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I agree with most of this. Ghavrel Send a noteboard - 27/06/2017 01:03:19 AM

View original postis that decision late in book seven to have literally zero Slytherins side with the good guys. Basically going back to the simplistic take of the first few books, and largely undoing her own effort to make Slytherin a bit more human with characters like Slughorn and of course Snape.

Yes, Slughorn returning later could have worked, since he is something of a coward, but having all of them leave really undid most of my goodwill towards the house.


View original postAs you pointed out on Facebook, a lot of the people you know are lawyers. Just saying.

It's terrible. The worst part of dealing with the law, bar none.


View original postHe's a kid. A single child brought up in a snobistic, elitist, racist family with delusions of grandeur. He doesn't break out of that easily, lacking Sirius' rebellious streak, but as Dumbledore easily sees, his heart isn't in it.

Sure, and he's not evil like Voldemort, but in the context of "I'm going to announce to my friends the people I consider myself most like," I should hope the scion of a snobistic, elitist, racist family ranks rather lowly.


View original postI think you mean because he looked like his admittedly obnoxious father. The complexity of Snape is one of the elements that make the books so much more than the children's books they appear to be. He's mean and cruel to his students, the nasty kind of teacher who likes to be feared and score points with students by humiliating others. And I don't mean Harry, who can take it and whom he is, in a twisted way, trying to prepare and harden for what he knows awaits him. I mean his behaviour to other students. But he's also loyal at heart and remarkably brave, playing the double agent for so long. He's the kind of person you need to win wars - the kind willing to do what it takes to get the job done. You won't get there with only the heroic kind of people.

Yes, father. Mitigated by his mother's eyes. Mea culpa, but my point stands. Harry is an obnoxious twerp, but you should at least allow him to be an obnoxious twerp before punishing him for the sins of his father.

I think Snape is a phenomenally well-written character, although I found and continue to find his "Mudblood" outburst at Lily a remarkably poorly written scenario. And I agree that he's brave and loyal. But see above re: public association. "The kind willing to do what it takes to get the job done" are generally pretty terrible people.


View original postAlso, I don't think Snape ever actually hates Harry, and certainly not at first sight. It's a lot more complicated than that.

Conceded. He's still an ass.



View original postReally not that terrible at all. A lot of successful people in business or politics or academia or whatever have more than a little Slughorn in them, which I dare say was the point. He seems like Rowling's way of bringing a little balance back and reminding her readers that there's more to Slytherin than just 'evil genocidal maniacs'. There's a reason why Slytherin was one of the four founding houses, after all - which makes that moment in book seven that I mentioned all the sadder.

I agree with this, though again--most people in business and politics and academia are profoundly narcissistic. Failing to be an evil genocidal maniac is not really high praise.
View original postAnother aspect of the series that's pushing the children's literature barriers, is Rowling's nuanced take on how easily 'good' people can cooperate with or even promote evil, out of fear or ambition or misguided beliefs.

Agreed, though I think most of the very good children's novels do this. Like THE DARK IS RISING, or A WRINKLE IN TIME. Harry Potter is an excellent body of work.
View original postI think Cannoli had a few good points there. I would add that a not negligible part of HP readers has at least some familiarity with fan fic, many of which went for alternative takes such as telling the story from a Slytherin perspective, or at least a non-Gryffindor one. And yes, the epilogue counts as fan fic.

We disagree on very little.
"We feel safe when we read what we recognise, what does not challenge our way of thinking.... a steady acceptance of pre-arranged patterns leads to the inability to question what we are told."
~Camilla

