Random 'Literature'

[ChomZ]

Yo,
I got to thinking the othah day (ouch) and decided that a thread should be started for those o' us that feel that some populah books (like harray pottah and the Dan Brown fiasco) got some holes.
I'd like tah start the educated rant by sayin that I found the whole premiss of harray pottah veray ambiguous and undefined (how does he survive the curse, and how does dumbledore know everything except what is dangerous too him). Without this ambiguouslay formed 'magic' none of harray pottah would make anay sense.

Now, feel free to point out (educatedlay, its critasism, not puttin down) any flaws with movie's essays, books, othah peeps postin's, I don't care much. Just make sure there's no personal affronting

[Jack Squat]

is that English? I really don't know what's trying to be said here.

[MethodicalMeat]

Perhaps I presume too much...but does an accent really carry over into writing? I think OotS already addressed this issue anyhow...

[Catch]

Perhaps I presume too much...but does an accent really carry over into writing?

Only if it's intentional.

That said, to the OP: No, thank you.

[Zophiel]

My guess would be that he's going for an accent from the Yard, a la Ali G. Even that guess is a bit of a stretch, though, because the diction and syntax aren't terribly Yardie-esque.

[Amotis]

And my guess extends from Ali G to his satirical premise.

Fishing for some snobs methinks.

Or I'm giving him too much damn credit as he posts like there everywhere.

[bluish_wolf]

Why is literature in single quotes? Is it like scare quotes, only half as potent?

[RationalGoblin]

...What? Why are you TYPING like that? It makes it a bit harder to read and makes us (or maybe just me) annoyed at the accent.


I think it sounds like a bad rap artist impersonation. (Of course, in only my opinion I think rapspeak and rap "singing" if you could call it that, is painful to listen to)

[ChomZ]

haha.. Sorry doods,
I had no intentions of malcontent or anything like that.. :P
and please don't ever liken me to a rapper again
anyway.. if you'd like the translation:

I got to thinking the other day (ouch) and decided that a thread should be started for those of us that feel that some popular books (like harry potter and the Dan Brown fiasco) have some holes.
I'd like to start the educated rant by saying that I found the whole premiss of harry potter very ambiguous and undefined (how does he survive the curse, and how does dumbledore know everything except what is dangerous too him). Without this ambiguously formed 'magic' none of harry potter would make any sense.

Now, feel free to point out (educatedly, its critasism, not puttin' down) any flaws with movie's essays, books, other peeps postin's, I don't care much. Just make sure there's no personal affronting

Again.. sorry 'bout all the trouble that caused.. if it's any solace, I knew what I meant ;)

[Jack Squat]

Now, feel free to point out (educatedly, its critasism, not puttin' down) any flaws with movie's essays, books, other peeps postin's

Well, since you say so


haha.. Sorry dudes,
I had no intentions of malcontent or anything like that.. :P
and please don't ever liken me to a rapper again
anyway.. if you'd like the translation:

I got to thinking the other day (ouch) and decided that a thread should be started for those of us that feel that some popular books (like harry potter and the Dan Brown fiasco) have some holes.
I'd like to start the educated rant by saying that I found the whole premise of harry potter very ambiguous and undefined (how does he survive the curse, and how does dumbledore know everything except what is dangerous to him). Without this ambiguously formed 'magic' none of harry potter would make any sense.

Now, feel free to point out (educationally, it's criticism, not puttin' down) any flaws with movies essays, books, other people's posts, I don't care much. Just make sure there's no personal affronting

Again.. sorry 'bout all the trouble that caused.. if it's any solace, I knew what I meant ;)

sorry, spelling errors bug me.

[bluish_wolf]

Well, since you say so



sorry, spelling errors bug me.

If you don't think "dood" is a legitimate word, then clearly you never played Disgaea.

[Glaivemaster]

"Other peoples' posts", surely. Also, there should be a comma after "movies". Just so we get this entirely correct :smallwink:

Then again, you were only correcting spelling, so I can let you off

[Piedmon_Sama]

I'm dissapointed in the lack of manners some posters showed towards ChomZ. His post was perfectly understandable, even if I think writing in phoenetics is kind of annoying, I can deal with it. Showing such thin skin reinforces negative stereotypes of the pedantic, wheedling nerd who can't function outside Mother's Basement.

