Which book are you reading now? Volume XIV

[Synobun]

I've picked up this excellent so far book about the evils of my ancestors and why white people should not be allowed to even write books anymore. Bit eye opening

I must admit some amusement at you posting this and then immediately going on a self-pity posting spree.

 

[Kyriakos]

I've picked up this excellent so far book about the evils of my ancestors and why white people should not be allowed to even write books anymore. Bit eye opening

You are on a roll about white people. Isn't Poland also white? ^_^

 

[yung.carl.jung]

I've picked up this excellent so far book about the evils of my ancestors and why white people should not be allowed to even write books anymore. Bit eye opening

man, I still remember reading my first history book, too! good for you

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I thought that OotP was the longest and slowest book and could have done with being at least 100 pages shorter. Why did you despise TDH so much?

Am I right that Molly's obsession with housecleaning at 12 Grimmauld Place is one subplot that could have been handled with a lot fewer instances of it? I just read the part about all the mold, and given my own RL experiences with that, I can't imagine making kids scrub moldy surfaces with cleaning cloths. After all these centuries, surely some wizard or witch would have invented a mold-remediation spell.

And I now understand why someone wrote a fanfic in which Sirius finally has enough of Molly Weasley's bossiness, tells her off, and says if she can't STFU (paraphrasing slightly), she will be banished from the house. She doesn't believe him, so he carries out his threat (her husband and the kids are welcome to stay).

I really doubt the HP series will be around (as in read by relatively many) 100 years from now.
Probably even a few decades is a stretch.

Funny, people said the same of Shakespeare.

Not that I think Rowling is anywhere close to on par with Shakespeare; in fact, it's been determined that there is a suspicious amount of the basic premise for Harry Potter that was thisclose to an earlier work by Ursula K. LeGuin (multi-award-winning SF/F author with a career spanning decades) - who expressed disgust that Rowling didn't have the integrity to acknowledge where she'd gotten some of her ideas.

I felt DH was characterized by Rowling not knowing how she wanted to get from A to B. Hence we have the 3 main characters moping around in a forest for months before Rowling decides she needs to kickstart the plot by having Harry go "I guess we should see where my parents died, because I've never done it and what better time than when we are being hunted by wizard nazis?". Insert some poorly written chase scenes, overly sentimental deaths, and a cutesy epilogue.

I have to agree regarding the chase scenes and all the stuff that happened in the tent and running through the forest. I remember watching those movies (they split the final novel into two movies) and wondering WTH was going on, for most of the time.

Except... Dobby's death was not "overly sentimental." I had no idea what the hell was happening for most of the final three movies, but I did really like Dobby. He didn't deserve what happened to him, and kudos to the filmmakers and Dobby's voice actor for making people care about him enough to cry during his death scene (some people cried over Yoda's death; would you consider that "overly sentimental"?).

This confusion is yet another reason why I read fanfic. Now I finally get one of those chase scenes, because someone wrote a story explaining why the kids were being chased (in the forest, not in the diner). And yeah, the book/movies should have explained it better, but oh well.

One of the things I enjoyed most about Harry Potter was the school scenes and her efforts, however underwhelming in retrospect, to make the world seem alive. Deathly Hallows had none of that - just Ron, Harry, and Hermione moping around in a forest taking turns acting out of character and all wangsty because of the horcrux.

I've seen a YT video that explains how having particular directors makes all the difference in how the setting is perceived. In Prisoner of Azkaban, we're not just shown the interior of Hagrid's hut, we're shown where it is in relation to the castle and the Forbidden Forest/Shrieking Shack, and it makes Hogwarts seem like a place, not just a collection of interior sets. That was also the first movie to be darker in tone (according to the YT video, though I'd consider mind control of a child and petrification of various people - and a cat - to be dark).

If I am remembering the book right, Nevile would have been an excellent focus in the novel as he was actually running around fighting the wizard nazis instead of moping in a forest.

Yes, they should have done more with Neville, given that he could just as easily been the focus of the prophecy as Harry. Both boys had tragic things happen to their parents, but at least Neville wasn't abused as a child, as Harry was.

I've picked up this excellent so far book about the evils of my ancestors and why white people should not be allowed to even write books anymore. Bit eye opening

What book is that?

Anything like the opinion offered by some FN person on CBC that non-indigenous people should not be allowed to even speak indigenous words or names (and would therefore have to rename half the place-names in Canada and find different words for some common Canadian objects)?

Funny how racism and cultural appropriation appears to only work in one direction and the other direction won't acknowledge their hypocrisy (there's an article on CBC showing how some native artists have appropriated baby Yoda for their handicraft industry; I wonder if they bothered to ask permission of Disney and the other copyright holders?).

