Why to Like and Not Like OoP

[newdevilry9]

No: HPFGUIDX 70582

Del, thank you for your support of this theory.  It supported the 
points m.steinberger made in a way that was much less insulting to 
readers who did like the book.   I didn't feel that my intellect was 
being scrutinized as it was in m.steinberger's post. 

Although I liked this book very much, I have my problems with it.  
OoP is not my favorite of the series, it is not my least favorite. I 
do agree with many of these points, some of them I do not agree 
with.  I have no intention of going point-for-point on what I liked 
and didn't.  

I think it's important to keep in mind that it is still initially 
intended to be a children's book.  While I feel that OoP is touching 
on themes that are not entirely at a child's level, I think JKR keeps 
the complexity and range of emotions somewhat simplistic for that 
reason.  Kids need to understand that there hero is pissed.  Kids 
don't need to consider how much therapy he would really need to deal 
with all of the trauma he's been through.  And to counter, while yes, 
GoF was traumatic, so was his interaction with Quirrel and Riddle.   
Ok, so no one happened to die in those instances, but it was not for 
a lack of trying and no one was wondering why Post-Traumatic Stress 
Disorder wasn't being addressed following those books.

Selfishly, I just wish JKR would write books for adults, or maybe 
just write an adults version, something that really delves into the 
complexities, and all of the emotions that are there.   I think they 
are great characters and to delve into what's really going on with 
each of them would be too complicated for the kids whose parents are 
reading this to them at bedtime (an insane practice if you ask me.) 
> 
> > To be realistic, Harry ought to be suffering from Post-Traumatic 
> > Stress Disorder, after the graveyard scene combined with the 
severe 
> > lack of emotional support afterwards. 

> 
> I just don't understand why he never simply wrote a letter to 
Harry ! 
> He was afraid that an eye-to-eye conversation would awaken V's 
> conscience inside Harry, but a letter wouldn't have done that, 
while 
> still explaining to Harry while they couldn't talk anymore.
> Another question : once they've fought V, suddenly it's okay to 
talk 
> together ? How come ??? I mean, V is still alive, he's still in 
> Harry's head as far as we know (he can't possess Harry, all right, 
> but why should the link between them suddenly be severed ?), and he 
> hates DD more than ever. So ?

To this end, why couldn't someone else in the Order tell him all this 
stuff?  They all obviously know why Harry needs to practice 
Occlumency.  If Sirius told him, "look kid, V's going to mess with 
your head and that could be dangerous for a lot of people,"  Harry 
certainly would have taken it to heart. He didn't have to hear it 
from DD.  This was my main problem with this book, it always struck 
me as such an obvious weakness.  Yea, DD admits he dropped the ball 
on this one, but it just seemed kind of obvious.  
> 
> Depends how it's done. Didn't find it fascinating here, especially 
> since JKR kept to her highly annoying habit of not telling things 
> straight and clear. I just can't get over the fact that by book 5, 
we 
> still don't know such basic things as which House each of the 
> Marauders belonged to, how James and Lily got together, who and 
what 
> their families were, what job they had, etc... It doesn't make 
sense 
> that Harry wouldn't have discovered those things by now, so I'm 
> feeling like I'm being lied to, which I hate.

Which is why, when readers say that they want JKR to write Harry Post-
Hogwarts books, I say: no way, not interested.  Give me the history 
of Lily and James!  The story of the first war, the original Order!  
That is my desperate wish for what JKR should do next.  I want an 
adult history of the adults.  A girl can dream, right? 

Just a few quick thoughts on a lot of really involved, not so quick 
thoughts.

NewDev