Name: victoria_anne (Signed) · Date: 10 Dec 2019 12:53 PM · For: On the Ledge

Hi there!

 

I really enjoyed this! It was so unique, and so many things popped up that I wasn't expecting. Your descriptions are incredibly rich, so that the whole story felt like a painting! I loved the detail of the magical ladder in the library. It seems like a real, enchanted thing you'd find in a magical family's library! And this idea of creating a painting that you're able to step into is so original, and sounds like a dream! It's such a sweet idea that Sirius had, and I love that it was inspired by one of Lautrec's paintings (Henri and I share a birthday, so there's a weird fact for you!) and I love that Sirius saw some similarities between himself and Lautrec's family life.

 

Loved this!

Name: MuggleMaybe (Signed) · Date: 28 Jan 2019 12:33 AM · For: On the Ledge

I'm here for the Magical Menagerie and BvY.

 

Oh, my dear. It's been a long time since I read this. Since I read any of your writing, actually. And even though I knew this was a wonderful story, even though I knew it was truly beautiful... still I find myself caught off gaurd.

 

It really is beautiful. I'm a little nervous. My review can't possibly do justice to this. And this is only the first chapter! I hope you post the rest. I really think people here would enjoy it, even though I know HPFT doesn't get as high of review counts.

 

Ok, but, I need to focus because reviewing for an event means a decent about of substance, which is good because you deserve it but how do I even put this into words? I suppose I can only do my best.

 

There are a lot of things I love about this story, and zero things I dislike about this story.

 

One of the things I love is the sense of quiet. From the very first sentence, you capture Sirius' feeling of being on pause, of having a respite not only from his abusive family, but from the world at large. A "warm, sparkling world" - that reminds me of lying at the beach, getting dry in the sun, that totally relaxed feeling, with the sound of waves in the background. Or maybe of watching a river. It's very evoctive of those moments of stillness, but in a way that is general enough that different people can insert into it their own image of peace. 

 

It's heartbreaking that Sirius is so unused to loving attention. Not surprising. But heartbreaking all the same. The Potters a wonderfully characterized here, though. I like that Mrs. Potter is a gardener. It's a nice metaphor for helping someone grow, for taking care of poeple. And because it's not presented as being particularly important, it feels subtle rather than ham-fisted.

 

Mr. Potter's enthusiasm about art is infectious, and his mop of white hair made me love him immediately.

 

Every word about the art is enticing. As you know, I am not at all knowledgable about art, but this story makes me want to become an affectionado. Partly it's the way you capture Mr. Potter's enthusiasm, but mostly it's the complicated whirl of emotions you show in Sirius as he takes in all this art. All this free expression that he never got at home. 

 

"He'd finally done something Blacker than words could fix."

^This is a brilliant line, working on two levels as I'm sure you intended it to.

 

One thing I don't remember thinking when I read this before is, it makes me a little sad to see that Sirius retreats from the art and his project when James comes home. I understand he's having fun with James, bu I also wonder if when he is with James, he's not quite himself, but some other version of himself. Maybe the person he wishes he were, a person who doesn't deal with complicated emotional upheavel. I want their friendship to be one that allows for emotion, for grief and fear and all of it. And I'm not sure he's getting that.

 

Of course, maybe that's exactly why he needs Remus. But I still think I person should have emotional intimacy/honesty with their best friend.

 

(Of course I think that. It's so me. Maybe it's just me? No idea.)

 

All the thought you put into how Sirius would, practially speaking, be able to make this book of paintings is SO COOl. And the idea of a painting as a sort of pensieve is cool for many reasons, incluing that a pensieve is a memory-based device. So that suggests that art can become part of a collective memory, that a painting can preserve a moment and allow it to become very literally part of other people's lives. That's a fascinating, magical idea in it's own right.

 

I want to read the rest but it isn't here and I need to keep reviewing on HPFT right now. But I'm glad this was here, even if it's just one chapter.

 

Please never doubt that you are a capable writer. I already knew it, but you've blown me away all over again.

 

with so much love!

Renee

Name: justawillowtree (Signed) · Date: 13 Aug 2018 04:28 PM · For: On the Ledge

I always love stories about Sirius, even if they make me feel really sad. It’s been like almost ten years since I read about Sirius’s death for the first time and I’m still not over it. And this period of time is a really tragic one for him – he’s run away from home, he put Remus in danger (to be fair, this one was entirely his fault), and he needs to find a way to earn Remus’s forgiveness.

 

This is such a unique perspective on things. To use Muggle artists as a way to communicate the depth of emotion that Sirius is feeling. And I love the gift idea that you gave Sirius, as well – it’s so unique and it sounds so difficult, but knowing the Marauders he’s smart enough to figure it out. I was looking at his mentions of the Portkey spells and the Apparation spells or something along those lines and feeling so boggled at those, but he’d know what he was doing, right?

 

Anyway, it’s a sweet gift idea.

 

I also really liked the scene where Mr. Potter was not-so-subtly telling Sirius about the parallels between Lautrec and him haha. It made me chuckle. This line was really funny – “Sirius suddenly knew that James' complete lack of subtlety was hereditary, but he couldn't just shove Mr. Potter and tell him to shut up.” It’s so perfect! I love it!

 

This was a really cool chapter. <3

 

Love,

Eva

 

[This review was left for Quodpot, for the category “chapters with zero reviews on them.”]