Friday, June 06, 2008

re: chamber of secrets

I saw a motorcycle today with what can best be described as giant training wheels. It was weird. Anyway, on to my pointless nit-picking of the second Potter book. My goal is to read the entire series by the end of the summer.
  • I still don't like the House Cup points system. Gryffindor wins because Harry risks life and limb by confronting the most evilest wizard of all-time and Dumbledore rewards him with like 500 points each time. Think about the standard that sets for the rest of the school, Dumbly. You're telling these kids that the only way to win the Cup is to put their lives in mortal danger.
  • What's up with the high degree of variances in the speed of broomsticks? Isn't it completely unfair that some Quidditch players get lightening fast models and others are slow and out-dated?
  • Is Harry ever actually going to lose a Quidditch match? If he continues to be undefeated then I'm going to lose interest. Grow a pair, Rowling.
  • Ron doesn't even know what a telephone is? I'm calling bull on this one, as in, this is not even possible. The Weasleys live in a Muggle neighborhood for crying out loud. You're telling me they've never heard of the freaking telephone, the most common electrical device in the world? I bet these guys know what a God-blessed telephone is.
  • Dobby getting his freedom was total bush league. Malfoy didn't give him the sock, he tossed it aside and Dobby grabbed it. If that was legit, then all any house elf would have to do to win his freedom is sneak up on their masters when they take off their jacket or something, grab it and just run away. The movie version made so much more sense.

Things I was relieved to have happened...
  • Maybe it's because I read a paper-back version this time, but the Americanization of the text appears to have ended or at least largely scaled-back, as evidenced by the use of the word "paddock," which Wikipedia tells me is the name for an enclosure for livestock in British English.

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