Also, James had grown up as an only child with two loving parents, while Harry had to grow up with the Dursleys. Maybe Harry would have been more arrogant if he had been raised by James.
I always feel bad for Harry when he learns that about James, though.
Yes, I never found James' "arrogance" to be anything extraordinary for a well loved only child who was sure of his place in the world. He had friends. He was popular. I wouldn't even call him a bully since most of his actions seemed to be directed at Snape (who was giving it right back and not exactly helpless). No, he wasn't this idealized figure that Harry had created in his head. He was human and an asshole teenager who liked to show off. If my son had no memories of our life together now, I certainly wouldn't want his opinion of me being formed on snapshots of what I was like in Jr. high school.
Harry came into Hogwarts not knowing anything or anyone, deprived of any kind of love, and with no idea who he was. That definitely affected his outlook and the way he made friends and treated others and made him mature much faster than James had to.
I haven't finished yet (I forgot POA discussion was this week), so I'll probably post more later. This is my umpteenth re-read.
This has always been my favorite book. The story really starts to get going and JK's imagination just becomes so much more vivid. The descriptions of the candy at Honeydukes, the creatures the students learn about in their Defense Against the Dark Arts class and in Care of Magical Creatures - all of it is so much fun.
Something I've always thought was interesting was learning about JK's bout with depression and how that manifested itself in the creation of the dementors. Her description of a feeling of despair and that you might never be cheerful again is really spot on. I also think it was interesting how she used chocolate to combat this feeling.
I gotta say, I think Care of Magical Creatures and Divination are probably the most boring, but also easiest classes Harry and Ron could choose to take. I'd totally be down with Ancient Runes, though. I might be a slight overachiever.
I gotta say, I think Care of Magical Creatures and Divination are probably the most boring, but also easiest classes Harry and Ron could choose to take. I'd totally be down with Ancient Runes, though. I might be a slight overachiever.
I wish we could find out more about arithmancy.
I assume it's like wizard calculus, but I'd be down for it. Even though I never took real calculus. I apparently make better academic decisions as a 32 year old than I did in high school.
In the Bible, Peter is a name of one of Christ's apostles who, on the morning of the crucifixion, denied Christ, although he later repented. Also, the name "Pettigrew" could be derived from the French word "petit" ("small") and the English word "grew," hence "grew small."
ETA: I meant to make the above part a quote, but I got excited about the spoiler tags.
In the Bible, Peter is a name of one of Christ's apostles who, on the morning of the crucifixion, denied Christ, although he later repented. Also, the name "Pettigrew" could be derived from the French word "petit" ("small") and the English word "grew," hence "grew small."
ETA: I meant to make the above part a quote, but I got excited about the spoiler tags.
In the Bible, Peter is a name of one of Christ's apostles who, on the morning of the crucifixion, denied Christ, although he later repented. Also, the name "Pettigrew" could be derived from the French word "petit" ("small") and the English word "grew," hence "grew small."
ETA: I meant to make the above part a quote, but I got excited about the spoiler tags.
I do think there is something in the denial and repentance part that is reminiscent of Pettigrew's treachery and then the fact that he ultimately was not able to fully deny/betray/kill Harry due to a blood sacrifice on Harry's part. But it wasn't true repentance at all.
I'm going to have to keep thinking about this one. It's rolling around the edges of my brain
Post by rosiedozie on Mar 25, 2015 12:43:14 GMT -5
Thanks for organizing, everyjuan - this is one of my favorites in the series, so I was glad to be able to revisit it again. Picking and choosing a few questions below:
Do you have a favorite line from Azkaban?
“You think the dead we loved truly ever leave us? You think that we don’t recall them more clearly in times of great trouble?”
Voldemort does not appear in this novel at all – how is this significant and what effect does it have on the novel in terms of themes and structure?
The absense of Voldemort allows Peter/Wormtail to be the big baddie of the book. I think that was a really good and important choice, because it really plays off of the stories of loyalty and betrayal that encompass the series. Everyone expects Voldemort to be evil, but it's harder to comprehend someone who you've considered to be a friend turning their back on you.
What's the thematic significance of the book's time travel chapter being called "Hermione's Secret"? Are mysteries and the past thematically linked here? Why didn't she share it with Harry and Ron sooner? Well, Hermione was the only one mature enough to handle the time turner Those boys would have messed some stuff up.
{Spoiler} And I think that that portion of the book was a good lesson in the consequences of changing the past that come up in later parts of the series
Post by aprilsails on Mar 25, 2015 20:03:00 GMT -5
I haven't read this book in forever. I went through it so quickly and it was such a good read.
My favourite part is Hermione coming into her own. While she's isolated through so much of the book by her schoolwork and the fight over Crookshanks/Scabbers and the Firebolt, she later comes out fighting against Malfoy and puts everything together while they are in the Shrieking Shack.
I don't have much else new to add to the conversation at this point but I love all the meme's!
I haven't gone through the questions yet, but this is the book that really strikes me how horrible a teacher Snape is--and really makes me side-eye Dumbledore for allowing him to stay on. I mean, really, he seems completely serious about poisoning Neville's frog? He blatantly favors his house and openly punishes the other houses? Why would Dumbledore allow that?
