Friday, 4 January 2013

HARRY POTTER

There aren't really words to describe how I feel about the Harry Potter readalong of epic awesomeness (if you're not signed up yet, go here and DO IT), but if there were, they'd probably be something like this:

In other words (or, actual words) I'm SO excited that it takes TWO gifs to explain it. TWO. That does not happen!

So, HP. It's pretty awesome, as I'm sure we're all aware (except Megs. But SHE WILL BE) but the thing is... I'm not as much of an expert on it as a LOT of people, and I haven't actually read the books for FOUR AND A HALF YEARS. 

Which is ridiculous, but I guess I was clearly just saving myself for an opportunity like this, or, you know, something *mumbles other excuses that don't really make up for ANYTHING*.

Here are some things you should know about me and Harry Potter though. Firstly, I'm English, so the first book is quite obviously called Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and calling it anything else is like accepting some publishing house's idea that you're not smart enough to know what a philosopher is. I say this, and YET I still know that you're all going to call it the Sorcerer's Stone, which FINE, but I'm still going to complain about it. I'm not sorry.

What else? Well, I super hate Dobby (HE IS SO ANNOYING AND RUINS EVERYTHING), I kind of love love love Snape (eventually), and I could go either way on Sirius- I always kind of forget about him and don't think he's that important, but that's only because The Prisoner of Azkaban is the book I always remember the least for some unknown reason.
And, um, oh yeah, I will cry. A lot. Especially at the Deathly Hallows, because HOW CAN YOU NOT?! But mostly I'm just looking forward to going back to Hogwarts because, seriously, it's been way way way too long. I don't even know how I've coped for so long, but finally, FINALLY, I am coming back to you, Harry. 

This is going to be so good!

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45 comments:

  1. Rayna4 January 2013 at 13:46

    I CANNOT FULLY EXPRESS THE LEVEL TO WHICH I AM EXCITED.

    Also, four and a half years is a ridiculous long time to be without the magic of HP.

    Ugh, the crying will be considerable. I am going to stock up on tissues STAT.

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    1. Laura4 January 2013 at 16:34

      I KNOWWWWWWW! I feel like I need an extra gif! Cause OMG!

      4 and a half years is stupid. I feel like an idiot for it, frankly.

      GET ALL THE TISSUES!

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  2. Reading Rambo4 January 2013 at 14:42

    JLAW GIF

    Poor PoA.

    Also again -- philosopher's stone is known for turning stuff into gold. Which is not what it does here. So the title doesn't matter.

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    1. Laura4 January 2013 at 16:39

      I KNOW!

      There's nothing *wrong* with Prisoner of Azkaban, it's just that it doesn't stick in my brain very well! All I remember is like Dementors-Werewolf-something to do with the rat-that time turny thing. With literally no details!

      Well, the title DOES matter because that's what JK called it, and I think we should respect that, frankly. But if you're ok being called stupid by publishers, then...

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  3. Sus4 January 2013 at 16:10

    Haha, that is so cute. I reread them last year around this time and it was awesome.

    PS - it's Philosopher's Stone in Spanish, too, so it's just us idiot American's that are too stupid to know what one is. ;)

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    1. Laura4 January 2013 at 16:46

      I haven't read them in so long! I am SO EXCITED!

      ps. But you're not too stupid! That's the main part of why it annoys me!

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  4. Red4 January 2013 at 16:57

    That JLAW gif. I heart it.

    Why did they have to change the title for the American audience? Can that be one of the things we complain about because it seems so dumb...

    PoA is my fav of the HP books (except not because of the ending). Oh man this readalong is going to be the best.

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    1. Laura4 January 2013 at 17:09

      I can just HEAR her saying it too. She's the BEST.

      I literally think the decision was 'they won't know what a philosopher is, let's change it.' I mean, *I* didn't know what a philosopher was when I was 12, frankly, but it didn't, like KILL me or anything! SO it's just really stupid.

