Comments | mike_smith: You Eight the Sandbox? How Could You?

mike_smith

You Eight the Sandbox? How Could You?

Aug 14, 2005 19:47

I don't have a whole lot else to say this time around, so let's get down to it. If this review were a comic book, the blurb on the cover would read:

( BIG Snape Issue! )

halfbloodprince

Comments 25

bastardsword August 15 2005, 01:24:25 UTC

Basically, the summary of the last, oh, say, 15+ years of Snape's life.

Snape: Give me the DADA position.
Dumbledore: Hmm... no.

Every single year this went. So, considering it's taken him 15 years to get to this point, a rather big victory for him.

But still. Underwhelming at best.

sirgarrett August 15 2005, 01:56:03 UTC

I have to concurr. So much is made in every book about how Snape's dream is to teach the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. I think this goes back to the "Snape is the consumate accademic" thing. He loves Dark Arts and the closest he can get to them is to teach how to defend against them.

So each book has had the running gag of "Will Snape ever get to teach it?"

Also, DADA has been one class Harry has always excelled in, where Snape's old class of Potions has been one he has consistently struggled in. The juxtaposition of teachers and subjects is what drives Harry so nuts.

Sadly this is a case where the 6th book fails to stand on it's own merits as without the backstory from the first series it's not as intriguing a development.

bastardsword August 15 2005, 01:59:36 UTC

The lack of backstory is also why I liked HBP a lot more than the last two -- but at the same time, it's the worst for someone (i.e. the OP) to pick up and begin reading, as it'll make almost no sense.

mmmdraco August 15 2005, 02:37:12 UTC

Snape taking off points like he does is just another thing that Snape does pretty much just to piss Harry off. It isn't so much the fact that he's taking off points, it's the things he takes them off *for*, and the fact that he takes off so *many* points, especially from Gryffindor, but never from his own house of Slytherin. (Most teachers might take off or give five or ten points, maybe twenty for something truly spectacular or awful.) Snape does it to *be* a bastard, to try to make Harry's life miserable... and all because Snape's life was (technically) saved by Harry's father. (Sirius Black, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew played a prank where they let Snape know where to go to see Remus Lupin turn into a werewolf... but James got him out at the last minute. They were also utter bastards to Snape throughout school. Snape takes this out on everyone, but especially Harry.) This is why Harry hates Snape. But, at the same time, Snape has saved his life several times, even if he was doing it because, y'know, he has to because he's ( ... )

trishalynn August 15 2005, 02:57:48 UTC

jim_smith August 15 2005, 03:09:25 UTC

He's just doing that so I don't disown him.

mike_smith August 15 2005, 21:54:51 UTC

No, some of us are just more subtle about plugging T-Bolts than others. I prefer the subliminal approach, in contrast to the superliminal tactics you've been using for eight years straight. Also, for some reason it takes the edge off of talking about this pale greasy wanker to think fondly about a hundred year old German guy with a pink bag on his head.

Thread 6

Quidditch widor_toccata August 15 2005, 22:03:20 UTC

i feel i aught/ought to mention that rowling has said she hates writing quidditch chapters, but feels it is expected of her

Re: Quidditch mike_smith August 15 2005, 22:06:44 UTC

Aw, swell. If the author's not up for it, that's probably not good for me.

Re: Quidditch marciamarcia August 16 2005, 18:17:01 UTC

You would think. Thankfully, she found convenient ways around writing about Quidditch at all in the last two books and in this one you only have one game written "live" and she's managed to make the play-by-play interesting enough that the chapter doesn't make you want to claw your eyes out.

Oddly enough, there are fans (of the rabid nutcase variety) who are pissed off about this and apparently WANT intricate details of every single quidditch game played all year.

sneaker328 August 17 2005, 03:59:23 UTC

Hi. Here via a link from...FTHP. Am quite enjoying these little recaps.

-10 for having that illustration of Harry making a horsey with his magic wand, since it didn't happen in this chapter.

That was actually Tonks producing her Patronus, which is a sort of magical defence that's used against Dementors and can also be used to send messages. It's sort of silvery, takes the form of an animal, and is completely unique to each wizard or witch. Harry's Patronus is a stag, Hermione's is an otter, and Ron's is a small dog like a Jack Russell (though we've never actually seen Ron conjure one in the books and Hermione has never used hers.) Tonks sends hers off to get a message to the school that Harry's coming, hoping that Hagrid will receive it, but Snape gets it instead and then snarks on Tonks about its new form (because her patronus has apparently changed form, for reasons you'll discover later.)

orange_crushed August 18 2005, 20:27:35 UTC

I'm here via metaquotes, and may I say, excellent job so far. It's much funnier to read the opinions of someone who doesn't eat, sleep, and breathe Potter.

No one even knows what I'm talking about now. I'm cursed to live in a universe where Harry Potter is more popular than a badly animated cartoon featuring an undead midget prospector who tries to outrun Yogi Bear in outer space.

NUGGIE !!!! Ohh, Space Race. Anyway, can't wait to read the rest !