Anyway, Potter survived the curse because his Mother's Love protected him. Apparently everybody Voldemort killed previously wasn't involved in a loving relationship of any kind...

[Glaivemaster]

I think Potter survived because of more than his mother's love. It was the fact that she could weave her love for him into a protection spell potent enough to reflect Voldemort's curse, almost killing him. This is something few (or no) other people had the chance to do, and so they were all killed while Harry was saved. Also, I get the impression that Lily (I think that's her name) gave her life to cast the spell and save Harry. That's some powerful magic right there, and a lot more than what Voldemort was willing to do

[Abacab]

Apparently everybody Voldemort killed previously wasn't involved in a loving relationship of any kind...

That actually makes sense, because if somebody actually loved the wizards that tried to kill Voldemort, they wouldn't let them anywhere near him (because being near him is almost like a death sentence). :smalltongue:


(@the first poster) I don't really care if the books I read are vague, because there will always be something stupid lifesaver ("Oh! I forgot this awesome spell exists! Now we will live!"). Even if everyone likes to explain the plot holes and world mechanics-I think they're doing that with Erfworld right now- I'll still forget everything.

So, for me, it's better to just except the rules of a world as they are.

[thorgrim29]

Well, da vinci code and harry potter aren't so bad, but the other brown books are so full of plot holes and logic leaps its ridiculous, and he tries to pass it all as realistic, like the retarded permanently prepubescent kids who made the worst rpg in existance.

[bluish_wolf]

I'm dissapointed in the lack of manners some posters showed towards ChomZ. His post was perfectly understandable, even if I think writing in phoenetics is kind of annoying, I can deal with it. Showing such thin skin reinforces negative stereotypes of the pedantic, wheedling nerd who can't function outside Mother's Basement.


Actually, having thin skin means you are offended when other people insult you, not that you have a tendency to insult others.

[RationalGoblin]

I am sorry for my rude actions towards the OP, it's just that so many people I know talk like that and it gets on my nerves. Sorry again..

Anyways, to be on-topic, I personally am on the boat of the power Voldemort knows not is NOT love, but some sort of light-aligned spell that uses your emotions.

[kellandros]

Now, the reason why Harry survives the attack are intentionally vague. They are left to be resolved/explained further on in the series. Dumbledore later describes it as a very ancient form of magic. And the reason why it only applies to Harry is because Motherly love of a child is pretty hard to beat, and probably proximity of her death trying to defend him.

If you want plot hole/contrived, try the outcome of the Harry/Voldemort wand duel at the end of book 4.

[Holy_Knight]

I'd like to start the educated rant by saying that I found the whole premise of harry potter very ambiguous
sorry, spelling errors bug me.

Actually, "premiss" is a legitimate alternate spelling of that word.


If you don't think "dood" is a legitimate word, then clearly you never played Disgaea.
Yeah, but you have to precede it with "Prinny", or actually BE a prinny, to spell it that way.


I think Potter survived because of more than his mother's love. It was the fact that she could weave her love for him into a protection spell potent enough to reflect Voldemort's curse, almost killing him. This is something few (or no) other people had the chance to do, and so they were all killed while Harry was saved. Also, I get the impression that Lily (I think that's her name) gave her life to cast the spell and save Harry. That's some powerful magic right there, and a lot more than what Voldemort was willing to do
Yes.


I
Anyways, to be on-topic, I personally am on the boat of the power Voldemort knows not is NOT love, but some sort of light-aligned spell that uses your emotions.
It's definitely love. It's what's behind the sealed door in the Ministry.



If you want plot hole/contrived, try the outcome of the Harry/Voldemort wand duel at the end of book 4.
Yeah, that would have been better if some mention had been made of the "brother wands" thing at some prior point, at least. And as long as we're complaining about Harry Potter, (Book 5 Spoiler alert, just in case)

Sirius' death sucked. I mean, come on: "Oh no! He fell behind a curtain! That means he's dead!" Whaaaat? It wasn't even very dramatic-- if he had to die, he deserved a better death than that.
I like Harry Potter a lot, but that seriously bugs me.

[Piedmon_Sama]

But Sirius has the best last words ever.

"Come now, Desdemona, surely you can do--*gurk!*"

[Arlanthe]

Well, I like books and book series that are well thought out. I don't like some deus ex machina conjured in book four, used to explain somehting in book one, obviously only created on the spot to set the stage for something in book five.

