~~ Snape, Snape, Snape!
May. 29th, 2004 08:16 pmYou know, for the first time like-- ever-- I was reading a decent H/D fic (`Phoenix Song'-- it's cute and well-characterized even if it's not necessarily unique), and I had this fleeting moment where I felt empathetic enough for Snape that I actually felt a pang of desire to stop and read H/S instead. o_0
Usually, I only read H/S for the porn, I guess, which actually makes little sense since I emphatically don't find Snape hot. It's just... something about the whole snarky dour-faced man losing composure (and clearly, Harry seems likelier than a lot of things to make Snape lose said composure) that tickles me. It's so interesting, because I never feel as if the pairing is realistic or desirable or good for either of them. It's more to do with me having some sort of rarely-indulged interest in Snape, I guess, and Snape in so far as he relates to Harry. Possibly, I should try reading `A Bittersweet Potion' after all, since from all the reviews of it it seems like it has my sort of H/S (without the all-important porn aspect).
I think I often stay away from H/S partly because so many people overdo Snape's vocabulary and make him an utter ponce who reminds me of a bad version of Henry Higgins from `My Fair Lady'-- completely stuffy and droll and ridiculously verbosely extravagant. Also, I reeeally dislike angsty-dark-woe!Snape and in-perfect-control-of-himself-as-well-as-those-insolent-brats!Snape. The other reason is that mostly, this pairing is played for angst (and smut), and I'm not willing to sit through that much angst when I'm not emotionally sold on the "happy ending" being denied me. I have to -care- about the happy ending to care about the angst, don't I?
The thing I liked about that glimpse of Snape in `Phoenix Song' is just how emotional and grumpy he's being, and how obvious it is that he's barely holding on to any sort of self-control. All he really wants to do is rant and rave and snap at people without waiting for actual provocation. It's so cute! I love seeing him as a quickly aging, put-upon man who hates his job and hates his life and hates everything (hate, hate, HATE). And then, in a way, you do have a Henry Higgins-type situation with Harry entering into it-- I mean, angst is predictable and less interesting, it seems to me, than Harry managing to make Snape smile or smirk or groan against his will. To make Snape start really kicking again (ahaha, who'd have thought he could be -more- mean!)
( ...Mmm... Snape. )
Usually, I only read H/S for the porn, I guess, which actually makes little sense since I emphatically don't find Snape hot. It's just... something about the whole snarky dour-faced man losing composure (and clearly, Harry seems likelier than a lot of things to make Snape lose said composure) that tickles me. It's so interesting, because I never feel as if the pairing is realistic or desirable or good for either of them. It's more to do with me having some sort of rarely-indulged interest in Snape, I guess, and Snape in so far as he relates to Harry. Possibly, I should try reading `A Bittersweet Potion' after all, since from all the reviews of it it seems like it has my sort of H/S (without the all-important porn aspect).
I think I often stay away from H/S partly because so many people overdo Snape's vocabulary and make him an utter ponce who reminds me of a bad version of Henry Higgins from `My Fair Lady'-- completely stuffy and droll and ridiculously verbosely extravagant. Also, I reeeally dislike angsty-dark-woe!Snape and in-perfect-control-of-himself-as-well-as-those-insolent-brats!Snape. The other reason is that mostly, this pairing is played for angst (and smut), and I'm not willing to sit through that much angst when I'm not emotionally sold on the "happy ending" being denied me. I have to -care- about the happy ending to care about the angst, don't I?
The thing I liked about that glimpse of Snape in `Phoenix Song' is just how emotional and grumpy he's being, and how obvious it is that he's barely holding on to any sort of self-control. All he really wants to do is rant and rave and snap at people without waiting for actual provocation. It's so cute! I love seeing him as a quickly aging, put-upon man who hates his job and hates his life and hates everything (hate, hate, HATE). And then, in a way, you do have a Henry Higgins-type situation with Harry entering into it-- I mean, angst is predictable and less interesting, it seems to me, than Harry managing to make Snape smile or smirk or groan against his will. To make Snape start really kicking again (ahaha, who'd have thought he could be -more- mean!)
( ...Mmm... Snape. )
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