(HP) Slow but getting there eventually
At the urging of delirieuse, I have been reading some old-skool HP novel-length stuff this week. Everyone else in the world, of course, has already read both of these, but I just wanted to share my thoughts anyway.
- Stealing Harry by copperbadge was first (mainly because I'd avoided reading the other so successfully for so long I didn't want to cave). Premise: Way back when, Lucius got sent to Azkaban over the Pettigrew "murder" instead of Sirius. Now, my first thought upon hearing this was: "Ooh, I wonder what that's done to Draco!" (My second being, of course, "Dee, you are a hopeless Draco fangirl.")
This story, however (to my pouting dismay), is not about Draco. It's not even really about Harry. It's about Remus and Sirius, who "steal" (borrow without permission, really) Harry from the Dursleys when he's eight (and a half). And eventually it's about Remus-and-Sirius, which is fun too. But really, the enchanting part of the story for me lay in the ways in which the world was different. The changes wrought upon what we KNOW, by such a (not really that small at all) change in events.
And if I have a problem with the story - and it's hard to, because it's a fun romp to read - it's that the deeper character consequences of the alteration of circumstances aren't really developed outside Remus and Sirius. Specifically, I would've liked to see more of how this alteration changed Harry - not just that it had, but how, and how being removed from the Dursleys develops him in a different way to the character he was in the book. I mean, I see that it does, it absolutely must. Raised even for a few years in a loving, supporting environment would strip away that defensiveness, that desperation that I think is at the core of why he speaks with the caps lock on so often. But it's not a magic switch.
delirieuse tells me there's more Harry-development in the sequel, which is fair enough. Like I said, Stealing Harry isn't actually about Harry, so I guess I'm really wanting my apple to be an orange. The story's grand. Plus, Andromeda. I love her like woah, always.
There is, in any case, a short story about Draco in the associated stories to the series, and it just about made me cry.
- So then I finally gave in and addressed myself to Cassie Claire's Draco Dormiens. (Feeling like I've broken down. I'll be reading CS Lewis next.) Why in Hades did I have the bizarre impression this was a H/D fic? *squints at self* 'k, whatever. So it's all het, and built around Hermione-Sue. Premise is that Harry and Draco turn into each other for purposes of plot and complicated romance, which then ensues. Lots of fun.
So it's quite clever and rather a lot of fun, but... ultimately not really that satisfying, at least to me. I'm trying not to be swayed by the unfortunate fact that it's out-of-date, canon-wise, but my major problem is that this just isn't how I see the characters.
Perhaps it's the Joss-ness. Even when the characters aren't talking in witty Buffy (or Blackadder) quotes, they simply sound far too glib to me.
Also, I really and truly and honestly wasn't sure about this Hermione. She just didn't quite work for me. And Draco/Hermione rarely works for me, unless it's really solidly backed up by character development from canon, and there really wasn't space in what this story was doing for that - always moving forward leaves little time for serious assessment. Which isn't a problem, because the story does what it sets out to do, I think. But it just leaves me a little grumpy. But just about everything does that.
But hey, the sequels seem to suggest Draco/Ginny-ness! And we all know what a wibbling sucker I am for that sort of thing. So hell, I'll read 'em.
- Stealing Harry by copperbadge was first (mainly because I'd avoided reading the other so successfully for so long I didn't want to cave). Premise: Way back when, Lucius got sent to Azkaban over the Pettigrew "murder" instead of Sirius. Now, my first thought upon hearing this was: "Ooh, I wonder what that's done to Draco!" (My second being, of course, "Dee, you are a hopeless Draco fangirl.")
This story, however (to my pouting dismay), is not about Draco. It's not even really about Harry. It's about Remus and Sirius, who "steal" (borrow without permission, really) Harry from the Dursleys when he's eight (and a half). And eventually it's about Remus-and-Sirius, which is fun too. But really, the enchanting part of the story for me lay in the ways in which the world was different. The changes wrought upon what we KNOW, by such a (not really that small at all) change in events.
And if I have a problem with the story - and it's hard to, because it's a fun romp to read - it's that the deeper character consequences of the alteration of circumstances aren't really developed outside Remus and Sirius. Specifically, I would've liked to see more of how this alteration changed Harry - not just that it had, but how, and how being removed from the Dursleys develops him in a different way to the character he was in the book. I mean, I see that it does, it absolutely must. Raised even for a few years in a loving, supporting environment would strip away that defensiveness, that desperation that I think is at the core of why he speaks with the caps lock on so often. But it's not a magic switch.
delirieuse tells me there's more Harry-development in the sequel, which is fair enough. Like I said, Stealing Harry isn't actually about Harry, so I guess I'm really wanting my apple to be an orange. The story's grand. Plus, Andromeda. I love her like woah, always.
There is, in any case, a short story about Draco in the associated stories to the series, and it just about made me cry.
- So then I finally gave in and addressed myself to Cassie Claire's Draco Dormiens. (Feeling like I've broken down. I'll be reading CS Lewis next.) Why in Hades did I have the bizarre impression this was a H/D fic? *squints at self* 'k, whatever. So it's all het, and built around Hermione-Sue. Premise is that Harry and Draco turn into each other for purposes of plot and complicated romance, which then ensues. Lots of fun.
So it's quite clever and rather a lot of fun, but... ultimately not really that satisfying, at least to me. I'm trying not to be swayed by the unfortunate fact that it's out-of-date, canon-wise, but my major problem is that this just isn't how I see the characters.
Perhaps it's the Joss-ness. Even when the characters aren't talking in witty Buffy (or Blackadder) quotes, they simply sound far too glib to me.
Also, I really and truly and honestly wasn't sure about this Hermione. She just didn't quite work for me. And Draco/Hermione rarely works for me, unless it's really solidly backed up by character development from canon, and there really wasn't space in what this story was doing for that - always moving forward leaves little time for serious assessment. Which isn't a problem, because the story does what it sets out to do, I think. But it just leaves me a little grumpy. But just about everything does that.
But hey, the sequels seem to suggest Draco/Ginny-ness! And we all know what a wibbling sucker I am for that sort of thing. So hell, I'll read 'em.