Well, after flicking through the comments, I'd better be brave and say that I like the chapter. There's no chapter I particually dislike in the whole canon so it never occured to me to dislike it. After reading all this, I've got my copy of GoF and re-read the chapter specially to bring it forward into my mind.
Yes, I do find it funny. It's difficult to explain why - I've never been good at explaining why I find anything funny. I adore the fact that they all end up stuck behind the fireplace and make such a mess of the living room and Mr Weasley talking about how Mrs Weasley thinks he's mad because he collects plugs and batteries delights me.
I suppose I'm also amused by the fact that the Dursleys are being so stupid. That's probably unsympathetic of me - after all, people DO have irrational fears and when things go wrong around Harry and his magic, they really, really go wrong. But I suppose I come from the same place that JKR probably comes from - the Dursleys are pretty horrible and very prejudiced and it can be really, REALLY funny to laugh at idiots. (I feel like a really bad person now - this is the other reason I hate trying to describe what/why I find things funny!) As for Dudley's tongue, it doesn't really bother me one way or the other. I know that if it happened in real life, it would be terrible - as would most things in the HP world. And I do feel sorry for Dudley and it's one of the biggest examples of the Weasley twins taking things too far. The actual tongue-growing doesn't make me laugh - but the reactions of Vernon and Petunia do. It's a horrible thing but if they weren't being so ridiculous, it would be about fifty times LESS horrible and therefore it's funny.
But I guess, most important to me - I just vaguely view this as okay to laugh at because I know it's just a book. I think there are some HP chapters where I just think "Oh hello, I'm reading." even if it's only unconciously. And therefore, it's all right to laugh because I know it's not based on a truth.
I don't think I've done very well here but at least I've tried. :)
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Date: 2005-09-08 10:43 pm (UTC)Yes, I do find it funny. It's difficult to explain why - I've never been good at explaining why I find anything funny. I adore the fact that they all end up stuck behind the fireplace and make such a mess of the living room and Mr Weasley talking about how Mrs Weasley thinks he's mad because he collects plugs and batteries delights me.
I suppose I'm also amused by the fact that the Dursleys are being so stupid. That's probably unsympathetic of me - after all, people DO have irrational fears and when things go wrong around Harry and his magic, they really, really go wrong. But I suppose I come from the same place that JKR probably comes from - the Dursleys are pretty horrible and very prejudiced and it can be really, REALLY funny to laugh at idiots. (I feel like a really bad person now - this is the other reason I hate trying to describe what/why I find things funny!) As for Dudley's tongue, it doesn't really bother me one way or the other. I know that if it happened in real life, it would be terrible - as would most things in the HP world. And I do feel sorry for Dudley and it's one of the biggest examples of the Weasley twins taking things too far. The actual tongue-growing doesn't make me laugh - but the reactions of Vernon and Petunia do. It's a horrible thing but if they weren't being so ridiculous, it would be about fifty times LESS horrible and therefore it's funny.
But I guess, most important to me - I just vaguely view this as okay to laugh at because I know it's just a book. I think there are some HP chapters where I just think "Oh hello, I'm reading." even if it's only unconciously. And therefore, it's all right to laugh because I know it's not based on a truth.
I don't think I've done very well here but at least I've tried. :)