Okay, let's get this Harry Potter stuff over with.
I'm always amazed at how impressionable I am. I've realised that, when I played RPGs and watch the same character running on the screen for hours at a time, I pick up the running gait of the character. Amongst other things. A few years ago I played FF9 so much that when I jumped off low walls at school, I landed just like Zidane did, and it was a while before I noticed it happening.
This is another of those extreme cases. See, I was re-reading all of Harry Potter in preparation for the final installment, but I didn't read fast enough, and suddenly the book had arrived through the door. So instad of giving up, I picked up the pace. On the 21st I was only somewhere in the Goblet of Fire, so in my determination, I ploughed ahead and read over 1200 pages that day. I did nothing else but sit on my bed and read. The computer stayed off, for the first time in years. Not just because it was a distraction, but because I was under the impression that the release of the book that I had not yet started would have caused the internet to explode with content. I had no wish to stumble upon any more spoilers, as I had already narrowly avoided some of them before the release. So I just sat reading, on my bed, only a meter away from the power socket that beckoned me to relinquish my resolve and flip the switch. This continued to the 22nd, where during the afternoon, I finally started on the Deathly Hallows.
To be honest I didn't find the majority of the book very captivating, although this might have been my fristration at wishing I could stop my reading tirade, yet somewhat hoping that the series wouldn't have to end. My mind kept wandering; in fact I took my time to draft this journal entry in my head on occasion. The departing of this book from the format of the first six was unusual and a bit unnerving, but of course we all knew it would be like that.
I was rather confused during the reading of it, and kept hoping vainly that more people wouldn't die and that the pages would turn faster, as I didn't seem to be making much progress a lot of the time.
I can't believe Dobby... DOBBY... why? That was the death I was most affected by. I remember first reading about Dobby years and years ago - back when I must have just started the school I've only just left, and for some reason, I remembered the fact that the Chamber of Secrets was the first of the HP book that I read.
And I remembered saying that the only characters I wanted to see unharmed were the Weasley twins... unfortunately, I have this annoying habit of picking characters as my favourites who then get themselves killed. Having one twin left doesn't seem much better than both of them dying, either, because they worked as a sungle unit...
The parts I remember most clearly were when I realised the lead-up to the part that was depicted on the cover, and the parts where a connection was made, for example, when Harry realised about the Deathly Hallow objects and put it together with Voldemort's questioning of the wand-makers. Like I said, the change in format, where the characters were no longer at school having terms and lessons, but on the run, made the book feel quite apart from all the others. Lupin and Tonks, I was slightly less surprised to see them go, when all we had heard about them was news of their baby, it made them prime suspects for death at some point.
The part where people started swearing outright was amusing.
As the final fifth drew up I could see the various 'predictions' people had put together starting to be answered. Snape being innocent, or at least, on the good side, and only doing Dumbledore's bidding in killing him - I already believed that. I, myself, had made the guess that Harry would die through some important magical means, meet his parents, Sirius, others, and Dumbledore, who would congratulate, assist and inform him, and then through some loophole would return to the living world, or perhaps be a ghost. I was nearly right. Harry did meet his parental figures again, by bringing thmem back with the Resurrection Stone - I kind of got the principle correct. Harry did then die, in a way, and meet someone who he had needed to consult who had previously died, who explained everything to him, and then harry was able to return to the world. I was really pleased to read that part when I'd guessed as much.
I found it hard to focus on the scene in the ending, because all the characters would be so different and I couldn't imagine them properly - much less their children - but I felt more hopeful after it because I now have a definite goal to work towards using my HP Sims, now that I know their children's names and such. The fact that I wouldn't have to split up Ron and Hermione was great. Being wrong on that would've been somewhat messy - but now I need to figure out a method of bringing Ginny back.
So, that's that, I suppose, and it's over. The reason I mentioned being impressionable is that, having read one author's entire pblished works in such a short time, especially including the highly concentrated end, not only have I lost my sense of time (when I glanced at the clock I was always surprised, and also, I needed reminding at one point what time of year it was) and balance (felt dizzy he few times that I stood up), my typing style is undeniably different. This'll wear off soon, I expect. It effects my normal speech as well. It's strange and I feel as if I'm not entirely myself, until I break out of it by living my own life again, rather than seven years of Harry Potter's.
