(no subject)

[icarus]

No Remorse agrees with the wankers and she's absolutely right.


JKR is not writing a romance. Unlike 99% of fanfic writers.

Let's recall what we're reading: an action/adventure/suspense story.

The disappointment that the pyramid of clues hinting at Harry/Hermione suddenly collapsed and came to a screeching unsatisfying halt at Ginny-who?/Harry tells us a great deal. I'm afraid that we all need to reread the first two books to prepare ourselves for book seven.

JKR has never been brilliant at writing subtleties of interpersonal relationships. Her plots are suspenseful "who-done-its" with predictable endings. She cleverly hides the clues to the plot in plain sight, a la "Where's Waldo?"

Her strengths are in mocking, cleverly, our world. Rita Skeeter with her Quik-Quotes-Quill. The U-NO-POO ("You know shit!") and "constipation sensation that's sweeping the nation" that mocks the post-9/11 paranoia.

We should credit her for what she's done well. But where the fanfic writers have taken flight is where these interpersonal areas have been left blank. If they're blank, maybe they're not the focus of the books. Ginny/Harry is paper thin because it's unimportant.

Now I for one, like to find depth and insight in Percy's situation. "It turns out that Arthur was wrong -- look, he survived Fudge and is still there! He must be at least competent! What strength and integrity that he didn't come crawling back, begging for forgiveness!"

And it's there. But....

The reality is, he's placed where he is because JKRs going to need him there for the next book. He's fighting with his family not because of some subtle characterisation (the portrait of a young man who's been treated like a house-elf finally standing up for himself...) but because JKR needs him mad at his family for some aspect of the plot (why belabor it for two books otherwise?).

That's what we're going to get in the last book. Plot. Hidden clues coming from nowhere:

"Augh! Forgot about Wormtail's hand!"

and

"Oh wow, I never considered that Percy was an Imperius plant, just like the one in the Prime Minister's office in HBP, an obvious mirroring of his ignoring Crouch's condition in GoF. Oh, will he live the rest of his life at St. Mungo's now? Well, good thing JKR made sure we'd never like that git!"

and

"Oho, Neville's birthday being the same as Harry's is important!"

and

"Who would have thought Harry's blood being 'valuable' was meant so literally?"

and

"Aha! A clue to the situation with Snape was hidden in his rhyme in book one!"


What we won't find is what we've come to expect from fanfic: profound subtle emotional depth.

Harry Potter is not a romance. It's an action/adventure/suspense story. So let's not hope for something that JKR never set out to write. And then we won't be disappointed.



Yes, I'm avoiding my flood of fic ideas. *scurries off guiltily to write*

Comments

[fleurdeliser.livejournal.com]

Good points m'dear. I came to that same realization a few months after joining the fandom and decided that I didn't honestly care who ended up paired with whom.

In some ways, I also agree with no_remorse. I don't necessarily agree with the rather negative assessment of the book as I rather enjoyed it, but on other points it's spot on. If we let ourselves become so convinced of some of these theories that we leave no room for the possiblity of being wrong, then we're bound to be disappointed. Whether Snape is evil or not, I've decided that I don't care. He's still one of JKR's most brilliant and complex characters, evil or not.

-Nessi

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

(Whoa. Way behind on comments again.)

He's still one of JKR's most brilliant and complex characters, evil or not.

Absolutely. It's interesting that she's written every quality she doesn't like (to create someone Harry will loathe) and wound up with such a fascinating, brilliant character.

Icarus

*waves*

[(Anonymous)]

This will shock anyone who knows me, but I don't care about the romantic pairings in the book itself. Canon romance doesn't matter. AT ALL.
On the other hand, I had a minor hissy fit (privately -- if you call having a fit AT work private...*cough*) when I read no_remorse's comment on Snape/Book 7.
I don't think that JKR is subtle. She's never been subtle. But I also
think that she spelled out in no uncertain terms (and repeated for good measure) that Snape is not EEEBIL. And I'm writing a detailed essay, with lots and lots of quotes that prove my point that she whacks with an anvil.


(err.. since i can't login, this is <lj user="kagyakusha" blathering here, btw)

Re: *waves*

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Hi there! Your name got cut off. Who is this? *g*

Oh no, I don't think Snape is ever-so-evil. She's been pulling the ol' Snape switcheroo since book one. That's actually predictable at this point.

Icarus

Re: *waves*

[kagyakusha.livejournal.com]

ok I managed to log in! that was me!!!

^^
I want to re-iterate that i totally agree on the pairing thing!
(although, my eyebrow may shoot up if Harry does marry Trelawney)

[thereallyle.livejournal.com]

Hmm... true, and also, how can anyone expect sixteen-year-olds to show idealized romance? At that age, love is just a monster in your pants, sometimes. x_X *scurries off to post two cents*

[cheshyre]

love is just a monster in your pants
Now that sounds like the genesis for a HP story.
"Is that a basilisk in your pants, or are you just happy to see me? Let me see if Parseltongue will get a reaction. Whoah!"

