chaim potok

on a whim checked out the other library the other day and came across two chaim potok books, so i have some more reading material for the week. COOL.

the two they had are
'old men at midnight'
and
'zebra and other stories'

dumbledore in the fans' eyes

read some of the 'fan-fic' stuff out there this weekend. wow. like a whole world of people writing stories about characters they didn't create. a bit hard to get my head around really. some of them were quite delightful. some ho hum. some ridiculous. lol.

i was struck though with how many of them when written in a 'post OotP' or 'post HBP' fashion are quite scathing in their portrayal of Dumbledore, or rather in the attitudes they give some of the characters towards him.

it does spotlight the frustration with how guarded he was in sharing information with harry, and the rather oblique way he was guiding him. but i was still rather taken aback at this simmering resentment ....
there aren't many (fan fics that i have read - understanding that is a small number of the whole) that take into account the overwhelming affection and devotion he also expresses for harry, the graciousness and faith in what 'lies beneath', and the slightly dotty sense of humour (reminds me SO much of my granny....)

i was just breathless with sadness when i read of his demise in hbp. it was forshadowed a lot (as i refer to in my notes to self post), but still came as a bit of a shock. (if the stoppered death thing comes true in book 7 i will enjoy that immensely i think).
the only other time i remember being so aghast at 'losing' a fictional character was robinton in the pern books, and that was more expected, but still heartbreaking.

so anyway, is this how many hp fans see dumbledore? as a controlling and manipulative person who severely underestimated harry?

jo

going a touch mental

that would be me.
i've been a touch mental since thinking a little too much about the sulphur, mercury, golden soul thing and the 'ships' in HP.
going about silently listing all the reasons i'm not, but should be more like ginny is a really crazy way for a mature reasonably intelligent woman who will be celebrating her 15th wedding anniversary this year to spend her time.
think i'll spend a little time doing something else for a while......

notes to self: things to muse on re HBP

HBP finally came back in at the library, so i'm re reading that as well. lol. re reading for me is a bit obsessive. back and forth through the book a few times before i stop hyperfocusing.

so i can see that dumbledore knew his time was coming.
he tells off the dursleys. ( i bet he's wanted to say that ever since harry came to hogwarts )
he makes a point of telling harry how remarkable he is, how much he is valued (by dumbledore).
he gets aggitated (!?!?) until he is confident that harry has really gotten that it's voldemort's obsession with the prophecy which gives it weight, not the prophecy itself.

this frustrates me: in all the other books when there was something harry *should* tell someone (eg. his scar hurting, what the occlumency lessons are really like, what happens in his detention with umbridge etc) he doesn't. in this one he DOES (malfoy) and it's brushed off. i don't think that it is acknowledged enough by dumbledore etc that he is being more open now. that he's not hiding it all away. no wonder he does! with the reception he gets.

now i'm not saying i am won over to this yet (don't get too smug merlin!) but there really are a few references to snape being batlike and swooping about in his black cape etc. so maybe, JUST MAYBE there could be a slight smidgeon of a glimmer of something significant there. perhaps.
(i still prefer the spider imagery....)

in the penseive chapter, when harry goes to the orphanage, the box of everyday objects mentioned. these are souveniers (sp?) tom has taken from those he has hurt/scared. a yo-yo. a silver thimble and a tarnished mouth-organ are mentioned as being 'among them'. so obviously there are more items.
the quote from the end of chapter 13 says
'The ring's gone,' said Harry, looking around. 'But I thought you might have the mouth-organ or something.'
Dumbledore beamed at him, peering over the top of his half-moon spectacles.
'Very astute, Harry, but the mouth -organ was only ever a mouth-organ.'
And on that enigmatic note he waved to Harry, who understood himself to be dismissed.
mmmmmmm could the silver thimble mean anything?

mmm baby crying. better go.

books

i will not be able to remember all my ramblings from last night about books, but it really did live up to the name of my blog.....

i think i shall try and start a list here of 'must read' books and 'must own' books.

of course i have no idea how/when we will afford any of this but hey a girl can dream!
books are a high priority here, but somehow books for dh (english teacher) and the kids (homeschoolers are always buying books - they're a RESOURCE!!!!) seem more urgent. books purely for my own enjoyment.... well..... there's always something else to buy huh? lol

MUST OWN
the potter books - sick of having to reserve them at the library when i want to check something or re read.

MUST READ
more chaim potok
cs lewis 'the great divorce'

ok mind's gone blank.
will update soon and go searching for all those titles....

feel free to leave any suggestions in a comment!

jo

thread continuation for muggle matters

from the comments on this thread
http://www.mugglematters.com/2006/01/x-marks-spot-goblet-of-fire-and-chiasm.html

aargh

made a big long post here last night and it doesn't seem to have been posted.
rats