blamebrampton (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
blamebrampton) wrote2010-07-23 12:47 am
blamebrampton) wrote2010-07-23 12:47 am
Deathly Hallows reminiscence
A number of people on my flist have recollected the fact that it is three years since the release of Deathly Hallows, and have been thinking back to that great and exciting time in fandom, and how they read the book.
I read it very badly. Mr Brammers had to run up to Newtown to grab my copy, because I was physically unable to make it out to the local shops, let alone up the hill to town. We had come back from New Zealand a week before and I had brought back a spectacular case of influenza, the sort that makes you understand that it kills people. I curled up in bed, propped up on pillows so I could breathe and with hot water bottles easing the ache in my ribs from coughing. Unlike the previous books, I read this one in fits and starts, and hallucinated large sections.
I only realised this last when I spoke about it with a friend at work a few weeks later. We both agreed the camping went on a bit further than it needed to, but the battle was pretty good and the twists convincing. She told me she liked the development of Hermione as the cranky voice of reason, I told her I liked the bit where Dementors were responsible for everyone wailing so emotionally about Princess Diana and forcing those poor grieving princes into that horrible public spectacle of a funeral.
She looked at me blankly.
I looked at her questioningly.
'That's not actually in the book,' she said.
'You sure?'
'Yup. You were pretty sick the other week, I think your mind wandered.'
I went home and picked it up and read it again. About 35 per cent of what I thought I had read the first time did not exist.
In memory of the occasion, I appeared to have contracted a ghastly virus thanks to all those bastards who come into work and sneeze everywhere. Oh well, I've had a good health run lately, and if it means I need to take tomorrow off, at least I left everything in a good state today!
I read it very badly. Mr Brammers had to run up to Newtown to grab my copy, because I was physically unable to make it out to the local shops, let alone up the hill to town. We had come back from New Zealand a week before and I had brought back a spectacular case of influenza, the sort that makes you understand that it kills people. I curled up in bed, propped up on pillows so I could breathe and with hot water bottles easing the ache in my ribs from coughing. Unlike the previous books, I read this one in fits and starts, and hallucinated large sections.
I only realised this last when I spoke about it with a friend at work a few weeks later. We both agreed the camping went on a bit further than it needed to, but the battle was pretty good and the twists convincing. She told me she liked the development of Hermione as the cranky voice of reason, I told her I liked the bit where Dementors were responsible for everyone wailing so emotionally about Princess Diana and forcing those poor grieving princes into that horrible public spectacle of a funeral.
She looked at me blankly.
I looked at her questioningly.
'That's not actually in the book,' she said.
'You sure?'
'Yup. You were pretty sick the other week, I think your mind wandered.'
I went home and picked it up and read it again. About 35 per cent of what I thought I had read the first time did not exist.
In memory of the occasion, I appeared to have contracted a ghastly virus thanks to all those bastards who come into work and sneeze everywhere. Oh well, I've had a good health run lately, and if it means I need to take tomorrow off, at least I left everything in a good state today!
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I remember reading it in a sort of frenzy. I was so upset by the way JKR dealt with Snape that the ending was a bit of blur. (Of course, Harry is a troubled teenager, it would be so DIFFICULT for him to deal with an ALIVE Snape, all that forgiveness & understanding business... Let's do Snape in, because Harry is a special snowflake and it would be so much easier for him to come to terms with Snape having his back if the man was dead. Because that's what people do all the time, they have the manners to die a gruesome death to spare you the unpleasantness of feeling guilty because you were an arse to them. JKR's Killer Shovel of Authorial Intent: it means Harry never has to say he's sorry! Rejoice, duh.)
After that, I read the events with a sort of morbid detachment. (Sure, kill off Lupin. Go get Tonks while you're at it, of course that Teddy kid needs to be a total orphan if you want a Harry-mirroring character to round off your composition. Oh, it spares you explaining a couple plot logic blunders? Good for you! C'mon, do I hear anyone else kick the bucket? *thud* Yeah, there goes my hope Harry wouldn't go all Oedipal complex on us...)
Overall, I remember thinking/feeling it was rather fine, but some things that could have been developed into something awesome were just drifting away, while others were a bit roughly stitched together. But I gather that's a general problem when rounding up a series. (And at times, it did drag so slowly I kept thinking someone had a Time-Slower in their pocket. *g* )
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But yes, some days I'm bitter and I imagine that Snape is out there doing Important Stuff and has a secret affair with Ginny. (Sorry, Harry. Composition is more important than your conjugal bliss.)
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friendsfriend surfing...
Re: friendsfriend surfing...
BREAKING NEWS: thousands of Doctor Who/Harry Potter crossover plot bunnies have just landed on Planet Earth. Intelligence suggests they are using LJ to spread previously unknown 'ship virus...
;)
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