Stumbled on your journal after seeing a trend in unhappy post-HBP readers.
Such a harsh review, you make me wonder if I should invest my time in actually reading the book. Hermione is my favorite character as well and I would hate to see her butchered up as you and quite a few others have said she is in the book. I'm especially not thrilled with the thought of the random and what appears to be misplaced romance that has budded from nothing between Harry and Ginny.
Perhaps it really was too much to place so much faith in a series the way everyone has with Harry Potter. But at the same time, if this is the plot Rowling has spent years mounting up to, we should all consider looking into fandom to pick up after book 5.
Hi! Nice to meet you, though under such sorry circumstances.
I actually wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. It was just so unbelievably offensive to Hermione's character. But if you're feeling slightly masochistic and remotely curious about the rest of the plot, you could probably read HBP and skim over the bullshit.
It's tough, and it's your choice to read it. If you've already read the first five, I guess you might as well read the rest, for the sake of finishing what you started. Perhaps it's better to reserve the final judgment for the last book.
Whatever you choose, good luck. And yeah, we have placed too much faith in Rowling.
I'm horrified to have compared her to Austen at all.
There's always book seven, though I'm not sure that it would be enough to correct the damage done in this book. I'll venture a read in a few weeks when the hype has abated somewhat. I hope you won't be so upset for long, this has obviously been hard on a lot of H/Hr believers.
Yeah, there's always book 7, but I hope you understand why I'm not so enthusiastic about it anymore. HBP was JKR's "best" book, but in reality, it's a steaming pile of dung that will not stand the test of time. I have the sinking (haha, bad pun) suspicion that JKR will fulfill the Mary Sue template completely, down to the sacrificial death of Ginny Sue, i.e. Ginny could be the last Horcrux and selflessly commit suicide, after which all the world, including the heartbroken Harry, mourns her death.
It sounds like an amateur fanfic, but I'm not kidding here. HBP was like a VOMIT masterpiece.
Austen huh? A big name for comparison.Of all the things I've written, I'm proudest of my essay, but all of it is based on the assumption that JKR is a competent writer who knows what she's doing, who drops hints everywhere, who is able to spot a Mary Sue just by her flaming windswept hair and flawlessness
( ... )
My sentiments exactly. Either Melissa or Emerson better damn well ask her what the hell she was smoking when she decided to give Hermione this devastating personality transplant. Of course, I'm not counting on it since they both seem to worship the ground she walks on.
My copy of the book arrived in the mail this afternoon. It's now sitting on my bookshelf collecting dust. I refuse to read it. The only time I will ever read it is after the release of Book 7. If that book receives a positive response from fellow Harmonians (although the future of this series is looking overwhelmingly bleak at the moment), then I just might take the time to read it. I'm not holding out on that, though. I've wasted enough of my time and energy. If Book 7 turns out to be just as much a travesty as HBP has, I will gladly donate my copies of the books to some random hobos trying to keep the fire in their garbage can going.
I doubt Melissa or Emerson would ask about that. They'd be too giddy that their shallow moronic ships have sailed or will sail. They do appear to worship the ground she walks on, and given the honor of such an invitation to an interview, it's a safe bet they'll be looking to kiss up some more.
I'm glad you have such resolve about not reading HBP until the last book comes out. Even if Harmony sails in the last book, however, nothing will repair the damage JKR has done in HBP in my opinion. She stooped so low as to destroy Hermione's character and write Ginny Sue. That's an alarmingly clear indication of JKR's true abilities as a writer.
I'm sure the homeless people will appreciate the warmth of a Potter-fed fire much more than you would have enjoyed reading it.
I have to agree that this book was almost to ridiculously unbelievable. I keep waiting for JK to announce the release of the real version of Book 6. The book where Harry shows some lingering pains for Sirius's death and his struggle to get past it. The book where Harry is growing as a person not as a prat, and learns to accept responsibility as a part of healthy growth. The book where Hermione is still the voice of reason and the beautifally developed character I have grown to love. The book without a Mary Sue character who has no explanation for being what she is and can do no wrong. The book where the story unfolds and the plot is not forgotten in spats of teen angst
( ... )
Like you, I really missed the Harry and Hermione of books 1-5 and wondered where they'd gone. I wondered why JKR replaced what should have been an interesting school year with what amounts to a twisted teen soap opera. A part of me now holds on to the hope that there may be more to this than meets the eye, that Rowling is using HBP to fool the only group of people that stoutly refused to give in to the hive mentality.
Am I feeling foolish? A bit. But I'd put so much stock in JKR's ability to write that I can't quite let go.
At the end of all this, I really wish Ana wasn't right about the Mary Sue theory--as I'm sure she does as well. I was hoping you were right with your Evil!Ginny theory, because it would have been a much more daring move for an author and definitely would have made the story much more interesting
( ... )
I'm glad to hear your thoughts, and it's even better that you're not a big H/Hr shipper. That just goes to show we're not being biased because of the ship: Hermione really was killed in the most insidious way possible. :(
Like you, I won't be rushing out to get book 7. I'll read it for the sake of finishing the series, but given the craptasticness of HBP, my high hopes for it have been dashed.
