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May 12, 2004 at 12:00 AM
I will confess that the discussions on WIKTT caused me to wait awhile before reading this work - I was onreparepared to read it when I was in a place where I could afford the potential emotional cost. And I am glad that I waited, because the story is undeny emy emotionally exhausting. But I think that you handled several extremely tough issues in an extremely sensitive and believable way. Your depiction of Severus Snape is tremendously compatible with the Snape from canon, as well as being both frightening and compelling. Your explanation of how one pursues a relationship with a man as broken as Severus was extraordinary - having attempted and failed this challenge myself, I resonated particularly strongly with your thoughts on the issue.
Also I loved your description of Hermione. I loved your description of her physical shape - interspersing lovely words like \"lush\" and \"bountiful\" with the words like \"plump\" that we women have been taught to disli I p I particularly liked how you sometimes described aspects of her - her hands, her mannerisms - as childlike, but presented that in a way that was not sexy - in fact detracted from her sexiness. I\'m tired of reading fictions where the man sees a women\'s hands or lips as childlike and is instantly turned on - it smacks of pedophilia. Your Hermione winse noe not through her childishness but despite it; she proves herself to be strong and capable and nurturing but imperfect at best.
Some of your author\'s notes indicated you\'ve done corrections on spelling and grammar; I am grateful for the effort you put into this. My compulsive editor\'s eye noted only a few errors in the entire work, rare among professional publications much less fanfiction. And I am impressed by the depth and variety of literary reference you incorporate - then startled at the lone pop culture reference near the end (Princess Bride is one of my favorite movies).
All in all, thank you for the effort you put into creating and perfecting this work.
Also I loved your description of Hermione. I loved your description of her physical shape - interspersing lovely words like \"lush\" and \"bountiful\" with the words like \"plump\" that we women have been taught to disli I p I particularly liked how you sometimes described aspects of her - her hands, her mannerisms - as childlike, but presented that in a way that was not sexy - in fact detracted from her sexiness. I\'m tired of reading fictions where the man sees a women\'s hands or lips as childlike and is instantly turned on - it smacks of pedophilia. Your Hermione winse noe not through her childishness but despite it; she proves herself to be strong and capable and nurturing but imperfect at best.
Some of your author\'s notes indicated you\'ve done corrections on spelling and grammar; I am grateful for the effort you put into this. My compulsive editor\'s eye noted only a few errors in the entire work, rare among professional publications much less fanfiction. And I am impressed by the depth and variety of literary reference you incorporate - then startled at the lone pop culture reference near the end (Princess Bride is one of my favorite movies).
All in all, thank you for the effort you put into creating and perfecting this work.
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May 7, 2004 at 12:00 AM
Anon-
A clever man once said that the Jewish people are the chosen people for suffering. I quite agree. Any relationship I might have with God can be described as a long lasting grudge on my side: if he actually pays attention, I\'m really doubted.
A long time ago, God asked his first follower to sacrifice his one true son and heir. \"Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whhou hou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of,\" God said, and Avraham, with a heavy heart, took his firstborn, Isaac, in order to slaughter him for his blood lusted, demanding God.
My answer for this request of the Jewish God can be found on chapter 22 of Breeding Lilacs, \"The Slaughtering Knife\". My answer to this outraging request is: NO, NO and NO again. You will not receive my daughter, you will not receive my loved ones, and you will not receive anything that I can keep from you.
I received many answers when I asked where God was when my family was murdered in the Holocaust. None of them satisfied me. I refuse to believe that an intelligent, powerful, positive entity exists, and yet allows such an atrocity to take place on earth while it can prevent it.
And so, I\'m an atheist. And Jewish. Why Jewish? Because my ancestors and their ancestors before them often gave up their life so the ungrateful me would be able to walk with her chin up, holding to the belief they inherited her. Because no matter how many people might look down at me because I\'m Jewish, no matter how long and for how many centuries my people had been slaughtered and tortured for their belief, this our my truth, and we have every right to hold to it. And the Jewish God might be harsh and cruel, but he is MY God.
As to he or she- the Bible clearly refers to God as a He, so, seeing that the Bible is Judaism\'s sacred book, I guess our God is male.
