Comments on: What I Thought Of Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix http://www.themannings.org/soapbox/2003/06/30/what-i-thought-of-harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix/ Pragmatic Libertarianism Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:22:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Queen of Ice http://www.themannings.org/soapbox/2003/06/30/what-i-thought-of-harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix/#comment-150 Queen of Ice Sat, 15 Nov 2003 22:55:10 +0000 http://www.themannings.org/soapbox/2003/06/30/what-i-thought-of-harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix/#comment-150 So, you all think HP V was too long. I totally agree that it was long but I also belive that J.K Rowling would have found it difficult to squeeze the basic storyline of that book into say harry potter 3. And the love story was not sloppy, it was actually probably something to hook in more female readers, that aren't all in to the duels and stuff. For your sake (not), I hope that HP 6 is twice as big as that, and that you Hp nerds can get a life and stop getting so hooked in and worked up about a book that is not about real-life sequences. You probably think i'm some old bat who knows nothing, but i'm not. I'm 15 years old and have the IQ of a 17 year old, without studying. I hate nerds, i hate studying, god only knows why he put this brain in my head but it seems to get me along. Now you are all probably atleast over 25, otherwise you probably don't have girlfriends. Look at you. And I remind CORY, that Harry and Voldemort were the only ones who could touch their prophecy (duh) so therefore, (for all you idiots out there) Dumbledore couldn't have smashed it. So i hope I haven't criticised any of you (lol). Have fun with your conspiricies, I'm going skateboarding, The Queen Of ice is very worried about all of you, and she isn't even a goth. You all suck. So, you all think HP V was too long. I totally agree that it was long but I also belive that J.K Rowling would have found it difficult to squeeze the basic storyline of that book into say harry potter 3. And the love story was not sloppy, it was actually probably something to hook in more female readers, that aren’t all in to the duels and stuff. For your sake (not), I hope that HP 6 is twice as big as that, and that you Hp nerds can get a life and stop getting so hooked in and worked up about a book that is not about real-life sequences. You probably think i’m some old bat who knows nothing, but i’m not. I’m 15 years old and have the IQ of a 17 year old, without studying. I hate nerds, i hate studying, god only knows why he put this brain in my head but it seems to get me along. Now you are all probably atleast over 25, otherwise you probably don’t have girlfriends. Look at you. And I remind CORY, that Harry and Voldemort were the only ones who could touch their prophecy (duh) so therefore, (for all you idiots out there) Dumbledore couldn’t have smashed it. So i hope I haven’t criticised any of you (lol). Have fun with your conspiricies, I’m going skateboarding, The Queen Of ice is very worried about all of you, and she isn’t even a goth. You all suck.

]]> By: John Robertson http://www.themannings.org/soapbox/2003/06/30/what-i-thought-of-harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix/#comment-149 John Robertson Mon, 04 Aug 2003 04:56:10 +0000 http://www.themannings.org/soapbox/2003/06/30/what-i-thought-of-harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix/#comment-149 I agree that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is too long, but not by as much as you state above. Also I have to take umbrage (allusion intended, yes, that word is where JK came up with the name Umbridge. If you don't know the word umbrage, look it up in the dictionary - while you're at it, look up the meaning of the name Delores) with your statement that the house-elf subplot was superfluous. First, remember Rowling's obsession with political parables - most of the Potter books are loaded with them. She is showing us a race of oppressed people who really don't WANT to be liberated, don't know what to do with themselves once they ARE liberated and will go to any lengths to avoid liberation. In their "enslavement", the house elves are perfectly well cared for, are for the most part left alone which is what they appear to want, and take pride in their accomplishments and in servicing their masters' needs and furthering his/her prestege. In all, the relationship between house elf and master, in most cases, appears to be more symbiotic than oppressive. When she is mistakenly freed, Binky the house elf descends into depressions and becomes a butterbeer-aholic. Rowling is teaching us two lessons here: 1) though they may think they want to be, not all people handle total freedom the same way, and 2) regardless of your intellect or your intentions (Hermione Grainger is both intelligent and kind of heart), meddling in the social development and internal affairs of a species or culture you don't fully understand is just not a great idea (this concept is the basis of Gene Roddenberry's "Prime Directive", for you Star Trek fans, and is a possible overarching principle behind much of the trouble in the Middle East today). These two morals are why I expect to see a continuation of the house-elf subplot, and that it may have great impact on the outcome of the larger story in the last two volumes. I agree that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is too long, but not by as much as you state above. Also I have to take umbrage (allusion intended, yes, that word is where JK came up with the name Umbridge. If you don’t know the word umbrage, look it up in the dictionary - while you’re at it, look up the meaning of the name Delores) with your statement that the house-elf subplot was superfluous. First, remember Rowling’s obsession with political parables - most of the Potter books are loaded with them. She is showing us a race of oppressed people who really don’t WANT to be liberated, don’t know what to do with themselves once they ARE liberated and will go to any lengths to avoid liberation. In their “enslavement”, the house elves are perfectly well cared for, are for the most part left alone which is what they appear to want, and take pride in their accomplishments and in servicing their masters’ needs and furthering his/her prestege. In all, the relationship between house elf and master, in most cases, appears to be more symbiotic than oppressive. When she is mistakenly freed, Binky the house elf descends into depressions and becomes a butterbeer-aholic. Rowling is teaching us two lessons here: 1) though they may think they want to be, not all people handle total freedom the same way, and 2) regardless of your intellect or your intentions (Hermione Grainger is both intelligent and kind of heart), meddling in the social development and internal affairs of a species or culture you don’t fully understand is just not a great idea (this concept is the basis of Gene Roddenberry’s “Prime Directive”, for you Star Trek fans, and is a possible overarching principle behind much of the trouble in the Middle East today). These two morals are why I expect to see a continuation of the house-elf subplot, and that it may have great impact on the outcome of the larger story in the last two volumes.