So, finally I shall brace myself and venture elsewhere on the internet... I don't think anything would tempt me into visiting any Harry Potter fansites just now, though...
This is another of those extreme cases. See, I was re-reading all of Harry Potter in preparation for the final installment, but I didn't read fast enough, and suddenly the book had arrived through the door. So instad of giving up, I picked up the pace. On the 21st I was only somewhere in the Goblet of Fire, so in my determination, I ploughed ahead and read over 1200 pages that day. I did nothing else but sit on my bed and read. The computer stayed off, for the first time in years. Not just because it was a distraction, but because I was under the impression that the release of the book that I had not yet started would have caused the internet to explode with content. I had no wish to stumble upon any more spoilers, as I had already narrowly avoided some of them before the release. So I just sat reading, on my bed, only a meter away from the power socket that beckoned me to relinquish my resolve and flip the switch. This continued to the 22nd, where during the afternoon, I finally started on the Deathly Hallows.
To be honest I didn't find the majority of the book very captivating, although this might have been my fristration at wishing I could stop my reading tirade, yet somewhat hoping that the series wouldn't have to end. My mind kept wandering; in fact I took my time to draft this journal entry in my head on occasion. The departing of this book from the format of the first six was unusual and a bit unnerving, but of course we all knew it would be like that.
I was rather confused during the reading of it, and kept hoping vainly that more people wouldn't die and that the pages would turn faster, as I didn't seem to be making much progress a lot of the time.
I can't believe Dobby... DOBBY... why? That was the death I was most affected by. I remember first reading about Dobby years and years ago - back when I must have just started the school I've only just left, and for some reason, I remembered the fact that the Chamber of Secrets was the first of the HP book that I read.
And I remembered saying that the only characters I wanted to see unharmed were the Weasley twins... unfortunately, I have this annoying habit of picking characters as my favourites who then get themselves killed. Having one twin left doesn't seem much better than both of them dying, either, because they worked as a sungle unit...
The parts I remember most clearly were when I realised the lead-up to the part that was depicted on the cover, and the parts where a connection was made, for example, when Harry realised about the Deathly Hallow objects and put it together with Voldemort's questioning of the wand-makers. Like I said, the change in format, where the characters were no longer at school having terms and lessons, but on the run, made the book feel quite apart from all the others. Lupin and Tonks, I was slightly less surprised to see them go, when all we had heard about them was news of their baby, it made them prime suspects for death at some point.
The part where people started swearing outright was amusing.
As the final fifth drew up I could see the various 'predictions' people had put together starting to be answered. Snape being innocent, or at least, on the good side, and only doing Dumbledore's bidding in killing him - I already believed that. I, myself, had made the guess that Harry would die through some important magical means, meet his parents, Sirius, others, and Dumbledore, who would congratulate, assist and inform him, and then through some loophole would return to the living world, or perhaps be a ghost. I was nearly right. Harry did meet his parental figures again, by bringing thmem back with the Resurrection Stone - I kind of got the principle correct. Harry did then die, in a way, and meet someone who he had needed to consult who had previously died, who explained everything to him, and then harry was able to return to the world. I was really pleased to read that part when I'd guessed as much.
I found it hard to focus on the scene in the ending, because all the characters would be so different and I couldn't imagine them properly - much less their children - but I felt more hopeful after it because I now have a definite goal to work towards using my HP Sims, now that I know their children's names and such. The fact that I wouldn't have to split up Ron and Hermione was great. Being wrong on that would've been somewhat messy - but now I need to figure out a method of bringing Ginny back.
So, that's that, I suppose, and it's over. The reason I mentioned being impressionable is that, having read one author's entire pblished works in such a short time, especially including the highly concentrated end, not only have I lost my sense of time (when I glanced at the clock I was always surprised, and also, I needed reminding at one point what time of year it was) and balance (felt dizzy he few times that I stood up), my typing style is undeniably different. This'll wear off soon, I expect. It effects my normal speech as well. It's strange and I feel as if I'm not entirely myself, until I break out of it by living my own life again, rather than seven years of Harry Potter's.
So, finally I shall brace myself and venture elsewhere on the internet... I don't think anything would tempt me into visiting any Harry Potter fansites just now, though...