I was pleasantly surprised by the book. I have to say, I enjoyed it.
I was disappointed that Remus' death was so low key, put in like a side note. And I hated the Snape/Lily thing. I think Snape's character deserved better than the cheesy, simple explanation. I felt bad for him.
In an interview, JKR mentioned that it was Bellatrix who killed Tonks. I accept that as redemption for Bella's character.
I am now waiting around for the grand and epic Neville gen fic to start. I want more of Neville Longbottom: Freedom Fighter. I want lots more of it, in fact.
Lazy! Yes! Somehow, in all my bitching about that part, I never used that word. But really, it's what it was. And that is SO NOT COOL. Snape could have been such a great character. That was the chapter she had to give him depth - make him a hero. Instead, she was too lazy and just took the easy bad!fic way. I was honestly pissed about that.
Much like I was pissed when Harry didn't die. I think the build up to his death was great... but ruined when she didn't have the guts to follow through with it.
I also wanted more from Percy than just the 'I'm sorry. I'm an ass. It was all my fault. You're a perfect family.' that we got. But, I'm already finding the fic to make that better for me :D
Much like I was pissed when Harry didn't die. I think the build up to his death was great... but ruined when she didn't have the guts to follow through with it.
Oh, yeah. And if nothing else, at least we would have been spared the super-smarmy epilogue, which is so eye-rollingly bad I think I might just tear those pages out of my copy.
I also wanted more from Percy than just the 'I'm sorry. I'm an ass. It was all my fault. You're a perfect family.' that we got.
Well, in his defense (or JKR's?), they *were* getting ready for a major battle. But one hopes that afterwards they all went to Wizarding Family Therapy.
I agree about Remus - I was so sure Fenrir was introduced for some wonderful Remus subplot... apparently Dolohov killed Remus. I personally think Remus was killed because Harry needed his four 'parental' figures when he walked to his own death... well, that version appeases me most, anyway. :)
I'm glad you enjoyed it, after the wealth of stonking fic you brought to this fandom. I loved it, Remus' death aside. And I until OotP, I never expected to love Neville as I do - but you're right, he truly was wonderful in this book!
I re-read your Door to the River series the other day and it gripped me just the same as it did the first time I read it. I'm still noticing new things, which amazes me, like how James can't quite grasp the name 'Christopher' properly. :) Wonderful details.
Yes, that's what I figured, but I was hoping for more than a mere throwaway line. Remus taught DADA, after all, he should have put up a better show-- didn't Harry outwit Dolohov, for pity's sake?
I personally think Remus was killed because Harry needed his four 'parental' figures when he walked to his own death... well, that version appeases me most, anyway.
That's the only way I can make sense of it. I did wonder briefly why Dumbledore wouldn't have been there too since he was the most paternal figure in Harry's life, but then I thought that perhaps he didn't appear to Harry since Harry was still full of doubts about him. Also, you know, there's no narrative symmetry there. And isn't it interesting that Remus appears to Harry without Tonks?
Thanks for the compliments about "Door to the River"-- re-reading is in itself one of the best possible compliments. like how James can't quite grasp the name 'Christopher' properly -- thanks for singling that out, I was pretty happy with that detail
( ... )
I was wondering if you'd read this one. [g] I thought there were lots and lots of good things about it--mostly I hated what she did to poor Remus. He felt like such an afterthought the last two books, and he deserved much better.
The Snape stuff... that didn't bother me so much, which surprised me, because I was totally dreading the whole Snape Loves Lily thing. I dunno, maybe I was just braced for it, but I thought it was OK. His death did seem kind of pointless, though--I mean, I was completely expecting him to buy it at some point, but I thought there would be a reason other than to provide Harry with backstory.
Maybe I should just read it again. I was going to re-read OotP and HBP before this one came out, but every time I picked up OotP I cringed and put it back.
On the whole I really liked it-- it was a great read. I agree that Remus has been completely wasted in the past two books, and as rochefort said, Rowling gave him a different personality in each book to boot.
Snape's death was totally pointless! Okay, maybe not his death so much as the manner of his dying. It was pretty ignominious.
every time I picked up OotP I cringed and put it back.
You're braver than I am-- I never even managed to pick it up again. I'd tote it down to the library and donate it to their used book sale, but that would entail touching it. Perhaps I should invest in some stout gloves.
I liked Molly killinng Bellatrix. It was two opposite visions of femininity in a showdown, and naturally (for the HPverse) the maternal love won. The thing that pissed me off was having three girls fight Bellatrix at once. Like you said, because real men don't fight girls. Pfft.
One of my least favorite things about the books is the tendency towards a really retrograde version of femininity and, especially, motherhood, and Molly is one of the characters I most dislike for that reason. So I couldn't really get behind her, even in the fight with Bellatrix.
It was two opposite visions of femininity in a showdown
Yes, but as I said, I can't really support either version. What's the message-- either you can be a sexy yet completely insane villainess, or you can be a frumpy housewife whose only outlet is making birthday cakes and sweaters for her extended family? Yikes. And then in the epilogue the Weasleys have taken over the entire wizarding world! Aaaggh!
One Big Happy Weasley Family, you mean? And all the people at Sugar Quill who wanted that, got their wish. Good for them.
One of my least favorite things about the books is the tendency towards a really retrograde version of femininity and, especially, motherhood
Even 'clever' Hermione was left doing the cooking while she and Harry trailed about the country. Despite the fact that Harry used to cook for the Dursleys; which already shows you where cooks and bottle-washers -- and girls -- are in the HP pecking order.
And that epilogue ... Ugh. I'm really trying not to think about it. Apparently it was written years ago, when she started the whole thing; and it shows: the tone is quite different from the rest of the book. And God forbid that we should be allowed to interpret the subtext as we like; she's even stamped her imprimatur on events in the future.