In T.V. shows, that's why I stopped watching Lost. I meat, that show is so miserably made up on the spot. Everyhting has become inconsistent, contradictory, and it is obvious the writers don't know where they are going.
I mean, I love Dragonlance, but it suffers from the same problems.

[thorgrim29]

The brother want thing was covered in books one and 4.

[Glaivemaster]

Sirius' death sucked. I mean, come on: "Oh no! He fell behind a curtain! That means he's dead!" Whaaaat? It wasn't even very dramatic-- if he had to die, he deserved a better death than that.
I like Harry Potter a lot, but that seriously bugs me.

I think the point was that it was a futile, pointless and overall, underwhelming death. I imagine it was supposed to add to the impact that, suddenly, Harry is just as orphaned as he was before. No, it wasn't done very well, but that's just Rowling

[Holy_Knight]

But Sirius has the best last words ever.

"Come now, Desdemona, surely you can do--*gurk!*"

You mean "Bellatrix", don't you?



The brother want thing was covered in books one and 4.

The fact that Harry and Voldemort had brother wands was covered, yes, but it wasn't covered that they would react that way when used against each other.

[Haruki-kun]

I LOVE to make fun of moern literatures, and more than anything to point out plot holes to people and stuff like that. But seriously, wouldn't it be better to wait for the saga to actually END before saying that nothing was ever explained and why Dumbledore this and that?

There's still ONE book left, you know?

[darkblade]

I LOVE to make fun of moern literatures, and more than anything to point out plot holes to people and stuff like that. But seriously, wouldn't it be better to wait for the saga to actually END before saying that nothing was ever explained and why Dumbledore this and that?

There's still ONE book left, you know?

Yes but with the amount of plot holes in the sereis it would have to be the size of severable large buildings to completely explain it all to the world of nit-pickers we live in.

[Om]

Yes but with the amount of plot holes in the sereis it would have to be the size of severable large buildings to completely explain it all to the world of nit-pickers we live in.Somewhere Robert Jordan feels a shiver running down his spine.

[Don Beegles]

I want to make a joke about him "turning in his grave", but that would be in bad taste.

It is a good point, however. How is he going to wrap up that monstrosity and give it any sort of closure. I personally think it can't be done. Any opinions.

[darkblade]

Wrap up "The Wheel of Time" there is no way he can end that effectivly its been going to long.

[Om]

It is a good point, however. How is he going to wrap up that monstrosity and give it any sort of closure. I personally think it can't be done. Any opinions.He won't. Instead we'll get a half-hearted conclusion followed up by several spin-off novels in the same world, perhaps written by different authors.

[Jerthanis]

I was going to complain that this thread started out too tightly focused on Harry Potter and Dan Brown, but if it's evolved towards Robert Jordan I feel like it's okay to post about my complaints with the Song of Ice and Fire series*.

*Take note that these complaints are not as negatively charged as some other complaints being leveled against the other books in this thread, these are somewhat niggling complaints that have been bugging me about the books as I read them. I enjoy the books, and think they're pretty good overall.

There are no interesting gods, philosophy, or culture in the seven kingdoms. There are the old gods, with a forest spirit motif going, but less well defined, and less interesting than, say, the Pagan faith from the Thief games. And you've got the new gods, who have names and represent different aspects of life, but incredibly dryly and straightforwardly. And then you've got the idea of the god who teaches that there is only one god, which spreads from the east, and is called the Light or something. I couldn't think of more generic pantheons if I tried. We have no connection to the culture and production of the countries, which places produce surplus grain, which export their famous olives, or which places you can find the best musicians, or the most artful pottery. If you strip it down to its component pieces, it's just a story about guys with swords killing each other for the right to call themselves king. The characters save it, and make the books good, but excepting the areas Dany travels through, there is no real focus on the people or their culture; just on their rulers and their efforts to rule.

[Don Beegles]

I guess you're right, Jerthanis, but I'd never thought about it like that. Maybe Martin doesn't get into all of the detail of Westeros, but I don't think that's really a bad thing. Writers too often get lost in their universes and lose sight of the important things in 1000 page travelogues, a la Jordan. I think I'd prefer that Martin focuses his stories on the people who are important to the stories, because if he got really in depth about the world at all, a Song of Ice and Fire would end up like The Wheel of Time, and noone wants that.