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rj_andersonFurther to my recent post on the subject, the original ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lawful_fic review of The Potions Master's Apprentice has been taken down. The author is reworking the review and plans to post a revised version on Wednesday.
I don't expect she will change her mind about disliking the fic, nor do I even think she should; but it looks as though she did think my complaint had some validity, and plans to make her criticisms more reasoned and careful on the second go-round. Which is good, and all I really ask for.
(Well, that and maybe one really witty piece of snark that I can giggle over, like the bit in the MarySues review about Maud's sense of self-righteousness having its own gravitational pull. That was funny.)
It is no doubt revelatory of my character, however, that when I found the author had taken down the review I felt obscurely guilty for complaining about it.
lawful_fic review of The Potions Master's Apprentice has been taken down. The author is reworking the review and plans to post a revised version on Wednesday. I don't expect she will change her mind about disliking the fic, nor do I even think she should; but it looks as though she did think my complaint had some validity, and plans to make her criticisms more reasoned and careful on the second go-round. Which is good, and all I really ask for.
(Well, that and maybe one really witty piece of snark that I can giggle over, like the bit in the MarySues review about Maud's sense of self-righteousness having its own gravitational pull. That was funny.)
It is no doubt revelatory of my character, however, that when I found the author had taken down the review I felt obscurely guilty for complaining about it.
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no subject
Date: 2003-03-22 04:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-03-23 06:24 am (UTC)"I write OCs. So Mary-Sue me"
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Date: 2003-03-23 03:49 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-03-23 07:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-03-25 06:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-03-26 05:36 am (UTC)It's evident you don't subscribe to the same view of Snape's character as I do, which is fine. You found Maud insipid and unsympathetic, which is also fine. I've no doubt your opinions are sincere, and I wouldn't try to change them, or even want to stop you from voicing them. I don't even think you're alone in holding those views -- in fact I know you're not.
However, I do have a few factual quibbles.
One: you argue that there's no reason to believe Snape did anything good before Voldemort's fall. This isn't true, because Dumbledore states in GoF that Snape turned spy against Voldemort, at great risk to himself, some time *prior* to the incident at Godric's Hollow.
Two: your assertion that Snape is all nasty, all the time, to everyone, and that nobody could plausibly be expected to like him is a belief to which you're certainly entitled, but it's an opinion and a preference, not a canonical truth. In fact, in light of PS/SS, I'd suggest that a belief that the public and private Snapes might be somewhat different, and that Harry's perception of Snape is by no means complete or reliable, is actually encouraged by JKR.
That doesn't mean that I think Snape is a secretly sensitive guy who hugs fluffy bunnies and frolics through fields of daisies in his spare time, or that he never did anything wrong and it's all bad press (the latter is a reductio ad absurdum; I can't think of a single fic I've read which argues Snape was never really a Death Eater, and there's no question the DE's were/are a nasty murderous lot). But canonically I see ample room for the supposition that if someone had reason or inclination to believe the best of Snape rather than the worst, they might perceive him rather differently than Harry does. Certainly Dumbledore and Hagrid, among others, seem to regard Snape favorably.
Three: Because the ending of a story leaves room for a sequel doesn't prove that it was written with a sequel in mind. In fact, if you go back to the archives of HP4GU, you'll find me expressing incredulity that people would be interested in a sequel, and wondering aloud what on earth such a sequel would be about, as well as whether I would have time or inclination to write it. TPMA was supposed to be a one-shot, with future developments left up to the reader's own imagination. It took me several weeks to even consider doing anything else.
All that being said, I appreciate your willingness to reconsider and rework your review in the light of my earlier comments; I hadn't expected that, much less thought to ask for it, and I thank you for the extra time and effort you put in. We may have conflicting views of Snape and different ideas of what we like to see in a fic, but that's hardly the end of the world, and I certainly don't hold it against you.