A clever man once said that the Jewish people are the chosen people for suffering. I quite agree. Any relationship I might have with God can be described as a long lasting grudge on my side: if he actually pays attention, I\'m really doubted.
A long time ago, God asked his first follower to sacrifice his one true son and heir. \"Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whhou hou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of,\" God said, and Avraham, with a heavy heart, took his firstborn, Isaac, in order to slaughter him for his blood lusted, demanding God.
My answer for this request of the Jewish God can be found on chapter 22 of Breeding Lilacs, \"The Slaughtering Knife\". My answer to this outraging request is: NO, NO and NO again. You will not receive my daughter, you will not receive my loved ones, and you will not receive anything that I can keep from you.
I received many answers when I asked where God was when my family was murdered in the Holocaust. None of them satisfied me. I refuse to believe that an intelligent, powerful, positive entity exists, and yet allows such an atrocity to take place on earth while it can prevent it.
And so, I\'m an atheist. And Jewish. Why Jewish? Because my ancestors and their ancestors before them often gave up their life so the ungrateful me would be able to walk with her chin up, holding to the belief they inherited her. Because no matter how many people might look down at me because I\'m Jewish, no matter how long and for how many centuries my people had been slaughtered and tortured for their belief, this our my truth, and we have every right to hold to it. And the Jewish God might be harsh and cruel, but he is MY God.
As to he or she- the Bible clearly refers to God as a He, so, seeing that the Bible is Judaism\'s sacred book, I guess our God is male.
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April 22, 2004 at 12:00 AM
As promised, I read this to form my own opinion after all the brouhaha at WIKTT and on LJs. I have to admit I inretereted the story very differently than the seeming majority opinion, although I could see where they might be coming from. I saw a Snape who was riddled by guilt, who made himself literally sick over his sins and who struggled to overcome the walls he\'d put up. That said, I\'m not sure I fully understand Hermione\'s seeming infinite ability for forgiveness - although it is I suppose possible that as you intended, she saw the Snape who raped her as a very different person than the professor she knew, and also any healing she did was pretty much off camera so to speak since eight years passed between the rape and the main story.
Aubrey does seem a little too sharp for even a smart eight year old, but I could see her as a brilliant ten year old easily. But that\'s a nitpick and really shouldn\'t detract from the fact that I thought you did an excellent job weaving the story, as disturbing as it got at times (intentionally, I suspect). I might not find it totally believable, but then again, I don\'t have to. It\'s your story. Whether Hermione really would have ever warmed up to him, I don\'t know - I find it unlikely; but I certainly didn\'t feel as if you were glorifying rape or anything like that, and as a fellow Jew I wasn\'t offended by the way you handled those issues either. I suppose what bothered folks was that there was no legal consequences for Snape for having raped her, coupled with Hermione\'s forgiveness and eventually falling for him. But I think the way you handled it was as plausible as it could be and I enjoyed reading it. For what it\'s worth.
Aubrey does seem a little too sharp for even a smart eight year old, but I could see her as a brilliant ten year old easily. But that\'s a nitpick and really shouldn\'t detract from the fact that I thought you did an excellent job weaving the story, as disturbing as it got at times (intentionally, I suspect). I might not find it totally believable, but then again, I don\'t have to. It\'s your story. Whether Hermione really would have ever warmed up to him, I don\'t know - I find it unlikely; but I certainly didn\'t feel as if you were glorifying rape or anything like that, and as a fellow Jew I wasn\'t offended by the way you handled those issues either. I suppose what bothered folks was that there was no legal consequences for Snape for having raped her, coupled with Hermione\'s forgiveness and eventually falling for him. But I think the way you handled it was as plausible as it could be and I enjoyed reading it. For what it\'s worth.
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April 20, 2004 at 12:00 AM
This story is a masterpiece. It is beyond doubt one of the best fanfiction I have ever read. Hell! You had me crying in front of the computer.
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much!
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April 16, 2004 at 12:00 AM
Hmm... I have mixed feelings about this story. I think that your writing style is beautiful and thought provoking; clearly, you have a gift with prose. I cannot say that I liked your characters, but I still found myself eagerly anticipating each installment. Your story was profoundly disturbing on so many levels, but at the same time very thought provoking.
