OOP. Impressions. Spoilers. Anyone? By Di

[kirst_inn]

Just got this as an email from Di - I think she meant to post it on 
list (bleary, like the rest of us...?Hurrah!), so I've cut and 
pasted.

Di wrote:
Good morning from the Atlanta suburbs.  And yes, I did finish it and 
I have to agree w/ Kirstini on some things:



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> 3.Lily's eyes? Indeed, more "about Lily"? Not much, was there? As 
> far as I can tell, there was just And what about the claim that we 
> would never see a living Lily or James? I thing that particular 
> excerpt counts... (NB - I'm fascinated by the idea, pushed further 
> than it was in GoF and CoS, that a recorded memory doesn't just 
> record the subjective truth of the person in that memory. Harry 
was 
> able to break away from Snape's consciousness altogether, almost 
as 
> though there is one particular objective standpoint on a set of 
> events in existence in addition to the individual consciousnesses 
> which experience them subjectively. Harry wasn't seeing through 
> Snape's point of view, he was seeing through the eyes of a third 
> person narrator. I think I need to think those implications 
through 
> further...)

I too was disappointed by this; I was expecting to hear more about 
Lily, especially after Petunia knew who the dementors were/are (one 
of my immediate "WHOA" moments") and THEN got a Howler (another eye 
opener).  I thought the exchange between James and Lily was very 
interesting - personality wise, Harry sounds more like Lily than 
like James - not actively tormenting people.  In books 6 & 7 do we 
get to see how loathing turned into love?  And I find it hard to 
believe that there are only two reason (taunting/Lupin's attack) for 
Snape's hatred of James/Harry.  Could it be Lily?  Could the 
popular "unrequited love" theory be true?  

Also, I thought we would learn more about Snape - his background and 
why Dumbledor never gives him the DADA job?  I was almost thinking 
that when Harry was looking in Snape's pensive at the OWL testing 
that it would be reveled that due to James, Snape did poorly on that 
section of the exam (DADA) and was therefore not elegible to get the 
teaching post (since OWL/NETWS help determine your job in the 
wizarding world).

I think Luna holds a key that I am not immediately getting - Harry's 
love interest?  Neville's?  I think Cho is out of the picture and so 
is Genny as far as Harry is concerned - although I got the definiate 
impression that Luna has a thing for Ron.  I also wondered that we 
didn't see more of a Ron/Hermione couple - they know but don't want 
to act on it?  As for her correspondence w/ Victor - something for 
the future?  Does it have to due w/ the line about Quiddich being a 
devisive stimulant w/in the school?  No idea.

I will be honest - it was very good - I really liked Neville coming 
into his own and the DA classes and Dumbledor knocking heads, but I 
think my favorite part had to due w/ Petunia - and her hidden 
knowledge of the wizarding world (and her pact w/ Dumbledor).  

I did think the ending was a bit, well, "Harry is the one who must 
Kill or be Killed/Neo is the ONE/To bear a ring of power is to be 
alone" kind of thing (I hope this makes sense).  I mean, I think we 
can see where this goes now - even if he awakes w/o a scar and it is 
all a dream (a la Dallas), the knowledge that Harry does not have to 
involve anyone, but do it himself to save the universe will an 
intereting angle for the remaming two books.

Okay, one last word on the Death - that worked for me.  I didn't 
want it happen, but there was A LOT of forshadowing here and it 
didn't make it hard to do at all.  I am just sorry that when all 
this is filmed this character will not be in all seven films - I 
would have liked that - the person cast in this role is very good 
and I will miss not having that talented person in future films.

There is a lot more I would like to discuss, but I am really would 
like to read what others have thought about it.

And I am eagerly awaiting 6 & 7 - this  whole series just keeps 
getting better.

Thanks - di