Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Bree · 06-19-2003, 08:57 PM

This space reserved for discussion of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. No spoilers in the OP (it wouldn't be fair) but I thought I'd include the warning in case a future post has a juicy tidbit in it.

I had the opportunity to skim the book at work tonight - a case of the books broke open and we had several copies fall out with no clue as to the owner (I'm an extremely fast reader). Yes, someone close to Harry does die, the character of Dumbledore as a literary figure reminds me more and more of Gandalf the more I read, you get to hear more about Harry and you-know-who (curses, curses), and Cho and Harry...well, you don't really need to know about them.

I'm waiting to get my hands on a copy of my own after the rush dies down. And in case anyone is wondering, the books that fell out of the carton get sent to corporate, where they rot in a trailer for a year and then get sold off to Big Lots. I didn't get to keep one - which is fine, because it wasn't mine anyway.

dangin · 06-20-2003, 05:52 AM

Bree, you're just too damn honest. You should have whipped out your portable scanner (everyone should have one, right?) and started scanning from the end forward. Then post everything you scanned here, and when the II gets sued for $100 million, we'll get lots of publicity.

What were you thinking?

Bree · 06-20-2003, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dangin
Bree, you're just too damn honest. You should have whipped out your portable scanner (everyone should have one, right?) and started scanning from the end forward. Then post everything you scanned here, and when the II gets sued for $100 million, we'll get lots of publicity.

What were you thinking?

That did cross my mind, but I don't have a scanner like that, nor do I want to go to jail

.

villainess · 06-20-2003, 10:27 PM

I knew I should have started this thread two days ago!

Overall impressions: Ms. Rowling has not jumped the shark. Yes, this is a big old brick of a book, and there are some wonky transitions (and one large possible continuity error in Chapter 9, though not understanding the British education system I could be wrong.) And may I just say that I am very, very very disappointed with the decision to go with That Certain Cliche That Every Fangirl in the Universe Predicted Months, If Not Years Ago in the big Dumbledore 'tell all' speech. But the characterizations are if anything more convincing than before - particularly, there are now fleshed-out characters from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff involved in the action. Some of the female characters are better-handled, too, although the mushy stuff is frankly mushy. Chapter 28 was kind of hard to read, but I'm glad that it was there. The plot is well-paced, and I was pleased with the decision of whom to kill (but I'm biased.)

So let us start with just a little spoiler to get everyone warmed up:

*
*
*
*
*
*

In this book, we got a lot of numbers, so many so that I assume Rowling was throwing them to us on purpose. So I did a little Arithmancy to determine that (assuming I don't do math badly at five in the morning) Malfoy Elder is five years older than Snape and the Gang of Four, meaning that their time at Hogwarts overlapped by two years. Harry was born when his parents were 21. Snape apparently went from Death Eater to pentinent to spy to professor in just over five years (which leaves him very little time for therapy or fathering Mary Sues.) Neville was probably about two years old, maybe three, when his parents were tortured. Whether any of this is relevant or not I frankly haven't the foggiest notion.

the.villainess

excreationist · 06-21-2003, 09:59 AM

So.... who dies in the book?

elanah · 06-21-2003, 05:41 PM

I have to say, it's a great read, but it's totally ruined my Saturday. After reading it from about 12:30 until this morning and then grabbing about two hours of sleep, I have had all the energy of a sloth riddled with tranquilizer darts.

RevDahlia · 06-21-2003, 05:50 PM

Who DIES, dammit?!

elanah · 06-21-2003, 05:51 PM

Do you really want to know?

villainess · 06-21-2003, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by elanah
I have to say, it's a great read, but it's totally ruined my Saturday. After reading it from about 12:30 until this morning and then grabbing about two hours of sleep, I have had all the energy of a sloth riddled with tranquilizer darts.

That's part of the savor of the whole experience. Now drink lots of coffee and eat something with plenty of sugar.

