PS Chapter One
Sep. 14th, 2010 10:06 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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deathtocapslock- I've been a lurker here for a long time, but this is supposed to be the last time I'm reading the books before putting them into a box in the corner and giving their shelf space to Maurice Leblanc, so I figured I'd share my thoughts on this last reread here.
- I'm reading a translated version of the first four books and the translations is a little goofy in some places. Any factual errors are probably my mistake for not checking the English text.
- From the first paragraph, the Dursleys are presented as completely mundane and unwhimsical. Still, the initial description is not really negative, we only find out that Petunia is nosy, probably to distance her from terminally uncurious Harry. Dudley is also presented as being a wonderful child only in his parents' opinion, even before we properly see him.
- The completely ordinary weather is supposedly showing that mysterious things are about to happen. Emphatic weather does not work like that.
- When vernon commutes to work, we see him rationalising the unusual things he sees, like people dressed in strange clothes. It is probably the only instance in the series where we see Muggle reaction to Wizard business, so it is worth mentioning.
- That said, it is probably intended to show Vernon as unsympathetic and thinking only in mundane manner.
- Vernon's behavior at work makes him look like a horrible boss who screams at his employees. We don't know his reasons, we're just supposed to assume he does it without any reason.
- When Vernon considers phoning Petunia to ask her about the Potters' son's name, he shows concern about her and he does not want to disturb her.
- Dudley is constantly portrayed as a spoiled child that's hard to control.
- Dumbledore finally appears and thanks to the Czech language being unspecific in this area, I'm seeing him wearing stilleto heels.
- The conversation between Dumbledore and McGonagall is mostly an infodump, but McGonagall casually remarks that Muggles may not be completely stupid. Remember kids, prejudice is wrong, unless the good guys show it.
- Dumbledore and McGonagall are actually contrasting quite well here with Dumbledore being all whimsy and McGonagall being all serious.
- Dumbledore says that he does not know why Voldemort wasn't able to kill Harry. I could say he's lying and witholding information, but he probably did not have time to do any research into the matter.
- Dumbledore's watch begins the theme of wizarding tools being more complicated than the Muggle equivalent without any sign of being better.
- Dumledore's arguments for giving Harry into the Dursleys' care are not all that convincing. Sirius is still around at the moment and he could be able to take care of Harry. Especially if we assume that Dumbledore does not yet know about the blood protection.
- Strangely, the first impression we get of Hagrid is not very pleasant.
- Don't the wizards have any charms for removing scars? Though Dumbledore not even considering removing Harry's scar and just saying it's unremovable is a minor nitpick, even if he just saw the kid for the first time since Voldermort's attack. He's Gryffindor, they probably think scars are cool, even if they are earned by complete accident.
- And Hagrid's goodbye with Harry shows that he's gruff, but with a heart of gold.
- Even Dumbledore seems a little sad when he has to give up Harry. Since the chapter probably has an omniscient narrator, it is a genuine emotion, but he's still the least emotional of the three people present.
- Hagrid makes a mistake in the declension of Sirius. Is it because the translator wanted to show that he is poorly educated or because the translator does not know that clearly Latin names are an exception to the rules of declension? Only Prisoner of Azkaban will tell.
- And Harry is left alone. It is decently written though Rowling tries a bit too hard to show how he is a special boy, given up to the ordinary world.
- I'm reading a translated version of the first four books and the translations is a little goofy in some places. Any factual errors are probably my mistake for not checking the English text.
- From the first paragraph, the Dursleys are presented as completely mundane and unwhimsical. Still, the initial description is not really negative, we only find out that Petunia is nosy, probably to distance her from terminally uncurious Harry. Dudley is also presented as being a wonderful child only in his parents' opinion, even before we properly see him.
- The completely ordinary weather is supposedly showing that mysterious things are about to happen. Emphatic weather does not work like that.
- When vernon commutes to work, we see him rationalising the unusual things he sees, like people dressed in strange clothes. It is probably the only instance in the series where we see Muggle reaction to Wizard business, so it is worth mentioning.
- That said, it is probably intended to show Vernon as unsympathetic and thinking only in mundane manner.
- Vernon's behavior at work makes him look like a horrible boss who screams at his employees. We don't know his reasons, we're just supposed to assume he does it without any reason.
- When Vernon considers phoning Petunia to ask her about the Potters' son's name, he shows concern about her and he does not want to disturb her.
- Dudley is constantly portrayed as a spoiled child that's hard to control.
- Dumbledore finally appears and thanks to the Czech language being unspecific in this area, I'm seeing him wearing stilleto heels.
