HBP thoughts three months later.

[amanuensis1]

What will my reaction be to Half-Blood Prince after the last book?

I still feel like the series peaked at OotP for me. Every volume has felt better than the last except for this last one--I'm still wigged that anyone, Rowling included, believes that Snape's motives are ambiguous, justifying leaving Harry in suspense at the conclusion of this book. I found Harry and Dumbledore's pensieve jaunts puzzlingly expository, and was waiting--am still waiting--to find out what was going on during those. Tom Riddle's history could have been related in two pages; what the heck happened in those pensieve jaunts that made them so crucial? I want there to have been more motivation on Dumbledore's part than exposition, or the idea that Harry had to see those moments for himself to gain understanding of Voldemort and of himself. It's not enough.

I loved the main plot of the book, the main plot being the Half-Blood Prince. Did I know who it was? Hell, no. The concept that "Prince" was a last name never crossed my mind--even when Hermione brought it up I couldn't see how that fit in. I didn't get it until I saw the chapter title "Flight of the Prince."

But I still believed that Slughorn gave him that book deliberately. Bah.

Will the last book draw it all back together for me? Will those unanswered questions finally fall into place? Or will I be happier admitting that HBP was the weak moment in the series for me and let it be?

Comments

[lady-amberfire.livejournal.com]

Amen.

[mereol.livejournal.com]

I'm not commenting but I might be ill if I see a rush on Slughorn/Harry slash.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Hee, it was one of the first pieces of fic I saw after the book. I think it was Sunday.

[mereol.livejournal.com]

Urgh. My poor little Harry.

[logospilgrim.livejournal.com]

My goodness! You are going to be there! I did not know!

Do come to me that I may give you a most joyful robed embrace!

here from the snitch

[playscape.livejournal.com]

*waves*

I'm still wigged that anyone, Rowling included, believes that Snape's motives are ambiguous

I think it's sometimes difficult for us in fandom to see how "ordinary" readers interpret these books. Rowling can probably fool her kid readers and casual, non-obsessed fans of HP, but for those of us adults who think about and analyze these books day and night, we certainly aren't to be fooled. It really seems obvious what's going on to us, but to so many others, it's really not. I know many people who believed what they read in HBP at face value, and it took me explaining to them, point-by-point, detail-by-detail, why it makes no sense to have Snape be that way or another.

That said, I loved CAPSLOCK!Harry, but I was relieved to see that he grew up and became more of the kid he always was from PS/SS.

Here via Daily Snitch

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

AHAHAHA Good point. A well-known fact about the ST movies, as well.

[sidial.livejournal.com]

I cried after OotP.

I didn't after HBP.

I also haven't re-read it... the plot is much tighter, so I don't find myself ... protesting anything (other than the H/G and R/Hr, which, dammit, if you're going to do bad ships, at least do them well!) and going back through to find reasons why Dumbledore should still be alive, the way I still do with Sirius.

There are a lot of parts of HBP which feel ... wrong, to me, but at least it wasn't OotP's plot of "Lots of Being Really Bloody Stupid". There was, actually, some form of plot to it, that was more satisfying, even if quite a few of the characterizations felt ... off.

But then I've been spoiled by fandom (although, really, the ship scenes read, to me, like really bad fanfic). Because JKR is not a good writer. She is passable at best, and needs an editor willing to edit what she's written. What she is good at is spinning a decent enough tale to keep people going with it.

Despite the fact that HBP was actually sort of an emotional let down -- I'm in love with Harry all over again, but can't for the life of me figure out why Hermione was so horribly changed -- I want book seven. But that's mostly because I'm hoping Harry gets to live to be happy.

[jane85.livejournal.com]

Who here besides me wonders if Zabini might be lured to the side of the Light by the presence of a little red-haired girl currently between boyfriends?

It could be possible, considering Ginny seems to like black guys (Dean & Michael).

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Ha, I like what you have to say about the post-Pensieve breakdowns: they're sort of a contradiction, aren't they? If the purpose of the pensieve jaunts is for Harry to see it for himself, feel it for himself, then why does Dumbledore go on as he does?

I like everything you have to say here, actually. The book certainly has strength if we're wrangling over it like this, and if I'm feeling that I can't forgive it for being a transitional book--

You know what you just reminded me of? Star Wars. When the "which of the original Star Wars movies is your favorite?" question comes round and I choose the first, and am met with, "Wha? Not Empire?" I shrug, "I cannot forgive Empire for being an incomplete film." I never have been able to accept/forgive that.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Well, that's the fabulous thing about 'em, isn't it? That even Rowling knew that she could not make that Trio into a Quartet; that HarryRon&Hermione are not made to be added to in that way.

I think that if she wanted to do that she'd have had to flesh out Harry's love interest waaaaay earlier in the series. Even if it had gone Harry/Cho--which would have been okay with me; I was feelin' it in OotP!--she couldn't have made it HarryRon&Hermione&Cho, could she have?

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I'm actually really with you on this one, but I still have a quibble: if that's the case, that Harry couldn't be allowed to know--then the reader shouldn't have been allowed to know either! The reader should never have been allowed "Severus, please..." or Snape's entire set of departing lines--all that should have been hidden and only revealed in the last book.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Ha! I can't say that I agree exactly but that's too funny not to quote.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Heh! What point do you think makes you "all snobby" to fix upon, then?

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

JRK does spin quite a yarn and I admire the vision she had when she concocted this series.

