The Boy Who Read
I finished the Harry Potter books. Are you happy now?
posted by the warrior bard at 9:05 AM
Monday, October 08, 2007
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19 Comments:
Great. Do you want a medal or a chest to pin it on?
Monday, October 08, 2007 12:55:00 PM
Leave it to me to be the bastard.
Monday, October 08, 2007 12:56:00 PM
Did I sound all that thrilled? No. I'm saying I finished them, so everybody can get off my back now.
And no more book recommendations. EV-ER.
Monday, October 08, 2007 1:16:00 PM
So you're saying you don't like to read?
Monday, October 08, 2007 3:03:00 PM
I'm saying that people who fawn over the "genius" and "total fulfillment" of the seventh Harry Potter book need to read more.
That's twice that you've ironically tried to insult me with what is actually the meaning behind my statements.
1) You were one of the people who acted like reading these books was some sort of major achievement, something I "really need" to do. Hardly deserving of a medal or even a cookie. Ironic that you would turn snide on me for it.
2) I like to read. I like to read books that are more well-written. And I have read a lot of them. A LOT.
If you're going to needlessly insult me, I'm going to reciprocate.
Monday, October 08, 2007 3:16:00 PM
eh...shrugs shoulders
Monday, October 08, 2007 3:17:00 PM
Exactly. Your third ironic statement.
Monday, October 08, 2007 3:22:00 PM
Poof! Disappears into the ether of non-fiction
Monday, October 08, 2007 3:22:00 PM
Really I just wanted to see how long it took to annoy the crap out of you.
About 2,5 hours. That took a little longer than expected.
How's the new digs?
Monday, October 08, 2007 3:31:00 PM
I still enjoyed it, but it was nowhere near the caliber that it was "supposed" to be. I mean, it was mostly just a tangled wad of loose ends. And, as with all the books, there were moments where Hermione says, "Oh, that must have been this specific magic that we've never discussed before but the writer needed to use it to get out of a jam."
There were many other weaknesses that bugged me, but I can't go into it without spoiling key plot points. The books was not bad, but it wasn't great, either. At least it had a gripping climax.
But I find it exceedingly lame that in order to find out what happens to all the characters, you have to have read some internet chat with J.K. Rowling a couple weeks after the release. Gee, nice denouement. I'm not criticizing her for bad writing... because, well, it's not actually writing, is it? No, it's talking about what the writer suspects probably happened after her book finished. Is that supposed to be canon? Then put it in the epilogue somewhere! Lame.
I appreciate that she had everything figured out from the first page. But that's hardly outstanding writing. That's just called... being an author. It happens quite a bit, really. "Wow, these books are great because she didn't just make it up as she went along! She's brilliant!"
All right. I'm disappointed and even annoyed by the last book. There's more I have to say about specific moments, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Maybe this harshness has already sullied someone's enjoyment? I doubt it, because this is mostly to dilute the over-zealous, gushing hype that already exists. Read it, but don't listen to the hype, and don't even listen to me. Just read it on your own terms, then make up your own mind. I liked it, but I didn't LOVE it.
Monday, October 08, 2007 3:35:00 PM
That would be good, if they put the interview as a post epilogue in future printings. Or a little essay summarizing all the key points. It really helps, I think.
Monday, October 08, 2007 3:43:00 PM
Well, I was able to talk to you about some specifics, but I didn't post the "spoiler alert" caveat here. I also emailed my brother in a much more scathing manner.
Monday, October 08, 2007 3:47:00 PM
Some of these complaints do sound almost like something the Captain might say. What is happening to me?!
Monday, October 08, 2007 3:51:00 PM
Yes... what is happening to you...
Perhaps you're becoming stronger. Your senses heightened. You can feel things, see things, that others cannot.
You're better somehow. Better than the rest of the stinking seething monkey masses. You walk amongst them as a spider amongst flies. as a God.
...
Or, perhaps, you're just becoming an even more embittered bastard.
Yup. Probably that. Not a vampire like I first thought.
Easily confused, those two are.
Monday, October 08, 2007 4:35:00 PM
I was going to answer with "you're developing taste?"
But that sounded to, I dunno... assholier than thou.
Is that a word? Assholier? Versus an "assholeer", which is something far, far more sinister.
Monday, October 08, 2007 4:38:00 PM
"Assholeer"... well, I do wield it with... prowess, I suppose.
Word verification:
rvshiv
I think I did a paper on that in my high school health class.
Monday, October 08, 2007 7:14:00 PM
To be perfectly honest, I wasn't that impressed the Harry Potter series either. Folks were all "ooo...magic"...and as a reader of "genre" fiction both quality and trashy, it takes more than the presence of magic to really impress me. As is often the case with overlong books, I found myself thinking "Rowling's success has paralyzed her editors." Same thing I think with George R.R. Martin.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007 6:23:00 PM
What could/would/should have made up for it is if Rowling actually matured her writing as much as people said she did. She barely touched the psychology at all. In fact, the fourth book is about as "mature" as it gets, death and darkness aside. Killing off characters doesn't make it "grown up," delving into the dark side of the characters' psyche does. I think that was the biggest let-down to me. I was told that she was aware that her audience "grew up"... but I see no evidence of that beyond the fourth book.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007 8:17:00 AM
Of course, none of this means the movie adaptations can't be totally sweet...
And a good actor and good director can convey a lot, provided the moviegoer is intelligent enough to make the right inferences. I hope the last two movies are as good as they should be...
Wednesday, October 10, 2007 8:19:00 AM
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