- The conversation between Dumbledore and McGonagall is mostly an infodump, but McGonagall casually remarks that Muggles may not be completely stupid. Remember kids, prejudice is wrong, unless the good guys show it.
- Dumbledore and McGonagall are actually contrasting quite well here with Dumbledore being all whimsy and McGonagall being all serious.
- Dumbledore says that he does not know why Voldemort wasn't able to kill Harry. I could say he's lying and witholding information, but he probably did not have time to do any research into the matter.
- Dumbledore's watch begins the theme of wizarding tools being more complicated than the Muggle equivalent without any sign of being better.
- Dumledore's arguments for giving Harry into the Dursleys' care are not all that convincing. Sirius is still around at the moment and he could be able to take care of Harry. Especially if we assume that Dumbledore does not yet know about the blood protection.
- Strangely, the first impression we get of Hagrid is not very pleasant.
- Don't the wizards have any charms for removing scars? Though Dumbledore not even considering removing Harry's scar and just saying it's unremovable is a minor nitpick, even if he just saw the kid for the first time since Voldermort's attack. He's Gryffindor, they probably think scars are cool, even if they are earned by complete accident.
- And Hagrid's goodbye with Harry shows that he's gruff, but with a heart of gold.
- Even Dumbledore seems a little sad when he has to give up Harry. Since the chapter probably has an omniscient narrator, it is a genuine emotion, but he's still the least emotional of the three people present.
- Hagrid makes a mistake in the declension of Sirius. Is it because the translator wanted to show that he is poorly educated or because the translator does not know that clearly Latin names are an exception to the rules of declension? Only Prisoner of Azkaban will tell.
- And Harry is left alone. It is decently written though Rowling tries a bit too hard to show how he is a special boy, given up to the ordinary world.
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Date: 2010-09-14 08:21 pm (UTC)I hadn't noticed/remembered that line! It's interesting, because if he isn't lying here, then he definitely lies later about his reasons for putting Harry with the Dursleys.
After all, he says later that he put Harry with his relatives because Harry would be protected there, and that that protection is present because Lily saved Harry and the presence of "Lily's blood" in Petunia and Dudley in the same home would keep him safe.
So, either Dumbledore knows that Lily's sacrifice saved Harry and that's why he put Harry with the Dursleys, or he doesn't know it yet, and he's putting Harry with the Dursleys from some other reason. (One he doesn't want to tell Harry about later. Others have speculated on what that reason might be, of course.)
Dumledore's arguments for giving Harry into the Dursleys' care are not all that convincing. Sirius is still around at the moment and he could be able to take care of Harry. Especially if we assume that Dumbledore does not yet know about the blood protection.
Seriously. I don't believe that the reasons he gives here are his real reasons, whatever the true reasons may be.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-14 08:31 pm (UTC)A whole day had passed. He knows Voldemort said he might spare Lily and he knows Lily died. I bet he at least considered protection by sacrificial death. There is also the possibility that Dumbledore had the chance to examine Harry - because at some point Hagrid was away from him - when he told Minerva where he would be meeting Albus.
- Dumbledore's watch begins the theme of wizarding tools being more complicated than the Muggle equivalent without any sign of being better.
:)
- Dumledore's arguments for giving Harry into the Dursleys' care are not all that convincing. Sirius is still around at the moment and he could be able to take care of Harry. Especially if we assume that Dumbledore does not yet know about the blood protection.
As far as Albus knows, Sirius was the Secret Keeper. That the Potters were attacked means he had to be the traitor and Harry had to be kept away from him at all costs. However it is strange that later when Hagrid mentions Sirius as the one who gave him the motorbike Albus shows no reaction.
- Strangely, the first impression we get of Hagrid is not very pleasant.
Strangely?
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Date: 2010-09-14 08:37 pm (UTC)He might have been sincere in wanting to give Harry to the Dursleys, so that he would be protected from all his fame until he's older. Later, when he found out about the blood protection, he might have decided to keep Harry at the Dursleys, even though they were clearly abusive.
Do the books specify when did Dumbledore learn about Tom's horcruxes? Because if it's after Voldemort's fall, he was probably sincere in giving Harry to Dursleys.
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Date: 2010-09-14 10:42 pm (UTC)IOIAGDI!
And also, per McGonagall again, the Cruciatus is Unforgivable when Slytherins/anyone else does it, but "gallant" when Harry does.
IOIAGDI!
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Date: 2010-09-15 05:53 pm (UTC)Are you planning on sporking all 7 books?
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Date: 2010-09-16 05:02 pm (UTC)The prophecy said Voldemort would mark Harry as his equal. I think Dumbledore was delighted he had proof that the prophecy was right and he had his little savior right there in his hands with him in control of his future. Even if he didn't immediately realize what the scar was.
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