Yu'll be pleased to know I'm considering using ATLB as my NaNoWriMo project to see how much I can push through.
*happiness* *OC jealousy goes away ...*
... but that it didn't cover as much as I'd hoped it would.
Exactly. Take away the juvenile/puerile teenage love hijinks (and I *weep* for what was done to Hermione in HBP - well, almost) and that's half the book gone. Take away the Riddle backstory - which I didn't find of much interest (I don't care what he liked for breakfast when he was at the orphanage, he's *evil*, we know that, please move on) - and there really wasn't much left. And I couldn't care less who the 'Half Blood Prince' really was, nor the origins of Harry's blessed potions book.
The guts of the book really boiled down to the last 4-5 chapters, I think.
I was really disappointed with how his friends, Remus and Tonks behaved
Ditto. Dear Tonks - loses her metamorphagus abilties because of the extreme stress and angst involved with her feeling responsible for the death of her cousin at the hands of his other cousin, one of the most vicious Death Eaters. Yeah, that makes sense, okay. No, hold on ... she was just in lurve! Oh, how *sweet*.
Arrrrgh!
The Potions Professor wasn't too bad, but did get my hackles up with his tendency to play favorites.
People have said that he's a good example of a Slytherin "done right", and I'd say that I'd agree with that. Ambitious, maintaining a network of friends/contacts who have influence, etc.
I think our hackles were *supposed* to rise. We're just not good Slytherin material :-)
I know there's more to Snape, but I can't help but feel that as a character, he could have been so much more complicated.
Yeah. I'm pretty sure he'll turn out to be a 'good guy' in the end, but I'm really a bit tired/weary of what happened to him in HBP, nothing really to get me excited about him.
Of course, that can be said of all of them, really. It's why I got into HP fiction in the first place. Here are all these rich, complex personalities and JKR only ever scratches the surface of them. I always seem to come away from finishing her books wishing she'd explored them more fully, but alas. That's been going on since the beginning. *g*
Well, if you've only just finished HBP you wouldn't have been privy to the great weeping and gnashing of teeth that took place on-line in the H/Hr communities (of which I am a member!). It was decided that JKR sets up a good world, but is 'plot driven' rather than 'character driven'. So we are most definitely in agreement here.
Would you like to be made an honourary H/Hr 'shipper?
I'm glad DD took a more active part in Harry's life, and genuinely seemed to care.
Up until HBP I was generally pro-Albus, but with HBP I got a bit ticked off at him. Telling Harry that he would explain everything, and then immediately putting him on hold when he was queried about his hand. Giving him the task of gaining the memory from Slughorn. The sum total of critical training for the 'Chosen One' over the entire year being about five trips down memory/pensieve lane.
And then I checked out the livejournal 'A Chapter A Day' community (http://www.livejournal.com/community/a_chapter_a_day/) and was exposed to the "Manipulative, scheming or incompetent Dumbledore" point of view (LJ user 'cadesama' in particular was an erudite proponent of this position). And you know, they make a lot of sense? Maybe this is highlighting the problems when adults try to over-analyse what is ostensibly "Children's Fiction".
I finished the book wanting to smack Ron and Hermione around
Heh! Same here. Please please please can someone tell me exactly WHY Hermione wants Ron so badly? Or do I treat HBP!Hermione and OotP!Hermione as two different characters?
(I liked her very much in your latest ATLB chapter. Have I reviewed that yet, or is it in the pile of paperwork on my desk still?)
no subject
*happiness*
*OC jealousy goes away ...*
... but that it didn't cover as much as I'd hoped it would.
Exactly. Take away the juvenile/puerile teenage love hijinks (and I *weep* for what was done to Hermione in HBP - well, almost) and that's half the book gone. Take away the Riddle backstory - which I didn't find of much interest (I don't care what he liked for breakfast when he was at the orphanage, he's *evil*, we know that, please move on) - and there really wasn't much left. And I couldn't care less who the 'Half Blood Prince' really was, nor the origins of Harry's blessed potions book.
The guts of the book really boiled down to the last 4-5 chapters, I think.
I was really disappointed with how his friends, Remus and Tonks behaved
Ditto. Dear Tonks - loses her metamorphagus abilties because of the extreme stress and angst involved with her feeling responsible for the death of her cousin at the hands of his other cousin, one of the most vicious Death Eaters. Yeah, that makes sense, okay. No, hold on ... she was just in lurve! Oh, how *sweet*.
Arrrrgh!
The Potions Professor wasn't too bad, but did get my hackles up with his tendency to play favorites.
People have said that he's a good example of a Slytherin "done right", and I'd say that I'd agree with that. Ambitious, maintaining a network of friends/contacts who have influence, etc.
I think our hackles were *supposed* to rise. We're just not good Slytherin material :-)
I know there's more to Snape, but I can't help but feel that as a character, he could have been so much more complicated.
Yeah. I'm pretty sure he'll turn out to be a 'good guy' in the end, but I'm really a bit tired/weary of what happened to him in HBP, nothing really to get me excited about him.
Of course, that can be said of all of them, really. It's why I got into HP fiction in the first place. Here are all these rich, complex personalities and JKR only ever scratches the surface of them. I always seem to come away from finishing her books wishing she'd explored them more fully, but alas. That's been going on since the beginning. *g*
Well, if you've only just finished HBP you wouldn't have been privy to the great weeping and gnashing of teeth that took place on-line in the H/Hr communities (of which I am a member!). It was decided that JKR sets up a good world, but is 'plot driven' rather than 'character driven'. So we are most definitely in agreement here.
Would you like to be made an honourary H/Hr 'shipper?
I'm glad DD took a more active part in Harry's life, and genuinely seemed to care.
Up until HBP I was generally pro-Albus, but with HBP I got a bit ticked off at him. Telling Harry that he would explain everything, and then immediately putting him on hold when he was queried about his hand. Giving him the task of gaining the memory from Slughorn. The sum total of critical training for the 'Chosen One' over the entire year being about five trips down memory/pensieve lane.
And then I checked out the livejournal 'A Chapter A Day' community (http://www.livejournal.com/community/a_chapter_a_day/) and was exposed to the "Manipulative, scheming or incompetent Dumbledore" point of view (LJ user 'cadesama' in particular was an erudite proponent of this position). And you know, they make a lot of sense? Maybe this is highlighting the problems when adults try to over-analyse what is ostensibly "Children's Fiction".
I finished the book wanting to smack Ron and Hermione around
Heh! Same here. Please please please can someone tell me exactly WHY Hermione wants Ron so badly? Or do I treat HBP!Hermione and OotP!Hermione as two different characters?
(I liked her very much in your latest ATLB chapter. Have I reviewed that yet, or is it in the pile of paperwork on my desk still?)