Interim review of: Very long HP fic
May. 29th, 2010 06:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lobelia321I am reading a long, chaptered Harry Potter fic by someone called ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
j_k_rowling. The fic is called Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I've not finished it yet but here are some interim notes.
Canon
The fic is very close to film canon. At times, it almost feels like a transferral from film to fic with extra names taken from fandom thrown in at random. Indeed, there is some cross-over as well (e.g. Abraxas from Die kleine Hexe who here appears not as a raven but as a wizard).
Characterisation
Very OOC, especially regarding Draco Malfoy. He only appears now and again but is not treated in a sustained or complex fashion. He is cardboard cut-out and not very nuanced. Mostly, he seems mean and spiteful; very odd: there is very little angst, no passionate loyalty; indeed, no passion; no UST; and, most oddly of all, no descriptions of his droolsome beauty. All that the author says is that he is pointy-faced and has grey eyes and white-blond hair (well, duh), and half of that is not even film!canon.
Characterisation on the whole leaves much to be desired. Who was the beta for this thing?? The characters hop all over the shop: one minute they're angsting about mortal perils, the next they're annoyed because they're not getting enough house points. Also, the endless dialogues, going over and over the same topics, don't do anything to a) further character or b) further sexual deliciousness.
Magic
The author is quite good at inventing magic spells and devices although a lot of this is taken straight from fanon. Still, she mixes in some clever details. I would say this is the strength of this fic.
Format
Very bizarre. Not posted to comm, blog or AO3 but pre-bound as a print-out with someone's fanart on the cover (a pic byjason_cockcroft -- could this be a MAN?). The pic shows Harry/Dumbledore which would imply that these two are the pairing of the fic but it's taking the author a long time to work up to this, and the UST is too subtle to be noticed. So far. Although the fanart does show each of them clasping a red-tinged tumescent phallus so I live in hope of a little NC-17.
Link to the fanart: Here.
Verdict
I'll keep you posted on my progress through this very long fic (no word count given but I'm estimating 170,000 words (!!!). There is no Header so one is left guessing as to pairing, rating, or warnings (character death? twincest? buggery with a senior citizen? Who knows -- and this may well cause much rant and wank as it could be mega-triggery!). However, the fic was written for someone: To Mackenzie, my beautiful daughter. I wonder was this for a yuletide or prompt fest...?
j_k_rowling. The fic is called Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I've not finished it yet but here are some interim notes.Canon
The fic is very close to film canon. At times, it almost feels like a transferral from film to fic with extra names taken from fandom thrown in at random. Indeed, there is some cross-over as well (e.g. Abraxas from Die kleine Hexe who here appears not as a raven but as a wizard).
Characterisation
Very OOC, especially regarding Draco Malfoy. He only appears now and again but is not treated in a sustained or complex fashion. He is cardboard cut-out and not very nuanced. Mostly, he seems mean and spiteful; very odd: there is very little angst, no passionate loyalty; indeed, no passion; no UST; and, most oddly of all, no descriptions of his droolsome beauty. All that the author says is that he is pointy-faced and has grey eyes and white-blond hair (well, duh), and half of that is not even film!canon.
Characterisation on the whole leaves much to be desired. Who was the beta for this thing?? The characters hop all over the shop: one minute they're angsting about mortal perils, the next they're annoyed because they're not getting enough house points. Also, the endless dialogues, going over and over the same topics, don't do anything to a) further character or b) further sexual deliciousness.
Magic
The author is quite good at inventing magic spells and devices although a lot of this is taken straight from fanon. Still, she mixes in some clever details. I would say this is the strength of this fic.
Format
Very bizarre. Not posted to comm, blog or AO3 but pre-bound as a print-out with someone's fanart on the cover (a pic by
jason_cockcroft -- could this be a MAN?). The pic shows Harry/Dumbledore which would imply that these two are the pairing of the fic but it's taking the author a long time to work up to this, and the UST is too subtle to be noticed. So far. Although the fanart does show each of them clasping a red-tinged tumescent phallus so I live in hope of a little NC-17.Link to the fanart: Here.
Verdict
I'll keep you posted on my progress through this very long fic (no word count given but I'm estimating 170,000 words (!!!). There is no Header so one is left guessing as to pairing, rating, or warnings (character death? twincest? buggery with a senior citizen? Who knows -- and this may well cause much rant and wank as it could be mega-triggery!). However, the fic was written for someone: To Mackenzie, my beautiful daughter. I wonder was this for a yuletide or prompt fest...?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-29 07:45 pm (UTC)XD
Characterisation on the whole leaves much to be desired. Who was the beta for this thing?? The characters hop all over the shop
It was like pulling teeth!!! Not only fanfic, but also bad fanfic!
Although the fanart does show each of them clasping a red-tinged tumescent phallus
ROTFLOL!!!
no word count given but I'm estimating 170,000 words
It can't be so short... I'm trying to read a 410,000 words H/D fic now and there's no way it's more than double the length of HBP.
buggery with a senior citizen?
The phallus in the fanart hints to this, but perhaps that's just a way for the fanfic writer to attract more readers!
This entry goes to my memories! You should write H/D humour fic! :D
(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-30 07:52 pm (UTC)I was quite happy about the Abraxas, though... *g*
(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-30 08:39 pm (UTC)Wouldn't survive the torture for a second time! :D
H/D humour fic! You mean Harry/Dumbledore, right...??
Noooooooo! *scrubs brain* H/D stands always for Harry/Draco, not for Harry/Dumbledore! I meant that your review was so funny that you could easily write humorous Harry Potter fic (and what better choice of pairing than Harry/Draco?). :D
Dumbledore slash isn't just a niche fandom, but canon! Did you know that JKR revealed Dumbledore was gay, AFTER the last book was published? (WTF?! Why AFTER? #$%3kj%$^$%!!!) His true (and tragic) love is revealed in the last book - it wasn't Harry (naturally), but a merry, blond, charismatic youth! They have a following among fans.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-30 09:02 pm (UTC)Also, Dumbledore/Grindelwald...??? Ack.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-30 09:13 pm (UTC)I said "Dumbledore slash" is canon. :) But yeah, when Dumbledore was younger, he had apparently fallen for Grindelwald... But JKR kept mum in the last book, and revealed the true nature of Dumbledore's feelings AFTERWARDS in an interview! >_<
(%$@%#@!!! How homophobic! What a lost opportunity!)
So what would be Harry/Dudley? Hahahah. *has wicked gleam in eye* Hm, a quick google and look at AO3 didn't throw up anything, but I just know it's there somewhere.
I've read it! But it wasn't pleasant, there was non-con involved.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-31 08:36 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-31 09:06 pm (UTC)