Banned Books Week September 28, 2005
Posted by tonywgoodwyn in Harry Potter, Librarianship.2 comments
In observance of ALA’s Banned Books Week, I’m joining with several of my colleagues and reading from a banned book in the main lobby this Friday. Most of us have gone up to the display, picked a book, and read from it for half an hour or so. I, on the other hand, have used this event as an excuse to finally buy myself a hardcover version of Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone, from which I will of course be reading. So I suppose you could say I’ve contributed doubly to the spirit of this week!
What really freaks me out about censorship isn’t really the idea that people can restrict access to books from others–if I or others really want a book or information, then you better believe we’ll find a way to get to it (ideally, right under their nose). But the effort involved really says a lot about what these censors think about our ability to think for ourselves and make an informed decision about the content of information. It stems from this idea of protection, but like a parent who doesn’t know when to let go, it assumes–or possibly even creates the excuse–that everyone’s mind is fragile, malleable, and simply acceptant of whatever it happens to encounter.
"Oh my God, that Harry Potter series glorifies witchcraft, I’d better protect others from it by keeping anyone from seeing it that I can!"
I know I’m not the only one who finds this attitude patronizing and insulting. Any teenager, college student, son or daughter who has argued with a parent over curfews and privacy feels exactly the same way. Leave us alone, they say; we’re capable of making our own decisions and taking responsibility for them.
The flip side of this response is somewhat disturbing as well, if you think about it. If someone goes to great lengths to censor a text that conflicts with his or her beliefs, if they believe that its mere existence is a threat to their ideals, it doesn’t say much about the strength of their own beliefs. Why censor something if it doesn’t pose a threat to your way of life on some level? And if it does pose a threat, does that perchance say more about your insecurities than the supposed fragility of your faith, ideals, or way of life? I may be wrong (but I’m not 
), but the strongest ideals and beliefs are those that have stood up to rigorous debate, inspection, and yes, opposition.
In this day and age, knowledge and information are hard currencies in the landscape of a globalized economy. Suppression of differing viewpoints, however controversial, does more than just sully the overall quality of our ability to learn; it does the far more dangerous task of assuming one view is absolutely and incontrovertibly correct, and that any opposition to it is wrong (and, by extension, expendable). Who in the world would want any one viewpoint to reign supreme over everyone else? (megalomaniacs need not respond)
It is this kind of mindset that I oppose, and by participating in and endorsing Banned Books Week, I believe I am contributing to an information ecology that secures the sanctity of all to be heard.
Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince July 25, 2005
Posted by tonywgoodwyn in Book Reviews, Harry Potter.add a comment
For those of you who haven’t read my reviews before, here’s the warning: I do spoilers. So if you’re dying NOT to know what happens until you’ve read/listened to/seen something, do not read on. I talk about whatever stands out to me, regardless of whether it’s a spoiler or not.
There. That’s done. Moving on…
It only being about a week since I’ve read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I’m still smarting from a lot of the new developments in it. Yes, I’m a big geek/fanboy/whatever, but that’s just the way it is. I find it hard to rank it against the rest of the books in the series, though at this point Prisoner of Azkaban is still my favorite.
HBP definitely moves things along nicely and sets up a great cliffhanger for the final book, though I’m starting to feel a bit jaded to the twists and sudden reversals that J.K. Rowling so masterfully inserts into these stories. Even as my head was spinning from the realization that Snape was Dumbledore’s murderer, I felt like things still ended too loosely. Sure, he killed Dumbledore, and he taunted Harry mercilessly, but it’s still perfectly possible that he’s on the side of the Order (as you’ll find out if you visit any of the fan sites and chatrooms). I mean, we’re gearing up for what (I hope) is the final battle against Lord Voldemort, and I was hoping we’d have a better idea of who truly is on what side for the coming denouement.
Still, this book has heart, in many ways. Some relationship issues are brought to fruition, much to the delight of Harry/Ginny and Hermione/Ron shippers and the severe chagrin of Harry/Hermione shippers (all I have to say to that is, "I told you so!"). There are several other minor heartwarmers, particularly a touching scene involving Fleur Delacour and Mrs. Weasley as they tend to the mangled, injured Bill Weasley after a battle. Harry’s resolve after the death of Dumbledore is also uplifting, matched equally by his friends’ devotion to stick with him, come what may.
