Name: Oregonian (Signed) · Date: 22 Feb 2021 02:55 AM · For: II. The Dance Foyer at the Opera

Hi, Paula,

 

I love this chapter also.  The girl who realizes she will never be anything but a vague, undetailed bacground dancer in a painting with a verbally abusive dance instructor, the Hogwarts students who finally call out Madame for her harsh methods, and the suggestion that there is a possible escape to a painting that must be a better place because it couldn't possibly be worse.

 

It's so fun to see that this poor, brow-beaten, abused dancer has the courage to take the way out that the boys have shown her (James and Remus, I presume) and find a better home.  They are Gryffindors, and she is of like mind because she dares to be brave.  And it does take bravery to dash through "portrait after portrait after portrait" on faith that the boys were correct and that a better dance studio will appear eventually.

 

  I enjoyed her impressions and comments about the paintings that she passed through; she was obviously not attracted by the style of Gustav Klimt, though I like it.  When she finally arrives at the dance studio that the boys told her about, The englishman in the painting says gently, "Would you like to stay for a lesson?"  We are left hoping that she will be able to stay permanently.

 

An original idea and a fun story.  Again the heroine wins!

 

Vicki

Snow Foxes

Name: Oregonian (Signed) · Date: 22 Feb 2021 02:27 AM · For: I. Portrait of a Lady

Hi, Paula.

 

Since you were so kind to review a couple of chapters for my story Tiramisu, I will gladly review a couple of yur chapters.

 

This is such a clever idea, to use the images in the paintings as characters to write about. In canon we are told that there are many paintings, but we hear mostly about comical characters such as Sir Cadogan, the lady in the pink silk dress, and some witchy-looking witches.  Here you are turning our attention to paintings of serious people, paintings of the masters. 

 

The young lady who is speaking, Venus in Botticelli's painting who looks like a Renaissance woman from her dress, doesn't have much to do, I imagine, hanging in this same scene, century after century, with little to think about; the students are too busy with thier own interests, hurrying by without stopping.  So the lady stares at the painting across the hallway, pining for the Frenchman in the painting on the opposite wall.

 

I like how you have your Venus analyze the differences in style of the two paintings, one bright and one subdued, one precise and the other Impressionistic, one static and the other full of implied action, causing Venus to doubt that the Frenchman could be interested in her.

 

But apparently he has picked up the subtle signals of her interest, even as she is bound by the etiquette of the Renaissance upper class to not be forward, so you give this lovesick lady a very unexpected but happy ending.  That is so kind of you.  It brings a smile to my lips.

 

Thank you for writing.

 

Vicki

Snow Foxes

Name: poppunkpadfoot (Signed) · Date: 29 Feb 2020 01:52 AM · For: II. The Dance Foyer at the Opera

Hey Paula, I'm here for CMDC round 3!

 

Not gonna lie, I'm... kind of amazed by how much I enjoyed this story. That's obviously not to say that I thought this was going to be bad or anything, but I just... wasn't expecting the story that I got, I suppose? 

 

I found the protagonist to be sympathetic right from the beginning, with the strict Madame shrieking and being such a ruthless teacher. I was immediately rooting for her. I think it's wonderful how you incorporated the fact that, well, it's a painting. All the details about the pigments, the smudging of pastels, how some dancers were portrayed in greater detail... it was all quite poetic, and somehow wasn't how I was expecting you to approach the story of the people in the painting. I thought it was wonderful!

 

Also - I picked this particular story because I recognized the paintings in question - so it was a VERY unexpected and happy surprise when my boys appeared out of nowhere! (I mean, I'm assuming the "arrogant looking dark haired boy" and the "exhausted, fair haired boy" with a scarred face are, in fact, my boys. I could be wrong, but even if I am, I'm gonna pretend I'm not.) I loved their sudden appearance into the story and that they stuck up for the dancers against the mean teacher! And how thoughtful of I'm-assuming-Sirius to tell the protagonist of a painting where she can be happier!

