in which i get some of my frustrations out
Randomly prowling LJ I stumbled upon this thing, and since that actual coherent Deathly Hallows review is a long time coming I thought I'd just do this for now. Beware of spoilers.
DEATHLY HALLOWS MEME
Hours it Took You to Finish DH: Dunno. 15, maybe? I read it in various pubs around London, in the world's crappiest hotel room, and Stansted airport.
BEFORE
Former Favorite HP Book: Prisoner of Azkaban. (Followed closely by Order of the Phoenix that wins for the Awesome!Snape but loses for the Angry!Harry
Canon (or Not Disproved) Ships You Supported: Ever since realizing Hermoine would end up with Ron I haven't really cared so much about ships, but I like Remus/Tonks. Remus/Lily, perhaps. I always liked that idea.
Number of DH Theories You Had: Just the number? Uh... 47? What?
Describe Your Best/Favorite Theory: Snape is good and dies saving Harry's life.
What Time Did You Get it at?: 2am.
DURING
What you did/thought about...
The Seven Potters: “Oh, was that the most complicated way they could possibly do it? And I guess they weren't kidding about the action part: Let's get killin', people.”
Regulus: “Took you long enough, Potter.”
Ron Leaving: “Thank you!”
Godric's Hollow: I read the bit about the witch turning into Nagini three times because I just didn't get it. And then I was disappointed, because I was SO sure he'd find something useful there. (Meaning a clue from Snape or Dumbledore.)
The Deathly Hallows: “Must've hurt, pulling a subplot that big outta your ass, Rowling.” Yeah, sure, it explains a lot, but I'm just not a fan. If there had been SOME indication one of the 5456 other times Harry's invisibility cloak was mentioned in the other books that it was somehow different from the OTHER invisibility cloaks mentioned I might have been more lenient, but that just annoyed the hell out of me.
Breaking into Gringotts: “Oh, you thought that one through really well, guys. What's the point in getting the Horcrux if you lose the only thing that can destroy it?”
Aberforth and Ariana: “I love this new and flawed Dumbledore, but this is a bit odd.”
Snape Being Good: “See?” But what a craptacular way to kill him off. Ruined the whole book, that did. I'll forgive 200 pages of lame camping, but this was too much.
Harry Being a Horcrux: “Meh? Oh, whatever. You WIN Dumbledore. Make sure he gets the job you failed to do done before you send him off to die. Wicked.”
King's Cross:
The Epilogue: “Oh, that's sweet. Rowling printed some kid's fanfic as part of her book. The legal issues must've been very fishy for doing that. Stealing from someone who stole from her.” What a waste of paper that was. I wonder how bad the original epilogue was if she felt THAT didn't work “as a piece of writing” when she thought this did... But then again, Rowling and I have rather different ideas on what works and what doesn't.
AFTER
New Favorite HP Book: Well, it sure isn't THIS one.
Canon Ships You Now Support: I want to say Snape/Lily, but fandom just killed it for me. Not that I wasn't squee'ing like a moron for most of that chapter, but there was still that nasty voice in the back of my head whispering, “Fanfic! Fanfic! Fanfic!”
Number of Your Theories That Came True (or Sort of Did): Two thirds, I think.
Overall Impression of DH: Do-over.
Favorite Part: “Perhaps just one more, Master Harry, for luck?” I adore Kreacher now.
Least Favorite Part: I have to pick just one? Okay. THE CAMPING!
Saddest Part: Dobby dying.
Coolest Part: Neville killing Nagini. (Not that I'm entirely happy with this new and improved Neville, but that rocked.)
Best Completely Unexpected Part: Kreacher reformed. (Not that his story was at all unexpected, but he was unexpectedly awesome.)
Best New Character: Does Regulus count as a new character?
Saddest Character Death: Well, Dobby's was the saddest (probably because it was the only character death that got any real attention after the fact), but Snape's was the most upsetting.
Best Magic/Magical Item: Hermoine's magical purse-thingy.
DEATHLY HALLOWS MEME
Hours it Took You to Finish DH: Dunno. 15, maybe? I read it in various pubs around London, in the world's crappiest hotel room, and Stansted airport.
BEFORE
Former Favorite HP Book: Prisoner of Azkaban. (Followed closely by Order of the Phoenix that wins for the Awesome!Snape but loses for the Angry!Harry
Canon (or Not Disproved) Ships You Supported: Ever since realizing Hermoine would end up with Ron I haven't really cared so much about ships, but I like Remus/Tonks. Remus/Lily, perhaps. I always liked that idea.
Number of DH Theories You Had: Just the number? Uh... 47? What?
Describe Your Best/Favorite Theory: Snape is good and dies saving Harry's life.
What Time Did You Get it at?: 2am.
DURING
What you did/thought about...
The Seven Potters: “Oh, was that the most complicated way they could possibly do it? And I guess they weren't kidding about the action part: Let's get killin', people.”
Regulus: “Took you long enough, Potter.”
Ron Leaving: “Thank you!”
Godric's Hollow: I read the bit about the witch turning into Nagini three times because I just didn't get it. And then I was disappointed, because I was SO sure he'd find something useful there. (Meaning a clue from Snape or Dumbledore.)
The Deathly Hallows: “Must've hurt, pulling a subplot that big outta your ass, Rowling.” Yeah, sure, it explains a lot, but I'm just not a fan. If there had been SOME indication one of the 5456 other times Harry's invisibility cloak was mentioned in the other books that it was somehow different from the OTHER invisibility cloaks mentioned I might have been more lenient, but that just annoyed the hell out of me.
Breaking into Gringotts: “Oh, you thought that one through really well, guys. What's the point in getting the Horcrux if you lose the only thing that can destroy it?”
Aberforth and Ariana: “I love this new and flawed Dumbledore, but this is a bit odd.”
Snape Being Good: “See?” But what a craptacular way to kill him off. Ruined the whole book, that did. I'll forgive 200 pages of lame camping, but this was too much.
Harry Being a Horcrux: “Meh? Oh, whatever. You WIN Dumbledore. Make sure he gets the job you failed to do done before you send him off to die. Wicked.”
King's Cross:
The Epilogue: “Oh, that's sweet. Rowling printed some kid's fanfic as part of her book. The legal issues must've been very fishy for doing that. Stealing from someone who stole from her.” What a waste of paper that was. I wonder how bad the original epilogue was if she felt THAT didn't work “as a piece of writing” when she thought this did... But then again, Rowling and I have rather different ideas on what works and what doesn't.
AFTER
New Favorite HP Book: Well, it sure isn't THIS one.
Canon Ships You Now Support: I want to say Snape/Lily, but fandom just killed it for me. Not that I wasn't squee'ing like a moron for most of that chapter, but there was still that nasty voice in the back of my head whispering, “Fanfic! Fanfic! Fanfic!”
Number of Your Theories That Came True (or Sort of Did): Two thirds, I think.
Overall Impression of DH: Do-over.
Favorite Part: “Perhaps just one more, Master Harry, for luck?” I adore Kreacher now.
Least Favorite Part: I have to pick just one? Okay. THE CAMPING!
Saddest Part: Dobby dying.
Coolest Part: Neville killing Nagini. (Not that I'm entirely happy with this new and improved Neville, but that rocked.)
Best Completely Unexpected Part: Kreacher reformed. (Not that his story was at all unexpected, but he was unexpectedly awesome.)
Best New Character: Does Regulus count as a new character?
Saddest Character Death: Well, Dobby's was the saddest (probably because it was the only character death that got any real attention after the fact), but Snape's was the most upsetting.
Best Magic/Magical Item: Hermoine's magical purse-thingy.