 

[Smellincoffee]

I meant collectively, not just during OOTP. Harry actually learns the spell during Prisoner of Azkaban and uses it in that movie and in Goblet of Fire.


Sorry, I forgot to answer this question.

It's my first time reading the books. I've seen the movies several times, though never from #1-8. The science fiction channel here shows them in chunks on long weekends: #1-3 (three times), then #4-6 (three times), then #7-8 (three times). Some day I plan to actually watch everything in the right order.

And I will still cry at Dobby's death.

For a first-time viewer who hasn't read the books and only has a vague idea of what the story is about and who the main characters are, it's very confusing... especially when someone dies and the movies cycle back and you see a particular character and think, "hey waitaminute, I thought that person was dead!".

I've been remedying my lack of knowledge with a couple of YT channels that break down the movies and novels, explaining and analyzing the events and characters. There are a couple of decent fan films set in the Marauders' era, and I've been reading copious amounts of fanfiction (just got caught up with one that's 159 chapters long - even longer than the longest Star Trek fanfic I've gotten involved in).

Have you discovered Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality yet? I've read a lot of HP fanfic and it's the only series I remember and go back to re-read.

 

[Arakhor]

To be fair, I don't remember specifically which bits of OotP dragged for me, but then it has been about ten years.

On the other hand, Azkaban was my favourite of the films.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Have you discovered Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality yet? I've read a lot of HP fanfic and it's the only series I remember and go back to re-read.

Do you have a link? None of the links on fanfiction.net make any sense.

To be fair, I don't remember specifically which bits of OotP dragged for me, but then it has been about ten years.

On the other hand, Azkaban was my favourite of the films.

I just found a fanfic in which Sirius is complaining about being bored, stuck at 12 Grimmauld Place, and Kingsley Shacklebolt gives him a houseplant to take care of. Sirius doesn't really have a clue how to do that... "I'm a terrible plant parent!"

 

[Synobun]

Do you have a link? None of the links on fanfiction.net make any sense.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5782108/1/Harry_Potter_and_the_Methods_of_Rationality

 

[Valka D'Ur]

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5782108/1/Harry_Potter_and_the_Methods_of_Rationality

Thank you. It looks... strange, but I'll give it a try (fairly sure that TPTB at ff.net would frown on all that self-promotion, but whatever).

 

[tjs282]

Am I right that Molly's obsession with housecleaning at 12 Grimmauld Place is one subplot that could have been handled with a lot fewer instances of it? I just read the part about all the mold, and given my own RL experiences with that, I can't imagine making kids scrub moldy surfaces with cleaning cloths. After all these centuries, surely some wizard or witch would have invented a mold-remediation spell.

With hindsight from HBP and TDH, that chapter(s?) was mostly a bunch of red herrings, designed to hide (in plain sight) one piece of information which is actually story-arc relevant.

Since you've already seen the movies, you may be able to pick it out of the dross.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

With hindsight from HBP and TDH, that chapter(s?) was mostly a bunch of red herrings, designed to hide (in plain sight) one piece of information which is actually story-arc relevant.

Since you've already seen the movies, you may be able to pick it out of the dross.

I've seen the movies somewhat out of order. When the HP marathons are shown, it's over a long holiday (ie. Christmas Eve through Boxing Day or over New Years, Easter, or Victoria Day long weekend), and the movies are not shown in a straight succession.

I'm guessing I might have another opportunity later this month, and now that I've actually read some of the books and watched some YT videos that explain some of what confused the hell out of me, I should get more out of the movies next time. I did get that the Boggart scene shows Molly's fear that her children might be killed (a valid fear as her brothers were killed in the first Wizarding War).

 

[Smellincoffee]

Thank you. It looks... strange, but I'll give it a try (fairly sure that TPTB at ff.net would frown on all that self-promotion, but whatever).

I haven't read it it in a few years, but it starts with Harry being adopted by a pair of scientists...and there's a lot of character development for Quirell and Draco. Here's one of my favorite bits:

“In any case, Mr. Potter, you have not answered my original question,” said Professor Quirrell finally. “What is your ambition?”
“Oh,” said Harry. “Um..” He organized his thoughts. “To understand everything important there is to know about the universe, apply that knowledge to become omnipotent, and use that power to rewrite reality because I have some objections to the way it works now.”
There was a slight pause.
“Forgive me if this is a stupid question, Mr. Potter,” said Professor Quirrell, “but are you sure you did not just confess to wanting to be a Dark Lord?”
“That’s only if you use your power for evil,” explained Harry. “If you use the power for good, you’re a Light Lord.”
“I see,” Professor Quirrell said. He tapped his other cheek with a finger. “I suppose I can work with that. But Mr. Potter, while the scope of your ambition is worthy of Salazar himself, how exactly do you propose to go about it? Is step one to become a great fighting wizard, or Head Unspeakable, or Minister of Magic, or -“
“Step one is to become a scientist.”
Professor Quirrell was looking at Harry as if he’d just turned into a cat.
“A scientist,” Professor Quirrell said after a while.
Harry nodded.
“A scientist?” repeated Professor Quirrell.
“Yes,” Harry said. “I shall achieve my objectives through the power… of Science!”

