Whereas I was disappointed to be wrong (and disappointed as well in the rather lame explanation as to why it was Snape), I gave myself half a point for at least figuring out that he wasn't an entirely good and trustworthy person.
Since I only remember Ginny as the annoying prepubescent little sister with a schoolgirl crush, I had a little trouble accepting that Harry was now head-over-heels in love with her. From my brief forays into the journals of more hardcore fans, I see I'm not the only one having a problem with this. But it was still pretty adorable, nevertheless.
Thanks to my atrocious memory, I can't even begin to speculate on the final mystery of "R.A.B." and will have to wait to be spoon-fed the answer by Ms. Rowling, which I also find more than a little irritating.
Thanks to the pervie writings of
jadehp I will also forever have a hard time buying Harry hating Snape rather than wanting to seduce him. Damn you Jade. Damn you to hell. Finally, just like another friend, it was impossible to read this book without imagining how it will be brought to the silver screen. Of course by the time they get to this one, the actors will be well into their 20's, however, I agree with my work friend that I'd rather see the 20-somethings trying to pull off 16 than a complete change of cast. I also wondered if Daniel Radcliffe, Alan Rickman, et.al. read the books with at least part of an eye towards what will be expected of them in future scripts. That has to be a surreal experience.
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no subject
Date: 2005-08-09 09:11 pm (UTC)I HATE that.
I didn't get the latest HP until last week, because I'm lazy, and I'm only halfway in. However, unless it was a joke, I'm pretty sure I know at least major thing in the end because some asshole who's not on my f-list had it in huge bold letters in his journal. I was so pissed that happened to stumble upon his journal:(
no subject
Date: 2005-08-09 09:21 pm (UTC)I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this strongly. Some people are walking, talking dungheaps.
<s>Cliff</s> Michelle's Notes
Date: 2005-08-10 04:51 am (UTC)Pansy is a schoolmate and girlfriend, Narcissa is his mother, Bellatrix his aunt.
I forgot what "D.A." stood for
Offically Defense Association, unofficially Dumbledore's Army
why Percy Weasley was so scorned these days
That one is more complicated, but, basically, because he's an ass.
I remembered Sirius dying though none of the specifics on how
During a duel in the Ministry of Magic, Bellatrix hit him with a spell that knocked him through the veil that seperates the land of the living from the land of the dead.
wasn't Tonks a cat at one point?
Nope, that was MacGonagall
What the hell does "squib" mean again?
It's a deragatory term for someone of wizarding birth who does not have magical abilities.
:D I knew, as soon as the title was announced, that Snape was the HBP. The clues are in book 5 and I had an intuitive leap. R.A.B. is probably Regulus, Sirius' late brother.
Re: <s>Cliff</s> Michelle's Notes
Date: 2005-08-10 03:01 pm (UTC)Thanks : )
Re: <s>Cliff</s> Michelle's Notes
Date: 2005-08-10 11:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-11 08:38 pm (UTC)Thanks for the spoiler ASS-HAT!
For those of us that have only seen the movies, y'all have crapped that one up real good!
TRACEY! Who Doesn't Read Children's Lit But Likes Going To The Movies
no subject
Date: 2005-08-11 08:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-11 11:15 pm (UTC)uh oh look! I think there is a burning bag of poo on your front step!
TRACEY!!!!!