8.21.03 - It Was Fun...

This used to be a regular section on earlier versions of this webpage, but during that long gap between book 4 and 5, there wasn't much to say (well, except rant about those horrible Harry Potter movies, but they're not worth wasting a webpage on). And then, college classes, homework, and extracurriculars don't leave much time for webpages... which is one of the reasons 1) there haven't been updates for ages, and 2) why this webpage is being officially closed now.

Honestly, I had hoped that book 5 would do it for me--bring back that inspiration that spurred me to open this page in the first place and create some of the best fanwork I've ever made. However, as you've probably guessed, it didn't. Honestly, I was pretty disappointed.

== STOP if you haven't read Book 5, spoilers ahead ==

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First off--long books are good, and usually, I enjoy staying in the colorful world of HP for a good, long romp but... this book rambled like a fanfiction! I hate to say it, but I really feel JKR is too involved with her fans. This book feels very different from the other four (well, #4 started straying a bit, but certainly not to this degree!), and I don't think it is simply because she took three years to write it. It seems like JKR is no longer in that same world or has been colored too much by amateur works that use liberal amounts of melodrama and angst... this book is so much darker, but not in the way the books have been dark from the beginning. No, OotP's brand of angst had a disturbingly fanficky feel to it. Certainly, the writing style is still JKR's clean, witty one that we all fell in love with years ago but... the, I guess, *feeling* behind the book isn't the same. It's unwieldy, unfocused, and the obligatory "climactic battle with Voldie" at the end felt really forced. Honestly, the villain of this book is Umbridge and the school story was fun and overall satisfying (if long) until its abrupt conclusion with Umbridge being carried off by centaurs and the quick shift to Voldemort's dangerous world.

Speaking of Voldemort, I'm very surprised at him. I understand that he would lay low while re-amassing power, but it seems like the ONLY things he did all year were free his imprisoned Death Eaters and pine over that silly prophecy(-that-we-all-already-knew). T.M. Riddle always struck me as a man of action and I would think that, after 14 years of forced inaction, he would be doing a bit more than Imperius Cursing Ministry officials to obtain a prophecy. And... oh God, did Voldemort call Bellatrix Lestrange by a pet name?! "Bella?!" *shudder* I had SO much respect for Voldie before! Please, please don't tell me he and Mrs. Lestrange are having an affair... that just kills his character in my eyes.

Speaking of villains... the Lestranges are not cool as I had hoped they'd be. Rudolph or whatever his name is seems to be an extra. And "Bella" *shudder* is just a batty, fanatical, old hag--not the classy, Lucius-like villain that I was hoping for. Ah, and speaking of poor Lucius! He got captured?! What a WASTE of such a yummy villain! Poor, old Draco is never going to come to the good side now.

Speaking of UTTER WASTES... poor Sirius! Not only was he killed before he got to DO anything in the series, he (and quite a few other fan-favorite characters) was bastardized mercilessly in this book! This is the main reason I thought JKR had been reading too much HP fanfiction. She's either doling out fanservice (all the references to Sirius's handsomeness and the mention of Oliver Wood's Quidditch career, for instance) or denying/punishing fans' ideas. James is an annoying, typical, haughty teenager; Lily's no saint; Sirius is a whining, mentally-stunted, unreliable adult; Hagrid is useless and grumpy and WAY too depressing to be the comic relief; Cho is a bleeding heart, jealous girlie; Harry is the most annoying, sulky, angst-ridden teenage boy in the world (after years of sweet, rule-obeying childishness that made him endearing); Voldemort's a do-nothing; and Dumbledore (ugh, the worst of all!) shows his violent, un-enlightened side. Ouch.

