Max Rose > Recent Status Updates

Still great. Two observations: In really enjoying the poetic language. I can’t really sense the meter, maybe because it’s in English or maybe because I’m not reading aloud, but there’s plenty of great imagery that I like reading. Second, there’s lots of detailed descriptions of people’s body parts getting crushed or stabbed (lol) and I think it’s because the Greeks love anatomy.

Insanely vivid depiction of battle. Very impressed! Reads like a play by play call of a football game in a good way. Very amusing portrayal of the gods so far. They provide such a memorable, unique dimension to the story. I know it’s hard to depict them, but I feel like if you don’t include them in your adaptation, then you’re not making the Iliad at all.

Way different than the movie Troy! Lol I’m shocked at how modern and readable this is. Maybe some of that is the translation (Fagles) but most of the credit has to go to Homer. The characters are much more interesting than I thought. I figured they might be archetypes in order to depict a moral lesson but no; the characters I’ve encountered so far all feel quite 3-dimensional.

A bit of a confusing chapter. Agamemnon gets a dream from Zeus encouraging him to renew the fight again but then Agamemnon tells his men “let’s just go home finally, it’s been 9 years” and they start to leave. But I think this is all just a test… and Odysseus rallies the men together stay and fight. I think that’s it. After that it was 10 pages listings names and regions. Very biblical-esque.

It may be one giant exposition dump, but The Lost Prophesy chapter is so, so satisfying. There is some good character moments too though with Harry feeling a rush of emotion after Sirius’ death and Dumbledore remaining calm and collected as well as exhausted and pained as Harry notes. Great chapter.

The movie does the Department of Mysteries and Dumbledore’s duel with Voldemort much better.

Almost done

Somewhat infuriating listening to Harry be so confidently (and rudely) wrong about Voldemort having Sirius at the Department of Mysteries. Especially when Hermione is being so reasonable. But that’s what make it fun to read!

Very endearing McGonagall moment when she tells Harry in front of Umbridge that she’ll personally do whatever it takes to help Harry become an auror.

Getting close to the end. I remember the last 10 or so chapters all being bangers but I also don’t remember the details well. I’m excited!

Occlumency is a really good Snape chapter. Probably the closest we get to seeing him as a fleshed out character in the series thus far. Everything he says to Harry comes from a very personal conviction (if you know the story) so it’s a satisfying peek into Snape’s mind—which is ironic for the reader because Snape is reading Harry’s mind, but we are reading Snape’s!

Really great chapter where Mr. Weasley is bit by Nagini. Exactly the type of thing they don’t cover in the movie very well—Dumbledore getting to the bottom of things and dispatching all the headmasters, the kids waiting up all night at Sirius’s, Harry worrying about what the dream means. Great great stuff

Two very good chapters, Hagrid’s Tale and The Eye and the Snake. The latter is actually very funny even though it ends with the dream Harry has about Nagini attacking Mr. Weasley. Funny parts anout Harry and Cho and also Umbridge sitting in on Hagrid’s lesson. Gotta be honest, Hagrid is an awful teacher. He shows the class thestrals…which are invisible. lol

The Hog’s Head chapter… Harry really needs to stop being so sensitive about his classmates wanting more details about Voldemort coming back. Harry, my guy, no one saw him but you. And everyone in the whole world thought he was dead for 13 years. You HAVE to say more than “I saw him! He killed Cedric! I don’t wanna talk about it!”

Another excellent chapter! Holiness is possible, even if absolute perfection is not. Numerous people are commended for their righteousness in the Bible and yet somehow we’ve preached (or feel) that nothing we do pleases God. It’s not true. Jesus asks us to obey because obedience is possible.