]]> By: cory http://www.themannings.org/soapbox/2003/06/30/what-i-thought-of-harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix/#comment-148 cory Sat, 02 Aug 2003 04:35:38 +0000 http://www.themannings.org/soapbox/2003/06/30/what-i-thought-of-harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix/#comment-148 I also thought that book five was too long for the interesting storylines- I think Rowling just wants to give her audience as much Harry as she possibly can. Regarding the house elf storyline- I think it was important to remind everyone that many in the wizarding community (even really good people) are treating some of their fellow creatures badly. This was a major theme in Book five and I think hermione's houseelf campagin was being setup here so that it can come into promience in future books. However, my big objection to Harry five is that the main story w/ Voldemort doesn't make that much sence to me. What was so important about that Prophesey that voldemort couldn't here it? I mean Dumbledore has people dying (or almost dying) to protect Voldemort from learning that its him or harry? I think everyone knows that already. And even if Voldemort (for whatever reason) couldn't hear the prophesey-- then why couldn't dumbledore simply have smashed the ball on page one and saved us all the trouble....it broke in the end w/ noone new ahving heard it and the wizarding world didn't come to an end....... I also thought that book five was too long for the interesting storylines- I think Rowling just wants to give her audience as much Harry as she possibly can. Regarding the house elf storyline- I think it was important to remind everyone that many in the wizarding community (even really good people) are treating some of their fellow creatures badly. This was a major theme in Book five and I think hermione’s houseelf campagin was being setup here so that it can come into promience in future books. However, my big objection to Harry five is that the main story w/ Voldemort doesn’t make that much sence to me. What was so important about that Prophesey that voldemort couldn’t here it? I mean Dumbledore has people dying (or almost dying) to protect Voldemort from learning that its him or harry? I think everyone knows that already. And even if Voldemort (for whatever reason) couldn’t hear the prophesey– then why couldn’t dumbledore simply have smashed the ball on page one and saved us all the trouble….it broke in the end w/ noone new ahving heard it and the wizarding world didn’t come to an end…….

]]> By: Michael http://www.themannings.org/soapbox/2003/06/30/what-i-thought-of-harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix/#comment-147 Michael Tue, 01 Jul 2003 18:10:51 +0000 http://www.themannings.org/soapbox/2003/06/30/what-i-thought-of-harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix/#comment-147 Here, here! I agree in part. OK, I agree in full, but I would have put the spoiler disclaimer at the top. Here, here!

I agree in part. OK, I agree in full, but I would have put the spoiler disclaimer at the top.

]]> By: Daniel http://www.themannings.org/soapbox/2003/06/30/what-i-thought-of-harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix/#comment-146 Daniel Mon, 30 Jun 2003 17:27:04 +0000 http://www.themannings.org/soapbox/2003/06/30/what-i-thought-of-harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix/#comment-146 Jeremy, if you liked Jim Dale, you really need to listen to Nigel Planer read a good Terry Pratchett book. I think that Jim Dale is good, but Nigel Planer is even better. By the way, if you get a chance, check out the British version of the audio books. Some people think that the British version, read by Stephen Fry, reading is better and the Jim Dale version. Personally I think they are both good. Jeremy, if you liked Jim Dale, you really need to listen to Nigel Planer read a good Terry Pratchett book. I think that Jim Dale is good, but Nigel Planer is even better.

By the way, if you get a chance, check out the British version of the audio books. Some people think that the British version, read by Stephen Fry, reading is better and the Jim Dale version. Personally I think they are both good.

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