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Date: 2003-03-26 11:53 am (UTC)Continuing onward:
Quibble 1: Really? Hm. I'm currently re-reading GoF and I will be sure to keep an eye out for that. The reason why I put that into my review was because a friend and I were discussing the context of your story, and he was very confused. He asked me, "Wasn't Snape a full-fledged Death Eater pre-Godric's Hollow?" To which I answered, "Yes, I think he was." If I do find the passage that you are referring to, I will make note of it and change that phrase(s) in the review.
Quibble 2: Fans in the HP genre have differing opinions on the true character of Snape. I, for one, think that he is nasty most of the time; to ward off any would be hazards. He scares off the children, for he fears for their safety. At least, that's my opinion. I've found it safer to not argue with people on the character of Snape, and just let each person have their own views .JKR will answer all questions shortly with OotP.
Quibble 3: Do understand that I found your story on fanfiction.net, and had no prior knowledge of it. When I read the ending, the first thing that came to my mind was that "This can't be the ending," and it wasn't. Therefore, I assumed that you intended to write a sequel, which you did.
Honestly, I really would like to see all of this blow over. I've read the comments left in your journal, some of them insulting my intelligence, and they hurt. I can't help I wasn't a fan of your story, but people have ignored the fact that I did find your writing very fulfilling.
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Date: 2003-03-26 12:40 pm (UTC)Which is reasonable enough, but my concern was that you seemed to be criticizing the fic on the basis that it was written with sequels in mind, when in fact it wasn't. Nonetheless, it's a very minor point. I mentioned it more as an FYI than anything.
I hope my quibbles (this one included) didn't sound snarky or belittling, as they weren't meant to.
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Date: 2003-03-26 01:19 pm (UTC)Ah, I see. Sorry! When you've been around 12 year-old anime/manga authors for five years, you begin to pick up that most of them leave their stories wide open so they can write sequels. I suppose they get some sort of thrill over their power on whether to continue the story or not. I personally find it annoying when the author leaves the message "Review or I won't continue!" That makes me want to NOT leave a review and just X out of the story. But you did no such thing, obviously. It wasn't so much of a criticism as much as me telling the reader that the ending is left wide open for a sequel... or a cliffhanger, or something >.< The more I try to explain, the more it sounds like I was trying to be rude. To tell the truth, the symbolic ending of the piece was one of my favorite parts.
I hope my quibbles (this one included) didn't sound snarky or belittling, as they weren't meant to.
No, not you. Your comments were very professional. I was referring to more of the harsh criticisms I received on my review that were left as comments in your journal.
I do apologize for the excessive replies left on your LJ because of the review. I can't help but feel it's partially my fault that you've been blogged down in your journal.
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Date: 2003-03-26 02:31 pm (UTC)Apologize? I live for comments! I'm loving this thread for all the conversation it's generated. This is why I'm on LJ in the first place, to get people talking about subjects that interest me. Tangents, pontifications, lively debates... the more the merrier, says I.
So relax. Sit down. Have a piece of cake. Tea?
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Date: 2003-03-26 07:05 pm (UTC)I do love comments as well. They make me happy. Comments tell me that I am at least doing my job. FOr good or for bad.
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Date: 2003-03-26 02:05 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-03-26 02:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-03-26 07:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-03-26 03:19 am (UTC)I may be being paranoid here, but did this woman just manage to get both you and me in the same sentence?
Re:
Date: 2003-03-26 07:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-03-26 08:37 am (UTC)"I cringe at the mention of OC" and " I will not lie and say that I like original characters. For the most part, I loathe them-" to read LOP if she hasn't, especially as she's also indicated that, whether or not she's read it, she finds its major premise highly implausible. So we'll just leave that one as a mystery, I think.
PS I loved the idea in the review that someone must be really repulsive if someone else tried to murder them at school. Given how often people have already tried to kill Harry, what a horror that boy must be!
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Date: 2003-03-26 11:43 am (UTC)As for people trying to kill Harry, the people who are attempting to kill him are not students at Hogwarts.
*sighs loudly*
I was trying to make a comparison fans of HP could comprehend instead of throwing out another Buffy or an anime/manga reference.
If you have something to share about the review, you should post it in my journal so I can know your opinions
no subject
Date: 2003-03-26 12:09 pm (UTC)