I haven't gone through the questions yet, but this is the book that really strikes me how horrible a teacher Snape is--and really makes me side-eye Dumbledore for allowing him to stay on. I mean, really, he seems completely serious about poisoning Neville's frog? He blatantly favors his house and openly punishes the other houses? Why would Dumbledore allow that?
I think Dumbledore makes similar decisions at other times - ignoring teaching ability in favour of other goals.
Like keeping Trelawney forever because she made the one accurate prediction and he figured she'd be safer at Hogwarts, but allowing her to be a terrible teacher and predict student death all the time.
Love Dumbledore but he often put his priority of fighting Voldy ahead of the education of the kids. And I can't really disagree with his choices, for the most part, ultimately he got his end game and the resolution he wanted that was the best possible outcome so it is what it is. he kept Snape around because
he was banking on Snape doing what Snape did end up doing, he needed Snape in place to watch out for Harry (which ultimately as much as he hated doing it Snape could not let Lily's son die as long as it was in his power to keep him alive) and spy so bad teacher or not he was staying at hogwart's at least as long as Dumbledore could make it happen
Important: Do you guys still want to break the books up into checkpoints from here on out? If so, where, in the book, do you think we should stop and check in? Also, how long should we have to get to the checkpoint? One week? Two weeks?
I'll make a new post notifying everyone of whatever we all decide.
Did we ever vote/discuss what the plan is for HP4?
Personally I'd rather read the entire book with no check points. I know this is the point where the books start to get longer, but it's Harry Potter, not War & Peace, so I don't know that we need a check point.
I also love the Map's insults to Snape. I couldn't stop laughing when reading it as a kid. “Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business. Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony, and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git. Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a professor. Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball.”
My six year old just read The Prisoner of Azkaban, and she was literally howling with laughter when she got to that part. It was incredible. I went in and asked her what was up, and she was sputtering about Snape and the map and she just couldn't get the words out. She seriously laughed for a good five minutes.
Important: Do you guys still want to break the books up into checkpoints from here on out? If so, where, in the book, do you think we should stop and check in? Also, how long should we have to get to the checkpoint? One week? Two weeks?
I'll make a new post notifying everyone of whatever we all decide.
Did we ever vote/discuss what the plan is for HP4?
Personally I'd rather read the entire book with no check points. I know this is the point where the books start to get longer, but it's Harry Potter, not War & Peace, so I don't know that we need a check point.
Did we ever vote/discuss what the plan is for HP4?
Personally I'd rather read the entire book with no check points. I know this is the point where the books start to get longer, but it's Harry Potter, not War & Peace, so I don't know that we need a check point.
Hey! Sorry, I've had a crazy few weeks and have been so bad about remembering to log in. We didn't really decide on anything - I didn't hear much input, but was hesitant to make a decision.
I was in favor of the checkpoints before, but now that we have kind of a format that seems to be working, I don't think we need them. I'd be perfectly ok with not having them, but the majority was in favor at the time. Do you think we should vote again?
If we don't have checkpoints, I'd prefer to have a little extra time to read. We were doing 2 weeks and that was cutting it close for me. If it stays that length for the longer books, I don't know if I'll be able to keep up. But that's just me! I'm cool with whatever anyone else wants.
I'm a lurker voting for no checkpoints. The spoilers are already kinda out of hand (not in a bad way) but for those of us re-reading the lines are already blurry on what has been exposed and what hasn't. If we break the book up, I'll be paralyzed!
Another suggestion, and not to put more work on you everyjuan, but if you get the discussion questions from online, can you post them now or sooner? I do better thinking about those type of questions while reading the books.
“With sorrow—for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection—we dissent,”
I like the idea of the end of April. The end of my academic year is a busy time at work for me so my reading time is going to start being more limited through the end of May so I know I won't be able to keep up with a two-week turn around.
I'm a lurker voting for no checkpoints. The spoilers are already kinda out of hand (not in a bad way) but for those of us re-reading the lines are already blurry on what has been exposed and what hasn't. If we break the book up, I'll be paralyzed!
Another suggestion, and not to put more work on you everyjuan, but if you get the discussion questions from online, can you post them now or sooner? I do better thinking about those type of questions while reading the books.
That's a good idea. I'd be fine with that! I usually find them online. I haven't looked for any yet, but I can put some of the questions together this week, if people are interested
I'm a lurker voting for no checkpoints. The spoilers are already kinda out of hand (not in a bad way) but for those of us re-reading the lines are already blurry on what has been exposed and what hasn't. If we break the book up, I'll be paralyzed!
Another suggestion, and not to put more work on you everyjuan, but if you get the discussion questions from online, can you post them now or sooner? I do better thinking about those type of questions while reading the books.
That's a good idea. I'd be fine with that! I usually find them online. I haven't looked for any yet, but I can put some of the questions together this week, if people are interested
This would work so much better for me! Book three is my favorite book, but I just didn't have the time during the week to think about and answer the discussion questions. I hate posting them a week late, but this would give me time to respond and participate more!