May has been very busy; despite my best attempts, I'm still only about a dozen chapters into my re-read of Goblet of Fire. It's such a fun book, always one of my favorites to read. It usually feels like it goes much faster, but I think this time around I've just had so much going on that I'm not able to string together much time to really lose myself in it, so I'm having to read in bits and pieces.
I'd also forgotten just how long the pre-Hogwarts-intro is in GoF. We didn't get to the opening feast and the sorting hat's song until page 176! We have the Riddle House opening, spend a bit longer than usual at Privet Drive, and then there's the very long section at the Quidditch World Cup. All of which feels important.
When I reviewed the GoF film, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I remember saying how impressed I was at how the filmmakers were able to condense such a hefty, complex book into a coherent two-hour film. I'm still impressed, but that doesn't mean I don't have my favorite moments that didn't make it to the screen. My favorite of all favorites that went missing was the scene where Arthur and the Weasley boys burst through the wall into the Dursley's living room. I love the whole cross-cultural exchange, right down to Arthur trying to be his usual kind, polite self and expressing his delight and interest in how muggle-stuff works while the Dursleys are turning various shades of pale or purple just to be in his presence. By the time you get to Uncle Vernon flinging china figurines while Arthur blasts them with his wand, I'm usually laughing helplessly.
So I missed the Dursleys in the film version of GoF, and hope they're back in OotP. I'm pretty sure they will be, as it seems rather important to see the mingling of Harry's two worlds when he and Dudley run across the dementors. Plus I am really interested in seeing how they might play the scene where Aunt Petunia lets it drop that she actually knows what dementors are. I still remember my absolute astonishment when I first read that scene...I think I took a literal double-take and went back and read the paragraph again to make sure I'd heard what I thought I'd heard. Apparently, according to Rowling, there's still more to be revealed about Petunia. Wonder what it could be?
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2 comments:
Hee! That really a terrific scene. I feel so badly for Arthur, who's trying so valiantly to treat the Dursleys with respect and to undo the indignity Fred and George couldn't resist inflicting upon Dudley... It's really nice to get such a hefty dose of the Weasleys in the beginning of the book. I wonder why Molly didn't go to the World Cup? Just not much of a Quidditch enthusiast?
It does seem like they have to include the Dursleys in the fifth movie. Not too long till we find out!
You know, that's a good question about why Molly didn't go to the World Cup. You'd think perhaps that Ginny might have inherited her Mom's quidditch talent...and yet, we don't really get a hint of that anywhere.
From a mom's perspective, I think it's more likely that she couldn't resist the prospect of perhaps several days to herself with everybody else out of the house. :-)
Poor Arthur indeed. Having to undo Fred and George's gaffes must keep him busy!
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