I'd managed to repress the One Big Happy Weasley Family phenomenon until now, thanks so much for that.
Excellent point about Hermione. Fleur does all the cooking at Shell Cottage, too.
As for the epilogue, I expect the fanfic in which, twenty years later, Harry and Draco see one another as they put their offspring on the Hogwarts Express and realize, in one charged glance, that really they've always been meant for one another, despite their hetero marriages and assorted children saddled with meaningful names, has already been written.
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I was disappointed that Remus' death was so low key, put in like a side note. And I hated the Snape/Lily thing. I think Snape's character deserved better than the cheesy, simple explanation. I felt bad for him.
In an interview, JKR mentioned that it was Bellatrix who killed Tonks. I accept that as redemption for Bella's character.
I am now waiting around for the grand and epic Neville gen fic to start. I want more of Neville Longbottom: Freedom Fighter. I want lots more of it, in fact.
I still hate Molly.
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JKR mentioned that it was Bellatrix who killed Tonks. I accept that as redemption for Bella's character.
Oh, did she? Cool.
I liked the book a lot, actually, and read it twice right through (except for the wandering in the wilderness yawnerpalooza part).
Neville ruled. I loved him here. Conversely, I wasn't at all disappointed that Colin Creevey got axed.
The Snape/Lily thing was one of those "Oh lordie, she's been reading bad fanfic again, hasn't she" moments. It was just so lazy. I hated it.
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Much like I was pissed when Harry didn't die. I think the build up to his death was great... but ruined when she didn't have the guts to follow through with it.
I also wanted more from Percy than just the 'I'm sorry. I'm an ass. It was all my fault. You're a perfect family.' that we got. But, I'm already finding the fic to make that better for me :D
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Oh, yeah. And if nothing else, at least we would have been spared the super-smarmy epilogue, which is so eye-rollingly bad I think I might just tear those pages out of my copy.
I also wanted more from Percy than just the 'I'm sorry. I'm an ass. It was all my fault. You're a perfect family.' that we got.
Well, in his defense (or JKR's?), they *were* getting ready for a major battle. But one hopes that afterwards they all went to Wizarding Family Therapy.
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I'm glad you enjoyed it, after the wealth of stonking fic you brought to this fandom. I loved it, Remus' death aside. And I until OotP, I never expected to love Neville as I do - but you're right, he truly was wonderful in this book!
I re-read your Door to the River series the other day and it gripped me just the same as it did the first time I read it. I'm still noticing new things, which amazes me, like how James can't quite grasp the name 'Christopher' properly. :) Wonderful details.
Reply
Yes, that's what I figured, but I was hoping for more than a mere throwaway line. Remus taught DADA, after all, he should have put up a better show-- didn't Harry outwit Dolohov, for pity's sake?
I personally think Remus was killed because Harry needed his four 'parental' figures when he walked to his own death... well, that version appeases me most, anyway.
That's the only way I can make sense of it. I did wonder briefly why Dumbledore wouldn't have been there too since he was the most paternal figure in Harry's life, but then I thought that perhaps he didn't appear to Harry since Harry was still full of doubts about him. Also, you know, there's no narrative symmetry there. And isn't it interesting that Remus appears to Harry without Tonks?
Thanks for the compliments about "Door to the River"-- re-reading is in itself one of the best possible compliments. like how James can't quite grasp the name 'Christopher' properly -- thanks for singling that out, I was pretty happy with that detail ( ... )
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The Snape stuff... that didn't bother me so much, which surprised me, because I was totally dreading the whole Snape Loves Lily thing. I dunno, maybe I was just braced for it, but I thought it was OK. His death did seem kind of pointless, though--I mean, I was completely expecting him to buy it at some point, but I thought there would be a reason other than to provide Harry with backstory.
Maybe I should just read it again. I was going to re-read OotP and HBP before this one came out, but every time I picked up OotP I cringed and put it back.
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Snape's death was totally pointless! Okay, maybe not his death so much as the manner of his dying. It was pretty ignominious.
every time I picked up OotP I cringed and put it back.
You're braver than I am-- I never even managed to pick it up again. I'd tote it down to the library and donate it to their used book sale, but that would entail touching it. Perhaps I should invest in some stout gloves.
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Completely agree with you about Snape. WTF.
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It was two opposite visions of femininity in a showdown
Yes, but as I said, I can't really support either version. What's the message-- either you can be a sexy yet completely insane villainess, or you can be a frumpy housewife whose only outlet is making birthday cakes and sweaters for her extended family? Yikes. And then in the epilogue the Weasleys have taken over the entire wizarding world! Aaaggh!
Reply
One of my least favorite things about the books is the tendency towards a really retrograde version of femininity and, especially, motherhood
Even 'clever' Hermione was left doing the cooking while she and Harry trailed about the country. Despite the fact that Harry used to cook for the Dursleys; which already shows you where cooks and bottle-washers -- and girls -- are in the HP pecking order.
And that epilogue ... Ugh. I'm really trying not to think about it. Apparently it was written years ago, when she started the whole thing; and it shows: the tone is quite different from the rest of the book. And God forbid that we should be allowed to interpret the subtext as we like; she's even stamped her imprimatur on events in the future.
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Excellent point about Hermione. Fleur does all the cooking at Shell Cottage, too.
As for the epilogue, I expect the fanfic in which, twenty years later, Harry and Draco see one another as they put their offspring on the Hogwarts Express and realize, in one charged glance, that really they've always been meant for one another, despite their hetero marriages and assorted children saddled with meaningful names, has already been written.
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