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HBP Spoiler review - Chapters 11-14
Chapter 11
Mostly a transitory chapter where nothing much of significance happens other than some quidditch and a visit to Hagrid -- this chapter mainly served to remind me how much safer (and thus a bit duller) a place Hogwarts looks than it was in the 5th book under the eyes of Umbridge.
Ron interjecting jealous/hurt comments was amusing. "I'm tall," said Ron inconsequentially. Hee hee.
Shrunken heads are mentioned -- is this the first time they're mentioned in canon? If yes, then this seems to be a case where the films influenced the books, as they were invented for the 3rd movie.
Chapter 12
The jinxes seem to make it more likely that it's Snape's book, not Dumbledore's. I even thought briefly whether "Half-blood prince" may have been a title that Tom Riddle gave himself inbetween coming to Hogwarts and inventing "Lord Voldemort" -- then I remember JKR has said that neither Voldemort nor Harry's the person in question.
With one eye on Fleur and the other eye on Madame Rosmerta, Ron really has no right being the slightest bit jealous over Hermione, the git.
The Katie-Leanne incident is intriguing. Unlike the case with the possible Dark Mark, this seems to be one of the cases where Harry leaps to unsupportable conclusions.
Chapter 13
I don't very much like the idea of Tom Riddle being so clearly sociopathic even at age of 11. It lacks both subtlety and it reduces even the potential for compassion. In truth I'd very much have liked Tom at this age to have only an extraordinary desire for distinguishment -- the mention "There are many Toms" was cool. If this ambition and desire to separate himself was all we clearly saw, the desire to do things himself... but we also see lots cruelty and not even just hints of it. Unsubtle. Not sure that the character gains anything from this.
Chapter 14
Heh. This chapter was mixed. Three storylines:
The Felix Felicis and the game -- Given how these chapters follow Harry's POV, I think it was rather *cheating* of JKR to trick us into thinking Ron had drunk the potion. But that's a nitpick, I guess. And I should have been tipped off, I guess, when Harry was surprised at Malfoy's sudden illness. Perhaps that's enough to make the plot-twist fair.
The Ginny plot -- *Ugh*. Harry's Sudden Realization of Love for Ginny (tm). *Ugh*. I suppose it's preferable to the other fanfiction cliche, Harry's Slow Realization of Love for Ginny (tm), in the sense that a quick death is preferable to a slow death after prolonged agony. But that doesn't change the fact that both are things to be avoided, and I'd have preferred if Harry never developed any feelings for Ginny at all, because it could be nothing but obvious. And way too neat.
And lastly the Ron-Hermione plot, which is probably the best of the three. The good turn of their relationship goes quietly enough and naturally enough, that it's not obnoxious -- especially with Harry's amusing interjections, e.g. trying to make as much noise as possible to prevent their voices from reaching him. And when the bad turn comes -- well I'm just very glad that Hermione didn't take the thing graciously at the end, and did cast her spell against the horrible git. He deserved worse. And I hope he gets it.
Mostly a transitory chapter where nothing much of significance happens other than some quidditch and a visit to Hagrid -- this chapter mainly served to remind me how much safer (and thus a bit duller) a place Hogwarts looks than it was in the 5th book under the eyes of Umbridge.
Ron interjecting jealous/hurt comments was amusing. "I'm tall," said Ron inconsequentially. Hee hee.
Shrunken heads are mentioned -- is this the first time they're mentioned in canon? If yes, then this seems to be a case where the films influenced the books, as they were invented for the 3rd movie.
Chapter 12
The jinxes seem to make it more likely that it's Snape's book, not Dumbledore's. I even thought briefly whether "Half-blood prince" may have been a title that Tom Riddle gave himself inbetween coming to Hogwarts and inventing "Lord Voldemort" -- then I remember JKR has said that neither Voldemort nor Harry's the person in question.
With one eye on Fleur and the other eye on Madame Rosmerta, Ron really has no right being the slightest bit jealous over Hermione, the git.
The Katie-Leanne incident is intriguing. Unlike the case with the possible Dark Mark, this seems to be one of the cases where Harry leaps to unsupportable conclusions.
Chapter 13
I don't very much like the idea of Tom Riddle being so clearly sociopathic even at age of 11. It lacks both subtlety and it reduces even the potential for compassion. In truth I'd very much have liked Tom at this age to have only an extraordinary desire for distinguishment -- the mention "There are many Toms" was cool. If this ambition and desire to separate himself was all we clearly saw, the desire to do things himself... but we also see lots cruelty and not even just hints of it. Unsubtle. Not sure that the character gains anything from this.
Chapter 14
Heh. This chapter was mixed. Three storylines:
The Felix Felicis and the game -- Given how these chapters follow Harry's POV, I think it was rather *cheating* of JKR to trick us into thinking Ron had drunk the potion. But that's a nitpick, I guess. And I should have been tipped off, I guess, when Harry was surprised at Malfoy's sudden illness. Perhaps that's enough to make the plot-twist fair.
The Ginny plot -- *Ugh*. Harry's Sudden Realization of Love for Ginny (tm). *Ugh*. I suppose it's preferable to the other fanfiction cliche, Harry's Slow Realization of Love for Ginny (tm), in the sense that a quick death is preferable to a slow death after prolonged agony. But that doesn't change the fact that both are things to be avoided, and I'd have preferred if Harry never developed any feelings for Ginny at all, because it could be nothing but obvious. And way too neat.
And lastly the Ron-Hermione plot, which is probably the best of the three. The good turn of their relationship goes quietly enough and naturally enough, that it's not obnoxious -- especially with Harry's amusing interjections, e.g. trying to make as much noise as possible to prevent their voices from reaching him. And when the bad turn comes -- well I'm just very glad that Hermione didn't take the thing graciously at the end, and did cast her spell against the horrible git. He deserved worse. And I hope he gets it.
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Harry's crush on Ginny is about as well-developed as his crush on Cho. I did appreciate some of the groundwork, though, such as when Harry is on the train and a little disappointed that Ginny has her own group of friends and doesn't really hang out with him. But, yeah, it would have been nice to see them have, I dunno, an actual conversation before Harry was struck down by the knowledge of his burning passion. Frankly, I hope Harry is still unattached when he graduates. (Although, Harry's rivals in love have a nasty tendency of dying, so you never know.)
So far, I'm kind of disappointed that Harry hasn't resumed the DA lessons. It was my favorite part of the previous book, which was so much of a downer until then.
Pretty much agree with you on the Voldemort bits. I was actually hoping Voldemort would be likeable and more similar to Harry. (One of the recurring themes, especially in the second book, is how much Harry and Voldemort have in common, but aside from the Parseltongue, I just don't see it. Harry is so obviously good and Voldemort is so obviously evil. How can you make a proper comparison?)
Here's my big question: Is Tom Riddle Sr. still alive?
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...No.
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Only, that kind of thing IS consistant with kids that grow up to be serial killers. That same sort of subtle, secretive sociopathicness-just look at Jeffry Dahmer, who liked to cut up animals when he was a kid. To me, showing that kind of "warning sign" with Voldemort made what he became later so much more believable. It showed that, even as a child, there was something fundamentally wrong with his way of thinking. I do think the trophy-keeping slkkect was rather trite, but then, when I put it in the context of most serial killers ansd tin^pot dictators, it made sense, even though it *did* cheapen Voldemort. I' not fullingbuying my Hogwarts was so important to him, but *hey*.