Harry, who was passed over for Prefect in Order of the Phoenix, is finally given some responsibility he can live with, captaincy of the Griffyndor Quidditch team, and it’s fun to see how he deals with the difficulties that come with it. There are some minor issues he must resolve with Hagrid, since he is no longer taking Hagrid’s course, Care of Magical Creatures. He also has to deal with a new Potions teacher, Horace Slughorn, who "collects" people, and who believes Harry would be the crown jewel in his collection. As it turns out, Harry must acquire a particularly important piece of information Slughorn possesses, which tests his ingenuity and luck in a very interesting way.
Another fascinating part of this story is are Harry’s intermittent "lessons" with Professor Dumbledore, which delve into the past of Harry’s archnemesis, Lord Voldemort. Discovering the circumstances and actions that made him the most evil wizard of the age, like with Darth Vader’s past in Star Wars, add some depth to the character, though it certainly does a good job of distancing comparison between the two (Vader’s circumstances & actions, while reprehensible, were actually motivated by love, something Voldemort has never known; he’s a selfish man, through and through).
Of particular note are the circumstances of his birth and parentage, which helps explain how he couldn’t possibly know love from his childhood; as well as Voldemort’s early interactions with Dumbledore, whom he eventually asks if he can return to Hogwarts to teach there. The discovery of Voldemort’s Horcruxes are interesting, though potentially a double-edged sword. I liked the idea behind them, but their explanation felt a lot like the video games I played when I was younger: in order to face the villain, you have to go through all the strongholds and destroy them first, as they’re his source of power. I fully expect the Book 7 video game to take full advantage of that. In the mean time, I can’t wait to see how this development plays into the plot of the next story.
Several of Harry’s other nemeses get interesting development in this book. Draco Malfoy, who is sparingly used this time around, is still given pivotal tasks and surprising depth. While he seems to be walking the path of a Death Eater, he also seems to be having serious second thoughts about it, which could prove significant in the coming battle. Snape, the titular Half-Blood Prince, is also given more background, but little in terms of actual development: he’s still the Harry-hating, sneering jerk we love to hate. Given his apparent murder of the Hogwarts Headmaster and Harry’s resultant hatred of him, I’m hard-pressed to see how he’s going to change between now and the end, though, knowing Rowling’s mastery of the double-twist, I’m not ruling anything out.
Given that I finished this book the day after I bought it, I think it’s safe to say that it’s a fun and interesting read, and a worthy addition to what is already an engaging and increasingly dark series. Harry Potter is, as always, evolving, becoming more independent and adult even as he gets more powerful and determined. While I don’t yet know where I’d rank HBP in relation to the rest of the series, I believe it to be a good story and a necessary bridge to the battle that’s coming.
Sisters, Princes, and Star Wars July 17, 2005
Posted by tonywgoodwyn in Harry Potter, Star Wars.1 comment so far
So my youngest sisters arrived in Minnesota about 36 hours ago, and it’s been nonstop activity since then. I’ve taken a couple weeks off to spend time with them and show them a good time, and have of course had varying degrees of success.
The elder of the two is about up to my nose, which is a little depressing when you consider that she’s 13. I’m now convinced I’ll be the shortest of my siblings, which is doubly depressing when you consider that I’m not only the eldest child, but also the only male. Hopefully the 10-year old will not spurt.
Anyway, we went to Borders Minneapolis on Friday night to get our copies of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The girls of course were exhausted by the "evening’s" end, as it was nearly 1:30 by the time we got back to my place. I of course, was a complete geek and read til about 5:30. At the moment, I’m about 350 pages into it, and of course I’m lovin’ it.
Saturday has been a "settling in" day: I had plenty of cleaning, laundry, etc. to do, and the girls were bushed from our trip as well as their flight, so I pretty much let them go at the computer, the GameCube, or movies while I did laundry. I also made meals for us, did dishes as necessary, and read HBP whenever I could. We watched three movies from my collection tonight: Mystery Men (the younger’s pick), The Family Man (the elder’s pick), and Star Wars (my pick).
I was disappointed that they got bored and didn’t finish Star Wars with me, but we had sat through 2 movies previous. The version I have is the most updated DVD version (widescreen, of course), and I kept pointing out new scenes in this version. Even the digital Jabba from the 1997 re-release is different from this one. As most Star Wars geek purists do, I have major problems with the alteration of the "Han shooting Greedo" scene. Still, a lot of the additions, particularly the explosions and the starfighter battle sequences, were pretty good. I have yet to watch Hayden Christenson’s visage inserted into the end of Return of the Jedi, but I’m sure I’ll rant about that when I see it, too.
