let all the dreamers wake the nation
I'm mostly enjoying reading everybody's reactions to HP:TDH, mostly because if someone is saying they didn't like it, I am not clicking on their cut-tag. I'm not commenting much or answering comments because of the technology problems here, and I'm also not memorying all the reaction posts like I did with HBP, mostly because of technology but also because I am not in HP fandom the way I was then, and it doesn't feel necessary to me now.
Anyway. Some more thoughts, or things I would have liked to get and didn't...
1. James. We spent the first four books hearing about super golden head boy James, and then we saw him be an asshole for five minutes, and then... that was it. I really would have liked just a little more grown up James, the James Lily fell in love with. I mean, we get him playing with Harry in a torn photo, and we get his heroic wandless last stand protecting his family, but we don't ever really get anything of James Potter, no, really, he turned out well. Which I would have liked, because I fervently believe he did, and it would be nice to have something more to point to when people start bitching about him. *hearts James*
2. Sirius. Yet again there was no memorial for Sirius, and Harry's oldest kid had BETTER be named James SIRIUS Potter, because otherwise, I am all WTF, JKR? WTF? Why couldn't she have thrown that in, especially after the kicking Sirius when he was dead bits in the books? *hearts Sirius*
2a. The motherfucking Veil. What the fucking fuck was that? Sirius only had to die for meta reasons - yet another dead father figure - but I want to know what the fuck is up with that veil, and the whispering and why Sirius couldn't have died in a less stupid slapsticky manner. I mean, he was killed by drapery. I will never stop being pissed about that.
3. I don't think Remus's squirrelly passive-aggressiveness in this book was at all out of character. I also really wish we'd never gotten quite as graphic a demonstration of it. sanj has a really good post about Remus/Tonks, and I really wish I believed that was what Rowling was trying to do with that relationship, but I just don't. I also think that using the "it's all Harry's POV, that's why it's so peripheral" excuse is lame, because Rowling managed to convey a lot of information that went right over Harry's head via his POV. I love Remus, but after his performance in DH, I'm glad he's dead. And with Sirius.
4. Of course there were many obvious things that happened. That's because there were clues all through the books leading the way to the ending, and smart readers pick up on them. That's what a good story will do - almost all the pieces were there, and we got a lot of things right, and there were still surprises along the way that made me, at least, go, "Oh. Oh. Yes." If a bunch of stuff didn't happen that jibed with everything that had come before, we'd all be like, "WTF? Where did that come from?" So all of it - RAB as Regulus, Snape and Lily being friends, Snape being Dumbledore's man, Grindelwald being important, etc. - falling into place felt *right*, a good story well-constructed. I might not like all of it (though personally, I did, mostly because I'd accepted I'd never get H/R/Hr in canon), but I think there's very little you can say came out of nowhere *cough*Remus/Tonks*cough*.
5. Am I the only one who kinda hoped if Luna didn't marry Neville (or Dean) she ended up with Draco? I mean, I would have preferred Harry/Luna (or Harry/Neville) to Harry/Ginny if I couldn't have H/R/Hr, but since I knew that wasn't gonna happen, I was kinda hoping she'd end up with Draco. Mostly because I think it'd be hilarious and yet sweet. And she'd maybe help him grow a spine. Luna remains awesome.
6. I know all y'all are all about Dumbledore/Grindelwald, but I was thinking, "If Ariana hadn't been crazy [and too young, and then dead], I would totally be writing Aberforth/Ariana." Um. And also, you know Scorpius (poor kid) and Rose and going to get married and make their fathers have to have civil conversation and it will be HILARIOUS.
7. While I don't particularly care for the heteronormativity shown in the pairing off of everyone, I will say that baby booms are common post-war, and the wizarding world has lost a lot, and has to invigorate itself by expanding its gene pool, so I have no real problem with lots of weddings and kids in the aftermath. ALSO, I do not understand the accusations that Hermione and Ginny were turned into baby machines. Ginny's in her mid-thirties and had three kids. Um. That's kind of *normal* to me. It's twenty years later, so it's not like they started popping 'em out right away, either.