      But but but Goblet of Fiiiiiiire! (I really like all the challenges and stuff. Basically.) But I could easily get a new favourite this time round, we'll see! To be fair, I am kind of most looking forward to PoA at the moment, because I remember the least about it, so... let that be a comfort to you!

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    2. Red4 January 2013 at 17:23

      I just realized, with my ending comment I mixed up PoA and OotP (cos HEART SIRIUS so I love them both). This is what I get for trying to do work instead of just focusing on the HP posts. I need to fix my priorities.

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    3. Brie @ A Slice of Brie4 January 2013 at 18:12

      *Ahem* It's Philosopher's Stone in Canada too. Also, a lot of British terms were changed for the American versions: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/harry-potter/articles/4309/title/difference-between-american-british-versions-harry-potter-series Which I think is dumb, because doesn't it take away from the originality of the books?

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    4. Laura4 January 2013 at 21:50

      I think it just like... is really stupid. Because it's like, if you read that book and didn't know what it was saying, then LOOK IT UP. And hello, it's not like Canadians just magically get it and Americans don't!

      I'm surprised they didn't just move the setting to NY or something and call Harry like Chad or something. Now THAT would suck.

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    5. Laura4 January 2013 at 21:51

      ALSO- Alley, Order of the Phoenix is your favourite?! That's my LEAST favourite for definite. Oooh, such words we are going to have!

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    6. Red4 January 2013 at 21:55

      How can OotP be your least favorite when Chamber of Secrets is RIGHT THERE? Oh man, we will have words.

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    7. Reading Rambo4 January 2013 at 23:20

      OotP is MALIGNED but awesome.

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    8. Kayleigh vW5 January 2013 at 05:12

      Hahahaha Chad. Chad Potter and the Gnarly Stone.

      PoA is the best and OotP is the WORST because SADNESS and emo Harry.

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    9. Ellie5 January 2013 at 14:50

      OMG THAT LIST OF CHANGES IS STUPID. Like a kid is going to even think about the spelling of Trelawney's first name? Or not work out that a sherbet lemon is a sweet? GAH that's annoying. When British kids read American novels they don't change every single word from US to British English first! Just sayin... American publishers clearly need to give people more credit!

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    10. Laura5 January 2013 at 15:17

      This is SO true. Like, I used to read Babysitters club books ALL THE TIME and it's probably still where I got the majority of American culture ideas and stuff from. And I LOVED it, so why wouldn't American kids like going around going 'oooh, I bet sherbet lemons are well nice!' ETC

      OMG emo Harry is the WORST. That is clearly why OotP is the worst. WORST I SAY!

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  5. Kerry M4 January 2013 at 17:10

    These gifs just made my day. Also, Dobby is the best and Snape is the worst but I agree that Sirius is just take-it-or-leave-it. THIS IS GOING TO BE THE BEST READALONG EVERRR.

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    1. Laura4 January 2013 at 22:01

      IT IS GOING TO BE THE GREATEST! I'm so glad we're all here to experience it. :)

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    2. Kerry M5 January 2013 at 01:18

      Me too! Also, it is Philosopher's Stone in Latin, too, for the record. In Gaelic, though, the title is Harry Potter agus an Órchloch, and "an Órchloch" translates, best I can tell, to "gold stone". So... that's not even the same at all.

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    3. Laura5 January 2013 at 15:18

      That's just... Ok, that's a thing! Can't explain that one haha

      Delete
  6. Brie @ A Slice of Brie4 January 2013 at 18:13

    I feel soooo lost! I've only read the first two, but that was over ten years ago and I don't get any of the stuff you guys are talking about. Poooooor me!

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    1. Laura4 January 2013 at 22:02

      Aw, bless you! You'll get it soon enough, and all will be well!