Really, Dumbledore was the worst disappointment. I know it's unrealistic in our Western world to find a human who really is wise and enlightened and always able to guide us but--well, this is a story of a childhood and we all have to have our role models who (whatever they are in reality) always remain as our heroes and inspire us through adulthood and onward. But seeing Dumbledore's carelessness (Snape's occlumency lessons), bloodlust ("I will not be satisfied with merely *killing* you, Tom" ouch! It hurts to think our wise, old Dumbledore's not above killing), admittance of his partiality for Harry ("I love you like a grandfather, boohoo"), that lame "oh, btw, since I'm used to explaining all my mysterious ways at the end of each book, I made Ron a prefect instead of you 'cuz I thought you couldn't handle it" comment (as though that redeemed anything), and general air of defeat is just... urgh, it's awful! WHY didn't JKR kill him rather than do this to him? At least leave us with the image of a person who inspires us as we keep fighting the good fight! It seemed *right* for him to die here, since that will leave only Harry to fight Voldemort and to figure out that "old magic catch" that made Dumbledore's eyes light up when Harry told him Voldemort could now touch him in book 4 (instead of giving us that lame-ass prophecy(-that-we-all-already-knew). But I have a feeling that, since it was a popular theory in fandom, JKR might have pulled another switch-a-roo like she did with the title of book 4 (changing it from the well-known HP & the Doomspell Tournament to HP & the Goblet of Fire). And of course, let's go for the maximum reaction by choosing the single, most popular character in the entire series-- Sirius Black!

I liked Sirius (though not as much as Remus ^^), and though I would be sad that she killed someone I liked, I wouldn't be upset if it forwarded the story in an important way (see episode 60/volume 15 of Hikaru no Go for an example of killing a character that EVERYONE loves but it is good/correct for the story). However, what does killing Sirius do? How does that make Harry grow? No, he's just become more bitter and hateful. And how does that help the story? Does Harry inherit the Black family mansion and somehow gain the skills/resources to defeat Voldemort? Certainly, no. And as far as plotlines that are not tied off-- does Sirius never get to see his name cleared for a crime he didn't commit? Does Sirius NOT get vengeance on Wormtail for killing James? Have we suddenly forgotten that the core of this series is that justice always prevails? Apparently so. And also--Sirius's death was written with a very large wall between the author and the audience... maybe it hurt her to write it? Well, even so, she can't kill off such an important character and write it as dryly and unceremoniously as she did. I didn't even cry, and that is the number one way to tell if you have failed in building emotional impact. Honest, I cry for everything (Mufasa, Javert, Boromir--I'm a real sap) but not a single tear for Sirius. @_@; What a horrible, wasteful way for a guy like Sirius to die.

Well, that isn't to say there was nothing good about the book. Like I said, JKR's writing style is so refreshing that it's always a pleasure to cruise along with it. And Hermione, Lupin, Fred & George, McGonagall, Flitwick, and Snape were wonderful. Snape's story is getting more and more interesting--as is his relationship with Harry. I really wish they could get to be friends! Hermione just gets cooler every year (though she's never disappointed me like Ron and, this year, Harry, have) and Lupin, though only appearing sparingly in this book, is our ray of light every time! (talking with that werewolf on Christmas, having a "parental" exchange with Sirius ^^, comforting Mrs. Weasley, grieving quietly when Sirius died... MAN, I love that guy!) Fred and George, of course, were our heroes in the midnight of Umbridge's rule of Hogwarts--the real golden boys...why don't they have their own series? Oh yes, not enough miserable, angst-ridden things happen to them, THANK GOD!! May they always be cheerful and carefree! <3 I've always loved McGonagall and Flitwick, but their rebellion against Umbridge was SO awesome. McGonagall's always been my kickass lady of the series, and cuddly, little Flitwick is SO cute (giving Harry those charmed snacks for yelling at Umbridge ^^).

The one thing JKR did boldly in this book, which I respect, is her unabashed criticism of government. Not that I'm the greatest cynic of state (at least, not when there is a Democrat in the White House ^^), but it's good for our children to know that governments can be corrupt and that you are not wrong to question it.

Well, that's it for my Book 5 rant... Of course I'll continue reading the series, but the passion is gone for good, I think. For those of you who feel the way I do, I highly recommend the manga/anime Hikaru no Go--now *there's* a tightly and well-written story of a boy's growth that doesn't disappoint from start to finish!

And for those who have been trying to get into contact with me, I apologize for not putting my email address up sooner! Here it is, but please don't ask me to update--you'd be wasting your breath. Good luck and thank you to all who visited my page! It really has been fun!

Yours,
  Dark Cyradis