OOP: Jumbled musings on various brilliant bits

[grindieloe]

No: HPFGUIDX 63447

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Anne" <anneu53714 at y...> wrote:
> Back, I hope, from my pre-OOP exile...
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> I might never be able to review this book properly, but my short 
> overall reaction is *bloody brilliant*!! Where to start? In no 
> particular order the bloody brilliant bits were (IMO): 
> 
> * Angry!Angry!ANGRY!Harry (through the whole book) -- to me this 
was 
> where most of the hormones we were "promised" were channeled. I 
wish 
> I could remember what hormone is released by persistent anger, but 
> whatever it is, OOP was awash in it, much moreso than in estrogen 
or 
> testosterone.
> 
> * much-nicer!Ron, with some independent successes under his belt
> 
> * Hermione the rule breaker (!!) - her loyalty to Harry and her 
sense 
> of justice made her incapable of accepting Umbridge's tyrannical 
coup 
> d'etat
> 
> * Fred and George's escape from Hogwarts - infreakingcredible!!
> 
> * KickAss!McGonagall -God how I adore that woman!
> 
> * Harry's trip into Snape's pensieve, and his resulting 
> disillusionment about his parents - poor Harry found out his 
sainted 
> parents were human after all.
> 
> * the D.A. (which seriously Rockkkkkked! and which showed Leader!
> Harry very nicely)
> 
> * the visit to St. Mungo's - nice cameo by Lockhart, and the 
> Longbottom scene was sooo sad
> 
> * Dolores Jane Umbridge, the Headmistress from Hell - not sure I've 
> ever hated a character as much as hate this woman. She's the 
devil's 
> spawn.
> 
> * Harry's dreams and the whole Occlumency thing - as we discovered 
in 
> DD's big talk with Harry, these were really the backbone of the 
book 
> and the linchpin of the action
> 
> * the O.W.L.s - just loved the whole chapter on the exams, as well 
as 
> the descriptions of all the *extra* homework they got that year. 
> Makes me glad I didn't have to take them!
> 
> * Grawpy (I refuse to ship Grawpy/Hermy, though I might be 
persuaded 
> to ship Grawpy/Umbridge)
> 
> * KickAss!Neville (finally, Neville shows why he's in Gryffindor) --
 
> Loved, loved, loved. He lived up to every Courageous!Neville 
> depiction I've ever seen in fan fic.
> 
> * Ginny finally getting a personality (and getting over Harry) -- 
yes 
> Ginny suddenly got a personality, after 4 years without one; maybe 
> she IS finally coming into her own. The fact that she had 2 
> boyfriends this year and NEITHER of them was Harry suggests to me 
she 
> is soo over him. (Don't want to debate shipping here, just my 
> impression).
> * Luna Lovegood and her so-obvious-crush on Ron - she seemed a tad 
> too goofy at first but she grew on me. I think she could be shipped 
> with several of the male characters (including Ron :) (ditto above)
> 
> * the thestrals - JKR introduces at least one new and important 
> Fantastic Beast in every book, and these were amazing. I wonder how 
> many other students besides Harry and Luna could see the thestrals?
> 
> * the return of Lupin -- MOONY!! MOONY!! MOONY!! -- but he didn't 
get 
> nearly enough page time ... but I can wait till Book 6 I guess.
> 
> * Tonks and Kingsley; -- Kingsley seems like Mr. Clean (but black, 
> possibly Jamaican); Tonks is just totally rad. Yes, there will be 
> about 500 Metamorphmagus fan fics on ff.net by the end of the year 
> 
> * the REAL Mad-Eye Moody - I was surprised at how much Real!Moody 
> seemed like Fake!Moody (except not a bad guy)... but maybe I 
> shouldn't have been.
> 
> * Molly Weasley's boggart -- that was the first thing in the book 
> that made me cry.
> 
> * Percy's attitude problem -- Sellout!Percy didn't get much page 
time 
> but was annoying as hell... will he come to his senses now that 
even 
> Fudge admits the truth?? Let's hope so.
> 
> * the swashbuckling confrontation at the MoM (and the MoM itself 
> seemed to have come out of a brighter version of Terry Gilliam's 
> Brazil) -- This reminded me of the climax of a particular fan 
> fiction - not that I think JKR has read that fan fic, it just kind 
of 
> flashed in my mind as I read it. Except unlike in that fan fic, 
> Harry's not a Mage.
> 
> * the death (*still sobbing*) - As with many fans, the death of 
> Sirius hit me hard. Harry will feel guilty about this the rest of 
his 
> life... 
> 
> * Dumbledore's revelation (the annual "big pep talk" which turned 
> into "what I should have told you five years ago") -- ah yes, the 
> prophecy. I will have to re-read that chapter many many times. 
> Voldemort CHOSE Harry for this... marked him... just amazing.
> 
> ***
> 
> What I didn't see or hear that I wanted to see or hear was someone, 
> ANYONE saying, "I love you, Harry." Harry must know by now that 
> certain people love him, just by the way they stand by him and back 
> him up, but as far as I know no one has said those words to him 
since 
> his parents were killed. Now that he's turning 16, it's about time 
> someone said it. How can anyone go through life without hearing 
that? 
> Hugs and the occasional peck on the cheek aren't enough. He needs 
to 
> hear those words. 
> 
> That's all I can write now, except to say that JKR's entire 
approach 
> to this novel was quite audacious and very brave for a writer of 
> popular fiction. She has taken a very difficult year in anyone's 
life 
> (age 15) and added onto that the many-layered problem of Being 
Harry 
> Potter. I raise my proverbial butterbeer to you, JKR. You've got 
some 
> cojones, lady.
> 
> Anne U
> (so where can I find people's "reviews" of OOP? kind of hard to 
tell 
> from the subject headers alone)
> 


I have to applaud you for your excellent summary of the OoP!!! You 
touched upon everything that I loved about the book as well... :)  I 
am thinking that in the future, we will also be able to find out even 
more about Snape's background. I agree that I really wanted to hear a 
bit more from Lupin, as he is one of my most favorite characters, but 
I'm sure we will continue to hear from him in the future.  I really 
feel for Harry, and again, like you said, I hope that he is able to 
realize that he does have people in his world that truly do love him 
and care about him.  I just can't wait for #6!
Thanks!  I totally enjoyed reading your post! 

grindieloe
** (If anyone belongs to ot-chatter as well, please see what you 
think of my OOP-Jacket post! ) **