I am about to rant.... AND The Hardest Part

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 173637


> Geoff:
> Warning. I think I am about to rant. :-)

Potioncat:
Those of who do not know, Geoff does not rant very often. 
 
>Geoff: 
> After the publication of HBP, there was a sea change.  

Potioncat:
I think HP4GU has gone through several changes over the years, such 
that a poster who returned after an absense might not recognise it 
from his active days. There are definite styles that have come and 
gone.

Also some stages occur as each new book is anticipated, reacted to, 
compared to earlier books, looked at within the whole story, and a 
new anticipation again. Sadly, we've done the last stage for the last 
time. I'm encouraged though, that it looks like we might go through 
the others. I was afraid folk would show up, post once, and move on.

Geoff: But again, that 
> is my take on it and others may want to interpret it in a different 
way. 
> And again, there are lots of unanswered questions; but isn't that 
the 
> situation in our own real lives?

Potioncat:
May have snipped a bit too much there. But I have to agree with the 
unanswered questions...at least to a point. In the first place, we 
wouldn't want every single question answered. (Particularly if it's 
going to conflict with the way I want it to be answered. As long as 
JKR hasn't said anthing about it, I can imagine things however I want 
them.) On the other hand there are some lines of the story that 
should have had some sort of closure that didn't. 


> Geoff:
> What I am trying to get at is instead of trying to score points off 
one 
> another or run down what JKR has written, why don't we try looking 
> for things to agree on; things that we like about the books. 
Instead 
> of perpetual negativity, why don't we look for good things, 
encouraging 
> things, things to say "wow" about? 

Potioncat:
To be honest, except for the camping, I was loving the book right up 
till some point in Chapter 32. After that it's all a teary-eyed blur. 
I wanted Snape to live almost as much as I wanted Harry to live.

I was emotionally drained and disillusioned afterwards so that it's 
been much easier to latch onto the failings rather to see any 
positives. It didn't help that the transcripts of JKR's interviews 
seemed to make everything worse. Oh, let me quickly say, I wasn't 
unhappy just because Snape died. I expected that.

It all reminds me of going on a very good and perhaps too long 
vacation. We're almost home and all we can concentrate on is the sun 
burn, not the beach; the long lines, not the fun rides; the flat-
tire, not how quickly the nice man fixed it.

There are flaws, no doubt about it. I'm sure I'll join in some of 
those discussions---if I can ever catch up with any of the threads. 


Geoff:
Perhaps I'm naïve but I don't want to 
> analyse them down to the last full stop; I just want to be an 
armchair 
> hedonist for a couple of hours!
> 
> There, I've got that off my chest. I think I'll go and find some 
> soothing fanfic



Potioncat:
Do you write fanfic, or just read it? 

Maybe we need a Tag for positive posts---like we have for SHIPPING or 
T-BAY---just so those of us who need a boost can find it! :-)


 "cubfanbudwoman" (173546,I think) wrote:
  
> It's been very hard to feel happy, enthused, positive and *content* 
> at the end of the adventure (knowing I'm one of the lucky ones who 
> can and does feel that way) and then be surrounded by long-time 
> HPfGU chums, people I've loved sharing with over the years, and 
> seeing their disappointment and even anger.

Potioncat:
I couldn't wait for the list to open so I could get another 
viewpoint. I felt so drained that I was sure someone would have 
something to say that could give me a more optimistic view. To a 
certain extent, I have. I've also found lots of unhappy fans.

But I can sort of pick and choose what I read while you have to read 
almost everything.

>cubfanbudwoman:
> Please note:  this is not a gripe or a complaint; I am not annoyed 
> as much as that I am simply saddened.  There really isn't anything 
> anyone can do about it, either, so this is merely an emotional 
> remark.

Potioncat:
There was one post in particular that saddened me. It wasn't that 
what was being said wasn't true, It was that I was sad the writer 
felt so bad.

You know, at least part of the situation is that we are all going to 
have to have to grieve to some point. (I saw that smirk, and you know 
who you are!) I mean, whether we liked DH or not----the HP experience 
is over.

You know, this isn't going the way I intended. 

So, understanding that there are flaws and not pretending there 
aren't, let's look at the good things. Some of the flaws are what 
made the HP experience fun. Because when all is said and done, for 
those of us here, it hasn't just been seven books, it's been a real 
experience! 


Potioncat, as usual with a very large teapot at the ready.