A bit frustrated with fandom at the moment - DH spoilers

[ohnooboe]

No: HPFGUIDX 172865

I agree 100%.  I know we're not supposed to post such short 
responses, but you should know (and others as well) that you're not 
the only one to think this way.  

She did a magnificent job...everything wasn't wrapped in a neat 
little package and that's as it should be.  I found it quite true to 
life (unfortunately so in some places) and that was refreshing.

PM



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Lisa" <seuferer at ...> wrote:
>
> Well, I normally just lurk like mad here and several other Harry 
Potter and Snape-centric Yahoo groups, so forgive me if you see this
> cross-posted to other groups, but I can't keep quiet any longer. 
> Unfortunately, I am the sort who cannot keep quiet over these sorts 
of things even when I probably ought to.
> 
> I know we are all hurting and grieving over the end of an era and 
the
> ways we would have wanted to see "xyz" done differently.  I've 
posted a lengthy discussion of my over-all likes and dislikes of the 
book in my livejournal, including my ideas of ways to 'get around' 
the bits I don't like so I can still play with certain characters in 
fandom.  I won't repost it here, though if you want to read it, it is 
publicly viewable, here:
> 
> http://weasleyfan.livejournal.com/23770.html
> 
> So, I do understand the aching hearts of my fellow-fandom 
communities.
> 
> The thing I'm getting frustrated over, at this point, is the savage,
> almost vicious attacks against JKR.  Recently, I've seen fanfic 
authors berate her epilogue and other portions of the story (like the 
battle in/around Hogwarts) for being "cliched" and "over-done" 
because it had been done a bunch in various  FANFICTIONS.
> 
> This is positively infuriating to me.  I'm a fanfic writer, too, 
and a lover of all things fanfic, but I think it behooves us all to 
remember that these are her books, her characters and her stories to 
tell how she wants.
> 
> JKR is amazingly indulgent and even encouraging of fanfiction 
writing in general, and use of her characters specifically.  She has 
often said in answer to questions at her website, "Well, I'm not 
going to be covering that aspect in the story, but you should look 
around at some of the fanfiction out there - it's really creative!"  
(Particularly in regards to more details about MWPP era events and 
such.)
> 
> Now, there are very few popular authors who are this indulgent.  JKR
> more than has enough power, influence and clout, that if she wanted 
to claim copy-right infringement and start suing people right and 
left, there would be no public server, anywhere on the internet, that 
would host any of the wonderful fanfiction out there!
> 
> Anne Rice, anyone?
> 
> The travelling aimlessly through the forest was unnecessary?  How 
so?   How else was Harry going to get to the desperate point of 
trusting an unknown Patronus in the middle of nowhere?  How else was 
he going to come to grips with all of the things he needed to 
find/realise within *himself* before he could move on?
> 
> Too much bloodshed?  This, from a fandom-community who, after the 
last book, accused Voldemort of being a 'joke' and not being nearly 
so tough or dangerous if he was so easily thwarted by 'kids' or 
recruiting 'kids'...?
> 
> JKR has been telling us from day ONE that the books would get 
darker,
> that the final books would not BE "children's books".  She has said,
> again and again, this is war, people will die.  She had to SHOW us 
the savage, ugly, terrifying, heartbreakingly  *painful* realities of 
this. The classic authors' maxim, right?  "Show, dont' tell".  No one 
believed Voldemort was 'the most evil Wizard of all time' when 
she "told" us that through the characters of the books.  This was the 
time, the climax, the place to SHOW us just exactly how horrific 
Voldemort was, just exactly WHY everyone was so afraid to say his 
name, even eleven years after he'd last been sighted.
> 
> Please.  I beg you.  I *do* feel the pain of loss and my own
> frustrations of things I wish could have been explained 
better/presented more clearly, etc.  But this was her story to tell, 
not ours.
> 
> As I say in the essay in my journal, I personally believe that JKR 
left some things 'loose' to give us who do play in the fanfic/fandom 
areas wiggle-room!  I think the lack of mention of Severus' body and 
such after his death was *intentional*, and done *for us*.  This was 
not Severus' story!  Yes, he was a crucial, vital, integral part of 
the story from before Harry's birth, but it was still not 'Severus 
Snape and the Boy Who Lived...'  The stories were "Harry Potter and 
the______".
> 
> That means the only things crucial to tie up at the end were the 
things which directly affected Harry.  Do I like it?  Not 
necessarily.  I wanted Snape to be given his heroic due as well!  But 
I much prefer having him somewhat ambigiously dead for anyone with a 
good imagination than to have a glorious funeral and fanfaire and 
buried six-feet-under.
> 
> This was her story.  To accuse her of being cliched because she has 
been so wonderfully tolerant of all the fanfiction out there and so 
much of fanfiction has "already done it", is, frankly, IMO, RUDE.   
She finished HER story as she has always, from day one, intended to 
finish the story.  SHE did not steal from fanfiction - fanfiction has 
graciously been allowed to play in HER world.  To claim 'cliche' like 
this comes across as petulant and ungrateful.  More importantly, it 
does not remotely give her the due which she so richly deserves.
> 
> Regardless of what you feel about the ending or the 'literary 
quality' of her writing, what she has done with these seven books is 
nothing short of INCREDIBLE.
> 
> Is there any other series of books 'out there' which has inspired 
such a broad variety of fan-groups?
> 
> Adult groups working through the clues and messages within the 
stories during enriching, friendship-building discussions.
> 
> Children's groups where thousands of children discovered the joy of
> reading and WRITING and exploring a story-in-progress.  READING.
> 
> Fanfiction writers for almost EVERY POSSIBLE pairing and scenario
> imaginable.
> 
> Thousands of roleplaying groups of different, unique sorts and all 
eras.
> 
> Some of my dearest friends I have met while discussing and 
exploring the wonderful realm of the Harry Potter universe.  None of 
this would be possible without JKR's foundation.
> 
> I do not mean to belittle anyone's opinion nor to disregard our 
sorrow, grief and disappointment that favourite characters did not 
get the 'screen time' and treatment we wanted to see.  I feel those 
things, too.  But those feelings and opinions do not minimise my 
respect for JKR as an author.  It hurts me far more to see the so-
called 'fandom' being so vicious in its flaming of the CREATOR of the 
series.
> 
> Surely we can discuss our thoughts, theories, wishes and 
disappointments without deriding JKR in the process?  What she has 
given us, the doorways to imagination and creativity she has opened 
for THOUSANDS of people, deserves more appreciation than presently 
being shown by a dissappointingly large cross-section of so-
called 'fans'.
> 
> Thank you, JK Rowling, for sharing your world with us so 
unselfishly.
> 
> ~Shanti
>