"Please, Spock. Do me a favour and don't say it's fascinating." "Of course not, but it is interesting."
Part Two
Wherein Jack lists reasons she doesn't like a world famous series and ducks the tomatoes.
So, as I said, I was doing this post in two parts. And, since I normally don't do two parts, I am not sure where to start. So I will just start in the middle, because that usually works.
Remember, these thoughts are my own opinion. I'm not going to burn you at the stake if you disagree.
So, aside from not caring for Harry, Ron, and Hermionie much, nor the actual writing style of the book, there is another part I couldn't get past. The adults.
I am sure some of you can see where I am going with this. Aye, Snape. Now, when I first heard of this man it was my sister saying how much she liked him. I didn't care at the time, not seeing the movies. But when I did, I found myself liking him as well. Grumpy, quiet, glaring most of the time, something about him interested me. Even if he was a bit mean sounding at times, he was likable. Then I read the books.
Now, those who do not know. Snape is Harry's teacher, one of them. He's a greasy haired man who never smiles, or hardly ever does, and has it in for Harry. He also favours Draco, this spoiled brat boy who torments Harry. It turns out, Snape loved Lily, Harry's mother. He tried to save her but got to the house too late the night she and her husband were killed. (He didn't like her husband because James bullied him when they were boys, then went and stole his true love just to add insult to injury. Okay, maybe not to ruin Snape's life, but he seems to think it.) Now, Snape hates Harry. (Hey, why not? Your sweetheart and tormentor's son. You've got nothing better to do.)
Now, Snape sets out to make Harry's life miserable. (Keep in mind I'm talking about book Snape, NOT movie Snape who had less of this 13-year-old grudge issue.) Now, here is where I have problems with this fellow. I made it to the middle of book four and in them Snape is horrible. He is very hard on Harry. Harry will mess something up in class - in other words he will be a student and not get everything perfect - and Snape will take points away from his House. Meanwhile, Draco can pretty much get away with murder and Snape will give him a cookie for it. I didn't finish book four. I was told he redeems himself in book 7 because we find out about James. Here is my point. I. Don't. Care.
I don't care that Snape was bullied. I don't care that Snape lost his girl. I don't care he couldn't save her. I do not for one moment think ANY of this gives him the right to act as he does. And I don't see how learning his past can fix any of this and get me to like him. (Yes, he saves Harry's life at least once, but still. Is this any reason to torment a boy and his friends.?!)
Example. Draco is mocking Harry in one part and Harry losses his temper. He and Draco pull out wands to zap each other with something and miss. Well, Draco misses. Harry's hits Draco and something happens. Draco's hits Hermionie. Snape shows up. Seeing Draco, he says he should go and see the doctor and get all mended. Meanwhile, Hermionie's teeth have begun to grow very large. Normally a girl with buck teeth, this is, well, not normal. But Snape looks at her and says, "I see no difference." And this is supposed to be an adult. A teacher. And the kids act more mature then him.
(And that is just one example.)
So, in short, I do not think anything should give him the right to behave in a childish manner and to so obviously bully Harry. Also, the other problem I have with this. It doesn't feel real. I have read books where kids are mistreated, but it was realistic. As I said before, when Harry's aunt and uncle are mean to him it is unbelievable. It is like Cinderella. The same with Snape. I have a hard time believing any adult would do any of that to a kid. (And yes, adults do do horrible things to children. But there is realistic and there is wicked step-mother where it is just the author wanting you to feel bad for the hero and making it almost silly.)
Nevelle is another problem I have. He is a quiet, shy, frightened boy with big teeth and a bad memory. And even Harry is mean to him sometimes. What kind of example is this? If you don't fit in you might as well get used to not having friends? It is okay to pick on someone who has struggles with things?
Lastly, is the insistence that everyone in the world should read these books. I made book four, I plan to read no further. I like the basic plotline, but I can get that from the movies and I can enjoy the charactrers more - just not the spiders. But, many seem to think if one DOESN'T read these books there is something wrong with them. They cannot go through life without reading them.
We read because we enjoy it. Everyone has different tastes. I do not enjoy these books, someone else might. (Same with the Ergon books. I don't enjoy them and never finished the first, but others love them.)
We each read what we enjoy. And there should be no law that we HAVE to read something even if we don't enjoy it.
So, there you have it. The reason I won't be finishing the Harry Potter books. (Besides, in book 7 she kills a lot of the characters I DID like. Fred, Remus, his wife, Fred. And leaves George. Alone. Without his twin brother. All alone....you get my point.)
And that is all. Quote is from Star Trek. (Spock likes to say fascinating when some disaster hits. And, well, it finally got on McCoy's nerves. Shocking, I know.)
