Friday, January 25, 2013

HP and the Readalong of Secrets 1: Quidditch continues to perplex me


So far, I'm enjoying Chamber of Secrets quite more than I thought I would, since it's my least favorite of the films. But I have hangups, friends.

In sports, the equipment is usually somewhat standardized for fairness, correct? But some Quidditch players have far better brooms that give them a big advantage over the other team (and even sometimes people on their OWN team . . . I'm looking at you, Harry).


But I like this:
"Ron's old Shooting Star was often outstripped by passing butterflies." (p. 46)
Which reminds me, MUCH was made of how poor the Weasleys are and how Mrs. Weasley had to clear out their vault at Gringotts just so she could afford to buy everyone's school things. But on the very next page, George and Fred are stockpiling fireworks. When money is tight, fireworks are usually the first thing to go, I would think. Do they have their own money? Are they endearingly mischievous twin SHOPLIFTERS?

Another possible concern:
"Snape looked as though Christmas had been canceled." (p. 81)
I don't believe this man cares for the comings or goings of Christmas.

I refuse, for the time being, to talk about Dobby and the questionable judgment involved in introducing children to an adorable house elf who punishes himself by ironing his own hands. I WILL, however, talk about Errol and how I don't care if he looks like an old feather duster and is awful at delivering mail because I love him.
"He carried Errol to a perch just inside the back door and tried to stand him on it, but Errol flopped straight off again so Ron lay him on the draining board instead." (p. 45)
Never change, Errol.

26 comments:

  1. "I don't believe this man cares for the comings or goings of Christmas."


    I love you.


    And yeah, the Weasley twins...have lost their moral compass a bit.

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  2. They probably blew up their moral compass with a firework...just for fun.

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  3. So much lol in this post. I love Harry's face in the first picture. Gang- to the -sta. The broom thing is troubling, but the wizarding community doesn't seem to have a good sense of such trivial things as equality.

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  4. There are SO MANY good owl pictures because, as it turns out, owls are ADORABLE. Observe: http://www.ohmagif.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/super-cute-owl.gif

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  5. It IS kind of weird that Hogwarts doesn't just have standard brooms for all of the teams to play on. I like Quidditch, but you're right - it's not very fair if the teams with the richest kids on them have the best brooms. It's like the Yankees but for Quidditch.
    Oh and Dobby's self-abuse is sad and a bit endearing, but I don't think it's likely to damage any kids. The whole point is how ridiculous it is that he has to feel that way.
    AND KUDOS TO THAT FIRST PICTURE. Hilarious.

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  6. HOUSE ELVES ARE NOT ADORABLE, HUSH!


    My thought about the Weasley twins is that they totally have their own sources of income. Which seems pretty mean if they're not sharing it with their parents which they clearly are not. Hmmm...


    ALSO I have never thought about the unfairness of the brooms before (or, not much) but hey! Yeah! That should probably not be the case, huh?

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  7. That is an odd thing about quidditch. You know what else is odd? I noticed this past week that they always capitalize Quidditch. Why is it a proper noun? Should I be capitalizing Baseball and Golf? Or are magical sports more important than our paltry muggle ones, so they get special grammatical attention? Huh, JKR? HUH??


    Later on in the books the Weasleys get spending money, but at this point they shouldn't really have any. Unless it's like birthday money they've saved up or something.



    I feel like Snape's favorite holiday is No Holiday.

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  8. Whoops, meant to say "Weasley twins get spending money" there.

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  9. This whole post made me laugh! And I think that fairness has no place at Hogwarts - not only does Harry have an awesome broom, but the school BOUGHT IT for him, even though first-years weren't allowed to have brooms and they clearly didn't buy anybody else's. Special treatment abounds!

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  10. I laughed at that last picture and caption until I cried.

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  11. I think the twins are growing on me SLIGHTLY. But only because they rescued Harry and they're making him feel better about this whole Heir of Slytherin dealie.

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  12. It's a scientific fact that things with giant eyes are automatically adorable. You can't argue with science, Laura!

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  13. Why DO they capitalize it? Maybe it's named after someone, as so many other things in the magical world seem to be. Sir Edwin Quidditch, perhaps.

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  14. (sorry, late to the game here...again)
    Hmmm good point about the brooms...although, in all sports, even though you all have to wear, say, the same *type* of sneaker, there's always that one kid that can afford the "new, can-make-me-run-super-fast" sneaker. Also, couldn't Harry have offered to buy his team all new brooms?? I mean, he does have a vault full of gold.

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  15. I suppose...maybe this is why I don't like team sports.

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  16. That is the BEST owl picture. And the Snape GIF... well DONE, madam!

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  17. SO true. Although their Gryffindor comes out occasionally, like when they help Harry escape from the Dursleys. Even though it's possible they were just in it for the adventure. I can't make my mind up about those two.

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  18. haha, I loved that line about Snape and Christmas. We all know that Alan Rickman is the original canceler of Christmas from his Robin Hood days!


    You know, I hadn't thought about those Weasley twins and their fireworks money. I don't think they're above shoplifting, but I can also see them volunteering for the wizarding equivalent of pharmaceutical drug testing: maybe volunteering for a new curse to be tested on them for financial remuneration?


    or maybe just extorting the younger gryffs and people of other houses for stuff. those twins go everywhere and see everything. they could totally blackmail anybody for anything. i honestly don't understand why the twins weren't in slytherin--the cunning behind all of their inventions is so clever and occasionally underhanded (and I mean that in an entirely enthusiastic sense) it's hard to see them as gryffindors sometimes.

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  19. Come to think of it, it's a little troubling that everyone else's posts are all "Sexism and racism are rampant in the wizarding community!" and I'm all, "But Quidditch isn't FAIR." My priorities need some adjusting, it seems.

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  20. Good point about the Weasley twins "buying" all those fireworks. I'm going with synchronized shoplifting.

    Awww look at Errol. He probably wouldn't have so much trouble with his perching if he'd just remember he has legs.

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  21. Hangups indeed - i can see how having better toys would give you that advantage in silly muggle racing sports, but team sports like quidditch? That's just not cool.
    The Weasley twins are hilarious and fun to read about, but it's moments like the expensive pranks and fireworks-collecting that kind of piss me off, especially since they so "self-aware" about their "poverty".
    Dobby's self-punishment is over the top and disturbing. I think that's what annoys me the most about his character. Yes, I'm a big ol' ball of hate on this book. BUT - I will say that the ending to this book is pretty EPIC.

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  22. Hahaha...the Yankees of Quidditch.

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  23. The whole point system is a little favorite-y too. Those crazy wizards.

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