This is something I do keep coming back to--it's a hell of a series, even if some things fall flat for me. When people say, "Well, she's not a very good writer," or, "Well, she's not a good character author," or what have you, I can't nod with them--the series has its strengths and its flaws but, damn, it's a hell of a ride. That's enough for me to call her a good writer.

Re: Man, I won't say that HBP blew chunks...

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

It's interesting that HBP has made me want to see less fanfic that is "what could happen" and more of the kind that is focused on "what won't happen but damn, this would be fun, wouldn't it?" Before HBP I would have said that I liked both kinds, but now I'm more firmly in the latter category.

Re: Here via the snitch

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your thoughts! The contradictions you mention, especially for the Slytherins, shouldn't go unremarked. I remember prior to coming to internet fandom, after reading GoF, thinking, "I suspect she's setting us up for Harry finding a Slytherin in his alliance--perhaps as a romantic interest?--and him wrestling with with that, after all he's come to mistrust in Slytherins." Silly me, thinking the moral/not moral stuff was going to head in that direction. Sigh.

[whitealchemist.livejournal.com]

Heh, you know what? Empire is easily my favourite Star Wars movie. Guess that says something about my reaction to HBP, doesn't it? And again, for me that movie comes down to the same thing for me... it's the build to something greater that I seem to enjoy a lot more than the big event itself (especially when 'the big event' is something like Jedi... bronze medal for you!).

Oh, please don't let Book Seven get stupid like Jedi... I can accept a certain sense of inevitability about what may or may not happen, but i will NOT tolerate some cheesy-ass resolution to the deliciously dark scenario that's been set up in HBP *keeps fingers crossed*

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Heh, I could argue, "That's Snape!", but you mean one who isn't as bitter and difficult as Snape, and we're essentially in agreement anyway.

Re: here from the snitch

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I grin a little, thinking that what you mean by "ordinary" readers might be, "People who actually didn't read all that much growing up beyond what they had to in school and don't read much now, except even they wanted to see what was with all this Harry Potter fuss" as opposed to what I want to think of as ordinary readers, meaning "People who aren't ordinarily science fiction/fantasy obsessed." I just assume ordinary people read, a lot, even if they don't read SF/Fantasy. Which is probably way off, and it makes me cringe--not in embarrassment but horror. ^_^

[ptyx.livejournal.com]

Oh no, I'm not looking for an *angelic* Slytherin! It's just that, well, we have always known that Snape is our man. I'm greedy: one *good* Slytherin is not enough!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, I will look for you especially! I met you at Convention Alley but I will be certain to introduce myself again; you met so many people that weekend!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I did cry after HBP, but not for Dumbledore--for Sirius. I cried because I'd been waiting to see what it was, as Rowling had said would be made evident, that required Sirius's death--and I hadn't seen it. I'd been waiting for that and it hadn't come and I was miserable. (Granted, her later explanation in an interview that it was because the story requires Harry to lose all of his mentor figures made sense to me and brought me some peace, but I didn't know that then.)

I can't agree that I don't find JKR a good writer, because I do. That she's kept me fascinated this long--to me, that's enough to say she's a good writer. I do see why some people, you included, break it down to "the tale" and "the writing" and distinguish what you think of them, certainly.

[sinick.livejournal.com]

*chuckles* Ah, but then, we couldn't have had all this delightful fandom kerfuffle, with the Young and the Clueless going OMG 1 #473 U D13 $N4P3!!!11 and the rest of us singing "Just You Wait, Ickle Fangirls, Just You Wait!" and JKR Muahahaaar!-ing in the distance.

[kleo-dream.livejournal.com]

I don't like this book. I waited the more interesting plot, but it so boring. I was falling asleep, when read some chapters. I think the sixth book don't approach to another five.
I don't believe in this Draco!!! I certainly like such Draco, but only in fics. In Rowling's book - he whimsical young swine, doing small dirty tricks. Ro created from him something serious very quickly . Strange that Voldemort trusted Draco serious task - to murder one of the most powerful wizards. It is strange, very strange. Maybe he wanted to find a reason to kill smaller Malfoy... And I don't understand why Dambldor admited all this things. He knew beforehand how all will end. But why he decided to undertake nothing? For what it was necessary same??? I hope we'll find it in seventh book!
It is very poorly written about Snape. His act should shock, because Rowling wrote him as the positive hero early. Dambi trusted him. Here we see all his essence, but it is described absolutely not clear. We thought that Snape was traitor Voldi, so long, and there was all on the contrary. Though who knows, that is created in Snape's head. In the end could be, that all twice on the contrary.

Love intrigues in this book are simply ridiculous. Everyone are jealous, meeting with people, who don't like, then leave them. I certainly always suspected, that Rowling write Harry for Jinny, but it is so stupidly written!!! Too all is fast. When the person love somebody, comprehension of this fact comes gradually. But Harry started to jealous for the idiotic reason and very quickly. That Jinny kissed with Dean nothing changes. He didn't interest by this earlier. Also has most of all deduced, that he left her in the end. And that Jinny has apprehended this fact rather easy, very strange. All moments about them, didn't include any hint on love. They together and all, but why... It's a fairy tale, and where is the big and light love, which living always??? I don't believe in such love, which Rowling wrote. It's not realy love!!!
That Harry decided won't come back in school more, even if it will open in the next year, idiotic full. I understand, that he has a mission, but without training he won't execute it. And how he want to be an auror? What will he do without school's knowledge? I don't know exactly, but I think, that he, Ron and Hermion will come in school in 7 book.
In general, I expected from this book more and it was very boring for me. It wasn't more than ordinary fanfic.
Beforehand sorry for my broken english.