You'll feel like a surly teenager again, trust me. Fandom = a veritable fountain of youth.

the.villainess

Corgan Sow · 06-21-2003, 06:36 PM

I'm at the topic where Harry goes to the Ministry for hearing. Just one question for those who finished the book...

How's Harry and Cho Chang?

06-19-2003, 08:57 PM	#1
Bree Veteran Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Twin Cities, USA Posts: 3,197	HP: Order of the Phoenix ((spoilers)) This space reserved for discussion of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. No spoilers in the OP (it wouldn't be fair) but I thought I'd include the warning in case a future post has a juicy tidbit in it. I had the opportunity to skim the book at work tonight - a case of the books broke open and we had several copies fall out with no clue as to the owner (I'm an extremely fast reader). Yes, someone close to Harry does die, the character of Dumbledore as a literary figure reminds me more and more of Gandalf the more I read, you get to hear more about Harry and you-know-who (curses, curses), and Cho and Harry...well, you don't really need to know about them. I'm waiting to get my hands on a copy of my own after the rush dies down. And in case anyone is wondering, the books that fell out of the carton get sent to corporate, where they rot in a trailer for a year and then get sold off to Big Lots. I didn't get to keep one - which is fine, because it wasn't mine anyway.

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06-20-2003, 05:52 AM	#2
dangin Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: The Middle, Kansas Posts: 2,637	Bree, you're just too damn honest. You should have whipped out your portable scanner (everyone should have one, right?) and started scanning from the end forward. Then post everything you scanned here, and when the II gets sued for $100 million, we'll get lots of publicity. What were you thinking?

06-20-2003, 10:27 PM	#4
villainess Regular Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Ithaca, NY Posts: 471	I knew I should have started this thread two days ago! Overall impressions: Ms. Rowling has not jumped the shark. Yes, this is a big old brick of a book, and there are some wonky transitions (and one large possible continuity error in Chapter 9, though not understanding the British education system I could be wrong.) And may I just say that I am very, very very disappointed with the decision to go with That Certain Cliche That Every Fangirl in the Universe Predicted Months, If Not Years Ago in the big Dumbledore 'tell all' speech. But the characterizations are if anything more convincing than before - particularly, there are now fleshed-out characters from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff involved in the action. Some of the female characters are better-handled, too, although the mushy stuff is frankly mushy. Chapter 28 was kind of hard to read, but I'm glad that it was there. The plot is well-paced, and I was pleased with the decision of whom to kill (but I'm biased.) So let us start with just a little spoiler to get everyone warmed up: * * * * * * In this book, we got a lot of numbers, so many so that I assume Rowling was throwing them to us on purpose. So I did a little Arithmancy to determine that (assuming I don't do math badly at five in the morning) Malfoy Elder is five years older than Snape and the Gang of Four, meaning that their time at Hogwarts overlapped by two years. Harry was born when his parents were 21. Snape apparently went from Death Eater to pentinent to spy to professor in just over five years (which leaves him very little time for therapy or fathering Mary Sues.) Neville was probably about two years old, maybe three, when his parents were tortured. Whether any of this is relevant or not I frankly haven't the foggiest notion. the.villainess

06-21-2003, 09:59 AM	#5
excreationist Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Australia Posts: 4,886	So.... who dies in the book?

06-21-2003, 05:41 PM	#6
elanah Regular Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Waukesha, WI Posts: 309	I have to say, it's a great read, but it's totally ruined my Saturday. After reading it from about 12:30 until this morning and then grabbing about two hours of sleep, I have had all the energy of a sloth riddled with tranquilizer darts.

06-21-2003, 05:50 PM	#7
RevDahlia Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Austin, TX, USA Posts: 4,930	Who DIES, dammit?!

06-21-2003, 05:51 PM	#8
elanah Regular Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Waukesha, WI Posts: 309	Do you really want to know?

06-21-2003, 06:36 PM	#10
Corgan Sow Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Posts: 1,537	I'm at the topic where Harry goes to the Ministry for hearing. Just one question for those who finished the book... How's Harry and Cho Chang?

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