OOtP A tad disappointed (spoilage)

[disv2002]

No: HPFGUIDX 64346

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Matthew Huston" 
<matthisattva at y...> wrote:
> To the victor goes the spoilers..
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> I finished reading OOtP and have to say that I was kind of
> disappointed in it. After a spectacular finish with GoF, I was
> thinking to my self: "Self," I was heard to say, "With everything
> we've heard, it's got to be great..."
> 
> Alas, no. Don't get me wrong the book was well written. It kept me
> reading until the last page, though that may have been to get to the
> who's-gonna-die part. I just came away empty. Part of the reason is
> the predictability of the plot, I think. It was was pretty easy to
> foretell that Umbridge had sent the Dementors after Harry about the
> time the detention part rolled around.
> 
> What bugged me the most, however was what I call the Sitcom Syndrom!
> (insert dramatic cresendo here)
> 
> Everything must be as it was at the beginning. Every sitcom starts 
as
> it always does, and ends up back with the characters *pretty much*
> back to their original pole positions at the end. I get the whole
> 'ancient protection thing' ...blah blah, but it is wearing thin, in 
my
> opinion.
> 
> I started where every good reader does, at the beginning, and was
> accepting that Harry was unhappily on Privet Drive once again, but
> when the Dementors attacked he and Big D, I was very interested. No
> such dangers had ever been so close to "home" before. Then came the
> owls delivering notes. And lo harry was expelled! To tell you all 
the
> truth, my heart lept with excitement. I hought the story was really
> going to take a facinating turn! Herry out of Hogwarts...into the
> world. Then when the Auror Advanced Guard showed up to whisk Harry
> away I was well and truely thrilled. At last! Cool characters that 
are
> real, battle hardened Aurors, here totake Harry into their world,
> teach him to channel his teen angst into a power beyond all measure!
> (insert another dramatic cresendo here)
> 
> No. Just a short visit (albeit neat-o) to the Ministry, and the new 
hq
> of the OOtP. Then it's back to Hogwarts. Oh yippy. More hatred 
towards
> Malfoy...and Snape...and pretty much anyone who crossed his path. 
Then
> at the end, when it's all said and done, we come full circle. Does
> Harry get to go with people like himself? People who can teach him,
> understand him, take him to a wizard psychologist foor his anger
> managment issues? NO!
> 
> Back to Privet Drive, so he can stew in his own emotions, dwell on
> death, and never leave the house because he might be killed.
> 
> Not only this, but other Sitcom Syndrom effects abound. The biggest 
is
> Snape. We really got to see Harry given some new info concerning the
> potions professor. Info that shoulda made Harry understand the man
> better. For a few pages it look like Harry might had a mental 
process
> worth saving...he was almost-sorta-maybe seeing it from Snape's 
side.
> Then of course, we MUST go back to him simply reviling Snape. 
Despite
> the perfectly sound explaination from Dumbledore about why Snape 
acted
> (all in Harry's extreme best intrests, to boot) the way he did, 
Harry
> has to go back to hating Snape.
> 
> I had such high hopes, that we would break out of the mold here. 
Then
> I realized that we're supposed to be seeing 7 years of wizard
> schooling. I had just hoped that the story would grow to be more.
> 
> Matthew Huston



I agree far too predictable, where were all the twists ala PA (my 
personal favourite). Its almost like Jo had to keep it that length to 
satisfy the publishers and to merit the length of time she took to 
write it. I don't think she ever had the full concept to continue 
following GF, it seems like a real hash of a job to me.

Why not have Harry on the run with Sirius seeing more of the 
Wizarding world and popping back to Hogwarts for secret lessons with 
Dumbledore and to see Ron and Hermione. His two allies could have 
continued to wind up snape and malfoy jnr, while the plot could have 
skipped time and space between the two narratives of Hogwarts and 
Harry. 


I suppose in Jo's defence, the concept was the original 7  years at 
Hogwarts, the centrepiece and background scenery to the wizarding 
world. The ordinary lessons and life in school are to create empathy 
with the young readership. The original idea of a kind of middle 
class 'Just William' style kids book skilfully coupled with the 
fantasy element seem to have seriously derailed in OOP though, not 
enough plot throughout the school year in tandem with the 
order/ministry/voldemort sub plot.

It was just the order stuff pre term, then school stuff that got very 
boring with Umbridge nowhere near the character she should have been 
(why not Lucius Malfoy as High Inquisitor) and back to order stuff at 
the end. 


Where was the skilful blending?