[HPforGrownups] OOP: Disappointing

[pennylin]

No: HPFGUIDX 66131

Hi --

Well, I definitely *loved* OOP, but I don't think it is immune from criticism either.  It does have some problems, as do all the previous books.  I'm still pretty well convinced that Scholastic really needs to look into hiring some of *us* as consulting editors!  We all caught these problems on first or second read ....... why can't they catch these problems when they've been working with the manuscript for months and months?  Sigh.  

Anyway, I think Phyllis raises some good issues (and I like that better than just generalized grumbling about the book didn't live up to expectations and hype).  

<<<<<<<<<<<I thought it lacked the momentum, 
the energy, the excitement, the tricks and the humor that made the 
first four books so terrific.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I don't know if you've re-read it yet, but for me, the 2nd read through brought out the humor and the excitement that my initial read missed.  I say that: I'm not finished with my re-read mind you, but so far, I'm seeing considerably more humor than I experienced on first read.  Here's why I think that is: I think I was awfully *tense* when I was reading OOP the first time.  Who would die?  Would Hermione and Ron kiss (bwahaha, they didn't!)?  And, frankly, the narrative itself is *tense* and so I was of a tense mind-set, reading a book that interjects conflict and tenseness in the first chapter (when normally, Rowling doesn't do this).  But, on re-read (and listening to the audio), I'm finding myself smiling and giggling at things that I probably didn't smile at in the first read.  I'm reading it in a more relaxed frame of mind, and I think that is helping my perception entirely.

<<<<<2.      The Thestrals:  When we first learn that the only people who 
can see thestrals are those that can see death, I immediately started 
to wonder why Harry can only see them after Cedric's death when he 
saw his Mum die as a baby.  I kept hoping that an explanation would 
be provided, but when none came by the end of the book, I was very 
disappointed.  IMO, this is a major flint.  I think JKR confirmed 
that it is a flint by the way she answered the question at the Royal 
Albert Hall event.  She was asked why Harry can see the thestrals 
only now when he saw his Mum die as a baby.  I think JKR jumped to 
the conclusion that she was being asked why Harry can see the 
thestrals now when he couldn't see them at the end of GoF, because 
she answered the question by saying that the knowledge of Cedric's 
death needed to "sink in" before the thestrals gradually came into 
focus.  She ended what appeared to be a rehearsed answer by 
saying "that's my story."  If this is indeed a mistake, I would have 
much rather heard her own up to it than try to concoct a story that 
provides an inadequate explanation.  I think the problem here is that 
this isn't easily fixed in future editions, like the wand order 
problem or the "ancestor" error.  I just can't help but wonder why 
her editors don't pick up on stuff like this!  I think if she was 
really planning on introducing the thestrals in book 5, she could 
have easily avoided the problem at the end of book 4 by having Harry 
transported back to Privet Drive by another means (after all he went 
through at the end of book 4, it would have been understandable that 
he wouldn't have wanted to ride the carriages or the train with the 
other students) - the Knight Bus, perhaps?  But this still wouldn't 
have solved the problem of his not seeing them before given that he 
saw his Mum die as a baby.  I can't accept that it's because he was a 
baby when it happened - he hears her screaming, sees green light and 
hears Voldemort's laughter when the dementors approach, so he 
obviously remembers her death (even if it's only in his subconscious).>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I'm actually pretty satisfied with Rowling's answer on that one.  I think that because he didn't *see* Lily die with knowledge of what he was seeing (if he actually *saw* it at all), this answer works for me.  He *hears* things from his memory, but seeing the flash of green light is not the same thing as seeing the green light hitting his mother in the face and watching her fall to the ground and *knowing* that she's dead.  A 15-month old can't experience death in the same way that a 15-year old can.  And, we've no evidence that Harry *saw* anything relating to Lily's death, actually.  

<<<<<3.      Sirius' Death:  Several things bothered me here.  The first 
was the way he died - taunting his cousin.  How arrogant is that?  
Couldn't he have died a more noble death - in the midst of a proper 
duel, perhaps?  The second was that I didn't feel as if we had enough 
character development on Sirius to warrant Harry's feeling of grief.  
We weren't introduced to Sirius until the end of PoA, and he only 
showed up occasionally in GoF.  He was in OoP a bit more, but could 
Harry really develop a close connection to him after only spending a 
month in the summer and the Christmas holidays with him?  And even if 
I could accept that he and Harry were close, I can't come to grips 
with why Harry needs more misery in his life.>>>>>>>>>>>

Oh, I disagree here, very much so!  Yes, I can totally buy that Harry and Sirius were that bonded.  He may not have had much page-time in GoF due to his circumstances, but when he is portrayed, he is always portrayed as the concerned parent-figure/godfather.  He was there with Harry when Harry first related the events of Voldemort's resurrection to Dumbledore.  He's the first person Harry thinks of when he needs advice.  No, I think they were very bonded, and it always struck me that, aside from Ron and Hermione, the one person whose death would hurt Harry tragically was Sirius.  

