Comments | runeharmonic: H.M.S. Harmony: The Greatest Ship I've Ever Known

runeharmonic

H.M.S. Harmony: The Greatest Ship I've Ever Known

Jul 20, 2005 16:58

My final thoughts about HP and shipping, also posted at HF.

( The greatest ship that never sailed... I've never been prouder to be a Harmonian. )

Comments 135

anonymous July 21 2005, 14:49:30 UTC

So, to sum up:

JKR: Harry/Hermione isn't in the text.
Interviewer: H/Hr shippers are delusional!
JKR: No they're not. But their reading comprehension isn't so good.
H/Hr shipper-turned-icon-maker: OMG JKR THINKS I'M DELUSIONAL!!!!!

...beautiful.

runeharmonic July 21 2005, 19:00:23 UTC

lol

Well, it's really more than that (e.g. character assassination, Ginny Sue, Asshat!Harry, Useless!Ron, WTF!Hermione), but thanks.

emiweebee July 21 2005, 19:07:36 UTC

Where do you see "Asshat!Harry"? From where I stood, I kept looking under the rug and saying "CAPSLOCKS!Harry? Where did you go, and who is this mature man in your place?"

silverpatronus July 22 2005, 13:24:02 UTC

agreed. this is the first HP book where i actually liked the hero. twas a nice surprise.

kenboy July 21 2005, 14:56:59 UTC

Linked here by someone, I honestly can't recall whom.

Why do you all care so much what happens in canon?

I've asked this before, in other places, in both serious and non-serious ways, but, seriously, what's the difference?

a) They're sixteen. If you're over sixteen1, are you still with the person you were with when you were sixteen? No matter how truly in love you may have thought you were at the time?

b) There's a war on, and there's plenty of speculation, based on canon hints, that Ron's going to die in it.

c) Harry has already canonically broken up with Ginny. Granted, there's every chance JKR intends to put them together as soon as Voldemort is defeated, or that she intends for Ginny to follow Harry around against his will and get herself in danger and have all sorts of sickeningly annoying romantic little moments during their adventures together -- but THAT canon is years away from now. There's nothing whatsoever to prevent you from writing fic where Hermione realizes Ron's never growing up, or that the bickering isn't as ( ... )

runeharmonic July 21 2005, 19:15:32 UTC

Goodness, thank you for the long and thoughtful response.

If you were looking to change my mind, well, sorry. :P

In the end, it's really a matter of personal opinion and personal experience. It's not just because canon got wrecked or my ship was sunk in an interview. I would've stayed in fandom if JKR were respectful, wrote a stroke of brilliance, and sent a positive message to her readers in the OBHWF relationships and the portrayals of her main characters.

I see none of that, and the effort and energy spent by Harmonians online has been openly ridiculed by the author herself.

That gives me no reason to devote more of my time and energy to a poor Mary Sue writer who contrives many aspects of her story.

I wish JKR had written OBHWF well enough so that I could properly congratulate their supporters, but I can't help but see what a shallow deal they've been given.

No thanks. Everyone else can have JKR's world, so now just let me go create my own. :)

chasezgranger July 21 2005, 15:45:31 UTC

Well said Rune. *hugs* We'll always have each other. :)

runeharmonic July 21 2005, 18:53:32 UTC

*hugs back*

It's actually quite liberating, JKR insults notwithstanding. The illogical arguments were getting old, and while I didn't expect those to be right and for all the subtext we found to be accidental, it's most depressing the way Hermione died for OBHWF.

Oh well. On to bigger and better things!

raidri July 21 2005, 18:34:25 UTC

Ginny Weasley, the most obvious Mary Sue in modern literature

you've never read the Anita Blake book, I take it? Or these prehistoric books with Ayla, the wonderwoman who invents everything from the wheel to the needle to contraception? Or the Anne Bishop books?

(etc, etc)

runeharmonic July 21 2005, 18:51:53 UTC

Most obvious in the sense that JKR's books are the most widely read books in the world, period.

marciamarcia July 21 2005, 18:59:10 UTC

Actually, that would be the Bible. Not that there aren't some Mary Sues in there.

amberdulen July 26 2005, 02:10:21 UTC

Oh, Ayla is the biggest Sue of all time. Or should I say prehistory?

marciamarcia July 21 2005, 18:58:19 UTC

Ginny Weasley, the most obvious Mary Sue in modern literature

Actually, I'm pretty sure that title goes to The Vampire Lestat.

runeharmonic July 21 2005, 19:07:59 UTC

lol @ your comments.

As I said above, what JKR has written goes to the largest audience on the planet.

Ginny Sue triumphs above the rest, in what may be the biggest and longest exercise of ego gratification the world has ever seen! :P

handful July 21 2005, 23:44:47 UTC

Word on a pogo-stick. *sage nod*