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crack_van2005-08-31 08:14 am
wunderwesen.livejournal.com) wrote in crack_van2005-08-31 08:14 am
Entry tags:
In Academia by Sushi (NC-17)
Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairing: Severus Snape/various (Mostly male/male. There is a main pairing, but I'll let you discover for yourselves which one it is.)
Author on lj: Not as far as I know.
Author webpage: Dark Matter
Why this must be read:
Once in a very great while, if she is lucky, a reader will come across a story that isn't merely good, or interesting, or touching, but which goes further than that. A story that seems to shift the fabric of familiar reality just enough for the unknown vastness beneath it to shine through. For me, In Academia is such a story.
Sushi's version of Snape as a teenager may have been thoroughly debunked by the pensieve scene in Order of the Phoenix, but this tale of power, loneliness, cruelty, pain and pure, tender love set during his last year as a student at Hogwarts remains one of the most fascinating takes on Severus's allegiance with and betrayal of the Dark Lord that I've ever seen. It is a dark, chilling story (please take the author's warnings seriously), but also a strangely beautiful one, delicate and sensitive in every detail. The Snape here is terrifying in his cold calculation and searing ambition, his actions often at the deepest level despicable, but he is also incredibly human - young, vulnerable and driven by a desperation born from having no one but himself. He is very far from a good man, but the downward spiral of his struggle to retain control over his life is nevertheless moving beyond words. The sheer complexity of character Sushi evokes in her portrtait of him is astounding; her Severus Ajit has a very special place in my heart.
Snape isn't the only character well handled in this novel-length piece, though. It also offers an insightful look at the individual personalities and group dynamic of the Marauders from the point of view of their sworn enemy, as well as an unflinching description of how Dumbledore and his loyal staff appear to the Slytherin eye. And then there are the Slytherins themselves, in all their arrogance and insecurity, and the Lord so many of them have chosen to follow. None of it is simple, all of it is original, and most of it is absolutely brilliant. Like Severus himself, this story is at the same time powerful, sharp and extraordinarily brittle - it will tear your heart out in ways you would never expect.
In Academia
And when you've made your way through all the chapters of the novel, don't forget to go back to the main story page and read the three shorter pieces set in the same universe. They are very much worth it.
Pairing: Severus Snape/various (Mostly male/male. There is a main pairing, but I'll let you discover for yourselves which one it is.)
Author on lj: Not as far as I know.
Author webpage: Dark Matter
Why this must be read:
Once in a very great while, if she is lucky, a reader will come across a story that isn't merely good, or interesting, or touching, but which goes further than that. A story that seems to shift the fabric of familiar reality just enough for the unknown vastness beneath it to shine through. For me, In Academia is such a story.
Sushi's version of Snape as a teenager may have been thoroughly debunked by the pensieve scene in Order of the Phoenix, but this tale of power, loneliness, cruelty, pain and pure, tender love set during his last year as a student at Hogwarts remains one of the most fascinating takes on Severus's allegiance with and betrayal of the Dark Lord that I've ever seen. It is a dark, chilling story (please take the author's warnings seriously), but also a strangely beautiful one, delicate and sensitive in every detail. The Snape here is terrifying in his cold calculation and searing ambition, his actions often at the deepest level despicable, but he is also incredibly human - young, vulnerable and driven by a desperation born from having no one but himself. He is very far from a good man, but the downward spiral of his struggle to retain control over his life is nevertheless moving beyond words. The sheer complexity of character Sushi evokes in her portrtait of him is astounding; her Severus Ajit has a very special place in my heart.
Snape isn't the only character well handled in this novel-length piece, though. It also offers an insightful look at the individual personalities and group dynamic of the Marauders from the point of view of their sworn enemy, as well as an unflinching description of how Dumbledore and his loyal staff appear to the Slytherin eye. And then there are the Slytherins themselves, in all their arrogance and insecurity, and the Lord so many of them have chosen to follow. None of it is simple, all of it is original, and most of it is absolutely brilliant. Like Severus himself, this story is at the same time powerful, sharp and extraordinarily brittle - it will tear your heart out in ways you would never expect.
In Academia
And when you've made your way through all the chapters of the novel, don't forget to go back to the main story page and read the three shorter pieces set in the same universe. They are very much worth it.