[ SECRET POST #3294 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3294 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 072 secrets from Secret Submission Post #471.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom]

09. http://i.imgur.com/XV1w2KX.png

Transcript by OP

[fscom]

Collapsed for length.

Transcript by OP

[fscom]

I've mildly disliked the entire HP franchise ever since I was first convinced to give it a go back in 2001 (when there were only four books).

After a decade-and-a-half of being whined at for being 'unfair' and told I should just give it a chaaaaance, I finally got round to (re)reading all seven books.

Overall, I still think much the same as I did back then.

Ironically, this is the only one of the books I did actually enjoy:

[IMAGE: cover of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"]

It seems to be the fans' least-favourite (at least of the 'serious' books, i.e. #3 onwards). I really don't understand why.

I especially don't understand why CAPSLOCK!Harry is the subject of so much dislike/derision. Honestly, Harry's CAPSLOCK moments were practically the only time I felt any empathy for the lead character. It was the only time he felt like a real, relatable human being, rather than a soulless wooden block being pushed through the motions needed for the story to progress.

S!B I fully plan to continue pretending I haven't paid attention to the series since 2001. I don't want to deal with the ramped up whining if the HP stans I know were to find out that I still don't agree with their precious opinions. (They include blood relatives, and they've started procreating... it's only a matter of time before the subject comes up again.)

Re: Transcript by OP

[(Anonymous)]

High five OP! I did love the books till I just didn't anymore one day (before the series was over- OotP was actually the last one I enjoyed). Not that I hated them or hate them now. I'm just sometimes annoyed by having to see it everywhere (even when I understand WHY).

Harry Potter is one of those fandoms that you just can't escape from. No matter what kind of blogs you follow, there will ALWAYS be Harry Potter on your dash at least once a week (or daily, since I have a book blog).

All the pretty pic/gif posts turn out to be Hogwarts House posts lately, it's pretty annoying actually.

Idk I just think HP didn't age all that well? It's still a great children's book, but as an adult, the plot holes, the diversity problem and all that jazz are really glaring.
Not that you can't still enjoy it (I enjoy a great many children and YA books), but I side eye half the posts on my dash still trying to tell me that they're a lot deeper and diverse than they seem, because of someone picking out certain passages that fit their theory.

[fingalsanteater]

OOTP is my fave of the franchise. I never understood why it was the least liked book either.

[(Anonymous)]

Is it tho? I remember back in 2005 people were saying that HBP was the worst book (because omg teen romance is boring or whatever).
Ootp may have been lengthy but it introduced some important concepts and backstory.

[(Anonymous)]

I don't like Harry Potter either. I find most of the characters annoying and the writing pretty bad. OotP was the book I gave up on. I was a hundred pages in and I realized there was no point continuing when I had no interest in what happened. I started reading it to bond with my nieces and nephews but, yeah, it's not for me.

[otakugal15]

Uh, no. Not that teen romance was boring. It was written terribly, is why.

[dreemyweird]

Yeah, high five. I used to be a fan, but became increasingly disappointed in the books as I ceased being twelve years old.

What I really don't understand is people aggressively trying to sell others on what is one of the most popular modern pieces of media in the world. I get why this happens when you're in a fandom consisting of 3.5 people and 1 fanfic, but with HP, you have literal millions of fellow fans to share your squee with. Why try to convert more?

[(Anonymous)]

Charitable interpretation: you (generic you) want to be able to share the things you love, with the people you love. Not everyone is interested in squeeing with random strangers on the internet, the way they are in squeeing with friends (or family, I guess).

Uncharitable interpretation: you can't bear not being 'right' about something. If you like HP, it's because HP is objectively great, dammit! Everyone needs to agree on this to prove that your opinions are always right and you win!

...Of course, both interpretations can be true at the same time.