To have killed Hermione so completely... JKR will have to move mountains to redeem herself.
Re: Well saidruneharmonicJuly 18 2005, 04:06:56 UTC
Thanks, Sienna. I just read your open letter on HF and found it absolutely brilliant, as always, and I do hope that you send it to JKR. It was so much more in-depth than my rant above, and it expressed the general Harmonian reactions perfectly. :)
Now that a reasonable amount of time has passed since my initial HBP rage, however, my doubts about JKR's writing ability have abated somewhat. HBP doesn't make sense unless it really was one big, badly written red herring targeting the only group of readers that has never succumbed to the obvious VOMIT mentality.
I have not lost hope. I believe there must be a valid explanation for the horrors within HBP, but my respect for JKR has gone down the drain for good. Even if she writes H/Hr in the end, I cannot excuse HBP and the destruction of Hermione Granger. As you pointed out, female Harmonians usually identify with Hermione, so tearing down Hermione's character was the equivalent of tearing us down. It was unforgiveable
( ... )
Comments 22
Such a harsh review, you make me wonder if I should invest my time in actually reading the book. Hermione is my favorite character as well and I would hate to see her butchered up as you and quite a few others have said she is in the book. I'm especially not thrilled with the thought of the random and what appears to be misplaced romance that has budded from nothing between Harry and Ginny.
Perhaps it really was too much to place so much faith in a series the way everyone has with Harry Potter. But at the same time, if this is the plot Rowling has spent years mounting up to, we should all consider looking into fandom to pick up after book 5.
I haven't given up on H/Hr either !
Reply
I actually wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. It was just so unbelievably offensive to Hermione's character. But if you're feeling slightly masochistic and remotely curious about the rest of the plot, you could probably read HBP and skim over the bullshit.
It's tough, and it's your choice to read it. If you've already read the first five, I guess you might as well read the rest, for the sake of finishing what you started. Perhaps it's better to reserve the final judgment for the last book.
Whatever you choose, good luck. And yeah, we have placed too much faith in Rowling.
I'm horrified to have compared her to Austen at all.
Reply
Austen huh? A big name for comparison.
Reply
It sounds like an amateur fanfic, but I'm not kidding here. HBP was like a VOMIT masterpiece.
Austen huh? A big name for comparison.Of all the things I've written, I'm proudest of my essay, but all of it is based on the assumption that JKR is a competent writer who knows what she's doing, who drops hints everywhere, who is able to spot a Mary Sue just by her flaming windswept hair and flawlessness ( ... )
Reply
My copy of the book arrived in the mail this afternoon. It's now sitting on my bookshelf collecting dust. I refuse to read it. The only time I will ever read it is after the release of Book 7. If that book receives a positive response from fellow Harmonians (although the future of this series is looking overwhelmingly bleak at the moment), then I just might take the time to read it. I'm not holding out on that, though. I've wasted enough of my time and energy. If Book 7 turns out to be just as much a travesty as HBP has, I will gladly donate my copies of the books to some random hobos trying to keep the fire in their garbage can going.
Reply
I'm glad you have such resolve about not reading HBP until the last book comes out. Even if Harmony sails in the last book, however, nothing will repair the damage JKR has done in HBP in my opinion. She stooped so low as to destroy Hermione's character and write Ginny Sue. That's an alarmingly clear indication of JKR's true abilities as a writer.
I'm sure the homeless people will appreciate the warmth of a Potter-fed fire much more than you would have enjoyed reading it.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Like you, I really missed the Harry and Hermione of books 1-5 and wondered where they'd gone. I wondered why JKR replaced what should have been an interesting school year with what amounts to a twisted teen soap opera. A part of me now holds on to the hope that there may be more to this than meets the eye, that Rowling is using HBP to fool the only group of people that stoutly refused to give in to the hive mentality.
Am I feeling foolish? A bit. But I'd put so much stock in JKR's ability to write that I can't quite let go.
At the end of all this, I really wish Ana wasn't right about the Mary Sue theory--as I'm sure she does as well. I was hoping you were right with your Evil!Ginny theory, because it would have been a much more daring move for an author and definitely would have made the story much more interesting ( ... )
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
Like you, I won't be rushing out to get book 7. I'll read it for the sake of finishing the series, but given the craptasticness of HBP, my high hopes for it have been dashed.
To have killed Hermione so completely... JKR will have to move mountains to redeem herself.
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
Now that a reasonable amount of time has passed since my initial HBP rage, however, my doubts about JKR's writing ability have abated somewhat. HBP doesn't make sense unless it really was one big, badly written red herring targeting the only group of readers that has never succumbed to the obvious VOMIT mentality.
I have not lost hope. I believe there must be a valid explanation for the horrors within HBP, but my respect for JKR has gone down the drain for good. Even if she writes H/Hr in the end, I cannot excuse HBP and the destruction of Hermione Granger. As you pointed out, female Harmonians usually identify with Hermione, so tearing down Hermione's character was the equivalent of tearing us down. It was unforgiveable ( ... )
Reply
Leave a comment