Au Reivor
Allons-y!
Wherein Jack lists reasons she doesn't like a world famous series and ducks the tomatoes.
So, as I said, I was doing this post in two parts. And, since I normally don't do two parts, I am not sure where to start. So I will just start in the middle, because that usually works.
Remember, these thoughts are my own opinion. I'm not going to burn you at the stake if you disagree.
So, aside from not caring for Harry, Ron, and Hermionie much, nor the actual writing style of the book, there is another part I couldn't get past. The adults.
I am sure some of you can see where I am going with this. Aye, Snape. Now, when I first heard of this man it was my sister saying how much she liked him. I didn't care at the time, not seeing the movies. But when I did, I found myself liking him as well. Grumpy, quiet, glaring most of the time, something about him interested me. Even if he was a bit mean sounding at times, he was likable. Then I read the books.
Now, those who do not know. Snape is Harry's teacher, one of them. He's a greasy haired man who never smiles, or hardly ever does, and has it in for Harry. He also favours Draco, this spoiled brat boy who torments Harry. It turns out, Snape loved Lily, Harry's mother. He tried to save her but got to the house too late the night she and her husband were killed. (He didn't like her husband because James bullied him when they were boys, then went and stole his true love just to add insult to injury. Okay, maybe not to ruin Snape's life, but he seems to think it.) Now, Snape hates Harry. (Hey, why not? Your sweetheart and tormentor's son. You've got nothing better to do.)
Now, Snape sets out to make Harry's life miserable. (Keep in mind I'm talking about book Snape, NOT movie Snape who had less of this 13-year-old grudge issue.) Now, here is where I have problems with this fellow. I made it to the middle of book four and in them Snape is horrible. He is very hard on Harry. Harry will mess something up in class - in other words he will be a student and not get everything perfect - and Snape will take points away from his House. Meanwhile, Draco can pretty much get away with murder and Snape will give him a cookie for it. I didn't finish book four. I was told he redeems himself in book 7 because we find out about James. Here is my point. I. Don't. Care.
I don't care that Snape was bullied. I don't care that Snape lost his girl. I don't care he couldn't save her. I do not for one moment think ANY of this gives him the right to act as he does. And I don't see how learning his past can fix any of this and get me to like him. (Yes, he saves Harry's life at least once, but still. Is this any reason to torment a boy and his friends.?!)
Example. Draco is mocking Harry in one part and Harry losses his temper. He and Draco pull out wands to zap each other with something and miss. Well, Draco misses. Harry's hits Draco and something happens. Draco's hits Hermionie. Snape shows up. Seeing Draco, he says he should go and see the doctor and get all mended. Meanwhile, Hermionie's teeth have begun to grow very large. Normally a girl with buck teeth, this is, well, not normal. But Snape looks at her and says, "I see no difference." And this is supposed to be an adult. A teacher. And the kids act more mature then him.
(And that is just one example.)
So, in short, I do not think anything should give him the right to behave in a childish manner and to so obviously bully Harry. Also, the other problem I have with this. It doesn't feel real. I have read books where kids are mistreated, but it was realistic. As I said before, when Harry's aunt and uncle are mean to him it is unbelievable. It is like Cinderella. The same with Snape. I have a hard time believing any adult would do any of that to a kid. (And yes, adults do do horrible things to children. But there is realistic and there is wicked step-mother where it is just the author wanting you to feel bad for the hero and making it almost silly.)
Nevelle is another problem I have. He is a quiet, shy, frightened boy with big teeth and a bad memory. And even Harry is mean to him sometimes. What kind of example is this? If you don't fit in you might as well get used to not having friends? It is okay to pick on someone who has struggles with things?
Lastly, is the insistence that everyone in the world should read these books. I made book four, I plan to read no further. I like the basic plotline, but I can get that from the movies and I can enjoy the charactrers more - just not the spiders. But, many seem to think if one DOESN'T read these books there is something wrong with them. They cannot go through life without reading them.
We read because we enjoy it. Everyone has different tastes. I do not enjoy these books, someone else might. (Same with the Ergon books. I don't enjoy them and never finished the first, but others love them.)
We each read what we enjoy. And there should be no law that we HAVE to read something even if we don't enjoy it.
So, there you have it. The reason I won't be finishing the Harry Potter books. (Besides, in book 7 she kills a lot of the characters I DID like. Fred, Remus, his wife, Fred. And leaves George. Alone. Without his twin brother. All alone....you get my point.)
And that is all. Quote is from Star Trek. (Spock likes to say fascinating when some disaster hits. And, well, it finally got on McCoy's nerves. Shocking, I know.)
Au Reivor
Allons-y!
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