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willow_wand July 16 2010, 03:34:44 UTC
The CAPSLOCK didn't bother me either for all the reasons you mentioned. It's also important to remember that in that book, not only is he dealing with the guilt, grief, fear, etc, but he also has to deal with people losing faith in him. After all he's done for them, even Seamus (his own roommate) turns his back on him. It sucks. He had every right to rage.

Umbridge did bother me, though. It really bothered me that she made Harry, who was already grieving, so miserable. :( She is what makes that book somewhat less enjoyable to me than some of the others, though I love all the books.

I also loved the epilogue. I will never understand why people don't like it. I thought it was the perfect ending. :)

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rougered July 16 2010, 19:02:33 UTC
You are so right - the theme of loss is everywhere in that book.

Umbridge is self-righteous and sadistic, a combinaison that is quite horrible. She believes she is doing what needs to be done and her resolution makes it even more terrible. The fact that so many at the Ministry approve her actions gives her more power and more reasons to act the way she does.

I love to hate her, so to speak. From a writing point of view she is a fantastic villain. (I must be a sadist or something.)

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willow_wand July 16 2010, 20:34:55 UTC
From a writing point of view she is a fantastic villain

I sort of know what you mean. Have you ever read vnfan's No Sympathy for the Devil? In it she explores Umbridge's motivations. It's pretty interesting.

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rougered July 16 2010, 20:43:44 UTC
Oh, thanks for the rec! I'll be looking into that!

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hpchickadee July 16 2010, 03:53:12 UTC
I agree on all points about Harry's right to rage. I've always seen it as teen angst at 15, magnified in the face of what he deals with and knowing the threat of what's to come. I got capslocky at 15 when my mom wouldn't drive me to the mall. :\

But I also agree with willow_wand before me...it's my complete loathing of Umbridge that makes this one of my least favorite books. I find it hard to get through the story simply because she's a part of it.

And I love the epilogue, too. :)

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rougered July 16 2010, 19:13:07 UTC
I agree so much. And there is also the fact that he was brought in a house where he didn't exist, he didn't have any value, which has to leave a mark somewhere when a similar situation happens.

I got capslocky at 15 when my mom wouldn't drive me to the mall. Yeah... I remember those days, too. :/

The Umbridge moments were hard to read. My feelings towards her are complicated. I loathe what she did to Harry. I loathe her values and attitudes. I despise what she represents but it's people like her that bring out the revolutionnaries.

Yay epilogue! :D

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pigwithhair July 16 2010, 06:10:34 UTC
I agree about the emotion in the fifth book; his fury and angst did make sense; but I did find the way it was conveyed to the reader annoying and distracting. It's a preference thing, I guess.

I did like that they watched their kids get on the train. It was a clever way to show us they had kids.

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rougered July 16 2010, 19:22:27 UTC
While OotP is one of my favourite books, I think a couple of other books were superior, writing wise.

I did wonder why she used the capslock. She doesn't use it a lot in the series... I might be wrong but I was left on the impression that she has used it mostly to demonstrate Vernon Dursley's anger. And I wonder if there was an intention there to have Harry expressing his anger the same way. I'm probably seeing too much into this!

Yes, it was! It felt like the story went full circle.

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pigwithhair July 17 2010, 03:50:13 UTC
No, she didn't. Well, that's a thought. Could be. My impression was that she wanted to show out of control Harry, okay fine, but it was annoying and distracting to read. I hadn't thought of the Vernon Dursley connection, but now that you mention it - could be.

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shiiki July 16 2010, 13:00:37 UTC
I liked the epilogue too. I felt it was a fitting conclusion to everything JKR had set up in the series.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on capslock Harry. I think that what makes the series so rich is JKR's ability to write multi- faceted characters and capslock Harry is proof of that.

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rougered July 16 2010, 19:24:57 UTC
Yes! Of course the epilogue sank the ships of half of the fandom, but I still prefer the books to fanon.

I really liked Capslock!Harry. It was a nice twist on the hero's personality.

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