On the Sixth of the Harry Potter Books
Small note, these are reaction posts, guys. I don't want to argue about anything so...um...don't? Thanks!
1. Man, guys, I don't remember Book 6 at all. I don't know what was going on in my life when it was released, but whatever it was obviously affected my memory retention. Geez. No wonder I was so confused when reading Book 7.
2. For the first time in my life, I'm finding myself more interested in "the adults" than "the adolescents" of a story. See, I want to know more about the teachers. McGonagall? Needs a lengthy, multi-chapter fic series about her awesome life. Also, I think Tom Riddle (Jr) is fascinating, as is his mother and grandfather (Merope and Marvolo?). More on them, please.
3. Yeah, I've really outgrown those teenage romantic stylings of "Oh, I like this person but I can't possibly tell them because __________ ANGST ANGST ANGST". I was slightly annoyed that Hermione was chastised repeatedly for "stooping" to ask that dude to Slughorn's party to make Ron jealous when she was responding to Ron having done effectively the same thing - making out with Lavender non-stop to make Hermione jealous (in response to hearing that she probably kissed Krum). Seriously, we're getting all sorts of recursive there. Dudes, just tell the other that you like them! Not that hard!
I hate traditional romantic scripts. So banal and stupid and it leads to people in RL being banal and stupid when it comes to dating. Meh. I mean, yeah, I know that in narratives, conflict is traditionally needed to make romances interesting, but I sometimes think that all this rigamarole makes people create nonsensical obstacles to RL romance because they don't know how a romance is supposed to start up without it.
But then, I say that as I am in what is probably the least conflict-laden romantic relationship ever that had very little in the way of start-up angst. Dammit, I'm sure that my romance would still be interesting to other people! ...maybe?
4. Bad idea to watch A Very Potter Musical whilst in the middle of reading the books. Now my mental image of Snape and Draco has switched to their musical versions. Very distracting. Also, HILARIOUS. Though Darren Criss as Harry is closer to how I always pictured him than Daniel Radcliffe is. Ditto with the Hermione (though Emma Watson got stuck in my head when the movies came out, and she's stayed there pretty much permanently. Alas).
5. Love potions? Skeevy as fuck, man.
6. Guys, I think Dobby ranks up there with Hermione and Lupin as one of my favorite characters. I mean, moving past the obvious comedic aspects, he's just so interesting in his attitude towards...everything, especially as it contrasts with the rest of the house-elves. And, even though he's a free elf, he puts himself into a kinda voluntary servitude to Harry. So interesting! (Sidebar but a lot of the house elf stuff just rings of slavery debates wherein it was argued that black people enjoyed being slaves and whatnot (and if you think that's an outdated view, check out some of Michele Bachmann's recommended reading). I know that's reading some US context in there, but that's what I get from the whole thing)
Anyway, I recall nothing making me cry more in the last book than Dobby's death. I expect I'll do so again when I get to it in my reread. *preemptively snatches some tissues*
Yeah, I know he had a tiny role in The Half-Blood Prince, but I'm thinking ahead, kay?
7. Huh. Okay, after a reread, I think Book 6 might rival Book 3 as my favorite in the series. Well done.
1. Man, guys, I don't remember Book 6 at all. I don't know what was going on in my life when it was released, but whatever it was obviously affected my memory retention. Geez. No wonder I was so confused when reading Book 7.
2. For the first time in my life, I'm finding myself more interested in "the adults" than "the adolescents" of a story. See, I want to know more about the teachers. McGonagall? Needs a lengthy, multi-chapter fic series about her awesome life. Also, I think Tom Riddle (Jr) is fascinating, as is his mother and grandfather (Merope and Marvolo?). More on them, please.
3. Yeah, I've really outgrown those teenage romantic stylings of "Oh, I like this person but I can't possibly tell them because __________ ANGST ANGST ANGST". I was slightly annoyed that Hermione was chastised repeatedly for "stooping" to ask that dude to Slughorn's party to make Ron jealous when she was responding to Ron having done effectively the same thing - making out with Lavender non-stop to make Hermione jealous (in response to hearing that she probably kissed Krum). Seriously, we're getting all sorts of recursive there. Dudes, just tell the other that you like them! Not that hard!
I hate traditional romantic scripts. So banal and stupid and it leads to people in RL being banal and stupid when it comes to dating. Meh. I mean, yeah, I know that in narratives, conflict is traditionally needed to make romances interesting, but I sometimes think that all this rigamarole makes people create nonsensical obstacles to RL romance because they don't know how a romance is supposed to start up without it.
But then, I say that as I am in what is probably the least conflict-laden romantic relationship ever that had very little in the way of start-up angst. Dammit, I'm sure that my romance would still be interesting to other people! ...maybe?
4. Bad idea to watch A Very Potter Musical whilst in the middle of reading the books. Now my mental image of Snape and Draco has switched to their musical versions. Very distracting. Also, HILARIOUS. Though Darren Criss as Harry is closer to how I always pictured him than Daniel Radcliffe is. Ditto with the Hermione (though Emma Watson got stuck in my head when the movies came out, and she's stayed there pretty much permanently. Alas).
5. Love potions? Skeevy as fuck, man.
6. Guys, I think Dobby ranks up there with Hermione and Lupin as one of my favorite characters. I mean, moving past the obvious comedic aspects, he's just so interesting in his attitude towards...everything, especially as it contrasts with the rest of the house-elves. And, even though he's a free elf, he puts himself into a kinda voluntary servitude to Harry. So interesting! (Sidebar but a lot of the house elf stuff just rings of slavery debates wherein it was argued that black people enjoyed being slaves and whatnot (and if you think that's an outdated view, check out some of Michele Bachmann's recommended reading). I know that's reading some US context in there, but that's what I get from the whole thing)
Anyway, I recall nothing making me cry more in the last book than Dobby's death. I expect I'll do so again when I get to it in my reread. *preemptively snatches some tissues*
Yeah, I know he had a tiny role in The Half-Blood Prince, but I'm thinking ahead, kay?
7. Huh. Okay, after a reread, I think Book 6 might rival Book 3 as my favorite in the series. Well done.