 

I honestly wanted to cheer when the protagonist left the painting and was invited to stay in the new painting by the other (much nicer) teacher! I got so emotionally invested in this story and it really paid off. I loved the ending and I really enjoyed reading this!

 

Great work!

 

-Kayla

Name: forever_dreaming (Signed) · Date: 30 May 2018 03:06 PM · For: III. The Nubian Giraffe

Ahhh, my heart is racing for the poor giraffe! Your description here was really vivid and so well done; you created really great suspense. But also, as usual, you made me laugh, especially: "I am a tree. Be one with the trees." That sort of reminded me of "Be the leaf" from Legend of Korra, hehe. (OK, sorry, that was completely unrelated to this fic haha). 

 

I think that what I loved most was the giraffe's outrage at the life his painter had doomed him to, "a life of panic and exhausstion." I think that sort of sentiment is also something everyone can relate; we question why our lives are filled with pain, disappointment, suffering, questioning the superior entity (if you believe in something like that) that planned out these lives for us. That sort of made me think about the previous two chapters, where both characters felt trapped by external factors beyond their control. 

 

Although it didn't really work out so well for the giraffe, those characters did find happiness; that's where the idea that figures in paintings can go between paintings is actually a really inspiring and hopeful idea, because to me it suggests an element of free will in an otherwise seemingly deterministic, nihilistic universe. It's a really compelling idea. Of course, there's always the chance that we might end up like the giraffe, crushed by an unexpected lion—but there's also the chance that we might find love or liberation. It's a super realistic and interesting portrayal. 

 

Thanks for sharing this with us; I really loved this story! <3 

Name: forever_dreaming (Signed) · Date: 30 May 2018 02:55 PM · For: II. The Dance Foyer at the Opera

Ooh. Okay, this is even better than the first chapter! 

 

Like in the first chapter, I found myself relating to the main character so much—which is again, so bizzare, considering that she's just a figure in a painting. But her insecurities and pain felt so real; I think everyone can relate to her feelings about being cast aside for someone else who seemed prettier, smarter, insert-your-adjective-of-choice-here-er. I really have to commend you on your ability to develop such interesting, multi-dimensional, likable characters—even when they aren't even real people! 

 

I loved how feminist this was, especially this line: "If the man who painted us had an inkling of what he was doing, he’d have painted the toes of our puce slippers crimson as they dragged across the floor." Like, yeah, do we need more evidence that men don't know anything about anything when it comes to women? Haha :D I really loved that the final painting that she jumped into, the one where there was so much more attention and care dedicated to her, was painted by a woman.

 

As a final note—the cameo from Sirius and Remus (I'm 90% sure they were Sirius and Remus but I could be totally wrong haha) was my favorite part. They made me laugh a lot, as your stories always do :)

 

Loved it! <3 

Name: forever_dreaming (Signed) · Date: 30 May 2018 02:46 PM · For: I. Portrait of a Lady

HI PAULA. I've missed your writing so much, I had to stop by! Also, I've read this story before when it was on HPFF, and remember being absolutely enchanted, so I had to come back and give it the love it deserves. 

 

I'd like to preface this by saying that I know next to nothing about art history, so I'm sure there's some subtleties there that I'm missing out on. But one thing that I really loved about this was the level of thought you put into the characterization of each of the characters. I loved that the main character was so concerned about being appropriate and ladylike, and that she didn't want to seem "uncouth" by making the first move. I loved the depiction of her insecurities stemming from the differences in their paintings—how she felt so drab in comparison to him, so colorful and vibrant.

 

The final scene, when she finally finds the courage to speak to the man and throws "propriety" out the window was so sweet. I'm still grinning; I loved her shyness. Honestly, at that point I sort of forgot that she was just a figure in a painting; she really seemed like a real person, which I guess is the point haha. 

 

This is even better than I remember. I'm really curious about why/how you picked these paintings, as they are so very different—but pair together super well (for that exact reason, actually!). Paula, you're literally so creative; this is one of the most original and coolest stories I've read on the archive. 

 

Loved it! <3