[badass_tiger]

OotP is my favourite after HBP. I agree about capslock Harry too. He'd just witnessed his classmate being killed in front of him and nearly died himself. He had a right to be extremely pissed about life in general. It always irritates me when characters in a long-standing series continue on amidst war and murder and things without batting an eyelash unless they have good reason to be made solid.

I do like Harry Potter though. Rereading it as an adult, I acknowledge it isn't half as perfect as I thought it was when I was a kid, but it's still pretty timeless. I do think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I grew up with Harry Potter though. I don't know if it would have the same impact on me if I could've read the whole series in one sitting.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm a Harry Potter fan, but even so, I didn't hate Capslock!Harry in Order of the Phoenix. Because he was fifteen and being fifteen is shitty and hard enough without having to deal with being in a war and having to witness people you love, die. Plus again, I was pretty unbearable to be around when I was fifteen as well and I didn't have anywhere near the amount of shit to deal with that Harry did, so I can't judge.

[iceyred]

Order of the Phoenix is my favorite book in the series.

[(Anonymous)]

^this

[philstar22]

OOtP Isn't my favorite, but I do love it. And I agree about Capslock!Harry. I found unfeeling!Harry in HBP much more creepy and I could only stomach that by deciding that he was burying all his pain and was actually still miserable.

[ladyguinevere83.livejournal.com]

I also really liked OotP and still don't really understand why it got so much hate comparatively.

[elaminator]

I had an irrational hatred for HP for years (simply because it was "that thing I kept hearing about but didn't care to read"), but I also had a friend who was super enthusiastic about the series (not pushy, either!) and ended up reading some of the books simply to understand some of her comments, and to be able to discuss (albeit shallowly) them with her.

The irrational hatred went away, and I liked the books (although I didn't finish the series), but didn't love them. The universe HP is set in is far cooler to me than the actual characters, who I never felt overtly attached to. Maybe I got in 'too late', or maybe they just didn't work for me.

[sadiesockmonkey]

Fwiw, Order of the Phoenix is my favorite Harry Potter book.

That said, I'm sorry your friends & family members are super pushy about Harry Potter and not respectful of your opinions. That sucks.

[sachiko_san]

The first time I read OotP, I thought Harry was being pretty whiny but when I read it again years later, I didn't see why I thought that about him in the first place. He went through some shit in that book, he can hate life all he wants.

[greenvelvetcake]

That's weird, most people I talk to enjoy OOTP the most out of the more serious books, HBP tends to get the most criticism.

Either way, good on you for giving it another chance, hopefully it will get the people bugging you about it off your back.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm guessing you didn't grow up with them. I think that's where a lot of the love comes from. (I know it is for me)

[i_paint_the_sky]

Wow, the comments for this secret ended up more interesting than expected. In the parts of fandom I've been involved with, I would completely agree with the OP about how OotP was received. And I also haven't seen that much dislike when it comes to HBP.

Both books are definitely in the upper part of my personal HP rankings - I particularly liked CAPSLOCK!HARRY because for the first time, Harry became an interesting character for me. Yes, he's being irrational and terrible at times, but he's a fifteen year old boy who has been through some pretty awful things.

[(Anonymous)]

I love Harry Potter and am not particularly bothered you don't though I know fans who would be. For me Order of the Phoenix was the most difficult read for me. Mostly because of Umbridge, she hit too close to home for me and would make me so mad I'd have to quit reading. Now that I'm older and the situation that caused that reaction is a distant memory I can enjoy the book. It's still my least favorite though because I thought it could have been trimmed a lot. To be fair though all the bricks in the series I think could have used a bit of a trim.

[likeadeuce]

Not totally getting why you would read literally thousands of pages of something you didn't like w/ the express purpose of NOT discussing it w/ friends & family who liked it? To each their own, but that sounds like a pointlessly miserable experience.

[(Anonymous)]

OoTP is a close second fave after PoA but I still can't have a rational discussion about it with some of my friends because of their intense hatred of CAPSLOCK!Harry.