That being said, I have one major critique, and that is with your Hermione. I have read your author\'s notes and some of your comments on this review page, and I know you wanted Hermione to come across as a strong, independant woman, but to me her character didn\'t really read that way in this story -- which is okay; you can write her anyway you want to in your own story, and you should do so unapologetically -- but in this story, she does come across to the reader as a cowed and broken woman without even a hint of the spirit she exhibited in canon.
I can accept that, as she had suffered a rape and had to bring up the child of that rape, therefore having been reminded of that incident each day. I have a more difficult time ustanstanding her attraction to Snape, who is brutally cruel and condescending towards her and their daughter throughout most of the story. For me to be able to accept that relationship in this story I cannot also accept Hermione as a healthy and strong woman as you claim that she supposedly is. I can, however, accept the relationship with an \'abused and no self confidence left\' Hermione.
At any rate, keep writing, you definately have a talent.
Julie
That being said, I have one major critique, and that is with your Hermione. I have read your author\'s notes and some of your comments on this review page, and I know you wanted Hermione to come across as a strong, independant woman, but to me her character didn\'t really read that way in this story -- which is okay; you can write her anyway you want to in your own story, and you should do so unapologetically -- but in this story, she does come across to the reader as a cowed and broken woman without even a hint of the spirit she exhibited in canon.
I can accept that, as she had suffered a rape and had to bring up the child of that rape, therefore having been reminded of that incident each day. I have a more difficult time ustanstanding her attraction to Snape, who is brutally cruel and condescending towards her and their daughter throughout most of the story. For me to be able to accept that relationship in this story I cannot also accept Hermione as a healthy and strong woman as you claim that she supposedly is. I can, however, accept the relationship with an \'abused and no self confidence left\' Hermione.
At any rate, keep writing, you definately have a talent.
Julie
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April 15, 2004 at 12:00 AM
I have just finished reading your wonderful, beautiful story.
I enjoyed it so much.
Your accurate writing is excellent, and I am not exaggerating saying the story is one of the best fics I have ever read.
thank you for a beautiful story.
I enjoyed it so much.
Your accurate writing is excellent, and I am not exaggerating saying the story is one of the best fics I have ever read.
thank you for a beautiful story.
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April 15, 2004 at 12:00 AM
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April 15, 2004 at 12:00 AM
I immediately fell in love with this story when I started reading the first chapters, and it only got better with the time.
Personally, I think the characters are well built, and so is this amazing, touching story.
the ideas you brought up in the story really made me think...
I enjoyed my reading very much, You are a gifted writer.
Personally, I think the characters are well built, and so is this amazing, touching story.
the ideas you brought up in the story really made me think...
I enjoyed my reading very much, You are a gifted writer.
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April 15, 2004 at 12:00 AM
\"And the Jewish God might be a sadistic bastard, but he is MY God.\"
Then you cannot claim atheism. Clearly you believe in a god.
Incidentally, removing all negative or critical reviews is childish.
Then you cannot claim atheism. Clearly you believe in a god.
Incidentally, removing all negative or critical reviews is childish.
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April 15, 2004 at 12:00 AM
Rachael -
I believe that, when one comes to discuss the western cultural of the last 2000 years - Judaism in particular - one must acknowledge the persona/entity called God. There is no of sof speaking about Judaism and being a Jew, at least not for me, without talking about God. It doesn\'t mean I believe God exists, it simply means I believe that the belief in his existence played important role along history and keeps playing important role in many cultural discussions.
As to removing negative or critical reviethisthis is clearly not the case, which can easily be proved to you if you\'ll go through the reviews here on the comment page. However, I do remove flames as they give me a headache.
I believe that, when one comes to discuss the western cultural of the last 2000 years - Judaism in particular - one must acknowledge the persona/entity called God. There is no of sof speaking about Judaism and being a Jew, at least not for me, without talking about God. It doesn\'t mean I believe God exists, it simply means I believe that the belief in his existence played important role along history and keeps playing important role in many cultural discussions.
As to removing negative or critical reviethisthis is clearly not the case, which can easily be proved to you if you\'ll go through the reviews here on the comment page. However, I do remove flames as they give me a headache.