Ghavrel is Ghavrel is Ghavrel

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What the hell is with people's fondness for Slytherin? Ghavrel - 26/06/2017 09:48:07 AM 1029 Views
Contrarian & deconstructionist fashions Cannoli - 26/06/2017 11:13:55 AM 680 Views
I think it's more because people are rejecting facile black-and-white depictions of the world. Tom - 26/06/2017 02:27:21 PM 640 Views
I can't help but think a children's series is the wrong venue for this sort of protest. Ghavrel - 26/06/2017 05:52:52 PM 634 Views
I can't help but think a children's series is the perfect venue for such a protest. Tom - 26/06/2017 07:45:47 PM 534 Views
Claps *NM* Roland00 - 27/06/2017 09:38:46 AM 386 Views
Maybe there's also room for different takes on morality in children's books? Legolas - 26/06/2017 07:58:21 PM 645 Views
I mean, I tend towards black and white morality as a general principle, so... Ghavrel - 27/06/2017 12:46:53 AM 529 Views
How is Gondor theocratic? I think I missed something *NM* Ghavrel - 26/06/2017 05:45:55 PM 387 Views
Appendix J to the Return of the King is essentially just religious laws of Gondor. Tom - 26/06/2017 07:49:08 PM 573 Views
I remember the first time reading those appendices at the end of The Return of the King The Shrike - 26/06/2017 08:09:18 PM 623 Views
I recall that one. Very bittersweet. As is most of the end of the trilogy. *NM* Ghavrel - 27/06/2017 12:43:16 AM 410 Views
I didn't say it was, I said that people like coming up with nonsense like that *NM* Cannoli - 27/06/2017 11:05:58 AM 421 Views
I got placed into Slytherin at Pottermore back in the day. The Shrike - 26/06/2017 01:30:13 PM 668 Views
Re: I got placed into Slytherin at Pottermore back in the day. Ghavrel - 26/06/2017 05:43:34 PM 663 Views
Your replies do show a large streak of Slytherinesque views. I think you were mishoused. The Shrike - 26/06/2017 06:06:09 PM 681 Views
Nah. I have vague glimmerings of a conscience. Disqualifying trait for House Sociopath. *NM* Ghavrel - 26/06/2017 06:08:44 PM 371 Views
Ah I see. You're in denial. In the closet as it were. The Shrike - 26/06/2017 06:27:37 PM 490 Views
Yet you're studying for the bar so you can join Profession Sociopath. Tom - 26/06/2017 07:56:47 PM 617 Views
Ugh. Don't remind me. *NM* Ghavrel - 26/06/2017 07:58:03 PM 354 Views
Meanwhile future "sociopath" The Shrike - 28/06/2017 12:20:27 PM 532 Views
I'm going into public defense. Don't be too proud of yourself. Ghavrel - 28/06/2017 08:31:04 PM 633 Views
Just a self-righteous and masochistic form of sociopath. *NM* Tom - 28/06/2017 10:05:18 PM 444 Views
But intensely charitable in its sociopathy! Ghavrel - 28/06/2017 10:54:14 PM 507 Views
How many years, do you guess, as a PDA before he bails for the bucks? damookster - 28/06/2017 11:13:43 PM 545 Views
I went to law school specifically to be a public defender. Bailing is unlikely. Ghavrel - 29/06/2017 12:19:42 AM 608 Views
You are an American, bail---ing is part of our judicial system Roland00 - 29/06/2017 02:45:05 AM 618 Views
I thought about making that pun but demurred. Ghavrel - 29/06/2017 03:22:46 AM 529 Views
Well we slytherin folk we have our own role models in regards to humor Roland00 - 29/06/2017 04:50:58 AM 537 Views
Well we slytherin folk we have our own role models in regards to humor Roland00 - 29/06/2017 04:50:58 AM 645 Views
The Practice aired what 8 seasons, 7 with Bobby, only to be replaced with the much better show Roland00 - 29/06/2017 02:42:07 AM 511 Views
I re-watched the eight HP movies a while back. Legolas - 26/06/2017 07:38:39 PM 679 Views
You think "Eyebrows" Watson improved the films? Yeesh. *NM* Ghavrel - 27/06/2017 01:59:55 AM 559 Views
What do her eyebrows have to do with anything? And yes, I do. *NM* Legolas - 27/06/2017 06:13:20 AM 423 Views
They comprise about 98% of what passes for her acting ability. Ghavrel - 27/06/2017 06:14:31 AM 521 Views
Nonsense. She does a great job - at least in those movies, haven't seen her in anything else. Legolas - 27/06/2017 06:20:26 AM 569 Views
Hasn't BEEN in anything else. That anyone else saw, anyway. Cannoli - 27/06/2017 03:18:48 PM 658 Views
Pretty sure that a lot of people saw her in Beauty & The Beast The Shrike - 27/06/2017 03:26:29 PM 597 Views
In which, incidentally, she could neither act nor sing. *NM* Ghavrel - 28/06/2017 03:13:32 AM 422 Views
That's not the point. The point is she was seen in a film that garnered over $1billion. *NM* The Shrike - 28/06/2017 12:18:14 PM 399 Views
The point is she hasn't been in anything that would support a positive assessment of her ability Cannoli - 01/07/2017 02:56:26 PM 554 Views
Voldemort came from Slytherin. He was awesome. Tom - 26/06/2017 01:50:46 PM 605 Views
*NM* Ghavrel - 26/06/2017 05:44:33 PM 393 Views
One of the rather few things in the series that I'd say Rowling got wrong... Legolas - 26/06/2017 07:32:43 PM 594 Views
I agree with most of this. Ghavrel - 27/06/2017 01:03:19 AM 678 Views
As a fellow "Never Slytherin"... Clover - 27/06/2017 12:22:17 AM 859 Views
Re: As a fellow "Never Slytherin"... Ghavrel - 27/06/2017 01:15:15 AM 599 Views
Perhaps the houses Roland00 - 28/06/2017 01:44:35 AM 589 Views
Anti-hype? nossy - 27/06/2017 10:35:22 AM 598 Views
Ok, so, everybody beat me to it nossy - 27/06/2017 10:45:33 AM 579 Views
Nossy you are our hufflepuff Roland00 - 28/06/2017 01:47:40 AM 564 Views
Re: Anti-hype? Cannoli - 27/06/2017 03:24:12 PM 608 Views
Re: Anti-hype? Ghavrel - 28/06/2017 03:21:59 AM 452 Views
Re: Anti-hype? nossy - 28/06/2017 01:14:09 PM 532 Views
Stop it, you are meant to enjoy the books not analyze them to death. Roland00 - 28/06/2017 01:40:41 AM 515 Views
I don't watch anime. RWBY is safe. *NM* Ghavrel - 28/06/2017 03:12:56 AM 299 Views
Hun, that product is made in America it is not Anime Roland00 - 28/06/2017 03:17:45 AM 534 Views
That's anime. I don't watch anime or its derivatives. But if you want me to criticize it... *NM* Ghavrel - 28/06/2017 03:23:01 AM 347 Views
Perhaps you should watch it Roland00 - 28/06/2017 03:29:59 AM 467 Views
Enjoyment =/= thinking about, or having feelings toward, something. Good to know Cannoli - 01/07/2017 02:57:42 PM 503 Views
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