8. All that said, I loved the book and thought it was a fitting end to the series.
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Anyway. Some more thoughts, or things I would have liked to get and didn't...
1. James. We spent the first four books hearing about super golden head boy James, and then we saw him be an asshole for five minutes, and then... that was it. I really would have liked just a little more grown up James, the James Lily fell in love with. I mean, we get him playing with Harry in a torn photo, and we get his heroic wandless last stand protecting his family, but we don't ever really get anything of James Potter, no, really, he turned out well. Which I would have liked, because I fervently believe he did, and it would be nice to have something more to point to when people start bitching about him. *hearts James*
2. Sirius. Yet again there was no memorial for Sirius, and Harry's oldest kid had BETTER be named James SIRIUS Potter, because otherwise, I am all WTF, JKR? WTF? Why couldn't she have thrown that in, especially after the kicking Sirius when he was dead bits in the books? *hearts Sirius*
2a. The motherfucking Veil. What the fucking fuck was that? Sirius only had to die for meta reasons - yet another dead father figure - but I want to know what the fuck is up with that veil, and the whispering and why Sirius couldn't have died in a less stupid slapsticky manner. I mean, he was killed by drapery. I will never stop being pissed about that.
3. I don't think Remus's squirrelly passive-aggressiveness in this book was at all out of character. I also really wish we'd never gotten quite as graphic a demonstration of it. sanj has a really good post about Remus/Tonks, and I really wish I believed that was what Rowling was trying to do with that relationship, but I just don't. I also think that using the "it's all Harry's POV, that's why it's so peripheral" excuse is lame, because Rowling managed to convey a lot of information that went right over Harry's head via his POV. I love Remus, but after his performance in DH, I'm glad he's dead. And with Sirius.
4. Of course there were many obvious things that happened. That's because there were clues all through the books leading the way to the ending, and smart readers pick up on them. That's what a good story will do - almost all the pieces were there, and we got a lot of things right, and there were still surprises along the way that made me, at least, go, "Oh. Oh. Yes." If a bunch of stuff didn't happen that jibed with everything that had come before, we'd all be like, "WTF? Where did that come from?" So all of it - RAB as Regulus, Snape and Lily being friends, Snape being Dumbledore's man, Grindelwald being important, etc. - falling into place felt *right*, a good story well-constructed. I might not like all of it (though personally, I did, mostly because I'd accepted I'd never get H/R/Hr in canon), but I think there's very little you can say came out of nowhere *cough*Remus/Tonks*cough*.
5. Am I the only one who kinda hoped if Luna didn't marry Neville (or Dean) she ended up with Draco? I mean, I would have preferred Harry/Luna (or Harry/Neville) to Harry/Ginny if I couldn't have H/R/Hr, but since I knew that wasn't gonna happen, I was kinda hoping she'd end up with Draco. Mostly because I think it'd be hilarious and yet sweet. And she'd maybe help him grow a spine. Luna remains awesome.
6. I know all y'all are all about Dumbledore/Grindelwald, but I was thinking, "If Ariana hadn't been crazy [and too young, and then dead], I would totally be writing Aberforth/Ariana." Um. And also, you know Scorpius (poor kid) and Rose and going to get married and make their fathers have to have civil conversation and it will be HILARIOUS.
7. While I don't particularly care for the heteronormativity shown in the pairing off of everyone, I will say that baby booms are common post-war, and the wizarding world has lost a lot, and has to invigorate itself by expanding its gene pool, so I have no real problem with lots of weddings and kids in the aftermath. ALSO, I do not understand the accusations that Hermione and Ginny were turned into baby machines. Ginny's in her mid-thirties and had three kids. Um. That's kind of *normal* to me. It's twenty years later, so it's not like they started popping 'em out right away, either.
8. All that said, I loved the book and thought it was a fitting end to the series.
***