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  7. Anonymous4 January 2013 at 19:52

    The Philosopher's Stone title thing annoys the crap out of me. Because yes! We are not stupid! The publishers didn't need to treat us like we were stupid. The Philosopher's Stone is a historical idea from history and the Sorcerer's Stone is a nothing. Harrumph.

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    1. Laura4 January 2013 at 22:03

      Indeed. And philosophers and sorcerers are really very different things, BELIEVE me. Sorcerers are obviously cooler, but way less smart.

      Delete
  8. Ellie4 January 2013 at 21:19

    Ima gonna be stalkin' youuuuuu! Because I haven't reread HP since the seventh book came out (because DUDE you don't just GET OVER that kind of emotional trauma!) and also... GIFs. My new collection is coming along so splendidly that I nearly killed my little memory stick thingy with them. Awesome.

    Oh, and it is TOTALLY The Philosopher's Stone (haha, I nearly wrote Sorcerer's Stone then just because I was so preoccupied with its wrongness). Carry on!

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    1. Laura4 January 2013 at 22:05

      You're ALWAYS stalking me, Ellie. It's how we do. But nice work waiting around to just STEAL the gifs I carefully collect and spent HOURS categorising the other day. (I genuinely don't mind at all! But may I point you in the direction of tumblr, because DUDE. All the gifs ever.)

      Obvs it's the Philosopher's Stone. It shouldn't even be up for debate.

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    2. Ellie5 January 2013 at 14:56

      Oh yeah, me and Tumblr are LIKE THAT *waves crossed fingers in the general direction of the laptop* these days. Like, not 'gonna be your bridesmaid' or 'hold your hair back in a club toilet' kind of close because I totally don't HAVE a Tumblr, but we're friends now. Hooray for hilarious moving pictures! :)

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    3. Ellie5 January 2013 at 15:00

      Okay I totally might have to hurry up and read Jane Eyre so I can start The PHILOSOPHER'S *cough* Stone. I can't resist all this Potter talk! :(

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    4. Laura5 January 2013 at 15:15

      Duuuuuuude, do it! I think we're posting about the first half next Friday. But YES DO IT!

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  9. Sarah4 January 2013 at 21:38

    Ohmygosh I'm so excited! It is retarded that the American version is called the "Sorcerer's Stone" - I've heard of a couple other book or movie titles changed in the US too. WE ARE NOT THAT DUMB, PUBLISHERS AND MOVIE-MAKERS.

    Anyhoo, I kind of have to love Snape too. Because you spend all that time hating him, but then his story comes out and it's so sad that your heart just melts. Yay Snape.

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    1. Laura4 January 2013 at 22:08

      You know what a philosopher is, right? Exactly. WHAT IS THE ISSUE, PUBLISHERS?! Also, I still can't believe they dubbed in 'sorcerer' over philosopher every. time. in the first movie. That's literally the stupidest thing ever.

      It was totally really hard for me to decide that I liked Snape, but seriously UGH my heart hurts for him! He's just a messed up boyyyyy! It's a shame Harry didn't look more like Lily though, cause, like... maybe Snape would have liked him more? Maybe.

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    2. Unknown5 January 2013 at 09:01

      The thing that really annoyed me is that the Philosopher's Stone is an actual thing (well...you know) and it isn't dubbed the Sorcerer's Stone in other history/lore/fantasy books published in the US so why the hell is HP an exception?

      Rage over.

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    3. Laura5 January 2013 at 15:19

      Well the thing is, like Alice said waaaaay near the top of the comments, *that* philosopher's stone turns stuff into gold, which isn't what the one in the book does, as we all know.

      My main issue is basically... THAT'S WHAT JK CALLED IT, JUST LEAVE IT AS IT IS, JACKASSES!

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  10. Jennifer5 January 2013 at 00:48

    Whaaat, Prisoner of Azkaban was my favorite until Goblet of Fire and Half-Blood Prince and then I just refuse to choose because HOW COULD I? And that chapter in Deathly Hallows gets me EVERY time, even while I'm driving and listening to the audiobook. The first time I read it, I literally rained down the tears until the page looked like a note from Sad Hagrid and then spent the whole day at work biting back sobs. All that to say, you're not alone.