<<<<5.      Inconsistencies/Unanswered Questions:  The last time we saw 
the Maurader's Map in book 4, it was in Barty Crouch Jr.'s 
possession, but now Harry's got it back with no explanation of how it 
was returned to him...Percy's prefect badge was silver in SS/PS, but 
Ron's is gold and scarlet...Sirius mentions Harry's grandparents, but 
Harry doesn't ask anything about them...Hagrid still can't do magic 
even though he was cleared in CoS and JKR has said in interviews that 
he's now allowed to do magic...Voldemort's willingness to spare Lily 
when he had tried to kill her three previous times and was killing 
off everyone in the original Order one by one...The Knight Bus 
picking up the trio from Grimmauld Place after Christmas when Harry 
originally arrived there in the summer in such great 
secrecy...Students taking the Hogwarts Express home for Christmas in 
CoS, but the trio taking the Knight Bus in OoP...No one from the 
Order guarding the prophecy when the DEs show up at the end...No 
mention of Halloween whatsoever...Harry going to the trouble of using 
the fire in Umbridge's office instead of using the 2-way mirror to 
talk to Sirius...No explanation of why the Order is called "The Order 
of the Phoenix.">>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Oh, some of these are a problem, yes.  Others seem to me to fall into that class of things that *may* get answered later.  

<<<<<<<<6.      Harry's temper:  This really took me by surprise.  Harry 
starts the book by taunting Dudley and it just escalates from there.  
This is so unlike the Harry of the first four books - the Harry that 
says nothing when Lucius Malfoy tells him in CoS that he'll meet the 
same sticky end as his parents.  Granted, Harry's getting older, but 
I thought his temperament change was a bit too abrupt to be 
believable.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Oh, I thought it was completely believable.  He's just experienced a traumatic series of events, and anger seems a very likely response.  Plus, there's the whole adolescent rebellion thing going on, though that is only a very small part of what I think is going on with Harry.  I think the Harry of the previous books is very much still there.  I'll try to make some notes on that in my re-read and post them later.  He is angry, yes, but it seemed perfectly natural to me.  And, I could very much see the same sweet Harry that was always there in this book.

<<<<<<<<<<7.      Dumbledore-Harry relationship:  Dumbledore says he didn't 
tell Harry about the prophecy because he loved him too much.  As with 
Sirius, I don't see how Harry and Dumbledore have had enough 
interaction in order for Dumbledore to have developed such a love.  
Dumbledore "watching" Harry's accomplishments isn't a basis for love, 
IMO.>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I've heard people conjecture that Dumbledore is a tawny owl animagus or otherwise has magical means of keeping tabs on things.  So, it wouldn't surprise me a bit if Dumbledore wasn't observing Harry much more closely than it might appear.  I don't think for one minute that those encounters in his office are his only direct observations of Harry as a person.  

<<<<<<<1.      I was happy to see Ron get a bit of glory for once.>>>>>>

I was glad to see Ron get some glory and some positive feed-back.  

<<<<<<<<<2.      There's hope for a Harry-Hermione SHIP - Hermione seems to have been monitoring Harry's Cho crush, and Harry exclaims that 
Hermione isn't ugly.  I just hope JKR comes up with someone for Ron...>>>>>>>

She has!  Luna!  :--)  

Seriously, see my post from last night.  I think the H/H ship is in better shape than I would ever have expected from OOP, for the reasons you give plus many others.  Of course, I readily and fully concede that other ships are in just as good a shape as H/H, but I'm just thrilled for now that H/H is very much still in the game.  :--)

<<<<<<<<7.      Hermione's patronus is an otter!  I'll be doing a separate post on that...>>>>>>>>>

I look forward to reading this!  You know that Rowling said in an interview that she hoped her patronus/animagus form would be an otter, so I suspect that's just more of Hermione as Rowling's surrogate at work, but I look forward to your thoughts about this.

Penny


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