Thursday, March 31, 2011

HP Canon vs. "Fanon"

I don't know about you all, but when I read fanfiction I like to think that what I'm reading COULD be inserted into the novels, or at least be a plausible alternative. When authors use "fanon" terms in their writing, however, it's always a jarring reminder that I am, in fact, reading fanfiction, and the illusion is destroyed. For example:

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Fanfic Review: The 1st 16 Chapters of "Turned to Real Life" by CheekyRoseB (Ron/Hermione, rated M, incomplete)

There are many things I could say about this fic, most of which I stated in the 15 reviews I left for the author, but I'll try to keep this condensed: Initially I thought I was going to enjoy this story, what with the mature writing, angst, and sexual tension demonstrated in the first chapter - It held promise.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Snape/Hermione Fics Should Come with a Ron-bashing Warning for Fans of the Pairing Who Actually (gasp!) LIKE Ron

So after days of searching for some satisfying Snape/Hermione fics, I've come to the realization that I'm not as enthusiastic about the pairing as I once was. In general, I'll find myself reading a potential worthwhile fic only to realize that Hermione is grossly out-of-character, and that she and Ron broke up because he was either lousy in bed or he was caught banging Romilda Vane - or both. I find myself cringing, waiting for Ron's introduction into the story, and after wasting an hour of my life I'm forced to stop reading because of my dissatisfaction with either Ron's portrayal or Hermione's. *sigh* I try to remember whether these things used to bother me when I first started reading the pairing several years ago, and I realize that I blindly accepted it for the most part. It certainly didn't bother me enough to deter me from reading, which tells me that I've become quite a bit more discerning recently. Looks like I'll have to return to my Ron/Hermione roots. Oh, I did find a couple of Snape/Hermione gems that I've left under my favorites at FFn. I deleted all the others I'd intended to read when I realized I didn't have the energy to waste another hour of my life before inevitably concluding that I hate the characterizations.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Movie rec: Teeth

I'm a bit of a horror movie movie junkie even though most of them are crap, but I wanted to leave a quick review for Teeth, an indie about a girl who discovers that her vajayjay is armed with a set of chompers. Though gruesome and a tad ridiculous, I found it to be highly entertaining and strangely hilarious. Definitely worth a watch for those with a warped sense of humor like me.
Hello all! I just wanted to let you know that I haven't died or disappeared off the face of the earth. I'm merely having computer difficulties. I'm writing this now from my new phone, but what I can do online is extremely limited. I can't even update my FFn profile, which is really annoying. I'll be writing again as soon as I can. In the meantime, I'm sort of sidelined as a mere reader, but I may as well enjoy it.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Ron Weasley: The Broad Devil-to-Angel Spectrum

It seems that every Harry Potter fan has an opinion about Harry's best friend, Ron Weasley. Throughout the series I personally would describe him as immature (what teenage boy isn't?), insecure, lovable, loyal, hot-tempered, and protective. Is his behavior deplorable at times? Absolutely, but, again, when harboring judgment one must consider his youth: Not every teenage boy is as emotionally mature as Harry; quite the contrary, I would argue that Harry is the exception rather than the rule.

More so than in any previous novel, Deathly Hallows was a learning curve for Ron: He was forced to face his insecurities and his feelings of inadequacy head-on, and to gather the courage to go after the girl he'd been in love with for years despite those inadequacies.

Which leads me to the subject of this blog: The villainization & the angelification ( I just made that up) of Ron in HP fanfiction.