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    1. Laura5 January 2013 at 15:21

      Ugh, I don't even know how I'm going to cope with that chapter in the Deathly Hallows! I remember reading it for the first time when it had gotten quite late so everyone was in bed and I was just snuffling to myself on the sofa because I was SO upset and UGH! I kind of want to cry now thinking about it!

      I definitely feel like I liked Prisoner of Azkaban! I just remember it least, for no good reason!

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  11. Kayleigh vW5 January 2013 at 05:19

    Yes! I haven't read the books since the last one came out! WHAT IS WRONG WITH US? Clearly we were waiting for this readalong. We knew it was coming. We could feel it.

    There will be so many tears. I may cry at the first page of the first book out of pure happiness.

    I'm excited for you to reread PoA so you can side with us Sirius-lovers which you obviously will because he is awesome.

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    1. Laura5 January 2013 at 15:24

      I definitely KNOW that I felt it in my heart. We're clearly psychic (not psychic. The future-seeing one) and so AMAZING!

      I definitely won't be crying until the Goblet of Fire. Probably. *remembers the mirror of Erised* ok, maybe not. But eeeeeeee!

      I'm not entirely convinced about Sirius, either way. I just know that I really don't like James Potter. The big bully!

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  12. Unknown5 January 2013 at 08:59

    I'm basically already in tears and I haven't even started reading any yet. And it's going to be full blown ugly crying because, jesus, those books tear my heart to shreds.

    I hope you're ready for the inevitable tear-stained comments and tweets -it's going to be a looooong readalong.

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    1. Ellie5 January 2013 at 14:59

      "Full blown ugly crying" is a good description of what I looked like for a sizeable portion of books 4-7. In fact, when I finished Deathly Hallows I think I had to go to sleep for an hour because I was so knackered and my eyes were so red and puffy that I couldn't stay awake!

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    2. Laura5 January 2013 at 15:25

      ALL THE CRYING at the Deathly Hallows. All of it. IN THE FOREST WITH THE STONE THING OMG *WEEPS*

      I don't remember crying at the end of The Goblet of Fire, but... I think I easily will this time! Because I'm a big cryer now. So there's that.

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    3. Unknown5 January 2013 at 21:35

      STOP!!! Don't make me cry before we're even out of book one territory!

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  13. As the Crowe Flies and Reads5 January 2013 at 22:30

    I think I've cried at some point in each of the books, or at least in the audio versions. I cry more during the audios because with the book I'm feverishly turning pages and who can be bothered with crying, but Jim Dale just brings it all home. Every time.

    Anyhoo, PoA is the best-edited of the bunch. After that book was published her worldwide popularity took off stratospherically and they basically just rushed her to get the books pumped out. Except, of course, for the three-year gap between PoA and GoF.

    Incidentally Scholastic decided to change the name because they thought american children would think the book was about philosophy and therefore not want to read. Or at least that is what my scholastic rep usesd to maintain.

    Incidentally part deux: the working title of book four used to be Harry Potter and the Triwizard Tournament but they changed it shortly before publication.

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  14. Etudesque7 January 2013 at 05:28

    Yay gifs! And true, it should be called the Philosopher's stone and it's a shame that Americans assume that no child would buy a book with "Philosopher" in the title, and even sadder that it's probably true. Also AGREED - I can't stand Dobby (hated him even more in the movies). Jar jar binks written all over that one.

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  15. LBC8 January 2013 at 03:49

    I'm kind of wishing that I had UK versions of the books, because they obviously have Americanized the American versions, duh. And I like British things. Maybe I'll order some from Book Depository. Anyhoo, I have never read HP, and I'm super excited about the readalong.

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