As the series progresses Harry determines to destroy Death. Fun stuff -- the author has a clever sense of humor and has characters making self-conscious DnD & literary references. To quote from my post when I first shared it on my blog:

The characters are also a bit more self-aware and make sly references to gaming culture (“Fine, I’ll put my quest items in my inventory“) and literature (wherein Dumbledore quotes Gandalf, with a twinkle in his eye and reveals that Muggleborn students insist on giving him copies of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

.

 

[Takhisis]

I've seen the movies somewhat out of order.

The movies are… unsubtle. In the books it's better, because you can go and reread *that* page.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

The movies are… unsubtle. In the books it's better, because you can go and reread *that* page.

Okay, which page? Are you referencing OOTP? I'm currently on (*checks Kindle*) the first page of Chapter 13, entitled "Detention with Dolores". I don't have Half-Blood Prince or Deathly Hallows downloaded.

 

[tjs282]

I'm guessing I might have another opportunity later this month, and now that I've actually read some of the books and watched some YT videos that explain some of what confused the hell out of me, I should get more out of the movies next time. I did get that the Boggart scene shows Molly's fear that her children might be killed (a valid fear as her brothers were killed in the first Wizarding War).

The main problem with the HP movies, especially the later ones, is that they cut a lot of the 'extra' stuff — you know, little things like secondary character development and plot advancement — in favour of the parts they could make into big cinematic set-pieces (like the 10-minute dragon chase in GoF, or the totally-invented-for-the-movie Death Eater attack on The Burrow in HBP).

Which is understandable in the sense that they were making a movie, but did mean that a lot of those later movies felt a little disjointed, as they lurched from one big scene to the next without really explaining what was going on. And "You can just go read the book" is never a good excuse for poor screenwriting: my wife had read the books (once), but admitted still feeling a bit perplexed by the movies.

The movies are… unsubtle. In the books it's better, because you can go and reread *that* page.

QFT

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Yeah, that dragon chase... I had to shake my head over that. A 14-year-old kid doing that, and the adults just stand there and make faces of fear or disapproval, but don't actually do anything.

I know this is fantasy and therefore should not expect realism in many parts of it. But this whole "you can't get out of it and we can't help you because it's a magical contract you didn't actually sign of your own free will" thing was just dumb.

There's a fanfic in which Harry realizes that dragons are serpentine, and he can speak to snakes. So he handles the first task by simply asking the dragon to give him the egg that's mixed up with her own, because it's a fake. She does. Task complete.

 

[Kyriakos]

I started reading the Pickwick Papers.
It is pretty ridiculous...

Fernando Pessoa once wrote that the greatest tragedy of his life was that he read the Pickwick Papers; because after that he could never read them again for the first time.

 

[Takhisis]

Okay, which page? Are you referencing OOTP? I'm currently on (*checks Kindle*) the first page of Chapter 13, entitled "Detention with Dolores". I don't have Half-Blood Prince or Deathly Hallows downloaded.

When you get to reading the seventh book I'll tell you. I don't want to spoil it.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

When you get to reading the seventh book I'll tell you. I don't want to spoil it.

Okay, that will have to wait until I either get back into my Amazon account to download the last two books (I have a Kindle Unlimited subscription and my Amazon account doesn't play well with Firefox) or find the physical books and get them read. Say sometime in January, maybe.

 

[Birdjaguar]

@hobbsyoyo book review

Rivers unfurl like pretty ribbons across distant landscapes in “If You Come to Earth” (Chronicle, 80 pages, $18.99) , a beautiful and quirky picture book by Sophie Blackall that’s styled as a child’s letter to a visitor from outer space. “There are more than seven billion people on Earth,” the narrator explains. “You can’t see our thoughts, but sometimes we show our feelings on our faces.” The illustrations for these musings have all the humor and delicacy that make Ms. Blackall’s work so distinctive (see left): wry lines and marzipan hues in tableaux that abound in seek-and-find interest.

With an innocent as narrator— “Some things are part of nature. Some things are made by people”—this open-hearted book exalts the commonplace, making ordinary things seem remarkable.