Or Luna: "It looks like you've got a bad attack of one-eyed horned gilsack. Those can be dangerous if aroused. Let me stroke it for you."

[thereallyle.livejournal.com]

Oh dear... ;D

Looked back and noticed that the monster is in his chest, but whatever. XD

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I thought your version was completely appro-pro, actually. *smirks*

It was an idiotic way of describing an attraction on JKR's part, and if she were writing fanfic we'd be making fun of it right now.

Icarus

[thereallyle.livejournal.com]

if she were writing fanfic we'd be making fun of it right now

True, true. But like you said, that's not really the point of the books, and it wasn't what I was focusing on when I read them.

As for the interview, I'm more annoyed by her "I'm not going to shoot that down" comments, because it kinda sounds like it's wrong but she just doesn't want to clearly say so. x_X *sigh* Oh well. There is always fanfic.

And... appro-pro? Not sure what you mean by that.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Well, I think it's nice of her to leave room for speculation.

Appro-pro: midwest office slang for "appropriate."

Icarus

[thereallyle.livejournal.com]

Yeah, who knows, her long pause and "not going to shoot that down" could be reverse psychology. And I wasn't there to see it anyway, so...

Anyway, even if she ends up making Snape evil, there is always the fandom. *sigh*

Uhm, so, he's turned twice already, and third's the charm? *looks hopeful*

[els-chan.livejournal.com]

Beautifully put. This is so going in my memories.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Icarus

[dustandroses.livejournal.com]

Umm...I know you're all caught up in the new book and all, and that's cool, I understand. But I just wanted to remind you that the rest of us are still out here somewhere, and we'll be glad to see you if you come back to play with us sometime, okay? *g*


How's WG doing? Has he finished the first book yet?

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

You are not forgotten. At all. WG asked me about BlackOps!Jack this weekend (I had to tell him that some info from orca_girl threw the fic into a tailspin). We watched "But For The Grace Of God" this weekend.

I've just spread myself a little thin this week. *cough* And going back to work doesn't help that much. Well. It helps with rent. But does seem to take rather a lot of time, hmmm.

Icarus

[dustandroses.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear about BlackOps!Jack...I hate it when facts get in the way of my fic! Dammit.

I hope your work situation is clearing up...it would really help if someone tried to train you, so you knew what you were doing! (I enjoyed the snip of info on Sweeny Todd, btw. I love the Sondheim musical. Seen it three times, and own the vid of the Broadway version. "The Demon Barber of Fleet.......Street." Heh heh.)

Speaking of SG-1, as we were earlier, did you check out paian's Smut Day offering? Jeez, that woman can write. My computer is dead, so I was just able to post some drabbles on a friend's computer, but no fic this week. Just a little bit of Bottom!Jack. *g*

Hope you resolve your BlackOps! problems soon. I can't wait for the next installment.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Paian fits my definition of genius. I'll go check it out sometime tomorrow. :D

Icarus

[dustandroses.livejournal.com]

I'll go check it out sometime tomorrow. :D

Oh, yes, definitely do! And while you're there check out her recs, as well. And no, not because she mentions my Smut Day offering for today, (more Bottom!Jack...I can't help it, it's stuck in my head) but because of the post right before today's, in which she recs an appocafic called Half-Life. Woah...I just now read it, and I'm ashamed to admit I drooled all over her comments. I just loved it! Stark and desolate and utterly beautiful.

By the way...check out my new Smut Day icon. Nice, huh? *g*

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I can't. Stop. Looking. At. Icon.

[harveywallbang.livejournal.com]

this is a nice blunt way of smacking people back into reality. i wish everyone could read it.. *sigh*
btw, neville's birthday is the 30th, harry's the 31st. not the same days...

and heh, i never looked a the U-NO-POO, like that.. you know shit... if that's what she meant by it, she was probably cacklking for days after coming up with it.. i know i would. perfect amount of vagueness with a hidden insult. heh.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

btw, neville's birthday is the 30th, harry's the 31st.

Really? Hunh.

if that's what she meant by it, she was probably cacklking for days after coming up with it..

Oh yeah, she knew. She even had Molly repeat it, slowly, to make sure people get the joke. JKR put in place of the the purple posters on "how to protect yourselves in case of a Deathe Eater (re. terrorist) attack." She's making fun of all the post-9/11 bullshit -- frankly, none of the security is worth anything, and the government doesn't know shit about what to do. So instead we get these security measures "the constipation sensation that's sweeping the nation!"

:D

I'll bet she's cackling.

Icarus