InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Yay!"

Queen of the Castle (qotc) wrote,
@ 2008-08-25 21:19:00

Entry tags:

random

Gotta Love Saying "I Told You So"
So I happened to receive an email notifying me about a new review on an old story. When I went to the website to look at the review in full, an older review caught my eye. This is what it said:

It's a good story. It was well written, and I liked the plot. But I stopped reading when Voldy said Harry was a Horcrux. Jo would never let that happen. It straight goes against the prophecy. Otherwise, it's ok.

o_O

So, anyone else have anyone tell them that JKR wouldn't possibly write something that you may have mentioned the possibility of in passing in your fic, and then the next book comes out and she so writes it, OMG, wasn't it obvious?

So strange, but so amusing.

(Post a new comment)

	ptyx 2008-08-25 06:53 am UTC (link)
	Ha. That happened to me, many times, because I wrote many fics where Harry was a horcrux. To tell you the truth, DH didn't surprise me at all, except for that IMO long, boring and unnecessary plot about the "deathly hallows". (Reply to this) (Thread)

qotc
2008-08-25 08:24 am UTC (link)

Yeah, it's a shame really. I thought some of the scenes in DH were the best in the whole series (the first chapter was pretty much perfect as far as I'm concerned, for example), but on the whole it dragged on with unnecessary plot lines (And then they sat in the tent. And then the next day they kept sitting in the tent. And then the next day ...). And it was all so predictable. I try to tell myself that maybe after reading six of her books I've just gotten used to her particular brand of foreshadowing and that's why I could guess everything, but that's probably just wishful thinking.

Of course, then again, I've never thought that plot was JKR's strong point. Oh, she's decent at skirting time paradoxes and writing basilisk fights and what have you, but it's not truly excellent writing. On the other hand, I do mostly respect her characterisations. She's got adolescent awkwardness pretty much down-pat, for example (anyone who really can't believe in her OotP CAPLOCK!Harry clearly hasn't been a teenager in far too long, let alone a teenager with half the world against him). She wrote a seven-book series with hundreds of at least somewhat fleshed-out characters, and not a one is wholly annoying (oh, all right, maybe the house elves) or too perfect or whatever. They're all quite flawed, and we mostly see why they're flawed, and that's how I like it. And aren't the characters why we fandomers are all here?

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	ptyx 2008-08-25 08:44 am UTC (link)
	I agree with you to a point. I agree that JKR has created fascinating, flawed characters. But I don't think she has maintained consistency during the series, mostly due to plot necessities. So, although we have interesting characters, they aren't always consistent. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

qotc
2008-08-25 09:47 am UTC (link)

That's true. But then, to some extent I think that part of the inconsistency is that we only see the characters through a limited third person PoV, and Harry's rather biased when it comes down to it. The character that most readily springs to mind in relation to inconsistencies is Lupin. On first glance he seems in DH to devolve into some ridiculous parody of himself. But actually, what I think happens is that he's finally put under enough pressure from the war and such that his true colours shine through even to our loveably blind Harry. We knew that Lupin was clingy and cowardly; he admits it himself. So can I believe that the instant he let himself believe that someone cared about him he would tie them to him (marrying Tonks), or that he'd try to bail when things got hard (nearly leaving Tonks + kid), or even that he'd be naive enough to make Harry-of-the-remarkably-gnatlike-projected-lifespan his kid's godfather? Absolutely I can. That's not to say that it was in any way necessary to the plot to even feature Lupin at all (it's one of the many seemingly pointless tangents in DH). And it's not to say that the argument that it's from Harry's PoV isn't just a little too convenient, either, but at least it provides me with some believable explanation.

(Reply to this) (Parent)